Publications by authors named "K B Eberhardt"
Background: Immunocompromised individuals, hemato-oncologic diseases or post-transplantation included, are, due to impaired immune response, at increased risk for severe and prolonged COVID-19. Observational Studies showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia has been associated with poorer prognosis and higher disease severity.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of RNAemia and its association with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in immunocompromised COVID-19 patients.
Although the etiological relevance of the detection of microsporidia in human stool samples remains uncertain, the immunological status of patients has been posited as an important determinant of potential clinical impact of these parasites. To further assess the interplay between the epidemiology of microsporidia and immunological markers, we conducted a study utilizing real-time PCR targeting , , , and , combined in a single fluorescence channel. The study involved a cohort of 595 clinically and immunologically well-characterized Ghanaian HIV patients, alongside 82 HIV-negative control individuals from Ghana.
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- The study focuses on the less-studied role of intestinal eukaryotes, specifically Blastocystis and Entamoeba hartmanni, in the gut health of asymptomatic individuals in Côte d'Ivoire, contrasting with previous research in symptomatic people from developed nations.
- Analysis involved amplifying specific regions of bacterial DNA to examine gut microbiota composition, revealing that individuals with both protozoa showed greater microbial diversity and different bacterial compositions than those without.
- Findings suggest that Blastocystis ST1 and ST2, when associated with E. hartmanni, may contribute positively to intestinal health, indicated by increased diversity and certain beneficial bacterial levels.
There is a paucity of information on the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical correlates of people living with HIV (PLWH) who are co-infected with spp. in the post-combined antiretroviral therapy era in Ghana. To provide such data, in this observational study, stool samples of 640 HIV-positive and 83 HIV-negative individuals in Ghana were screened for spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The study assessed replicative human immunodeficiency virus-(HIV-) infection and replicative co-infections as well as molecular determinants of reduced susceptibility towards anti-retroviral therapy in a Ghanaian population of known HIV patients and a control group.
Methods: Real-time PCRs for HIV-1, HIV-2, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were run with serum samples from known Ghanaian HIV-patients (n = 975) and control individuals (n = 105). For 108 individuals, HIV-sequence analysis was performed.