Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
This study aimed to evaluate the repeated sequence REP-529 compared to the B1 gene for the molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in routine diagnosis.Over a ten-year period (2003-2013), all patients prospectively diagnosed with a positive REP-529 qPCR result for toxoplasmosis were included. All DNA samples (76 samples from 56 patients) were simultaneously tested using the two qPCR methods (REP-529 and B1).The mean Ct obtained with the B1 qPCR was significantly higher (+4.71 cycles) than that obtained with REP-529 qPCR (p<0.0001). Thirty-one out of 69 extracts (45.6%) positive with REP-529 qPCR were not amplified with the B1 qPCR (relative sensitivity 54.4%, compared to REP-529), yielding false negative results on 15/28 placentas, 5 cord blood, 2 amniotic fluids, 4 cerebrospinal fluids, 1 aqueous humor, 2 lymph node punctures and 1 abortion product. This defect in sensitivity would have left 20/56 patients undiagnosed, distributed as follows: 12/40 congenital toxoplasmosis, 4/5 cerebral toxoplasmosis, 2/8 patients with retinochoroiditis, and both patients with chronic lymphadenopathy. This poor performance of B1 qPCR could be related to low parasite loads, since the mean Toxoplasma quantification in extracts with B1 false negative results was 0.4 parasite/reaction.These results clearly show the superiority of the REP-529 sequence in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by PCR suggest that this target should be adopted as part of standardization of the PCR assay.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01118293
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118293
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118293/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118293/file/A%2010-Year%20Retrospective%20Comparison%20of%20Two%20Target%20Sequences-belaz2015.pdf
PUBMEDCENTRAL : PMC4365238

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The development of inflammatory granulomas around infected Kupffer cells is necessary for hepatic parasite clearance during visceral leishmaniasis. Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are predominant T cells in the mouse liver and can synthesize large quantities of IL-4 and IFN-γ, two cytokines involved in granuloma formation. This study analyzed the role of iNKT cells in the hepatic immune response during Leishmania donovani infection, using a murine model of wild-type (WT) and iNKT cell-deficient (Jα18⁻/⁻) C57BL/6 mice sacrificed 15, 30 or 60 days post-infection. We recorded hepatic parasite loads, cytokine expression, and analyzed granulomatous response by immunohistochemistry and hepatic immune cell infiltration by flow cytometry. Whereas WT animals rapidly controlled the infection and developed an inflammatory response associated with a massive influx of iNKT cells observed by flow cytometry, Jα18⁻/⁻ mice had significantly higher parasitic loads on all time points. This lack of control of parasite burden was associated with a delay in granuloma maturation (28.1% of large granulomas at day 60 versus 50.7% in WT). Cytokine transcriptome analysis showed that mRNA of 90/101 genes encoding chemokines, cytokines and their receptors, was underexpressed in Jα18⁻/⁻ mice. Detection of IL-4 and TNF-α by ELISA in liver extracts was also significantly lower in Jα18⁻/⁻ mice. Consistent with flow cytometry analysis, cytokinome profile in WT mice showed a bias of expression towards T cell-chemoattractant chemokines on D15, and displayed a switch towards expression of granulocytes and/or monocytes -chemoattractant chemokines on D60. In Jα18⁻/⁻ mice, the significantly lower expression of CXCL5, MIP-2 and CCL2 mRNA was correlated with a defect in myeloperoxidase positive-cell attraction observed by immunohistochemistry and with a lower granulocyte and monocyte infiltration in the liver, as shown by flow cytometry. These data indicate that iNKT cells play a role in early and sustained pro-inflammatory cytokine response warranting efficient organization of hepatic granulomas and parasite clearance.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-00696897
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00696897
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00696897/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00696897/file/Invariant_NKT_Cells_Drive-accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0033413

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
ISSN: 1773-035X

hal-01118465
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118465
DOI : 10.1016/S1773-035X(13)72269-X

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
Seven patients from a group of 16 travelers were diagnosed at our institution with one or more sand fleas on their toes, 1 day to 3 weeks after returning from Madagascar. A questionnaire was sent to the whole group to collect clinical and epidemiological information, which showed that 9 of 13 (69%) had received pre-travel medical advice, but none were aware of sand flea; thus prevention measures were rarely applied. Five of seven (71%) patients wore open sandals throughout the trip. Overall, 10 sand fleas were extracted
ISSN: 1195-1982

hal-01162380
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01162380
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01162380/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01162380/file/Tungiasis%20outbreak%20in%20Madagascar-1.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/jtm.12217

