[McArdle's disease revealed by acute low back pain]

INTRODUCTION

McArdle disease, or glycogen storage disease type V (GSD 5), is a rare metabolic myopathy linked to an autosomal recessive myophosphorylase deficiency.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 17-year-old male patient who was referred to the emergency department for the management of acute inflammatory low back pain, without traumatic context, associated with an increase of CK at 66,336 UI/L (N<192UI/L) and a CRP at 202mg/L. The immunological assessment was negative and the spinal MRI showed images in favor of necrotizing fasciitis affecting the erector spinae muscles, among others. Faced with the description of difficulties in practicing physical activities since childhood and a non-ischaemic forearm exercise test showing no elevation in lactacidemia, genetic tests were carried out, finding two heterozygous variants in the PYGM gene: c.1963G>A (p.Glu655Lys) class 5 and c.2178-1G>A class 4, confirming the diagnosis of McArdle disease.

DISCUSSION

GSD 5 is a disease characterized essentially by muscular fatigability during exercise. The case reported here is original in the clinical circumstances leading to the diagnosis, i.e., inaugural acute low back pain with rhabdomyolysis. This symptomatology had already been described before, but in a patient whose diagnosis was already known. Spinal MRI showed non-specific muscle inflammation and necrosis. Muscle biopsy only found necrosis but no pathological elements typical of the diagnosis. If the symptoms are suggestive, it may be preferable to directly perform a non-ischaemic forearm exercise test, in order to go directly to molecular genetic analysis. There is no specific curative treatment of GSD 5. However, some measures can be implemented to limit the symptoms, such as learning physical exercises, limiting intense efforts and adopting dietary recommendations.

Photocatalyzed (3+2) Cycloaddition for the Dearomatization of Electron-Poor Arenes under Flow Conditions

The photocatalyzed dearomative reaction between various electron-deficient aromatic compounds and a non-stabilized azomethine ylide is successfully performed in a flow system. Whereas the use of supported eosin as organic photocatalyst exhibits limited efficiency, turning to the soluble Rose Bengal allows to transform a broad range of substrates from hetarenes (indole, benzofuran, quinoline, pyridine) to naphthalenes and benzenes. This photocatalyzed (3+2) dearomative cycloaddition under green light irradiation provides a simple and efficient access to tridimensional pyrrolidino scaffolds with a tetrasubstituted carbon center at ring junction and can be performed in the friendly ethyl acetate. Computational studies support the mechanism involving azomethine ylide as reactive species toward the electron-poor arene.

[Fish odor syndrome: A socially disabling disorder]

INTRODUCTION

Fish odor syndrome (FOS) is a rare metabolic disorder that manifests as "rotten fish" body odor and is caused by the excretion of trimethylamine (TMA) in body fluids. This disease can have a negative impact on the social life of affected patients.

CASE REPORTS

We report the case of two female patients complaining about unpleasant body odor. The diagnosis of FOS was confirmed by the demonstration of trimethylaminuria by NMR spectroscopy and by molecular analysis of the FMO3 gene. A restrictive choline diet combined with digestive decontamination reduced odor symptoms and improved the social life of these 2 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Fish odor syndrome is a rare and unrecognized disease that can affect the quality of life of affected persons. Following laboratory diagnosis, treatment is often effective.

Further characterization of clinical and laboratory features occurring in VEXAS syndrome in a large-scale analysis of multicenter case-series of 116 French patients

BACKGROUND

A new autoinflammatory syndrome related to somatic mutations of UBA1 was recently described and called VEXAS syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To describe clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and outcomes of VEXAS syndrome.

DESIGN

Case-series.

SETTING

Patients referred to a French multicenter registry between November 2020 and May 2021.

PATIENTS

116 patients with VEXAS syndrome.

MEASUREMENTS

Frequency and median of parameters and vital status, from diagnosis to the end of the follow-up.

