Éditeur(s) : Springer
Résumé : Batch culture experiments using viral enrichment were conducted to test the response of a coastal bacterial community to autochthonous (i.e., co-existing) or allochthonous riverine viruses. The effects of viral infections on bacterial dynamics and activity were assessed by epifluorescence microscopy and thymidine incorporation, respectively, whereas the effect of viral infection on bacterial community composition was examined by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism 16S ribosomal RNA fingerprinting. The percentages of high nucleic acid-containing cells, evaluated by flow cytometry, were significantly correlated (r (2) = 0.91, n = 12, p < 0.0001) to bacterial production, making this value a good predictor of active cell dynamics along the study. While confinement and temperature were the two principal experimental factors affecting bacterial community composition and dynamics, respectively, additions of freshwater viruses had significant effects on coastal bacterial communities. Thus, foreign viruses significantly reduced net bacterial population increase as compared to the enrichment treated with inactivated virus. Moreover, freshwater viruses recurrently and specifically affected bacterial community composition, as compared to addition of autochthonous viruses. In most cases, the combined treatment viruses and freshwater dissolved organic matter helped to maintain or even enhance species richness in coastal bacterial communities in agreement to the 'killing the winner' hypothesis. Thus, riverine virus input could potentially influence bacterial community composition of the coastal bay albeit with modest modification of bulk bacterial growth.
Microbial Ecology (0095-3628) (Springer), 2009-02 , Vol. 57 , N. 2 , P. 295-306

Droits : 2009 Springer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2009/publication-6636.pdf
DOI:10.1007/s00248-008-9428-1
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6636/

Éditeur(s) : Inter-Research
Résumé : Experimental infections of Penaeus (Litopenaeus) stylirostris were performed with a Vibrio penaeicida strain (AM101) isolated in New Caledonia from Syndrome 93 diseased shrimp. Cumulative mortalities resulting from intramuscular injection or immersion of shrimp in bacterial suspensions demonstrated high virulence for this bacterial strain and suggested that V. penaeicida could be the etiological agent of Syndrome 93. The median lethal dose (LD50) for AM101 was 1.3 x 104 CFU (colony forming units) ml-1 by immersion and less than 5 CFU shrimp-1 by intramuscular challenge, with mortality outbreaks at 48 and 22 h after challenge, respectively. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection assay using a primer set designed from the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of V. penaeicida was developed. It gave an expected amplicon of approximately 310 bp in ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. The specificity of these primers was assessed with different Vibrio species. Furthermore, DNA extracted by the ChelexTM method could be used to detect fewer than 20 cultured Vibrio cells in seawater or shrimp hemolymph by this assay. It appears to be a reliable screening method for detecting V. penaeicida in shrimp and from the aquatic environment.
Diseases of aquatic organisms (0177-5103) (Inter-Research), 2000-03 , Vol. 49 , N. 2 , P. 109-115

Droits : Inter-Research 2000
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2000/publication-4436.pdf
DOI:10.3354/dao040109
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4436/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
This work relates to the characterisation of the predominant gill protein of the white clam, Codakia orbicularis (Linné, 1758), which harbours endosymbiotic sulphur-oxidising chemoautotrophic bacteria. Total RNA was extracted from the clam to perform 3'rapid amplification of cDNA ends (3'RACE) using degenerate oligonucleotides prepared from a partial sequence of a predominant protein of about 14kDa, termed codakine. The partial peptide sequence was obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and Edman degradation. Clones isolated from the cDNA library and containing the gene of interest were used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR and RACE-PCR products were sequenced to determine the entire coding DNA sequence of codakine. BLAST analysis revealed about 23% to 29% sequence identity between codakine and various animal C-type lectins that are often involved in symbiosis and immune defences. Codakine also contains the motifs and domains of Ca(2+)-dependent C-type lectins, and in particular the tripeptide EPN motif frequently found in mannose-binding lectins (MBLs). Analysis of the protein by affinity chromatography on a mannose-agarose column is consistent with the findings that codakine is a dimeric Ca(2+)-dependent MBL of about 29kDa. Based on the present results, it is hypothesised that this novel C. orbicularis gill protein is involved in the recognition of symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria.
ISSN: 1050-4648

hal-00746015
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00746015
DOI : 10.1016/j.fsi.2006.06.013
PUBMED : 17169576

