Journals
2025 EN
Chelouah Sonia · Nna Harmonie · Angijiro Paul
+4 more
ABSTRACT The rate of HCV infection is higher in people with psychiatric conditions than in the general population. However, access to somatic care for populations with mental or dual diagnoses remains insufficient. These circumstances could constitute a barrier to the eradication of HCV infection. A retrospective study was performed in the public mental health institution of Ville Evrard. Screening for HCV infection should be systematically proposed to patients attending the institution. On‐site assessment of liver disease severity and treatment with direct‐acting antivirals prescribed by physicians not specialised in hepatology allowed a better continuum of care. Patients lost to follow‐up after a positive HCV serology test without viral load assessment were contacted. Patients hospitalised at least once a year were included. 8520 patients out of 18,439 (46.2%) were screened for HCV infection between 2017 and 2021. The screening rate increased from 40.0% in 2017 to 65.7% in 2021. HCV seroprevalence was 2.2%. A total of 129 HCV PCRs were performed, and 27.1% were positive. In a logistic regression model, patients older than 30 years were at greater risk of having a positive HCV serology test. These positive serologies were 1.9 times higher in men than women ( p < 0.001). The assessment of fibrosis was found in 45.7% of patients with a positive HCV PCR. Patients with psychiatric conditions constitute an important HCV reservoir. A strategy of screening and management of HCV infection in this population appears to be feasible. This strategy could contribute to the eradication of chronic HCV infection.
Journals
2025 EN
Dorn Elisabeth · Biscop Ann · Devriendt Nausikaa
+5 more
ABSTRACT Background Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐2 (TIMP‐2) have potential as early biomarkers for acute kidney injury (AKI) in dogs. Objectives Assess whether NGAL and TIMP‐2 at admission (T0) and 24 h later (T1) identify survival in critically ill (CI) and AKI dogs, development of hospital‐acquired AKI in CI dogs, and development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in AKI dogs after 3 months. Animals Sixty‐two client‐owned dogs: 10 healthy, 24 with AKI, and 28 CI. Methods Prospective study with blood and urine samples collected at T0, T1, and up to 1 week in CI dogs, 1 month in healthy dogs, and 3 months in AKI dogs. Serum and urinary NGAL (sNGAL; uNGAL) and urinary TIMP‐2 (uTIMP‐2) were measured using validated ELISA kits. Results Dogs with AKI that did not survive had significantly higher uNGAL concentrations and u/sNGAL ratios at T0 compared with survivors ( p = 0.05, n = 23; and p = 0.03, n = 21, respectively). In CI dogs, sNGAL was significantly higher in non‐survivors at T0 and T1 compared with survivors ( p = 0.02, n = 26; and p = 0.003, n = 26, respectively). At T0, normalized urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐2 (u norm TIMP‐2) was significantly higher in non‐survivor CI dogs compared with survivors ( p = 0.04, n = 25). No significant differences were found for the other variables. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance In AKI dogs, uNGAL and u/sNGAL at T0, and in CI dogs, sNGAL at T0 and T1 and u norm TIMP‐2 at T0, were potential predictors of survival.
Journals
2025 EN
Marynissen Sofie · Daminet Sylvie · Meyer Evelyne
+5 more
ABSTRACT Background Combined measurement of functional, glomerular, and tubular markers in aging dogs is essential to detect early renal disease. Objectives Prospective longitudinal study to describe renal function and assess which biomarkers are associated with the development of early renal disease or death. Animals One hundred and twenty‐two apparently healthy senior and geriatric dogs. Methods Prospective longitudinal study. Renal function was evaluated at baseline (T0) and every 6‐12 months over 2 years, using systolic blood pressure measurements (SBP) and validated serum (creatinine, symmetric dimethylarginine, cystatin C [sCysC]), and urinary (specific gravity [USG], protein:creatinine [UPC], albumin:creatinine, retinol‐binding protein:creatinine [uRBPcr]) biomarkers. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured in a subgroup. Survival models were used to assess the predictive value of measured biomarkers at baseline for the onset of azotemic chronic kidney disease (CKD) or death, respectively. Results A total of 122 dogs were included; follow‐up was available in 106 (T12) and 92 (T24); and GFR was estimated in 18 (T0), 11 (T12), and 10 (T24) dogs. Throughout the study, 15/122 (12%) dogs showed evidence of non‐azotemic CKD, and in 11/106 (10%) dogs, azotemic CKD developed. Proteinuria was not associated with azotemic CKD, in contrast to muscle condition score, functional markers, and uRBPcr. Death was weakly associated with USG, UPC, and sCysC. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Over a 2‐year period, 20% (26/122) of older dogs developed CKD, mostly persistent renal proteinuria (15/122). Muscle wasting and functional markers combined with uRBPcr had the best predictive value for the onset of azotemic CKD in these older, previously apparently healthy dogs.
