Publications (441)
ARTICLE
Biologic substances present in human colostrums demonstrate the evolution of this essential nutrient for growth and development: Insulin-like growth factor-I and prolactin
Maria Musumeci, Jacques Simporè, Alfonsina D'Agata, Lucia Malaguarnera, Cinzia Carrozza, Cecelia Zuppi, Salvatore Musumeci
The aim of the present study was to see whether the level of both insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and prolactin (PRL) present in the colostrums of women coming from fairly different environmental conditions showed any significant difference. To this end, the IGF-I and PRL levels of African and Italian women still living in their countries(...)
Nutrition, Santé, Recherche clinique, Afrique, Biologie moléculaire
ARTICLE
HCV and HIV co-infection in pregnant women attending St. Camille Medical Centre in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
J Simpore, D Ilboudo, A Samandoulougou, P Guardo, P Castronovo, Salvatore Musumeci
Five hundred and forty-seven pregnant women with less than 32 weeks of amenorrhoea, attending an antenatal clinic of St. Camille Medical Centre (SCMC) of Ouagadougou were enrolled for a hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV co-infection study. Fifty-eight (10.6%) were HIV positive and 18 (3.3%) were anti-HCV positive. Only seven pregnant women (i.e.(...)
HCV, HIV, Co-infection, Pregnant women, Burkina Faso, Genotype 2a, Mother-to-child transmission
ARTICLE
Hyperhomocysteinemia in acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria: an effect of host-parasite interaction
R Chillemi, B Zappacosta, J Simporè, S Persichilli, M Musumeci, S Musumeci
Background: Plasmodium falciparum utilises the polyamine pathway, essential in proliferation and differentiation, and imposes an oxidative stress on host cell, enhancing the loss of glutathione.
Methods: Standard hematological parameters were determined in 40 black African subjects with acute P. falciparum malaria, 30 aged 5-24 months, 5 ag(...)
Hyperhomocysteinemia, Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, host-parasite interaction, oxidative stress, glutathione, folate cycle, MTHFR C677T polymorphism
ARTICLE
Genes, diet and uric acid nephrolithiasis
Gianfrancesco F., Esposito T., Simpore J. & Musumeci S.
Uric acid represent the final product of purine metabolism: one-third of daily uric acid production is excreted by the gastrointestinal tract and two-thirds by the kidney. A high uric acid excretion with urine, a low urine volume due to dehydration and an acidic urinary pH value have been suggested to be the most important risk factor for uric(...)
uric acid, purine metabolism, uric acid nephrolithiasis (UAN), Ala62Thr variant, Talanin protein, Mediterranean population, sub-Saharan Africa, Burkina Faso, Benin, kidney stones, calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, genetic variant, environmental selection, dehydration, acidic urine pH, malaria, dietary habits
ARTICLE
Helicobacter pylori infection in Burkina Faso: an enigma within an enigma
F Cataldo, J Simporè, P Greco, D Ilboudo, S Musumeci
Background: In Burkina Faso, in contrast with high rates of Helicobacter pylori infection from an early age, the prevalence of H. pylori-associated diseases (ulcer and gastric cancer) is low.
Aims: To look for the prevalence of H. pylori in healthy natives of Burkina Faso, both children and adults.
Methods: We studied the prevalence of H(...)
Helicobacter pylori, infection, seroprevalence, Burkina Faso, children, adults, socio-economic status, hygiene, sheep contact
ARTICLE
A 24-bp duplication in exon 10 of human chitotriosidase gene from the sub-Saharan to the Mediterranean area: role of parasitic diseases and environmental conditio...
L Malaguarnera, J Simpore, D A Prodi, A Angius, A Sassu, I Persico, R Barone & S Musumeci
Human chitotriosidase (Chit) is a member of the chitinase family and it is synthesized by activated macrophages. Recently, a genetic polymorphism was found to be responsible for the common deficiency in Chit activity, frequently encountered in different populations. We analyzed the Chit gene in some ethnic groups from the Mediterranean and Afr(...)
24-bp duplication, Exon 10 Human chitinase gene, Macrophage activation, Genetic mutation, Chit activity deficiency
ARTICLE
Antibiotic resistance in Burkina Faso
G Bonfiglio, J Simporè, S Pignatelli, S Musumeci
Burkina Faso is one of the Subsaharan African nations. No national services for monitoring of antibiotic resistance are available, so the number of reports of resistance patterns among hospital pathogens are inconsistent. In order to evaluate antibiotic resistance, a total of 1998 valuable microrganisms were analysed during 2000 at the Medical(...)
Antibiotic resistance, Burkina Faso, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, surveillance
ARTICLE
Modulation of immune response in Plasmodium falciparum malaria: role of IL-12, IL-18 and TGF-beta
M Musumeci, L Malaguarnera, J Simporè, A Messina, S Musumeci
The interaction between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 12 (IL-12), interleukin 18 (IL-18) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) plays an important role in malaria pathogenesis and outcome, modulating the immunoresponse in Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In our previous studies, we analyzed the plasmatic levels(...)