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a major diagnostic tool in lung diseases, including viral respiratory infections. We aimed to better define the situations where viral tests should be performed on BAL fluid (BALF). We retrospectively studied all cases where viral tests [immunofluorescence, immunocytochemistry, viral culture, and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR)] were performed on BALF during a period of 1 year (2008) in our institution. We compared the characteristics of patients with virus-positive versus virus-negative BALF. Of the 636 BALF samples sent to the microbiology laboratory, 232 underwent viral tests. Of these, 70 (30 %) were positive and identified 85 viruses: herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 (n = 27), cytomegalovirus (CMV, n = 23), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV, n = 18), human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 (n = 12), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, n = 3), rhinovirus (n = 1), and adenovirus (n = 1). The variables associated with positive viral tests on univariate analysis were immunosuppression [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), corticosteroids >10 mg/day for ≥3 weeks, or other immunosuppressive therapy], ground-glass attenuations on computed tomography (CT) scanning, late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and durations of (i) hospital stay, (ii) intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and (iii) mechanical ventilation before BAL (p < 0.01 for each comparison). On multivariate analysis, only immunosuppression [odds ratio (OR) 6.4, 95 % confidence interval (CI) [2.8-14.3], p < 0.0001] and ground-glass attenuations (OR 3.7, 95 % CI [1.8-7.7], p = 0.0004) remained associated with virus-positive BAL. None of the viral tests performed on BALF for the initial assessment of diffuse infiltrative lung disease (n = 15) was positive. PCR improved the diagnostic yield of viral tests on BALF by 50 %. Testing for viruses on BALF should be mostly restricted to immunocompromised patients with acute respiratory diseases and/or patients with unexplained ground-glass attenuations on CT scanning.
ISSN: 0934-9723

hal-00873158
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00873158
DOI : 10.1007/s10096-012-1791-7
PUBMED : 23238685

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé :  
The symbiotic interactions between Frankia strains and their associated plants from the Casuarinaceae under controlled conditions are well documented but little is known about these interactions under natural conditions. We explored the symbiotic interactions between eight genotypically characterized Frankia strains and five Casuarinaceae species in long-term field trials. Characterization of strains was performed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for the nifD-nifK intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) and 16S-23S ITS. Assessments of the symbiotic interactions were based on nodulation patterns using nodule dry weight and viability, and on actual N-2 fixation using the delta N-15 method. The PCR-RFLP patterns showed that the analyzed strains belonged to the same genotypic group (CeD group), regardless of the host species and environment of origin. The nodule viability index is introduced as a new tool to measure the viability of perennial nodules and to predict their effectiveness. The host Casuarinaceae species was a key factor influencing both the actual N-2-fixing activity of the associated Frankia strain and the viability of nodules within a location. This is the first study providing information on the symbiotic interactions between genotypically characterized Frankia strains and actinorhizal plants under natural conditions. The results revealed a way to improve a long-term management of the Casuarinaceae symbiosis.
ISSN: 0031-9317

hal-01032134
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032134
DOI : 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2007.00856.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
The deeply branching Deinococcus-Thermus lineage is recognized as one of the most extremophilic phylum of bacteria. In previous studies, the presence of Deinococcus-related bacteria in the hot arid Tunisian desert of Tataouine was demonstrated through combined molecular and culture-based approaches. Similarly , Thermus-related bacteria have been detected in Tunisian geothermal springs. The present work was conducted to explore the molecular diversity within the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum in these extreme environments. A set of specific primers was designed in silico on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, validated for the specific detection of reference strains, and used for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of metagenomic DNA retrieved from the Tataouine desert sand and Tunisian hot spring water samples. These analyses have revealed the presence of previously undescribed Deino-coccus-Thermus bacterial sequences within these extreme environments. The primers designed in this study thus represent a powerful tool for the rapid detection of Deinococcus-Thermus in environmental samples and could also be applicable to clarify the biogeography of the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum.
ISSN: 2045-8827

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01560945
https://hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01560945
https://hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01560945/document
https://hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01560945/file/Theodorakopoulos-2013.pdf
DOI : 10.1002/mbo3.119