RESULTS

Main clinical features were skin lesions (83.5%), non-infectious fever (63.6%), weight loss (62%), lung involvement (49.6%), ocular symptoms (38.8%), relapsing chondritis (36.4%), venous thrombosis (34.7%), lymph nodes (33.9%), and arthralgia (27.3%). Hematological disease was present in 58 cases (50%), considered as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, n= 58) and monoclonal gammapathy of unknown significance (n=12).UBA1 mutations included p.M41T (44.8%), p.M41V (30.2%), p.M41L (18.1%), and splice mutations (6.9%). After a median follow-up of 3.0 years, 18 patients died (15.5%), from infectious origin (n=9) and MDS progression (n=3). Unsupervised analysis identified 3 clusters: cluster 1 (47%) with mild-to-moderate disease; cluster 2 (16%) with underlying MDS and higher mortality rates; cluster 3 (37%) with constitutional manifestations, higher C-reactive protein levels and less frequent chondritis. Five-year probability of survival was 84.2% in cluster 1, 50.5 % in cluster 2, and 89.6% in cluster 3. UBA1 p.Met41Leu mutation was associated with a better prognosis.

CONCLUSION

VEXAS syndrome displays a large spectrum of organ manifestations and shows different clinical and prognostic profiles. It also raises a potential impact of the identified UBA1 mutation.

Reactivity of 3-nitroindoles with electron-rich species

The indol(in)e building block is one of the "privileged-structures" for the pharmaceutical industry since this fragment plays a central role in drug discovery. While the electron-rich character of the indole motif has been investigated for decades, exploiting the electrophilic reactivity of 3-nitroindole derivatives has recently been put at the heart of a wide range of new, albeit challenging, chemical reactions. In particular, dearomatization processes have considerably enriched the scope of C2[double bond, length as m-dash]C3 functionalizations of these scaffolds. This feature article showcases this remarkable electrophilic reactivity of 3-nitroindoles with electron-rich species and highlights their value in generating diversely substituted indol(in)es. This compilation underlines how these heteroaromatic templates have gradually become model substrates for electron-poor aromatic compounds in dearomatization strategies.

Validation of plasma amino acid profile using UHPLC-mass spectrometer (QDa) as a screening method in a metabolic disorders reference centre: Performance and accreditation concerns

INTRODUCTION

Amino acid (AA) analysis in plasma is essential for diagnosis and monitoring of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). The efficacy of patient management is governed by the rapidity of AA profile availability, along with the robustness of the method. French quality guidelines and progress made in analytical techniques have led biologists to develop AA profile exploration via mass spectrometry (MS).

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to validate an analytical method with a single quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) and to suggest reference values in regard to French quality and IEM society recommendations.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Plasma samples from patients were deproteinised and derivatised with AccqTag™ reagent. Analysis was performed by reverse-phase chromatography coupled to QDA detector. We evaluated accuracy, intra-days and inter-days precision and limit of quantification by the β-expectation tolerance interval method for 27 AA. Method comparison was performed with the standard method (ion exchange chromatography, IEC) on Jeol Aminotac® and to tandem MS. Reference values were established on AA concentrations of the cohort of patients who had no IEM.

RESULTS

Our method allowed the separations of almost all amino acids with a total run time of 12 min. Separation of isoleucine and alloisoleucine was incomplete (R = 0.55) but without impact on biological interpretation. Precision, accuracy and quantification were satisfactory (intra-days coefficient of variation (CV) was <5%, inter-days precision CV <10% and accuracy <15%). The limits of quantification were validated between 1 and 900 µmol/L. Results were comparable between the new method and IEC.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, we validated a rapid method on plasma for quantifying 27 amino acids that can be used in routine practice, according to French quality laboratories and SFEIM (French Society of Inborn Error of Metabolism) recommendations. Furthermore, estimated reference values were similar to those found in published studies focusing on other methods. Despite a lower specificity compared to tandem MS, the simplicity and rapidity of our method are the main advantage of this technique and place it as a major tool in IEM diagnosis and management.

miR-379 links glucocorticoid treatment with mitochondrial response in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal muscle disorder, caused by mutations in the DMD gene and affects approximately 1:5000-6000 male births. In this report, we identified dysregulation of members of the Dlk1-Dio3 miRNA cluster in muscle biopsies of the GRMD dog model. Of these, we selected miR-379 for a detailed investigation because its expression is high in the muscle, and is known to be responsive to glucocorticoid, a class of anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used in DMD patients. Bioinformatics analysis predicts that miR-379 targets EIF4G2, a translational factor, which is involved in the control of mitochondrial metabolic maturation. We confirmed in myoblasts that EIF4G2 is a direct target of miR-379, and identified the DAPIT mitochondrial protein as a translational target of EIF4G2. Knocking down DAPIT in skeletal myotubes resulted in reduced ATP synthesis and myogenic differentiation. We also demonstrated that this pathway is GC-responsive since treating mice with dexamethasone resulted in reduced muscle expression of miR-379 and increased expression of EIF4G2 and DAPIT. Furthermore, miR-379 seric level, which is also elevated in the plasma of DMD patients in comparison with age-matched controls, is reduced by GC treatment. Thus, this newly identified pathway may link GC treatment to a mitochondrial response in DMD.

