S. Gayet

Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies are associated with an increased odds ratio for thrombosis - A multicenter study with the participation of the European Forum on antiphospholipid antibodies

A multicenter study was set up to evaluate the prevalence, clinical and biological significance of antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE) in thrombotic patients with or without the main known clinical and biological risk factors for thrombosis. APE and antibodies, defined as the laboratory criteria of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) -lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti-beta(2)-GPI antibodies were measured in 270 patients with thrombosis (234 venous and 37 arterial) and 236 matched controls. APE were found in 15% of thrombotic patients compared to 3% of controls (p < 0.001) with no predominant isotype, no association with the main known clinical or biological risk factors for thrombosis neither with a type of thrombosis, arterial or venous. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis of antibodies, aPE showed the highest association with thrombosis (odds ratio [OR]: 4.2, p < 0.001). Moreover, using a multivariate analysis in a case-control subgroup study on 158 patients, IgGaPE were found to be significantly associated with venous thrombosis (OR:6;p = 0.005). Interestingly, 25 of the 40 aPE-positive patients (63%) were negative for the APS laboratory criteria. Most of them (21/25) had venous thrombosis, recurrent in ten of them. Four patients also suffered from early or late miscarriages. Our results underline the strength of the association between the presence of aPE and thrombosis and suggest their measurement in thrombotic patients, especially when lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin or anti-beta(2)-GPI antibodies are absent.

Agglutinines froides, circonstances de découverte chez l’adulte et signification en pratique clinique : analyse rétrospective à propos de 58 patients

PURPOSE To describe clinical, biological characteristics and associated diseases of cold agglutinins in adults. METHODS Retrospective study in a single department of internal medicine from 1997 to 2002. The inclusion criteria were a positive direct Coombs test and a positive research for cold-reactive autoantibodies. We recorded for each patient: clinical presentation at onset and during follow-up, biological parameters of haemolysis, biological characteristics of the cold agglutinin and associated diseases. RESULTS Fifty-eight patients (34 females, 24 males), with medium age of 58.8 were included in the study. Clinical presentation was highly variable between acute life-threatening haemolysis and absence of symptoms. Results of direct antiglobulin test were C3 (74%), IgG + C3 (22.4%), IgG (3.4%). Titer, thermal amplitude, strength and specificity of Coombs test were correlated, in all cases except 6, with cold agglutinin haemolytic activity. In 77.6% of cases cold agglutinin was secondary; related to: autoimmune disorders (n = 19), lymphoproliferative disorders (n = 11) and infections (n = 10). CONCLUSION Clinical presentation of cold agglutinin is highly variable and not always related to the biological characteristics of the bound antibody (titer, thermal amplitude, specificity). In our single center study, diseases associated with cold agglutinin were various with the highest frequency of auto-immune disorders. Our study underlined also the high frequency of lymphoproliferative disorders and justifies a close follow-up of these patients. Finally, we reported a high frequency of hepatitis C virus infection among the infectious aetiologies.

Article originalAgglutinines froides, circonstances de découverte chez l’adulte et signification en pratique clinique : analyse rétrospective à propos de 58 patientsCold agglutinins, clinical presentation and significance: retrospective analysis of 58 patients

PURPOSE To describe clinical, biological characteristics and associated diseases of cold agglutinins in adults. METHODS Retrospective study in a single department of internal medicine from 1997 to 2002. The inclusion criteria were a positive direct Coombs test and a positive research for cold-reactive autoantibodies. We recorded for each patient: clinical presentation at onset and during follow-up, biological parameters of haemolysis, biological characteristics of the cold agglutinin and associated diseases. RESULTS Fifty-eight patients (34 females, 24 males), with medium age of 58.8 were included in the study. Clinical presentation was highly variable between acute life-threatening haemolysis and absence of symptoms. Results of direct antiglobulin test were C3 (74%), IgG + C3 (22.4%), IgG (3.4%). Titer, thermal amplitude, strength and specificity of Coombs test were correlated, in all cases except 6, with cold agglutinin haemolytic activity. In 77.6% of cases cold agglutinin was secondary; related to: autoimmune disorders (n = 19), lymphoproliferative disorders (n = 11) and infections (n = 10). CONCLUSION Clinical presentation of cold agglutinin is highly variable and not always related to the biological characteristics of the bound antibody (titer, thermal amplitude, specificity). In our single center study, diseases associated with cold agglutinin were various with the highest frequency of auto-immune disorders. Our study underlined also the high frequency of lymphoproliferative disorders and justifies a close follow-up of these patients. Finally, we reported a high frequency of hepatitis C virus infection among the infectious aetiologies.