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
This article describes a previously unreported mutation at position 210 (C210T) of the mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA (mtLSUrRNA) gene of Pneumocystis jirovecii, which led to a false-negative result of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Since the aforementioned real-time PCR assay is widely used in France, a French multicenter study was conducted to estimate the mutation frequency and its potential impact on the routine diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Through analysis of data obtained from eight centers, the mutation frequency was estimated at 0.28%. This low frequency should not call into question the routine use of this PCR assay. Nonetheless, the occurrence of the false-negative PCR result provides arguments for maintaining microscopic techniques combined to PCR assays to achieve PCP diagnosis.
Medical Mycology

hal-01477200
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01477200
DOI : 10.1093/mmy/myw051
PUBMED : 27489302

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Background: Influenza is an important cause of serious illness and death, particularly in elderly and high-risk groups. Objectives Aim of this study was to identify factors associated with poor outcomes among adults hospitalized in France for laboratory-confirmed seasonal influenza. Study design Patients hospitalized for influenza were identified in a prospective, multicenter study carried out in French hospitals during three consecutive influenza seasons (2012–2015). Influenza virus infection was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were compared according to the virus type and subtype. Risk factors for complications, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death were analyzed by backward stepwise logistic regression. Results The study population consisted of 566 patients, of whom 56% were older than 65 years and 82% had underlying chronic illnesses. Type A influenza viruses infected 422 patients (75%), including subtype H3N2 in 239 patients (57%). The prior vaccine coverage rate was 38%. Complications occurred in 255 patients (45%), consisting mainly of pneumonia (n = 143, 30%) and respiratory failure (n = 116, 20%). Eighty-three patients (15%) were admitted to an ICU, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 4% (n = 21). Sixty-six patients (12%) received oseltamivir. Age over 65 years was the only identified risk factor for complications. Risk factors for ICU admission were an absence of vaccination, no oseltamivir administration before admission, pre-existing chronic respiratory disease, and current smoking. Age over 65 years and ICU admission were risk factors for death. Conclusions Older individuals and patients with underlying conditions are most at risk of influenza complications. Vaccination and early oseltamivir administration, both of which are recommended for these patients, appear to reduce ICU admissions
ISSN: 1386-6532

hal-01302409
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01302409
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01302409/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01302409/file/Factors%20associated%20with%20poor%20outcomes.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.jcv.2016.04.005

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier Masson
Résumé : International audience
The diagnosis of diabetic foot infections is difficult due to limitations of conventional culture-based techniques. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) in the microbiological diagnosis of diabetic foot ulcers in comparison to conventional techniques, and also to evaluate the need to perform a biopsy sample for this diagnosis. Twenty diabetic patients (types 1 and 2) with foot ulcers (grades 1-4) were included. After debridement of their wounds, samples were taken in duplicate by surface swabbing and deep-tissue biopsy. The samples were analyzed by conventional culture and by a new molecular biology tool, DGGE technology. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-DGGE led to the identification of more bacteria than did conventional cultures (mean: 2.35 vs 0.80, respectively). In 11 cases, the technology detected pathogenic species not isolated by classical cultures. PCR-DGGE also identified significantly more pathogenic species at deep levels compared with species detected at superficial levels (87% vs 58%, respectively; P = 0.03). In 9/20 cases, pathogenic bacteria were detected only in deep samples, revealing the need to perform tissue biopsy sampling. DGGE, achievable in 48h, could be a useful technique for the bacteriological diagnosis of diabetic foot infections. It may help to identify pathogenic bacteria in deeply infected ulcers, thereby contributing to a more appropriate use of antibiotics.
ISSN: 1262-3636

hal-01122240
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01122240
DOI : 10.1016/j.diabet.2014.03.002
PUBMED : 24751989

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Résumé : International audience
We investigated infection of rodents and shrews by Leptospira spp. in two localities of Cambodia (Veal Renh, Kaev Seima) and in four types of habitat (forests, non-flooded lands, lowland rain-fed paddy fields, houses) during the wet and the dry seasons. Habitat preference was common, and rodent and shrew species were found only in houses or in rain-fed paddy fields or in forests. Among 649 small mammals trapped belonging to 12 rodent species and 1 shrew species, 71 of 642 animals tested were carriers of Leptospira according to the 16S ribosomal RNA marker used. Rodent infection was higher in low-slope locations, corresponding to rain-fed paddy fields, especially in the rainy season and in Kaev Seima. Rodents (Rattus exulans) and shrews (Suncus murinus) inhabiting households showed significantly low levels of infections, whereas rodents living in and near to forests (shrubby wasteland, orchards) showed high levels of infection.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

pasteur-00808144
https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-00808144
DOI : 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0349
PUBMED : 22665613