IL-12, IL-18, TGF-beta, Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, immune response, cytokines, mathematical model
ARTICLE
Epidemiology of bacterial resistance in gastro-intestinal pathogens in a tropical area
Giovanni Bonfiglio, Jacques Simporè, Salvatore Pignatelli, Salvatore Musumeci, Maria Letizia Solinas
During 1999-2000 a total of 4131 faecal specimens were collected and analysed at the medical centre St. Camille at Ouagadougou. Eight hundred and twenty-six (8.0%) grew significant bacteria. Escherichia coli (35%), Salmonella spp. (15%) and Shigella spp. (10%) were most frequently isolated. A large number of E. coli strains were resistant to a(...)
antibiotic resistance, gastro-intestinal pathogens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, aminopenicillins, cotrimoxazole, norfloxacin, surveillance, tropical area
ARTICLE
Plasma levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Lucia Malaguarnera, Salvatore Pignatelli, Jacques Simporè, Mariano Malaguarnera, Salvatore Musumeci
The interaction between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 12 (IL-12), interleukin 18 (IL-18) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) may play an important role in malaria pathogenesis and outcome. IL-18 cooperates with IL-12 in the IFN-gamma production by T, B, and NK cells, and synergizes with IL-12 for IFN-gamma(...)
interleukin-12, interleukin-18, TGF-beta, Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, cytokines, immune response, severity
ARTICLE
Plasma levels of interleukin-18 and interleukin-12 in Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Lucia Malaguarnera, Salvatore Pignatelli, Maria Musumeci, Jacques Simporè, Salvatore Musumeci
Interleukin (IL)-18 produced primarily by mononuclear phagocytes synergizes with IL-12 for interferon-gamma production from T, B and natural killer cells. It has been also demonstrated that, in Plasmodium falciparum malaria, IL-18 could have an immunoregulatory function. The aim of this study was to detect the plasma levels of IL-12 and IL-18,(...)
interleukin-12, interleukin-18, Plasmodium falciparum, cytokines, immunorégulation, enfants, malaria, réponse immunitaire
ARTICLE
Mother-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
D. Ilboudo, A. Sawadogo, J. Simporé
A prospective study was conducted during July-September 1999 of 299 pregnant women (aged 15-43 years; mean age 25.3 years), attending a medical centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to determine the incidence of mother-child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The presence of HBV antigens was tested for by enzyme immunoassay. The infants o(...)
Transmission mère-enfant, virus de l’hépatite B, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, hépatite virale
ARTICLE
Increased levels of interleukin-12 in Plasmodium falciparum malaria: correlation with the severity of disease
Lucia Malaguarnera, Rosa Maria Imbesi, Salvatore Pignatelli, Jacques Simporè, Mariano Malaguarnera, Salvatore Musumeci
Interleukin (IL)-12, produced by mononuclear phagocytes, activates the T-helper 1 (Th1) cells and helps, as a mediator, the innate immune response to intracellular microbes. In Plasmodium falciparum infection, this proinflammatory cytokine has immunoregulatory functions with effects on the immune response to the blood stage of disease, but als(...)
interleukin-12, Plasmodium falciparum, cytokines, immunité, enfants, paludisme, sévérité, immunorégulation
ARTICLE
Biological and clinical presentation of patients with hemoglobinopathies attending an urban hospital in Ouagadougou: confirmation of the modification of the balance between Hb S and Hb C in Burkina Faso
Jacques Simporé, Salvatore Pignatelli, Sergio Barlati, Salvatore Musumeci
The incidence of hemoglobinopathies (Hb C and Hb S) is relatively high in West Africa. In order to characterize the clinical phenotypes of these hemoglobinopathies 10,166 subjects were studied for suspected hemoglobinopathies at the Laboratory of the Centre Medical Saint Camille (CMSC), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. A high rate of Hb SC (6.49%) a(...)
hémoglobine S, hémoglobine C, hémoglobinopathie, Burkina Faso, drépanocytose, Hb SC, Hb SS, prévention secondaire, génétique des populations
ARTICLE
Modification in the frequency of Hb C and Hb S in Burkina Faso: an influence of migratory fluxes and improvement of patient health care
Jacques Simporé, Salvatore Pignatelli, Sergio Barlati, Salvatore Musumeci
The incidence of hemoglobinopathies (Hb C and Hb S) is relatively high in West Africa. In order to calculate the gene frequency of these hemoglobinopathies, 6619 students from 23 local schools in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa, and 2582 individuals living in five villages near Ouagadougou, all situated in Savanna, were studied. As expe(...)
hémoglobine C, hémoglobine S, hémoglobinopathie, Burkina Faso, flux migratoires, santé publique, génétique des populations, prévention secondaire, drépanocytose