[Mite sensitization in children followed for respiratory allergy in a tropical African environment in Cotonou, Benin]

INTRODUCTION

In tropical Africa, allergies are not well documented. The objective of this work was to evaluate, by two methods, the sensitization to mites in children followed for respiratory allergy.

METHODS

Skin prick-test and IgE assay by REAST test with 3 mites: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae) and Blomia tropicalis (B. tropicalis) were carried out in children from 3 to 15 years followed up for asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. The positive results of the two tests were compared.

RESULTS

Of the 130 (100%) children included, all eligible for the assay, 119 (91.5%) had the prick-test. The mean age and sex ratio (M/F) were 7±1 year, and 1.6. The association of rhinitis and asthma was the most frequent and found in 66 (55.6%). The sensitivity frequencies for the prick-test and assay were respectively 79% versus 36.1% for B. tropicalis, 71.4% versus 33.4% for D. pteronyssinus and 38.7% versus 37.8% for D. farinae. A moderate correlation between mean papule diameter and mean IgE concentration was observed.

CONCLUSION

In African tropical environments, dust mite sensitization in children followed for respiratory allergy is frequent, with the order of frequency being: B. tropicalis, D. pteronyssinus, and D. farinae. The prick-test had better sensitivity than the assay for its evaluation.

[Diagnosis and treatment of urea cycle disorders in adult patients]

Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) are inborn errors of metabolism in which the clinical picture is mostly due to ammonia intoxication. UCD onset may be observed at any age. Acute decompensations of UCDs include neuro-psychiatric symptoms such as headache, confusion, convulsions, ataxia, agitation or delirium, as well as digestive symptoms, namely nausea and vomiting along with abdominal pain. Acute decompensations may lead to an irreversible coma in the absence of specific therapy. The first step is to measure promptly ammonemia in such patients, and start appropriate therapy on an emergency basis.

Dysferlin regulates cell membrane repair by facilitating injury-triggered acid sphingomyelinase secretion

Dysferlin deficiency compromises the repair of injured muscle, but the underlying cellular mechanism remains elusive. To study this phenomenon, we have developed mouse and human myoblast models for dysferlinopathy. These dysferlinopathic myoblasts undergo normal differentiation but have a deficit in their ability to repair focal injury to their cell membrane. Imaging cells undergoing repair showed that dysferlin-deficit decreased the number of lysosomes present at the cell membrane, resulting in a delay and reduction in injury-triggered lysosomal exocytosis. We find repair of injured cells does not involve formation of intracellular membrane patch through lysosome-lysosome fusion; instead, individual lysosomes fuse with the injured cell membrane, releasing acid sphingomyelinase (ASM). ASM secretion was reduced in injured dysferlinopathic cells, and acute treatment with sphingomyelinase restored the repair ability of dysferlinopathic myoblasts and myofibers. Our results provide the mechanism for dysferlin-mediated repair of skeletal muscle sarcolemma and identify ASM as a potential therapy for dysferlinopathy.

[Evaluation of blood grouping in ABO and Rh systems in health facilities in Benin]

STUDY PURPOSE

The goal of this work is to assess the modalities of blood typing achievement in Benin with the view of their improvement.

METHODS

On the basis of a questionnaire including the detailed operative process, a prospective investigation has been achieved in public and private health centers laboratories.

RESULTS

It came out that the execution of ABO and Rh blood typing took place globally on the fringe of the standards. We note that 72.4% of the private laboratories and 48.9% of the public ones lacked at least one equipment and 51.3% at least one material for blood withdrawal; 38.2% of the laboratories did not respect blood withdrawal standards; 1.32% of the laboratories applied the 4×2 rule. The assessment revealed that respectively 10.8% and 30.7% of the blood centers and non-blood centers achieved the globular test solely; the same 40.5% and 46.2% used reagents of different brands. Anti-A1 and anti-H sera, and A1 and A2 red cells were not available in any laboratory. More than 64% of laboratories have senior technicians and biomedical analysis engineers but only 6.6% of the laboratories were directed by biologists, and 9.2% of the laboratories function with only one technician.