Journals
2025 EN
Hedges Sophie · Mompelat Sophie · HurtaudPessel Dominique
+3 more
ABSTRACT Persistence of antimicrobial drugs (AMDs) administered to poultry is longer in feathers than in edible tissues. Hence, poultry feathers are a suitable matrix to investigate historical exposure contributing to antimicrobial resistance, since current detection methods are either non‐specific or highly technical and costly. Here we present an analysis of the performance of lateral flow test (LFT) panels in the detection of five AMD classes, namely sulfonamides, tetracyclines, beta‐lactams, quinolones, and aminoglycosides, on chicken feather samples. The limit of detection (LOD) of eight AMD substances was determined between 4.7 μg/kg for enrofloxacin and 700 μg/kg for streptomycin. The performance of feather LFT was evaluated for four AMD classes against the reference method (LC–MS/MS). From 79 samples collected from the field, LFT test specificity ranged from 0.63 (quinolones) to 0.95 (tetracyclines). Test sensitivity ranged from 0.15 (beta‐lactams) to 0.78 (quinolones and tetracyclines). LFT testing had the greatest discriminatory power for tetracyclines (specificity 0.95 and sensitivity 0.78). LFT had similar test characteristics for sulfonamides and quinolones and performed poorly for beta‐lactams. Poor recovery rates (< 15%) were observed in neomycin, kanamycin, and ampicillin. These methods are suitable for preliminarily screening tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and quinolones, with recommendations for further extraction protocols.
Journals
2025 EN
Rougier Eric · Clément Matthieu · Combarnous François
+1 more
ABSTRACT Over the past decade, much of the global middle class has become more vulnerable and disillusioned. Drawing on original qualitative surveys in Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, Turkey, and Vietnam, this paper reveals a persistent disconnect between middle‐class expectations and government policy in the core domains of the social contract: public services, social protection, and participation. On the demand side, middle‐class respondents report frustration with poor service provision—particularly in education, health, and security—and with tax systems, they perceive as burdensome yet unreciprocated. On the supply side, policymakers emphasize market access and credit expansion while retreating from broad‐based public support, a pattern we term “laissez‐faire paternalism.” Despite their dissatisfaction, middle‐class citizens often remain politically disengaged due to fragmentation and institutional barriers, producing a form of “truncated citizenship” in which they enjoy consumption rights but lack political influence. These findings challenge the assumption that middle‐class growth naturally drives reform. Instead, we find a fragmented and politically instrumentalized group with limited capacity to press for change. By contrasting demand‐ and supply‐side perceptions, the paper uncovers institutional blind spots and warns of rising frustration and instability if governance does not become more inclusive and responsive.
Journals
2025 EN
Nicolas Carine · Domas Quentin · Pol Stanislas
+15 more
ABSTRACT Background Hepatitis C virus genotype 5 (HCV‐GT‐5) is found mainly in South Africa. In our area in central France, the prevalence of HCV‐GT‐5 is 14%. Methods and Results Here we evaluated sustained virological response at week 12 post‐treatment (SVR12) in 147 HCV‐GT‐5 patients from 14 French university hospitals (2014–2021) treated with direct‐acting antivirals (DAA) in real‐life. Patients had mainly received sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir. Overall SVR12 was 98% (144/147). Two patients experienced relapse: one was successfully retreated with the same DAAs (sofosbuvir/ledipasvir) plus ribavirin, and the other refused further DAA treatment. One patient with virological failure (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) had received a second treatment (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir) and progressed to cure. Conclusions HCV‐GT‐5 patients treated with a DAA regimen had a 99% SVR12 in intention‐to‐treat (including initial therapy and retreatment) and 100% SVR12 per protocol. Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir show very good efficacy in real‐world HCV‐GT‐5 patients.
Journals
2025 EN
Delplanque Marion · Amiot Xavier · Wendum Dominique
+20 more
ABSTRACT Background Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common monogenic autoinflammatory disease, associated with MEFV mutations. FMF patients can experience liver involvement, potentially leading to cirrhosis. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate liver involvement in FMF patients at a French tertiary centre for adult FMF. Methods We conducted an observational study with FMF patients displaying 2 pathogenic MEFV mutations at the National Reference Center for Autoinflammatory Diseases and Inflammatory Amyloidosis (CEREMAIA) in Paris and included in the JIR cohort. MEFV heterozygous patients and those with other liver disease causes were excluded. Results Among 533 FMF patients 12.4% had chronic liver abnormalities, with 30% who developed cirrhosis 54 years [36–57] in median after disease onset. Forty‐seven per cent were colchicine resistant, and 41% received interleukin‐1 inhibitors. Cirrhotic patients experienced delayed hepatopathy diagnosis, prolonged FMF diagnosis delay and late‐onset treatment initiation compared to those with only liver function test abnormalities. Colchicine resistance and interleukin‐1 inhibitor use were more common in cirrhotic patients. Body mass index and AA amyloidosis rates did not differ significantly between groups. Twenty‐one patients had undergone liver biopsies including 14 cirrhotic patients revealing steatohepatitis in 12 cases and probable steatohepatitis in 4. Other lesions, like iron overload and sinusoidal dilatation, were sporadically observed. Conclusion FMF patients are at risk of chronic liver disease. Regular liver function monitoring is crucial, particularly in case of persistent inflammation, due to the risk of progression to cirrhosis and its associated morbidity and mortality.
