Publications by authors named "Emilie Rugemalira"

Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines the role of interleukin (IL)-17A genetic variations (specifically SNPs) in susceptibility to bacterial meningitis (BM) among Angolan children, involving 241 patients and 265 matched controls.
  • - A specific SNP variant, rs4711998, was found to be significantly more common in patients with BM from Haemophilus influenzae, indicating a higher risk of infection.
  • - Patients with another SNP variation, rs8193036, showed a reduced risk of severe neurological issues linked to Streptococcus pneumoniae, suggesting that certain genetic factors could influence BM outcomes in this population.
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Survivors of childhood bacterial meningitis (BM) often develop hearing impairment (HI). In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), BM continues to be a significant cause of hearing disability. We assessed hearing among BM survivors using auditory steady-state responses (ASSR), providing frequency-specific estimated audiograms, and examined whether ASSR would provide a greater understanding of BM-induced HI.

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Neuronal damage in bacterial meningitis (BM) partly stems from the host´s inflammatory response and induced oxidative stress (OS). We studied the association of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers indicating oxidative damage to proteins with course of illness and outcome in childhood BM in Angola. Ortho-tyrosine/phenylalanine (o-Tyr/Phe), 3-chlorotyrosine/para-tyrosine (3Cl-Tyr/p-Tyr), and 3-nitrotyrosine/para-tyrosine (3NO-Tyr/p-Tyr) concentration ratios were measured in 79 BM admission CSF samples, employing liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.

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This study examined whether gene polymorphisms for toll-like receptor 10 (TLR10) associated with the susceptibility to and outcomes of bacterial meningitis (BM) in Angolan children. The study cohort consisted of 190 BM patients and the determination of ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by Sanger sequencing. Patients with BM caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae who carried the following variants of TLR10 SNPs exhibited an increased risk of coexisting pneumonia: rs10004195 (T > A) (p = 0.

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Background: Survivors of bacterial meningitis (BM) often suffer from impaired quality of life that stems from disabling sequelae. The authors aimed to estimate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the influence of neurologic and audiologic sequelae among pediatric BM survivors.

Methods: Survivors of 2 BM treatment trials at Luanda Children's Hospital, Angola were evaluated for severity of disability via the modified Glasgow Outcome Scale, which considers neurologic and audiologic sequelae.

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Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a severe disease caused by various bacterial pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) protect humans from invading pathogens. In this study, we determined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of and are associated with susceptibility to and outcome of BM in Angolan children.

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Background: In our previous study in Luanda, Angola, initial continuous β-lactam infusion for 24 hours combined with oral acetaminophen for 48 hours showed promising results as a new treatment for childhood bacterial meningitis. We investigated whether extending this treatment regimen to 4 days would improve the outcomes further.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study at the same hospital in Luanda.

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The immunological response in bacterial meningitis (BM) causes the formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS) and activates myeloperoxidase (MPO), an inflammatory enzyme. Thus, structural oxidative and nitrosative damage to proteins and DNA occurs. We aimed to asses these events in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of pediatric BM patients.

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