Clinical and demographic characteristics of cervical cancer patients presenting at Parirenyatwa Hospital, Zimbabwe.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in Africa, predominately due to late diagnosis. This study aims to identify risk factors, potential prognostic indicators, and optimal treatment modalities for Zimbabwean cervical cancer patients. Medical records for 1063 cervical cancer patients were reviewed for sociodemographic, clinical, treatment, and response data.

Immunometabolic Therapeutic Targets of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD).

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative option in the treatment of aggressive malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. However, the benefits of allo-HSCT can be compromised by graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a prevalent and morbid complication of allo-HSCT. GvHD occurs when donor immune cells mount an alloreactive response against host antigens due to histocompatibility differences between the donor and host, which may result in extensive tissue injury.

Role of antenatal plasma cytomegalovirus DNA levels on pregnancy outcome and HIV-1 vertical transmission among mothers in the University of Zimbabwe birth cohort study (UZBCS).

Introduction: Despite being a leading infectious cause of childhood disability globally, testing for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in pregnancy is generally not done in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), where breastfeeding practice is almost universal. Whilst CMV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are both endemic in SSA, the relationship between antenatal plasma CMV-DNA, HIV-1-RNA levels and HIV-1-mother to child transmission (MTCT) including pregnancy outcomes remains poorly described.

Methods: Pregnant women at least 20 weeks' gestational age at enrolment were recruited from relatively poor high-density suburbs in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) BIRTH COHORT study: rationale, design and methods.

Background: Commencing lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately following HIV diagnosis (Option B+), has greatly improved maternal-infant health. Thus, large and increasing numbers of HIV-infected women are on ART during pregnancy, a situation concurrently increasing numbers of HIV-exposed-uninfected (HEU) infants. Compared to their HIV-unexposed-uninfected (HUU) counterparts, HEU infants show higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, mortality, infectious/non-communicable diseases including impaired growth and neurocognitive development.

Genetic variation in toll like receptors 2, 7, 9 and interleukin-6 is associated with cytomegalovirus infection in late pregnancy.

Background: Maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and/or reactivation in pregnancy is associated with a myriad of adverse infant outcomes. However, the role of host genetic polymorphisms in modulating maternal CMV status is inconclusive. This study investigated the possible association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in toll-like receptor (TLR) and cytokine genes with maternal plasma CMV DNA status in black Zimbabweans.

Epidemiology of Cytomegalovirus among pregnant women in Africa.

Introduction: Vertical transmission of Cytomegalovirus (CMV), resulting in congenital CMV (cCMV) infection could have disabling and potentially fatal effects on the foetus or neonate. Although primary infection probably has a higher risk of leading to cCMV, in highly seropositive populations, a significant risk of vertical transmission is thought to be due to CMV reactivation and or reinfection during pregnancy. In this narrative review, we summarise the prevalence of CMV infection and associated risk factors among pregnant African women, in a setting where primary CMV infection usually occurs during infancy.

Maternal plasma vitamin D levels and associated determinants in late pregnancy in Harare, Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The importance of vitamin D in bone health and calcium homeostasis has been well documented. However, emerging evidence supports the role of vitamin D beyond its recognised traditional roles. In pregnancy, vitamin D levels are crucial in sustaining both the maternal stores and optimal growth of the foetus.

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.

KIR and HLA-C Genetic Polymorphisms Influence Plasma IP-10 Concentration in Antiretroviral Therapy-Naive HIV-Infected Adult Zimbabweans.

Past studies on the relationship between Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genetic variation and chronic immune activation (CIA) in HIV infection are not uniformly consistent. Moreover, interferon-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) is a soluble biomarker of immune activation, with high plasma concentrations predicting accelerated disease progression in HIV infection. Thus, we investigated the association of KIR and HLA-C genetic polymorphisms with plasma IP-10 concentration in 183 treatment-naive chronically HIV-infected adults of Bantu origin from Zimbabwe.

HLA-C*18:01 and KIR2DL2+C1 genetic variants are associated with low viral load in cART naïve HIV-infected adult Zimbabweans.

