Publications by authors named "Golda Akuffo"
BackgroundWith global aging, especially in Asia, preventing pneumonia among seniors is vital. The necessity of introducing pneumococcal vaccines among the elderly has been highlighted but there is a paucity of community-based real-world evidence on their effect. Sera Town in Hiroshima Prefecture, a super-aged community, launched a distinctive pneumococcal vaccination support project for elderly residents and conducted a 5-year follow-up survey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) persists, giving rise to new variants characterized by mutations in the spike protein. However, public data regarding the virus's evolutionary trend is not widely available after the downgrade of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the applicability of an in-house Sanger-based method for identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly focusing on newly emerged Omicron variants, and updating the epidemiology of COVID-19 during the 8 wave in Hiroshima Prefecture.
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- The study investigates hepatitis C (HCV) transmission dynamics among specific populations in Japan, particularly people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men (MSM), to understand impediments to HCV elimination despite low overall infection rates.
- Researchers analyzed data from HCV-infected individuals at Osaka National Hospital, conducting genetic sequencing to determine genotype distribution and check for recombination among samples collected between 2010 and 2023.
- The results indicate that MSM status affects HCV transmission routes among PWID, with distinct strains observed in different groups, emphasizing the need for targeted control measures for both PWID and MSM to enhance HCV elimination efforts in Japan.*
Article Synopsis
- Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes around 20 million infections each year, and while PCR is the best diagnostic method, it's costly and complex compared to antibody tests that are more affordable but vary in accuracy based on several factors.
- A thorough review of literature compared immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody tests to PCR, analyzing data from 8054 blood samples across 21 studies.
- The study found IgM antibody tests to have 83% sensitivity and 98% specificity, while IgG tests had 74% sensitivity and 89% specificity, indicating that antibody assays can effectively detect HEV when PCR isn't an option, making them useful diagnostic alternatives.
This study aimed to develop an extraction-free method for quantitative and qualitative detection of HBV DNA compared to traditional nucleic acid extraction. Paired serum and dried blood spot (DBS) samples from 67 HBsAg-positive and 67 HBsAg-negative individuals were included. Two samples with known HBV DNA titers (~ 10 copies/mL) were examined by extraction-free detection using three surfactants (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Comprehensive details on Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Myanmar are lacking. This study determined the prevalence of HCV antibodies and ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the distribution of HCV genotypes across different populations in Myanmar from 1990 to 2023.
Material And Methods: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and local journals identified studies reporting on HCV antibodies, RNA, and genotypes, excluding clinical research related to liver disease prognosis.
Article Synopsis
- Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is a virus that can make liver damage worse for people who already have Hepatitis B.
- The study looked at how good different tests are at finding HDV in patients and included several research studies.
- It found that tests for Anti-HDV IgG are really good at detecting HDV, while tests for Total Anti-HDV and Anti-HDV IgM are not as accurate.
Background: Dolutegravir (DTG), a new antiretroviral drug, is being integrated into antiretroviral regimens for people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) in Ghana. There is little evidence of the effect of DTG on blood pressure (BP) levels in sub-Saharan Africa, especially West Africa. Our aim was to assess the incidence and predictors of hypertension (HTN) among PWH initiated on a DTG-based antiretroviral regimen in Ghana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study aimed to compare the performance of Sanger-based SARS-CoV-2 spike gene sequencing and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based full-genome sequencing for variant identification in saliva samples with low viral titer.
Methods: Using 241 stocked saliva samples collected from confirmed COVID-19 patients between November 2020 and March 2022 in Hiroshima, SARS-CoV-2 spike gene sequencing (nt22735-nt23532) was performed by nested RT-PCR and Sanger platform using in-house primers. The same samples underwent full-genome sequencing by NGS using Illumina NextSeq2000.
Background: Perturbations of antioxidant levels and lipid peroxidation, but not oxidative DNA damage as a biomarker of oxidative stress have been reported in uterine myoma patients.
Aims: The study aimed at examining the patterns and influence of oxidative stress/damage biomarkers, 8-isoprostane (8-IP) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), on the ovulatory and luteal phases of normal and fibroid women.
Settings And Design: Twenty women diagnosed of fibroids (1-5 years) and 20 nonfibroid women were age-matched.