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Banana has been a main agricultural product in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe and Martinique) since the 1960s. This crop requires the intensive use of pesticides to prevent attacks by insect pests. Chlorinated pesticides, such as hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), chlordecone and dieldrin, were used until the beginning of the 1990s, resulting in a generalized diffuse contamination of the soil and water in the areas of banana production, hence the need to develop solutions for cleanup of the polluted sites. The aims of this work were (i) to assess lindane degradation in soil slurry microcosms treated with lindane at 10 mg/L and (ii) to detect the catabolic genes involved in the HCH degradation pathway. The soil slurry microcosm system showed a 40 % lindane degradation efficiency at the end of a 30-day experiment. Lower lindane removal was also detected in the abiotic controls, probably caused by pesticide adsorption to soil particles. Indeed, the lindane concentration decreased from 6000 to 1330 ng/mL and from 800 to 340 ng/mL for the biotic and abiotic soils, respectively. Nevertheless, some of the genes involved in the HCH degradation pathway were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from crude deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from the Guadeloupe agricultural soil, suggesting that HCH degradation is probably mediated by bacteria closely related to the family Sphingomonadaceae.
ISSN: 0944-1344

hal-01545905
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01545905
DOI : 10.1007/s11356-015-5875-7

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Taylor & Francis
Résumé : International audience
Abstract Indoor fungal contamination has been associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, including infectious diseases, toxic effects and allergies. The diversity of fungi contributes to the complex role that they play in indoor environments and human diseases. Molds have a major impact on public health, and can cause different consequences in hospitals, homes and workplaces. This review presents the methods used to assess fungal contamination in these various environments, and discusses advantages and disadvantages for each method in consideration with different health risks. Air, dust and surface sampling strategies are compared, as well as the limits of various methods are used to detect and quantify fungal particles and fungal compounds. In addition to conventional microscopic and culture approaches, more recent chemical, immunoassay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods are described. This article also identifies common needs for future multidisciplinary research and development projects in this field, with specific interests on viable fungi and fungal fragment detections. The determination of fungal load and the detection of species in environmental samples greatly depend on the strategy of sampling and analysis. Quantitative PCR was found useful to identify associations between specific fungi and common diseases. The next-generation sequencing methods may afford new perspectives in this area.
ISSN: 1040-841X

hal-00874670
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00874670
DOI : 10.3109/1040841X.2013.777687
PUBMED : 23586944

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Résumé : International audience
Purpose of review Toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients is associated with a high mortality rate. Molecular techniques are important tools to diagnose acute disease in immunocompromised patients, but there are various methods with variable efficiency. Some of them have been validated for the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis, but the impact of their use has not been evaluated in immunocompromised patients. Recent findings Toxoplasmosis is of increasing importance in non-HIV immunocompromised patients. In addition, the picture of disease shows greater severity in South America, both in immunocompetent study participants and in congenitally infected infants. These epidemiological differences could influence the sensitivity of diagnostic methods. This review analyzes recent data on molecular diagnosis and compares them with older ones, in light of progress gained in molecular techniques and of recent epidemiological findings. Most recent studies were conducted in South America and used PCR targeting the B1 gene. PCR on blood could allow diagnosing a significant proportion of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis in Brazil. Summary Quantitative PCR methods with specific probes should be used to improve sensitivity and warrant specificity. Performance of quantitative PCR targeting the repeated 529 bp sequence for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients needs evaluation in field studies in South America and in western countries.
ISSN: 0951-7375

hal-01390970
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01390970
DOI : 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000275
PUBMED : 27191201