Introduction: Polymorphisms in killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene families are implicated in differential outcomes of HIV infection. However, research findings on the influence of KIR and HLA-C polymorphism on HIV disease progression remain inconclusive. We thus investigated the association of KIR and HLA-C gene polymorphisms with plasma HIV load (VL) and CD4+ T lymphocyte (CD4) count in 183 chronically HIV-infected, combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) naïve Zimbabweans of Bantu origin.

Plasma IP-10 Concentrations Correlate Positively with Viraemia and Inversely with CD4 Counts in Untreated HIV Infection.

Background: Chronic immune activation is a feature of HIV infection associated with accelerated HIV disease progression. There is conflicting data on the association of biomarkers of immune activation with traditional markers of HIV disease progression; CD4 counts and viral load (VL).

Objective: The study aimed to determine the association of biomarkers of immune activation; interferon (IFN)-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) and soluble cluster of differentiation 14 (sCD14) in chronic HIV infection with traditional markers of HIV disease progression.

Association of high serum vitamin D concentrations with active pulmonary TB in an HIV co-endemic setting, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Background: There is paucity data on the association of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and active tuberculosis (TB) in southern Africa where the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is co-endemic. We examined the association of serum vitamin D concentrations with active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in HIV-infected (n = 284) and uninfected (n = 267) Black Zimbabweans, in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 551 participants comprising 145 HIV/PTB , 139 HIV/PTB, 134 HIV/PTB and 133 HIV/PTB.

KIR Gene Content Diversity in a Zimbabwean Population: Does KIR2DL2 Have a Role in Protection Against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection?

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) mediate natural killer cell function through interaction with their cognate human leukocyte antigen ligands. Thus, KIR gene variants have been implicated in resistance or susceptibility to viral infections. However, research on the role of these variants remains contradictory and inconclusive.

Effects of CYP2B6 and CYP1A2 Genetic Variation on Nevirapine Plasma Concentration and Pharmacodynamics as Measured by CD4 Cell Count in Zimbabwean HIV-Infected Patients.

The extremely high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and limitations of current antiretroviral medicines demand new tools to optimize therapy such as pharmacogenomics for person-to-person variations. African populations exhibit greater genetic diversity than other world populations, thus making it difficult to extrapolate findings from one population to another. Nevirapine, an antiretroviral medicine, displays large plasma concentration variability which adversely impacts therapeutic virological response.

CCR2, CX3CR1, RANTES and SDF1 genetic polymorphisms influence HIV infection in a Zimbabwean pediatric population.

Introduction: There is growing evidence that polymorphisms in chemokine and chemokine receptor genes influence susceptibility to HIV infection and disease progression. However, not much is documented about the prevalence and effects of chemokine and chemokine receptor gene variations in the Zimbabwean population despite the high burden of HIV/AIDS in the country. This study therefore describes polymorphisms in CCR2, CX3CR1, SDF1 and RANTES genes in a Zimbabwean pediatric population and their effects on HIV infection in children born to HIV-infected mothers.

Frequency variation among sub-Saharan populations in virus restriction gene, BST-2 proximal promoter polymorphisms: implications for HIV-1 prevalence differences among African countries.

The present study reports promoter variants in four sub-Saharan African populations that may affect BST-2 gene regulation. Recently, an in/del within the BST-2 promoter has been associated with HIV-1 disease progression in a Spanish cohort. Hence, we sequenced the proximal promoter region of the BST-2 gene in 581 individuals from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Cameroon.

How does mother-to-child transmission of HIV differ among African populations? Lessons from MBL2 genetic variation in Zimbabweans.

Mannose binding lectin (MBL) is a pathogen pattern recognition protein involved in antimicrobial activities. Variation in MBL2 gene has been extensively implicated in differential outcomes of infectious diseases in studies conducted outside Africa, but virtually very little is known on the role of this candidate gene in the African continent. We investigated human genetic variations in MBL2 in a Zimbabwean pediatric population and their putative associations with HIV infection in perinatally exposed children.