CONCLUSION

Instead of some assets, the laboratories assessment noted important non-conformities we ought to raise as a matter of urgency. It is a challenge whose resolution must give blood transfusion centers a reference position relatively to blood grouping when facing blood typing difficulties.

Bioaccumulation of human waterborne protozoa by zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha): interest for water biomonitoring

Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia duodenalis and Toxoplasma gondii are ubiquitous pathogens, which waterborne transmission has been largely demonstrated. Since they can be found in various watercourses, interactions with aquatic organisms are possible. Protozoan detection for watercourses biomonitoring is currently based on large water filtration. The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a choice biological model in ecotoxicological studies which are already in use to detect chemical contaminations in watercourses. In the present study, the zebra mussel was tested as a new tool for detecting water contamination by protozoa. In vivo exposures were conducted in laboratory experiments. Zebra mussel was exposed to various protozoan concentrations for one week. Detection of protozoa was realized by Taqman real time qPCR. Our experiments evidenced C. parvum, G. duodenalis and T. gondii oocyst bioaccumulation by mussels proportionally to ambient contamination, and significant T. gondii prevalence was observed in muscle tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates T. gondii oocyst accumulation by zebra mussel. The results from this study highlight the capacity of zebra mussels to reveal ambient biological contamination, and thus to be used as a new effective tool in sanitary biomonitoring of water bodies.

[Reality and importance of transfusion-transmitted malaria in a stable endemic context: Cotonou case in Benin]

Malaria endemic status of our countries supports avoiding malaria screening for the blood qualification. But this attitude makes young children, pregnant women and people without semi-immunity incur a high risk of malaria. The goal of the survey was to value the reality and the importance of transfusion-transmitted malaria and to assess its determining factors. The study included 141 packed-red-cells units transfused to 77 hospitalized recipients, not suffering from malaria and not having been transfused the last two weeks. Every packed-red-cells assigned to a patient was tested for malaria before use. Thick and thin blood film were performed 96hours after transfusion. A clinical follow-up was undertaken as well as in the hospital and at home after release. In all, 13.47% of the transfused packed-red-cells were positive for the thick blood film. Plasmodium research in patients was negative 96hours after transfusion, even in the 19 patients who had received parasitized blood units! The home follow-up had permitted to note that 15.78% of blood recipients had developed clinical malaria. Parasitic density ≥240 parasites/mm(3) seems to be a determining factor. Transfusion-transmitted malaria is a reality we ought to consider. Introduction of malaria screening in donated blood qualification testings simultaneously with a framing of the blood donors appear the lasting solution to hope in the future to limit the waited excessive blood evictions.

[Effect of coronary risk and of hypertension on renal risk in the general population]

INTRODUCTION

Abnormal albuminuria (≥ 30 mg/g) and low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) not only are renal risk factors, but also cardiovascular and coronarian risk factors. Though, the relation between coronary risk and renal risk, and its interaction with insufficiently controlled brachial pressure (BP) is poorly described in the literature.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We realised a cross-sectional study on subjects 40 and older, having attended a medical exam in 11 IRSA centers between 2006 and 2010. Every subject filled a questionnaire, underwent biological analysis, and a clinical examination. eGFR and albuminuria were measured, and the 10-year risk of coronarian event was calculated (Laurier's equation)

RESULTS

We analysed 118,314 subjects, amongst whom 96,400 had no personal cardiovascular history. Amongst those, 9.1% had a 10-year coronary risk over 10%. There was a continuous relationship between coronary risk and renal risk: subjects with a risk above 15% had a significative risk of pathological albuminuria (OR: 6.87 [5.58-8.44]), and of low eGFR (2.26 [1.82-2.78]) compared to those with a risk under 5%. There was a continuous relationship between BP and renal risk, with a significative risk of pathological albuminuria (OR=7.75 [6.69-8.96]) and of low eGFR (OR: 1.33 [1.09-1.60]) in subjects with BP greater than or equal to 180/110 mmHg, compared to those with normal BP.

