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Abstract.Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women in Algeria. The contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to hereditary breast/ovarian cancer in Algerian population is largely unknown. Here, we describe analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in 86 individuals from 70 families from an Algerian cohort with a personal and family history suggestive of genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Methods: The approach used is based on BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations screening by High-Resolution Melting (HRM) curve analysis followed by direct sequencing. All samples for which no pathogenic mutation was found were analyzed by MLPA for large deletions or duplications. Results: Three distinct pathogenic mutations c.83 84delTG, c.181T>G, c.798 799delTT and two large rearrangements involving deletion of exon 2 and exon 8 respectively, were detected in BRCA1 gene. Moreover 17 unclassified variants and polymorphisms were detected in BRCA1 gene (6 described for the first time). Two pathogenic mutations, c.1310 1313delAAGA and c.5722 5723delCT and 40 unclassified variants and polymorphisms (14 never described before) were identified in BRCA2 gene. Conclusions: For the first time, we used HRM and MLPA to identify BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in Algerian patients with a personal and family history suggestive of genetic predisposition to breast cancer. The implications of these new findings in regard to genetic testing and counseling are substantial for the Algerian population.

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The aim of the study was the characterization of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and quinolone resistance in cefotaxime-resistant coliform isolates from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). ESBLs were detected in 19 out of 24 isolates (79%) from raw water and in 21 out of 24 isolates (87.5%) from treated water, identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Molecular characterization of ESBLs and quinolone resistance showed allele profiles CTX-M-15 (3), CTX-M-3 (5), CTX-M-15+qnrB1 (1), CTX-M-3+qnrB1 (1), CTX-M-15+aac-(6')-Ib-cr (4), and CTX-M-15+qnrB1+aac-(6')-Ib-cr (7). A double mutation S83L and D87N (GyrA) and a single mutation S80I (ParC) were detected in ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates. In K. pneumoniae, mutations S83I (GyrA)+S80I (ParC) or single S80I mutation were detected in ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates, and no mutation was observed in ciprofloxacin-susceptible isolates. bla(CTX-M), qnrB1, and aac-(6')-Ib-cr were found, respectively, in these genetic environments: ISEcp1-bla(CTX-M)-orf477, orf1005-orf1-qnrB1, and Tn1721-IS26-aac-(6')-Ib-cr-bla(OXA-1)-catB4. bla(CTX-M-15) was located on IncF plasmid in E. coli and bla(CTX-M-3) on IncL/M plasmid in both species (E. coli and K. pneumoniae). E. coli isolates were affiliated to the phylogroups/MLST: D/ST405 (CC405), A/ST10 (CC10), A/ST617 (CC10), and B1/ST1431. K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to phylogroup KpI and to sequence types ST15, ST17, ST36, ST48, ST54, and ST147. The study showed a multi-drug resistance at the inflow and outflow of the WWTP, with ESBL production, plasmid-mediated quinolones resistance, and mutations in topoisomerases. The findings highlight the similarity of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in the clinical setting and the environment, and the role of the latter as a source of dissemination of resistance genes.

SHV-12, QnrS1, QnrB1 and QnrB4 were reported for the first time in Algeria. This study also described a co-expression of qnrS1 and qnrB4 by an SHV-12 producer isolate.

For the first time, we report the distribution of molecular breast cancer subtypes and their associations with some clinicopathological characteristics in a large cohort of Algerian women. In our current study, the median age of diagnosis for all breast cancer subtypes was younger than the average age in Europe and America. Luminal A was the most common sub- type in our patients followed by TNBC. The proportion of luminal A subtype was lesser than reported in white women with breast cancer in Europe and America. The proportion of TNBC subtype in Algerian women was higher compared with Caucasian women of European ancestry. This study will contribute in developing optimal clinical trial protocols and personalized management strategies for Algerian breast cancer patients.

This study highlighted the high prevalence of imipenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii in Algiers hospitals mediated mainly by blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24-like, and blaNDM-1 genes.

SUMMARY. The virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica depends on the presence of a 70-kilobase plasmid, called the Vwa plasmid. This situation is particularly favourable for studies of the mechanism of pathogenicity, but these are hindered by the lack of a suitable animal test to monitor the virulence of the human-pathogenic strains isolated outside the USA which belong to serogroups 0:3, 0:9 and 0:5,27. We observed that, after oral administration to the mouse, the Vwa-positive strains of these serogroups produce a discrete systemic infection while the Vwa-negative strains do not. We present here a simple mouse-virulence test based on this observation.