Enterovirus Antibodies: Friends and Foes.

Enteroviruses (EV) initiate replication by binding to their cellular receptors, leading to the uncoating and release of the viral genome into the cytosol of the host cell. Neutralising antibodies (NAbs) binding to epitopes on enteroviral capsid proteins can inhibit this infectious process through several mechanisms of neutralisation in vitro. Fc-mediated antibody effector functions such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis have also been described for some EV.

[Hepatosplenic sarcoidosis: description of a case at the University hospital center of Brazzaville, Congo].

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. The isolated extrapulmonary form is rare. We report the case of hepatosplenic sarcoidosis in a 29-year-old female patient.

Histomolecular profile of strains circulating in Brazzaville (Congo).

Background And Aim: (Hp) infection is a real public health problem in the Congo. We aimed study the histomolecular profile of Hp strains circulating in Brazzaville, Congo, in order to contribute to the improvement of Hp-infected patients in the country.

Methods: This was an analytical-transversal study carried out from January to November 2020 (i.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Republic of Congo, February 2022.

In resource-limited countries, the lack of widespread screening masks the true situation of COVID-19. We conducted this study to assess SARS-CoV-2 spread by detection of specific antibodies and to determine associated factors. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted.

The Fight against Poliovirus Is Not Over.

Poliovirus (PV), the virus that causes both acute poliomyelitis and post-polio syndrome, is classified within the species, and there are three wild PV serotypes: WPV1, WPV2 and WPV3. The launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988 eradicated two of the three serotypes of WPV (WPV2 and WPV3). However, the endemic transmission of WPV1 persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2022.

Oncogenic human papillomavirus in breast cancer: molecular prevalence in a group of Congolese patients.

Background: Since the work of Band . in 1990 ( 87:463-467), several studies have suggested a possible link between the pathogenesis of breast cancer and viral infection. Infection with oncogenic HPV has been one of the viruses implicated in breast cancer cases worldwide.

Histoplasmosis in the Republic of Congo dominated by African histoplasmosis, Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii.

The Republic of Congo (RoC) is one of the African countries with the most histoplasmosis cases reported. This review summarizes the current status regarding epidemiology, diagnostic tools, and treatment of histoplasmosis in the RoC. A computerized search was performed from online databases Medline, PubMed, HINARI, and Google Scholar to collect literature on histoplasmosis in the RoC.

Inflammatory biomarkers and prediction of insulin resistance in Congolese adults.

Several studies have shown that low levels of adiponectin (ADP) and high levels of alpha tumor necrosis factor (NFT) increase the risk or severity of many cardiometabolic diseases associated with insulin resistance. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the association between plasma adipokines and IR measured by HOMA-IR. The secondary objective was to determine the biomarker of the potential inflammation to predict IR in Congolese melanoderm subjects residing in Brazzaville.

Effects of Acupuncture on mRNA Levels of Apoptotic Factors in Perihematomal Brain Tissue During the Acute Phase of Cerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND To explore the time-dependent effects of acupuncture on mRNA levels of the apoptotic factors BCL-2 and BAX in a rat cerebral hemorrhage model, slow injection of autologous blood to the caudate nucleus was used to generate the cerebral hemorrhage model. MATERIAL AND METHODS A sham surgery control group, groups with acupuncture applied 3, 9, 24, and 48 hours after model induction, and time-matched model-only control groups were used. In situ hybridization was used to detect BCL-2 and BAX mRNA expression, and semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure the expression.

Molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus among chronic hepatitis B patients from Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo.

Background: Chronic Hepatitis B infection is a major health problem in Republic of Congo therefore molecular analysis of HBV strains is important to detect the patients at high risk of disease progression.

Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 111 chronic HBV patients in Pointe Noire. HBsAg, HBeAg and HBeAb were detected.

Specific genotypes of human papillomavirus in 125 high-grade squamous lesions and invasive cervical cancer cases from Congolese women.

Background: Knowledge on HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in HSIL and ICC is highly essential for the introduction of an effective vaccination program and appropriate epidemiological monitoring of viral ecology before and after vaccination in Congo. This study aimed to determine the specific-HPV genotypes in HSIL and ICC among women in southwestern Congo.

Methods: 125 archival paraffin-embedded biopsy collected between 2008 and 2012 and histologically diagnosed were investigated.

Higher levels of hepatitis C virus RNA found in blood donors co-infected with HIV as compared to HCV mono-infected donors.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are public health problems in sub-Saharan countries such as the Republic of Congo. HIV infection could impact the characteristics of HCV infection in co-infected people. We investigated HCV-HIV co-infection among blood donors in Congo.

Maxillary African histoplasmosis: unusual diagnostic problems of an unusual presentation.

Among bone lesions of African histoplasmosis, those affecting the jaw are relatively rare and concern, with other facial involvements, particularly infants and adolescent patients with an usual uncompromised immunologic status. As clinical and radiologic features are not specific, the differential diagnosis to other mandibular diseases is difficult. We report on a case of African histoplasmosis that involved the right mandibula of a 17-year-old Congolese boy with a persistent and fungiform cutaneous ulceration.

[Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in Brazzaville, Congo. A situation analysis].

Objective: To collect epidemiological data about Cervical Intra epithelial Neoplasia in Brazzaville, for planning strategic issues of a cancer screening programme in the Congo.

Methods: Retrospective study of the results of 5700 occasional cervical Pap smears.

Results: The majority of the recorded women were 21 to 30 years old (49%), with a single or multiple parity (83.

Dendritic cell infiltration in a patient with seminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis: is there a relationship with infertility and tumor stage?

Purpose: Inflammatory cells, such as dendritic cells, are considered to trigger the antitumoral immune response against tumors, such as testicular cancer. Male infertility associated with cancer may be due to endocrine or immunological factors. We investigated possible associations of antigen expression with dendritic cells, histiocytic cells and seminoma stage as well as with impaired spermatogenesis.

Direct microscopic examination of imprints in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Bacteriological analysis of cardiac valves might be indicated in patients with suspected endocarditis. METHODS: We report here a prospective study on fifty-three consecutive patients whose native valves were sent to the bacteriological and pathological laboratories, to investigate the performance of direct microscopic examination of imprints and valve culture. RESULTS: On the basis of a histopathological gold standard to classify the inflammatory valve process, the sensitivity, the specificity, the positive and the negative predictive values of direct microscopic examination of imprints and valve culture were 21%, 100%, 100%, 60%, and 21%, 72%, 38%, 52% respectively.