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé :  
Drier periods from the late Pleistocene and early Holocene have been hypothesized to have caused the disappearance of various rainforest species over large geographical areas in South America and restricted the extant populations to mesic sites. Subsequent improvement in climatic conditions has been associated with recolonization. Changes in population size associated with these extinction-recolonization events should have affected genetic diversity within species. However, these historical hypotheses and their genetic consequences have rarely been tested in South America. Here, we examine the diversity of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes in a Neotropical rainforest tree species, Vouacapoua americana (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) in French Guiana. The chloroplast diversity was analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method (six pairs of primers) in 29 populations distributed over most of French Guiana, and a subset of 17 populations was also analyzed at nine polymorphic microsatellite loci. To determine whether this species has experienced extinction-recolonization, we sampled populations in areas supposedly not or only slightly affected by climatic changes, where the populations would not have experienced frequent extinction, and in areas that appear to have been recently recolonized. In the putatively recolonized areas, we found patches of several thousands of hectares homogeneous for chloroplast variation that can be interpreted as the effect of recolonization processes from several geographical origins. In addition, we observed that, for both chloroplast and nuclear genomes, the populations in newly recolonized areas exhibited a significantly smaller allelic richness than others. Controlling for geographic distance, we also detected a significant correlation between chloroplast and nuclear population differentiation. This result indicates a cytonuclear disequilibrium that can be interpreted as a historical signal of a genetic divergence between fragmented populations. In conclusion, the spatial genetic structure of contemporary V. americana populations shows evidence that this species has experienced large extinction-recolonization events, which were possibly caused by past climatic change.
ISSN: 0014-3820

hal-01032194
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032194
DOI : 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb01517.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms GSTM1 and/or GSTT1 contribute to prostate cancer risk in a Caribbean population of African descent in Guadeloupe. METHODS: We performed a hospital-based case-control study with 134 prostate cancer patients and 134 cancer-free, age-matched control subjects. Epidemiologic data were collected using a standard questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and compute confidence intervals (CIs). Genotypes were determined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The frequency of the GSTM1-positive genotype was 81% in patients and 73% in control subjects, with an adjusted OR of 1.4 (95% CI 0.7 to 2.5). The frequency of the GSTT1-positive genotype was 78% in patients and 63% in control subjects, with an adjusted OR of 2.6 (95% CI 1.4 to 4.9). CONCLUSIONS: A functional GSTT1 polymorphism may be associated with prostate cancer susceptibility in a Caribbean population of African descent.
ISSN: 0090-4295

hal-00688449
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00688449
DOI : 10.1016/j.urology.2007.02.039
PUBMED : 17572208

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé :  
The chloroplast genome has been widely used to describe genetic diversity in plant species. Its maternal inheritance in numerous angiosperm species and low mutation rate are suitable characters when inferring historical events such as possible recolonization routes. Here we have studied chloroplast DNA variation using PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) with seven pairs of primers and four restriction enzymes in 14 populations of Vouacapoua americana (Caesalpiniaceae) a neotropical tree sampled throughout French Guiana. Population diversity (Hs), total gene diversity (Ht) and differentiation among populations (GST) were estimated using Nei's method as 0.09, 0.87 and 0.89, respectively. This is consistent with the limited gene flow associated with synzoochory in this species. The genetic structure observed in the north of French Guiana suggests that historical events such as contractions and recent recolonizations have had a large impact on the distribution of genetic diversity in this species.
ISSN: 0962-1083

hal-01032176
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032176
DOI : 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.01027.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the primary cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in industrialised countries, usually occurring as a complication of antibiotic therapy in elderly patients. Landmark events contributed to boosting interest in CDI over the last 10 years, including the emergence of unusually severe and recurrent CDI due to the NAP1/BI/027 strain, as well as reports suggesting that CDI is also significantly encountered in patients previously considered at no risk, such as community-acquired CDI in patients with no recent antibiotic use, or CDI during pregnancy. Despite this growing interest from the medical community, we do not know the real dimensions of the disease for the following reasons: (i) despite comprehensive guidelines published in Europe and in the USA, most laboratories still use diagnostic tests with suboptimal sensitivity as a 'rule-out' test, hence a significant proportion of CDIs remain undiagnosed; (ii) use of PCR as a stand-alone test by others will probably overestimate the real incidence of CDI and jeopardise any comparison between institutions with different diagnostic procedures; and (iii) transversal studies, with optimum design and diagnostic tests, are rapidly outdated due to the dramatic changes in CDI epidemiology that may occur from one year to another. To get an accurate picture of the real dimensions of the CDI issue, we need more systematic use of an adequate and homogeneous diagnostic strategy in the field as well as the implementation of continuous monitoring of CDI incidence through surveillance programmes.
ISSN: 0924-8579

inserm-00863350
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00863350
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00863350/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00863350/file/Clostridium_difficile_infections._Do_we_know_the_real_dimensionssur the_problem-accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2013.04.009