Journals
2025 EN
Vandriel Shan M. · Li LiTing · She Huiyu
+88 more
ABSTRACT Background & Aims Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder with high phenotypic heterogeneity. Disease‐causing variants are primarily identified in Jagged1 ( JAG1 ), with fewer reported in NOTCH2 . JAG1 variants cause disease through a mechanism of haploinsufficiency, but the mechanism for NOTCH2 variants is not completely understood, making classification of variants more challenging. Using a large, international patient cohort acquired through the Global ALagille Alliance (GALA) study, we sought to improve classification of NOTCH2 variants and study phenotypic differences between NOTCH2‐ and JAG1‐ related disease. Methods Clinical and molecular data from 952 individuals with ALGS in GALA were analysed and disease features compared between those with JAG1 ( n = 902) and NOTCH2 ( n = 34) variants. Previously reported and newly identified NOTCH2 variants were reinterpreted based on disease‐specific modifications to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. The Kaplan–Meier method was utilised to assess native liver survival (NLS) and overall survival (OS) and gene comparisons were made with the log‐rank test. Results Thirty NOTCH2 variants, including 18 novel variants, were identified and classified in our GALA cohort. Phenotypic analyses revealed a significantly lower incidence of characteristic facies, posterior embryotoxon, cardiac involvement and butterfly vertebrae in individuals with NOTCH2 variants compared to those with JAG1 variants ( p < 0.001). No differences were identified in NLS or OS. Review of 61 previously reported NOTCH2 variants resulted in the re‐classification of 19 likely pathogenic or pathogenic to VOUS (31.1%) with less than half retaining their originally published classification (34.4%; n = 21). Conclusions We report on a large global study on NOTCH2 genetics and phenotype, which increases the number of reported NOTCH2 variants by 30%. All variants were reclassified using current guidelines, and comparison of the JAG1 and NOTCH2 cohorts demonstrates clear phenotypic divergence between these groups. These data suggest that reliance on classical clinical phenotyping may miss patients with NOTCH2‐ related disease and supports an inclusive approach to genetic testing.
Journals
2025 EN
Perez Carla Fiorella Murillo · Vandriel Shan M. · Gonzales Emmanuel M.
+94 more
ABSTRACT Background and Aim Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a rare disorder characterised by cholestasis and extrahepatic manifestations. Given the current era of ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor therapies that reduce serum bile acid (SBA) levels, we evaluated whether SBA predicts liver disease outcomes in ALGS. Methods Patients were ascertained from the G lobal AL agille A lliance (GALA) cohort. A prognostic threshold of SBA 102 μmol/L was assessed as a time‐dependent covariate in Cox regression analyses for native liver survival (NLS) and event‐free survival (EFS), while adjusting for total bilirubin (TB) levels. Results 570 GALA patients were included (348 [61%] male). There was a moderate positive correlation between SBA and TB (Pearson correlation = 0.47, p < 0.001). SBA below 102 μmol/L was a significant predictor of outcomes (NLS: HR = 3.78, 95% CI 2.39–5.99, p < 0.001; EFS: HR = 3.44, 95% CI 2.35–5.04, p < 0.001). SBA remained a significant predictor for improved EFS after adjusting for TB clearance at 1 year (TB < 2 mg/dL; HR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.10–3.65, p = 0.02). Median SBA in the first year of life above 102 μmol/L, predicted lower NLS (67.2% vs. 83.5% at 7 years p = 0.05) and EFS (63.4% vs. 80.9% at 7 years, p = 0.02). Conclusion Lower SBA in children with ALGS liver disease predicts improved NLS and EFS. SBA is also associated with NLS in children with ALGS who clear their bilirubin, that is, those with anicteric cholestasis. Although the patients studied here did not receive IBAT inhibition, these data suggest that lowering SBA may improve important clinical outcomes.
Journals
2025 EN
Gallery Dominique N. · Rippe John P. · Matz Mikhail V.
ABSTRACT A recent sequencing study has shown that two common Caribbean corals, Montastraea cavernosa and Siderastrea siderea , each consist of four genetically distinct lineages in the Florida Keys. These lineages are specialised to a certain depth and, to a lesser extent, to nearshore or offshore habitats. We hypothesised that the lineages' environmental specialisation is at least in part due to regulatory evolution, which would manifest as the emergence of groups of coregulated genes (‘modules’) demonstrating lineage‐specific responses to different reef environments. Our hypothesis also predicted that genes belonging to such modules would show greater genetic divergence between lineages than other genes. Contrary to these expectations, responses of cryptic lineages to natural environmental variation were essentially the same at the genome‐wide gene coexpression network level, with much fewer differences in gene expression between lineages compared to between habitats. Moreover, none of the identified coregulated gene expression modules exhibit elevated genetic divergence between lineages. Possible explanations of these unexpected results range from the leading role of algal symbionts and/or microbiome in adaptation to strong action of spatially varying selection equalising gene expression patterns despite different genetic background. We discuss how future studies could assist in discriminating between these possibilities.