Atorvastatin and telmisartan do not reduce nasopharyngeal carriage of SARS-CoV-2 in mild or moderate COVID-19 in a phase IIb randomized controlled trial.

Observational studies suggest a reduction in fatal or severe COVID-19 disease with the use of ACE2 inhibitors and statins. We implemented a randomized controlled tree-arm open label trial evaluating the benefits of adding telmisartan (TLM) or atorvastatin (ATV) to lopinavir boosted ritonavir (LPVr) on the SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal viral load in patients with mild / moderate COVID-19 infection in Côte d'Ivoire. RT-PCR positive COVID-19 patients ≥ 18 years, with general or respiratory symptoms for less than 7 days were randomized (1:1:1) to receive LPVr (400 mg/100 mg twice daily), LPVr + TLM (10 mg once daily) or LPVr + ATV (20 mg once daily) for 10 days.

Capacity Building in Sub-Saharan Africa as Part of the INTENSE-TBM Project During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe and disabling form of tuberculosis (TB), with at least 100,000 cases per year and a mortality rate of up to 50% in individuals co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intensified anti-tubercular regimen and an anti-inflammatory treatment, the INTENSE-TBM project includes a phase III randomised clinical trial (TBM-RCT) in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Within this framework, we designed a comprehensive capacity-building work package ensuring all centres had, or would acquire, the ability to conduct the TBM-RCT and developing a network of skilled researchers, clinical centres and microbiology laboratories.

Prevalence of severe cardiovascular abnormalities amongst West African HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy followed at a referral HIV centre.

Background: With success and effective long-term antiretroviral treatment (ART), HIV-infected patients live longer and frequently developed non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Few studies have been conducted in low-income countries, particularly in West Africa.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in the referral HIV centre of the Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales (SMIT) in Abidjan.

Implementation of an intensive adherence intervention in patients with second-line antiretroviral therapy failure in four west African countries with little access to genotypic resistance testing: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The decision about whether to switch to third-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with treatment failure on second-line therapy is difficult in settings with little access to genotypic resistance testing. In this study, we used a standardised algorithm including a wide range of adherence-enhancing interventions followed by a new viral load measurement to decide whether to switch to third-line therapy in this situation. The decision, made on the basis of effectiveness of the adherence reinforcement to drive viral resuppression, did not use genotypic resistance testing.

[Thromboembolic manifestations in 36 HIV-infected patients in West Africa].

In HIV-infected patients thromboembolic disease is a complication linked to heightened risk. In Ivory Coast no study has been conducted on HIV-infected patients treated in HIV Services. The aim of our study is to describe HIV-associated thromboembolic manifestations in patients treated or untreated with antiretroviral drugs whose data were collected in the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Service (ITDS).

Effect of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on malaria occurrence among HIV-infected adults in West Africa: the MALHIV Study.

Introduction: Cotrimoxazole (CTX) should be given to all HIV-infected adults with mild or severe HIV-disease or those with CD4 counts below 350/mm according to 2006 WHO guidelines. We assessed the impact of CTX prophylaxis on the risk of malaria episodes in HIV-1-infected adults from four West African countries with different patterns of malaria transmission.

Method: Multicentric cohort study, conducted between September 2007 and March 2010 in four West African cities.

Virological efficacy of 24-week fozivudine-based regimen in ART-naive patients from Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire.

Objective: Use of zidovudine (ZDV) in antiretroviral therapy is limited by toxicity and twice daily (b.i.d.

malaria in northern Côte d'Ivoire: prevalence in the general hospital of Tanda sanitary district.

Background: Until about 2010, the majority of data collected on malaria in Côte d'Ivoire were based on presumptive cases, particularly in the northern part of the country, where parasitological research had rarely been carried out. Recently, WHO recommended restricting treatment to confirmed malaria cases only. Thus, the purpose of this study determine the actual malaria prevalence amongst presumptive cases admitted to one of the general hospitals in the Northern part of the country, where malaria diagnosis is suboptimal.

[Surgical tetanus in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire].

Objective: To describe the epidemiological and clinical features and the outcome of tetanus with a surgical wound (open fracture, burn, incision, curettage, etc) as the portal of entry.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of records of patients hospitalized in the department of infectious and tropical diseases in Abidjan for surgical tetanus from 2003 to 2008.

Results: During the 6-year study period, 29 cases were identified.

[Efavirenz versus indinavir among HIV-1 naive patients in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)].

Objective: The authors had for aim to compare the therapeutic efficiency and tolerance of 2 NRTI+efavirenz (EFV) versus 2 NRTI+indinavir (IDV) in HIV infected adults in Abidjan.

Methods: A retrospective and multicentric study was made on 327 HIV-1 naive patients, 142 in the EFV group and 185 in the IDV group followed in Abidjan from November 1998 to December 2003. The analysis concerned clinical advents (opportunistic infections) and immunovirological parameters (CD4, viral load).