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Studying the ecology of Leishmania parasites is essential for understanding and controlling the epidemiology of the diseases they cause. Despite their abundance and diversity in neotropical forests, few studies have been conducted to investigate the potential involvement of Chiroptera in the Leishmania pathogenic complexes. However, phlebotomine sand flies are known to colonize the same anthropized habitat, are attracted to bats, and are able to transmit trypanosomatids. Thus, 216 bats representing 29 species were sampled in the field in different primary and secondary forests of French Guiana where human cutaneous leishmaniases have been reported, together with 62 non-volant mammals. A series of 411 tissue samples representing 47 mammalian species were cultured and screened for the presence of Leishmania spp. by a genus-specific polymerase chain reaction. All 278 individuals surveyed were negative. Thus, bats do not appear to be involved in the Lishmania parasitic cycles in the Guyanas.
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene

halsde-00339305
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halsde-00339305

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
Résumé : International audience
Most human hepatocyte cell lines lack a substantial set of liver-specific functions, especially major cytochrome P450 (P450)-related enzyme activities, making them unrepresentative of in vivo hepatocytes. We have used the HepaRG cells, derived from a human hepatocellular carcinoma, which exhibit a high differentiation pattern after 2 weeks at confluency to determine whether they could mimic human hepatocytes for drug metabolism and toxicity studies. We show that when passaged at low density, these cells reversed to an undifferentiated morphology, actively divided, and, after having reached confluency, formed typical hepatocyte-like colonies surrounded by biliary epithelial-like cells. By contrast, when seeded at high density, hepatocyte-like clusters retained their typical differentiated morphology. Transcripts of various nuclear receptors (aryl hydrocarbon receptor, pregnane X receptor, constitutive androstane receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha), P450s (CYP1A2, 2C9, 2D6, 2E1, 3A4), phase 2 enzymes (UGT1A1, GSTA1, GSTA4, GSTM1), and other liver-specific functions were estimated by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and were found to be expressed, for most of them, at comparable levels in both confluent differentiated and high-density differentiated HepaRG cells and in cultured primary human hepatocytes. For several transcripts, the levels were strongly increased in the presence of 2% dimethyl sulfoxide. Measurement of basal activities of several P450s and their response to prototypical inducers as well as analysis of metabolic profiles and cytotoxicity of several compounds confirmed the functional resemblance of HepaRG cells to primary cultured human hepatocytes. In conclusion, HepaRG cells constitute the first human hepatoma cell line expressing high levels of the major P450s involved in xenobiotic metabolism and represent a reliable surrogate to human hepatocytes for drug metabolism and toxicity studies.
ISSN: 0090-9556

hal-00702085
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00702085
DOI : 10.1124/dmd.105.006759
PUBMED : 16204462

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Our goal was to determine if the US Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) scale might have application in France. Twenty homes in Brittany, north western region of France were classified by inspection as "Moldy" or "Non-Moldy". Dust and air samples were collected (MiTest sampler or Coriolis sampler, respectively) from each home and analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) for the 36 fungi that make-up the ERMI. Inspection and ERMI values provided a consistent assessment for 90% of the homes. Two homes originally classified as "Non-Moldy" were found to fit better into the "Moldy" category based on the QPCR analysis and the ERMI. Dust and air samples analyzed by QPCR provided similar fungal contamination assessments. In conclusion, a metric like the ERMI describes mold burdens in homes on a continuum, as opposed to the frequently used dichotomous approach (moldy vs. non-moldy). Although a larger, random national sampling of French homes is needed, these results suggest that these same 36 fungi may be useful in creating an ERMI for France.
ISSN: 1438-4639

inserm-00817898
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00817898
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00817898/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00817898/file/Gangneux-Possible-Application-accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.ijheh.2012.06.004