Negative association between ascaris lumbricoides seropositivity and Covid-19 severity: insights from a study in Benin.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects worldwide, but the trajectory of the pandemic has been milder in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), including those in Africa. Co-infection with helminths, such as Ascaris lumbricoides, has been suggested as a possible factor contributing to the reduced severity observed in these regions.

Methods: The present study investigated the association between Ascaris-specific antibody levels and COVID-19 severity in 276 SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals in Benin.

A comparative study of Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. root extracts on sexual behaviour in male Wistar rats.

Caesalpinia bonduc is among the traditionally used plant in Benin, for its enhancement of male sexual activity. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential effect of C. bonduc root extracts on sexual behaviour of male Wistar rats.

Evidence of Immunosuppressive and Th2 Immune Polarizing Effects of Antidiabetic Fruit Juice.

The mechanism of action of the antidiabetic capacity of is still under investigation. Here, we assessed phytochemical compositions, antioxidant activity, and effects of total and filtered fruit and leafy stem juices of on human T cell proliferation and differentiation through quantification of Th1/Th2 cytokines. In the absence of stimulation, total fruit and leafy stem juices induced significant T cell proliferation.

HLA Class II Allele, Haplotype, and Genotype Associations with Type 1 Diabetes in Benin: A Pilot Study.

Background: Several studies have reported the implication of HLA-DR/DQ loci in the susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D). Since no such study has yet been performed in Benin, this pilot one aimed at assessing HLA class II allele, haplotype, and genotype associations with T1D.

Material And Methods: Class II HLA genotyping was performed in 51 patients with T1D and 51 healthy unrelated controls by means of the PCR-SSP method.

Hypokalaemic periodic paralysis due to the CACNA1S R1239H mutation in a large African family.

Hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (HypoKPP) is a skeletal muscle channelopathy caused by mutations in calcium (CACNA1S) and sodium (SCN4A) channel subunits. A small number of causative mutations have been found in European and Asian patients, but not in African patients yet. We have identified a large Beninese family in which HypoKPP segregated over five generations and was caused by the CACNA1S R1239H mutation.