Abcès profonds à germes anaérobies de localisation inhabituelle : à propos de cinq cas

Objective. – Anaerobic deep abscesses are rare and may have unusual location leading to severe outcome due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In order to improve their diagnosis, we report and analyse 5 new cases. Methods. – Patients were seen from 1999 to 2003 in a single department of internal medicine of the university hospital of Marseille. Results. – Five new cases were diagnosed consisting in 3 females and 2 males with a medium age of 56,8 years, with unusual location in 4 cases: epidural (2), psoas (1) and sub-diaphragmatic (1) or circumstances in one case of pulmonary abscess unrelated to inhalation. Predisposing conditions thought to compromise resistance to infection were found in all cases: social poverty (4/5), alcoholism (3/5), smoking (4/5), teeth and periodontal disease (4/5), neoplasia (2/5), iatrogeny (2/5). Symptoms were insidious (5/5) and unspecific but were always related to the abscess location. Abscesses were frequently found distant from the initial focus of infection because of frequent hematogenous spread (4/5). Drainage of the collection led to bacterial identification in all cases (4/4), although blood cultures could be positive (3/5) and helpful in one case in which drainage was not possible (1/5). The isolated organisms always corresponded to the suspected initial focus (oropharynx 4/5 and digestive 1/5). Finally, combination of surgical drainage and double prolonged antibiotherapy (penicilline + metronidazole) was the elected treatment. Conclusion. – Since hematogenous diffusion is frequent, anaerobic infection should be suspected in any case of deep abscess affecting patients with predisposing conditions such as poverty, severe teeth disease or iatrogenic procedure.

Antalgie par mélange équimolaire d’oxygène et de protoxyde d’azote lors des biopsies ostéomédullaires

PURPOSE During bone-marrow biopsy, one third of patients score their pain as moderate or severe. Combination of analgesic and hypnotic is effective at reducing pain, but prolonged medical surveillance is necessary. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness and ease of use of the equimolar nitrous oxide-oxygen mixture (nitrous oxide), a short acting analgesic with little sedative effect, during bone-marrow biopsy. METHODS As part of a non-controlled prospective observational study, patients undergoing a bone-marrow biopsy received nitrous oxide as an adjuvant to local anaesthesia. Facemask was self-maintained. A questionnaire was given after completion of the procedure to assess the pain (with a numerical-rating scale [RS] ranging from 0 to 10) as the main criterion and the ease of the procedure, the tolerance, and satisfaction, as secondary criteria. The physician noted adverse reactions. RESULTS Nineteen women and 21 men were included. The median age was 51 years. Ninety percent of patients felt slight pain, less than 5 out of 10 on the RS. Only one patient had difficulty in keeping the mask. A patient experienced nausea and four presented a fleeting euphoria noticed by the physician. Ninety-five of patients wished to use nitrous oxide again should further bone-marrow examinations be necessary. CONCLUSION Nitrous oxide is an effective analgesic when performing bone-marrow biopsies. Ten percent of patients feel a moderate to severe pain instead of one third. Despite some mild side effects, there is a very good appreciation by patients. Since this study, the authors routinely use nitrous oxide.

Article originalAbcès profonds à germes anaérobies de localisation inhabituelle : à propos de cinq casAnaerobic deep abscesses with unusual location: report of 5 cases

Objective. – Anaerobic deep abscesses are rare and may have unusual location leading to severe outcome due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In order to improve their diagnosis, we report and analyse 5 new cases. Methods. – Patients were seen from 1999 to 2003 in a single department of internal medicine of the university hospital of Marseille. Results. – Five new cases were diagnosed consisting in 3 females and 2 males with a medium age of 56,8 years, with unusual location in 4 cases: epidural (2), psoas (1) and sub-diaphragmatic (1) or circumstances in one case of pulmonary abscess unrelated to inhalation. Predisposing conditions thought to compromise resistance to infection were found in all cases: social poverty (4/5), alcoholism (3/5), smoking (4/5), teeth and periodontal disease (4/5), neoplasia (2/5), iatrogeny (2/5). Symptoms were insidious (5/5) and unspecific but were always related to the abscess location. Abscesses were frequently found distant from the initial focus of infection because of frequent hematogenous spread (4/5). Drainage of the collection led to bacterial identification in all cases (4/4), although blood cultures could be positive (3/5) and helpful in one case in which drainage was not possible (1/5). The isolated organisms always corresponded to the suspected initial focus (oropharynx 4/5 and digestive 1/5). Finally, combination of surgical drainage and double prolonged antibiotherapy (penicilline + metronidazole) was the elected treatment. Conclusion. – Since hematogenous diffusion is frequent, anaerobic infection should be suspected in any case of deep abscess affecting patients with predisposing conditions such as poverty, severe teeth disease or iatrogenic procedure.