[First North African observation of Leber congenital amaurosis secondary to CEP290 gene mutation]

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a the earliest and most severe form of retinal dystrophy responsible for congenital blindness. LCA has genetic heterogeneity and the study of this disease is elucidating the genetics and molecular interactions involved in the development of the retina. To date, 11 LCA genes have been mapped, ten of which have been identified. The CEP290 gene has been shown to account for Joubert and Senior-Loken syndromes and to be a frequent cause of nonsyndromic LCA. We report here the first Arab patient, born to consanguineous parents, with Leber congenital amaurosis attributable to mutation of the CEP290 gene.

Antibacterial activity of Quercus ilex bark's extracts

The antibacterial activity of different extracts of Quercus ilex bark (Fagaceae) was studied in vitro against seven reference strains of bacteria by using a disc-diffusion method and agar-dilution method. The ethyl acetate extract (QE), n-butanol extract (QB) and final aqueous layer (QA) were effective against all bacterial strains tested at MICs ranging from 128 to 512 microg/ml. The n-hexane extract (QH) and dichloromethane extract (QD) showed no activity.