At least 15% of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients in Italy develop tumors related to their diseases and these tumors tend to show a low response rate to combination chemotherapy and a high rate of treatment toxicity. Encouraging however have been the results of treatment with recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). 10 patients (6 with Kaposis sarcoma 2 with Hodgkins disease and 2 with non-Hodgkins lymphoma) received 3 mcg/kg/day of intravenous GM-CSF for 5 days. 3 of these patients showed a 4-fold increase in neutrophil count during the 5-day treatment period. A delayed response (i.e. a 4-fold increase in neutrophil count when the dosage was increased to 5 mcg/kg/day over a 7-day period) was recorded in 2 patients and another 2 patients manifested an increase in neutrophil count that was more than 2-fold but less than 4-fold. 3 patients failed to show any significant increase in their white blood cell count. The 3 patients with a good response maintained their neutrophil counts after treatment was discontinued. None of the patients demonstrated significant changes in platelets and hemoglobin levels. Although these data suggest that GM-CSF increases the white blood cell count in the majority of leukopenic patients who undergo chemotherapy for AIDS-related tumors further research is needed with more prolonged treatment and various dosages of chemotherapy.

The adhesive properties of 69 enteropathogenicEscherichia coli (EPEC) strains were studied. The strains were isolated from diarrheal stools of infants in Burundi, Africa, and identified by serotyping with 12 classical EPEC O serogroup antisera. A test for adhesion to HEp-2 cells revealed that 52 % of the strains showed localized adherence and 13 % diffuse adherence. Localized adherence phenotype was found in previously described serogroups O86, O111, O125, O127, O128 and O142; strains belonging to another serogroup, O126, also exhibited localized adherence. Use of an EPEC adherence factor DNA probe in colony hybridization and in Southern blot techniques revealed that all strains exhibiting localized adherence and no strain exhibiting diffuse adherence produced a positive reaction; the genes were localized on high molecular weight plasmids (50–70 megadaltons). In vitro adhesion tests with human enterocytes performed concurrently with all 69 strains showed that only six of them adhered. These strains belonged to the O26, O117, O125, O128 and O142 serogroups. The adhesin CFA/I was detected only in the O128Escherichia coli. The strain of serogroup O142 exhibited both adhesion to human enterocytes and localized adherence to HEp-2 cells, which suggests that the adhesive systems of enterotoxigenic and enteropathogenicEscherichia coli may coexist.

Deux cent quatorze souches de colibacilles (66,5 %) isolées entre 1982 et 1985 au Sénégal et au Burundi dans des selles prélevées chez des enfants atteints de diarrhée aiguë étaient résistantes à un ou plusieurs antibiotiques. Parmi elles, 149 souches (46,3 %) étaient insensibles à l'ampicilline et produisaient une ou plusieurs bêta-lactamases plasmidiques. Les bêta-lactamases TEM-1, et d'une manière inattendue SHV-1, étaient les plus fréquentes de toutes les bêta-lactamases détectées. Elles étaient produites respectivement par 49 % et 32,2 % des souches. Les 132 souches parmi les 322 étudiées, appartenaient à un des sérogroupes des colibacilles entéropathogènes et étaient plus fréquemment résistantes que les autres souches. Cependant leurs phénotypes de résistance et la distribution des bêta-lactamases qu'elles produisaient n'étaient pas différents de ceux des autres souches.

A serological survey was carried out on human brucellosis in Rusizi plain in Burundi from october 1984 to september 1985: 1,087 human sera were investigated by means of the rose bengal test and the technic of Wright's sero-agglutination. It comes out of this survey that: the aggregate prevalence of positive serology is 6.6%; such a prevalence is significantly higher in professionally at risk people (7.9%) than in people contaminated by food (3.5%).

Journal Article Human Immunodeficiency Virus Antigenemia in Patients with AIDS and AIDS-Related Disorders: A Comparison Between European and Central African Populations Get access Armelle Baillou, Armelle Baillou Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Francis Barin, Francis Barin Please address requests for reprints to Dr. F. Barin, Laboratoire de Virologic, Centre Hospitalier Regional et Universitaire de Tours, Hopital Bretonneau, 37044 Tours Cedex, France. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Jean-Pierre Allain, Jean-Pierre Allain Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Eric Petat, Eric Petat Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Paul Kocheleff, Paul Kocheleff Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Pascal Kadende, Pascal Kadende Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Alain Goudeau Alain Goudeau Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 156, Issue 5, November 1987, Pages 830–832, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/156.5.830 Published: 01 November 1987 Article history Received: 17 March 1987 Revision received: 09 June 1987 Published: 01 November 1987