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
UNLABELLED: During visceral leishmaniasis, the control of hepatic parasite burden is mainly due to granuloma assembly in a microenvironment consisting of both Th1 and Th2 components. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) dosages, quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry, we studied the role of interleukin-33 (IL-33), a recently described cytokine signaling through the ST2 receptor, during visceral leishmaniasis. We showed that a higher level of IL-33 was detected in the serum of patients with visceral leishmaniasis than in that from healthy donors and demonstrated the presence of IL-33(+) cells in a liver biopsy specimen from a patient. Similarly, in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with L. donovani, a higher level of IL-33 was detected in the serum, as well as the presence of IL-33(+) cells and ST2(+) cells in the mouse liver. In ST2(-/-) BALB/c mice, better control of the hepatic parasite burden and reduced hepatomegaly were observed. This was associated with strong induction of Th1 cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-γ] and IL-12) compared to the level in wild-type (WT) mice and better recruitment of myeloid cells associated with strongly induced chemokines (CCL2 and CXCL2) and receptors (CCR2 and CXCR2). Conversely, BALB/c mice treated twice weekly with recombinant IL-33 showed a dramatically reduced induction of Th1 cytokines and delayed inhibition of monocyte and neutrophil recruitment in the liver, which was associated with reduced KC/CXCL1 and CXCR2 expression. Taken together, our results suggest that IL-33 could be a new deleterious regulator of the hepatic immune response against Leishmania donovani, via the repression of the Th1 response and myeloid cell recruitment. IMPORTANCE: Visceral leishmaniasis is a life-threatening systemic disease due to the Leishmania protozoa L. infantum and L. donovani and is ranked by the World Health Organization as the second most important protozoan parasitic disease after malaria for its grave morbidity, high mortality, and global distribution. Leishmania parasites subvert the host's immune response to propagate to target organs, including the spleen, the bone marrow, and the liver. Control of hepatic parasite burdens depends on a delicate and poorly understood Th1/Th2 immune balance. To better understand this complex immune response, new cytokines are interesting targets for research studies. IL-33 is a newly described cytokine usually associated with Th2 response and involved in different diseases, including infectious diseases and hepatitis. Our results suggest that IL-33 could be a new factor of susceptibility and a potential prognostic marker during visceral leishmaniasis.
ISSN: 2150-7511

inserm-00871493
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00871493
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00871493/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00871493/file/mBio.00383-13.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/mBio.00383-13

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Hygiene

hal-00877920
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00877920

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier [Commercial Publisher]
Résumé : International audience
BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in HIV-negative immunocompromised patients is associated with high mortality rates. Although trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) provides a very effective prophylaxis, pneumocystosis still occurs and may even be emerging, due to sub-optimal characterization of patients most at risk, hence precluding targeted prophylaxis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all cases of documented pneumocystosis in HIV-negative patients admitted in our institution, a referral center in the area, from January 1990 to June 2010, and extracted data on their underlying condition(s). To estimate incidence rates within each condition, we estimated the number of patients followed-up in our area for each condition, by measuring the number of patients admitted with the corresponding international classification diagnostic code, through the national hospital discharge database (PMSI). RESULTS: From 1990 to 2010, 293 cases of pneumocystosis were documented, of whom 154 (52.6%) tested negative for HIV. The main underlying conditions were hematological malignancies (32.5%), solid tumors (18.2%), inflammatory diseases (14.9%), solid organ transplant (12.3%), and vasculitis (9.7%). Estimated incidence rates could be ranked in three categories: i) high risk (incidence rates extgreater 45 cases per 100,000 patient-year): polyarteritis nodosa, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, polymyositis/dermatopolymyositis, acute leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma; ii) intermediate risk (25-45 cases per 100,000 patient-year): Waldenström macroglobulinemia, multiple myeloma, and central nervous system cancer; and iii) low risk ( extless 25 cases per 100,000 patient-year): other solid tumors, inflammatory diseases, and Hodgkin lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: These estimates may be used as a guide to better target pneumocystosis prophylaxis in the groups most at risk.
ISSN: 0002-9343

hal-01063911
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01063911
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01063911/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01063911/file/1-s2.0-S0002934314005907-main.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.07.010