Screening for cryptococcal antigenemia and meningeal cryptococcosis, genetic characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans in asymptomatic patients with advanced HIV disease in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

We evaluated the prevalence of serum and meningeal cryptococcosis in asymptomatic outpatients with advanced HIV disease (CD4 < 200 cells/mm3) in a cross-sectional screening context in Kinshasa clinics (DRC). Lumbar puncture (LP) was performed in patients with positive serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test, and Cryptococcus spp. isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS, and characterized using serotyping-PCR, ITS-sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST).

[Interventional study on Dolutegravir and other antiretrovirals in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis in the Kinshasa Hospital].

Introduction: After 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed Dolutegravir (DTG) as an alternative first-line treatment for adults. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk capable of demonstrating the beneficial effect of Dolutegravir (DTG) compared to other antiretrovirals in predicting atherosclerosis in people living with HIV (PLHIV) and hospitalized in Kinshasa Hospital.

Methods: we conducted an interventional study of people living with HIV who had received antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 6 months and were treated in the structures of the network coordinated by the Catholic Church (BDOM-Bureau Diocésain des Oeuvres Médicales) and of the University Clinics of Kinshasa (CUK) between January 2017 and December 2021.

Factors Associated with Liver Enzyme Abnormalities in HIV-HBV and/or HCV Co-infected Patients in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Multicenter Cross-sectional Study.

Background And Objective: Liver enzyme abnormalities (LEA) are extremely common and sometimes severe in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but data for this disorder are lacking in the developing countries. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with LEA in HIV-hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected patients in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included 180 people living with HIV (PLWHIV) mono-infected or co-infected with HBV/HCV between November 10, 2013 and January 10, 2014 in Kinshasa.

SARS-CoV2 infection in symptomatic patients: interest of serological tests and predictors of mortality: experience of DR Congo.

Background: In symptomatic patients, the diagnostic approach of COVID-19 should be holistic. We aimed to evaluate the concordance between RT-PCR and serological tests (IgM/IgG), and identify the factors that best predict mortality (clinical stages or viral load).

Methods: The study included 242 patients referred to the University hospital of Kinshasa for suspected COVID-19, dyspnea or ARDS between June 1st, 2020 and August 02, 2020.

Molecular surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Malaria is a major public health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite progress achieved over the past decade in the fight against malaria, further efforts have to be done such as in the surveillance and the containment of Plasmodium falciparum resistant strains. We investigated resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies currently in use in Democratic Republic of Congo by surveying molecular polymorphisms in three genes: pfcrt, pfmdr1 and pfk13 to explore possible emergence of amodiaquine, lumefantrine or artemisinin resistance in Democratic Republic of Congo.

High Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Asymptomatic Individuals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Malaria remains a major public health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with 14 million cases reported by the WHO Malaria Report in 2014. Asymptomatic malaria cases are known to be prevalent in endemic areas and are generally untreated, resulting in a significant source of gametocytes that may serve as reservoir of disease transmission. Considering that microscopy certainly underestimates the prevalence of Plasmodium infections within asymptomatic carriers and that PCR assays are currently recognized as the most sensitive methods for Plasmodium identification, this study was conducted to weigh the asymptomatic carriage in DRC by a molecular method.