A 1985 study of Kaposis sarcoma in the 2 central African nations of Burundi and Central African Republic was partly intended to determine whether the endemic form of that disease in Africa is always related to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Kaposis sarcoma was first studied in subSaharan Africa in 1960. The rare classic form affecting older adults was observed but a more rapidly developing endemic form occurring in young adults was also seen. The epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of Kaposis sarcoma appear to differ in Europe and Africa. The average age at onset of 40 years is 10 years lower than in Europe. It is more prevalent in men in both areas. The prognosis is various according to the aggressiveness of cutaneous lesions; it is very poor in a systemic form affecting children and young adults. The clinical form of Kaposis sarcoma related to AIDS reported in subSaharan Africa after 1984 is rapidly fatal. 24 of 25 cases of Kaposis sarcoma studied prospectively in a hospital in Bujumbura Burundi from December 1984-October 1985 were related to AIDS. The age of the AIDS patients ranged from 20-55 years and averaged 35.4. There were 5 women and 19 men. 21 were urban residents and none belonged to recognized high risk groups. 21 of the 24 had a stage 4 (visceral and cutaneous) form of Kaposis sarcoma and 20 had associated infections of which 5 were bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis. 17 of the 24 died within 3-19 months of appearance of symptoms and another 5 left the hospital in very poor condition but were lost to follow-up. 24 cases of Kaposis sarcoma treated in a hospital in Bangui Central African Republic between 1982-85 were retrospectively studied through case records. There were 12 cases in 1985 and the rest occurred the other 3 years. Patient ages ranged from 22-60 years and averaged 35.4. 2 women and 18 men were tested for AIDS and 9 had positive tests. None belonged to high risk groups but 15 of the 20 had multiple sexual partners. 7 of the patients had a sporadic form 6 had an African endemic form and 7 had an epidemic form with associated infection. 5 of the 9 with positive AIDS tests died and 3 of the 11 with negative AIDS tests died showing clinical signs of AIDS. The study suggests that the incidence of Kaposis sarcoma is increasing in both countries. In Burundi it is at present usually linked to AIDS while classic African sporadic and endemic forms coexist in the Central African Republic with the AIDS-related form.

The authors carried out in 1985 a survey in two French speaking States in Central Africa, namely Burundi and Central African Republic (C.A.R.), in order to study the links between Kaposi sarcoma (K.S.) and A.I.D.S. In Burundi the prospective study conducted in Bujumbura, lead to collect in one year 25 cases of K.S. out of them 24 linked to A.I.D.S. No group at risk has been identified. The 24 K.S. linked to A.I.D.S. present a stage IV (cutaneous and visceral form) in 21 cases. 20 of them got an associated affection, 5 being tuberculosis bacteriologically confirmed. All of them present a cellular immunity deficiency. Evolution was fatal in 22 cases out of 24, average presumption of survival was 10 months. In C.A.R., retrospective survey conducted in Bangui made possible to find out 24 cases in 4 years, of which 20 having had a L.A.V. antibodies research, were considered. 9 of them were linked to A.I.D.S. No group at risk. 7 patients presented a sporadic form, 6 an African endemic form, 7 an epidemic form with associated infection. Out of 9 LAV positive patients, 5 deceased. Out of 11 LAV negative patients, 3 deceased with a A.I.D.S. clinical aspect. This survey carried out in Burundi and in C.A.R. demonstrates that K.S. is significantly in increase in these two countries. In Burundi it is significantly linked to A.I.D.S. In C.A.R., classical African K.S. do exist (sporadic, endemic), as well as K.S. linked to A.I.D.S., as underlined recently in Bayley's publications in Zambia. Since A.I.D.S. has been detected, it does exist an outbreak and a new clinical form of K.S. in Central Africa.

Over a period of 23 months, 30 cases of cryptococcosis have been studied in Bujumbura (Burundi). Through them, epidemiological and clinical aspects have been underlined, and attempts have been made to establish links between cryptococcosis and A.I.D.S., which is significantly frequent in Central Africa. Cryptococcosis strikes young adults (40% between 30 and 35 years of age). Its high frequency in Bujumbura among patients infested by A.I.D.S., suggest some thoughts. A.I.D.S. in Central Africa, and particularly in Burundi, presents some peculiarities linked to surrounding and possibilities of diagnosis: opportunistic diseases are of different frequency in temperate or tropical climates: pneumocystosis are more frequent in U.S.A. but cryptococcosis and candidosis are more frequent in Africa because their diagnosis is easier. lack of classical risk factors in African populations is known, but other risk factors have to be taken into consideration: tuberculosis, intestinal parasitosis, chronic virus B hepatitis, protein-caloric deficiency.

30 cas sont etudies sur une periode de 23 mois. La cryptococcose atteint l'adulte jeune (30 a 40 ans). Le tableau clinique est celui d'une meningoencephalite subaigue a liquide clair. Le traitement repose sur l'association amphotericine et flucytosine qui permet d'obtenir des meilleurs resultats. On note tres souvent une association cryptococcose-SIDA

Complexes between HBsAg and IgM were searched for by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 53 sera from 12 individuals with acute type B hepatitis and in 54 sera from 9 haemodialysis patients with chronic type B hepatitis; all of them were followed retrospectively.

The immunogenic effect of hepatitis B vaccine was evaluated in 183 seronegative infants from Senegal. Seventy-two seronegative infants received two 5-micrograms doses of vaccine at a two-month interval and 111 seronegative infants received three 5-micrograms doses at one-month intervals. All the children had a booster dose one year after the first injection of vaccine. No difference between the two groups was observed in the seroconversion rate (93.1% and 94.6%, respectively); in the proportion of high anti-HBs titer; or in the anti-HBs geometric mean titer (82 and 92 mIU/ml, respectively). These results demonstrate that two doses of 5 micrograms of hepatitis B vaccine are sufficient in infants to obtain a high immunogenic effect.

Sera of young male HBsAg carriers from Senegal were investigated for complexes between IgM and HBsAg. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on selective absorption of IgM was used. HBsAg/IgM complexes were detected in 14% of the HBsAg carriers. They were detected in 5.0% of anti-HBe-positive sera and in 53.6% of HBeAg-positive sera. Moreover, they were present more often (37.5%) in individuals who evidenced abnormal alphafœtoprotein (AFP) levels (>15 ng/ml) than in those who had normal AFP levels (12.5%).