Prevalence and determinants of hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk factors: data from a population-based, cross-sectional survey in Saint Louis, Senegal.

Background: The incidence of cardiovascular disease is growing worldwide and this is of major public health concern. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a lack of epidemiological data on the prevalence and distribution of risk factors of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors among an urban Senegalese population.

Evaluation of the prognostic value of IFN-gamma release assay and tuberculin skin test in household contacts of infectious tuberculosis cases in Senegal.

Background: Chemoprophylaxis of contacts of infectious tuberculosis (TB) cases is recommended for TB control, particularly in endemic countries, but is hampered by the difficulty to diagnose latent TB infection (LTBI), classically assessed through response to the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) are proposed new tools to diagnose LTBI, but there are limited data on their ability to predict the development of active TB disease. To address this, we investigated the response to TST and IGRA in household contacts of infectious TB cases in a TB high-burden country and the potential correlation with development of TB.

Monocyte activation and T cell inhibition in Plasmodium falciparum-infected placenta.

Background: During healthy pregnancy, T helper (Th) 1-type and inflammatory-type responses are down-regulated, and Th2-type and proinflammatory-type responses predominate. In Plasmodium falciparum-infected females, these responses induce enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor- alpha and interferon- gamma.

Methods: To assess the respective implication of monocytes and T cells in this placental immunomodulation, we cocultured cells from delivering females living in an area where malaria is endemic.