Diagnostic cut-off value of haemoglobin A1c for diabetes mellitus in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Unlabelled: Very little is known about the diagnostic performance of the American Diabetes Association glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) cut-off of 6.5% in resource-limited settings. This study, conducted between February 2023 and May 2023, aimed to determine the optimal HbA1c cut-off for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by measuring HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose levels in 120 adults attending care at a tertiary hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition in Breast Milk Plasma of HIV-infected and Uninfected Mothers in Relation to Infant Clinical Outcomes.

Background: The increased coverage of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services has significantly reduced paediatric HIV infection incidence. The aim of the study was to compare breast milk omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles of HIV infected and uninfected mothers and determine the association between fatty acid profiles and postnatal transmission of HIV, morbidity/mortality of HIV exposed and unexposed infants.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 57 HIV infected and 57 HIV uninfected lactating mothers was conducted in Gweru, Zimbabwe from July 2019 to March 2020.

Levels of Total Antioxidant Capacity, sCD14, and TGF-β2 in Breast Milk Plasma of HIV-Infected and HIV-Uninfected Lactating Women.

Breast milk provides nourishment for infants and nonnutritive bioactive factors, which possess key protective and developmental benefits essential in shaping the infant immune system. However, the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) on breast milk nutritional composition and immunity status is not well documented. The study aimed to compare breast milk immune factors; total antioxidant capacity (TAC), soluble cluster of differentiation 14 (sCD14), and transcription growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2) levels between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected lactating mothers and determine the association between breast milk parameters with HIV disease progression and duration of ART.

Growth Trajectories of HIV Exposed and HIV Unexposed Infants. A Prospective Study in Gweru, Zimbabwe.

Background: With the increasing HIV seroprevalence among women of childbearing age in sub-Saharan Africa, limited data on growth outcomes of HIV exposed infants under current policies of universal maternal antiretroviral therapy exist.

Methods: The longitudinal growth patterns of 114 HIV exposed and unexposed infants were assessed and compared. The prevalence and factors associated with malnutrition were established.

Comparison of non-invasive methods of assessing liver fibrosis in combination ART-experienced Zimbabweans.

Background: The prevalence of morbidity and mortality associated with liver disease among HIV-infected individuals on combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) is high. Early screening of liver disease is essential, as it provides an opportunity for successful treatment. Hence, there is a need for reliable, inexpensive and non-invasive early markers of hepatic damage.