CONCLUSION

In the French population, 9.1% of subjects have a 10-year coronary risk above 10%. This risk is associated to abnormalities of the renal function. The relation between coronary risk and renal risk is continuous and dose-dependent, as is the relation between BP and renal risk.

Protozoa interaction with aquatic invertebrate: interest for watercourses biomonitoring

Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Giardia duodenalis are human waterborne protozoa. These worldwide parasites had been detected in various watercourses as recreational, surface, drinking, river, and seawater. As of today, water protozoa detection was based on large water filtration and on sample concentration. Another tool like aquatic invertebrate parasitism could be used for sanitary and environmental biomonitoring. In fact, organisms like filter feeders could already filtrate and concentrate protozoa directly in their tissues in proportion to ambient concentration. So molluscan shellfish can be used as a bioindicator of protozoa contamination level in a site since they were sedentary. Nevertheless, only a few researches had focused on nonspecific parasitism like protozoa infection on aquatic invertebrates. Objectives of this review are twofold: Firstly, an overview of protozoa in worldwide water was presented. Secondly, current knowledge of protozoa parasitism on aquatic invertebrates was detailed and the lack of data of their biological impact was pointed out.

[Protein C deficiency in black African with venous thromboembolism in Cotonou, Benin]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of protein C deficiency in venous thromboembolism in black African patients of Benin. It is a descriptive study. Inclusion criteria were: acceptance- having a venous thromboembolism. No exlusion criteria was retained. Protein C deficiency was diagnosed by quantitative technic with a Minividas materiel in the blood. Protein C dosage has been done before antivitamin k therapy and a second dosage has been done if the first one demonstrated a low level of protein C. Acuired aetiology have been research. For the 54 patients of this study mean age was 52.7±14.1 and sex-ratio 1.08. The frequency of protein C deficiency was 9.3% in all patients and 12.5% in those with clinical thrombophily (p=1). No acquired deficit has been found.

Heat shock treatment increases engraftment of transplanted human myoblasts into immunodeficient mice

Myoblast transfer therapy (MTT) is a strategy that has been proposed to treat some striated muscle pathologies. However, the first therapeutic trials using this technique were unsuccessful due to the limited migration and early cell death of the injected myoblasts. Various strategies have been considered to increase myoblast survival in the host muscle after MTT. Overexpression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in mouse myoblasts has been shown to improve cell resistance against apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Our objective was to determine whether heat shock (HS) treatment increased the survival of human myoblasts leading to better participation of the injected cells in muscle regeneration. For this study, HS-treated human myoblasts were injected into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of immunodeficient RAG-/- gammaC-/- mice. TA muscles were excised at 24 hour and at 1 month after injection. Our results showed that HS treatment increased the expression of the hsp70 protein and protected the cells from apoptosis in vitro. HS treatment dramatically increased the number of human fibers present at 1 month after injection when compared with nontreated cells. Interestingly, HS treatment decreased apoptosis at 24 hour after human myoblast injection, but no differences were observed concerning proliferation, suggesting that the increased fiber formation among the HS-treated group was probably due to decreased cell death. These data suggested that HS treatment might be used in the clinical context to improve the success of MTT.

[Morbidity of diabetic foot in Internal Medicine CNHU HKM, Cotonou]

The diabetes and its complications appear increasingly frequent in our medical practice. We fixed ourselves for objectives to determine the frequency of the foot diabetic in Internal Medicine at Cotonou, to count the factors etiopathogenic responsible for the lesions and to describe the clinical aspects of the lesions. We carried out a retrospective study on the 420 diabetics hospitalized of January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1999. The frequency of the foot diabetic was 16.66%, the average age of the patients 60 years and the sex ratio 2.04. The diabetes of the type 2 was most frequent (71.4%). The traumatisms were the supporting factors most often found (32.86%). The lesions were in majority (38.57%) at the stage V of the classification of Wagner. On the therapeutic level, the amputations were frequent (20%) especially the amputations of legs. The installation of medical team of education for the assumption of responsibility of the diabetes and the prevention of the complications appears essential.

Myoblast transfer therapy: is there any light at the end of the tunnel?

Myoblast transfer therapy (MTT) was proposed in the 70's as a potential treatment for muscular dystrophies, based upon the early results obtained in mdx mice: dystrophin expression was restored in this model by intramuscular injections of normal myoblasts. These results were quickly followed by clinical trials for patients suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in the early 90's, based mainly upon intramuscular injections of allogenic myoblasts. The clinical benefits obtained from these trials were minimal, if any, and research programs concentrated then on the various pitfalls that hampered these clinical trials, leading to numerous failures. Several causes for these failures were identified in mouse models, including a massive cell death of myoblasts following their injection, adverse events involving the immune system and requiring immunosuppression and the adverse events linked to it, as well as a poor dispersion of the injected cells following their injection. It should be noted that these studies were conducted in mouse models, not taking into account the fundamental differences between mice and men. One of these differences concerns the regulation of proliferation, which is strictly limited by proliferative senescence in humans. Although this list is certainly not exhaustive, new therapeutic venues were then explored, such as the use of stem cells with myogenic potential, which have been described in various populations, including bone marrow, circulating blood or muscle itself. These stem cells presented the main advantage to be available and not exhausted by the numerous cycles of degeneration/regeneration which characterize muscle dystrophies. However, the different stem candidates have shown their limits in terms of efficiency to participate to the regeneration of the host. Another issue was raised by clinical trials involving the injection of autologous myoblasts in infacted hearts, which showed that limited targets could be aimed with autologous myoblasts, as long as enough spared muscle was available. This resulted in a clinical trial for the pharyngeal muscles of patients suffering from Oculo-Pharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD). The results of this trial will not be available before 2 years, and a similar procedure is being studied for Fascio-Scapulo-Humeral muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). Concerning muscular dystrophies which leave very few muscles spared, such as DMD, other solutions must be found, which could include exon-skipping for the eligible patients, or even cell therapy using stem cells if some cell candidates with enough efficiency can be found. Recent results concerning mesoangioblasts or circulating AC133+ cells raise some reasonable hope, but still need further confirmations, since we have learned from the past to be cautious concerning a transfer of results from mice to humans.

The mitotic clock in skeletal muscle regeneration, disease and cell mediated gene therapy

The regenerative capacity of skeletal muscle will depend on the number of available satellite cells and their proliferative capacity. We have measured both parameters in ageing, and have shown that although the proliferative capacity of satellite cells is decreasing during muscle growth, it then stabilizes in the adult, whereas the number of satellite cells decreases during ageing. We have also developed a model to evaluate the regenerative capacity of human satellite cells by implantation into regenerating muscles of immunodeficient mice. Using telomere measurements, we have shown that the proliferative capacity of satellite cells is dramatically decreased in muscle dystrophies, thus hampering the possibilities of autologous cell therapy. Immortalization by telomerase was unsuccessful, and we currently investigate the factors involved in cell cycle exits in human myoblasts. We have also observed that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a factor known to provoke hypertrophy, does not increase the proliferative potential of satellite cells, which suggests that hypertrophy is provoked by increasing the number of satellite cells engaged in differentiation, thus possibly decreasing the compartment of reserve cells. We conclude that autologous cell therapy can be applied to specific targets when there is a source of satellite cells which is not yet exhausted. This is the case of Oculo-Pharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD), a late onset muscular dystrophy, and we participate to a clinical trial using autologous satellite cells isolated from muscles spared by the disease.

HPA polymorphism in sub-Saharan African populations: Beninese, Cameroonians, Congolese, and Pygmies

The frequency of human platelet antigen-1 (HPA-1) to HPA-11w (excluding HPA-8w) and HPA-15 systems was studied in four sub-Saharan populations: Beninese, Congolese (Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa), Cameroonians, and Aka pygmies (Central African Republic). No report of HPA prevalence has previously been published concerning these populations which are characterized by the highest HPA-2b gene frequencies of any reported to date (Aka 0.393, Benin 0.292, Cameroon 0.237, and Congo 0.224) and at lesser degree HPA-5b (Aka 0.405, Congo 0.268, Cameroon 0.254, and Benin 0.182). This study is of great importance (i) particularly in the context of the diversity caused by the population migrations, we may observe today in our hospitals (ii) to confirm that the Pygmy population with distinctive frequencies (absence of the HPA-1b, HPA-2b, and HPA-5b highest frequencies) is an isolated population.