Triage test for all-oral drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) regimen: a phase IV study to assess effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of the Xpert MTB/XDR assay for rapid triage and treatment of DR-TB.

Introduction: The TriAD study will assess the Xpert MTB/XDR (Xpert XDR; Cepheid) assay to detect tuberculosis (TB) drug resistance in sputum testing positive for TB to rapidly triage and treat patients with a short all-oral treatment regimen.

Methods And Analysis: In this study, approximately 4800 Xpert MTB/RIF or Ultra MTB-positive patients (irrespective of rifampicin (RIF) resistance (RR) status) from several clinical sites across South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia will be enrolled over 18-24 months and followed-up for approximately 6 months post-TB treatment completion. Participants will be enrolled into one of two cohorts based on Xpert MTB/RIF and Xpert XDR results: () positive participants with RR in Cohort 1 (n=880) and positive RIF susceptible TB patients with isoniazid mono-resistance irrespective of presence of resistance to fluoroquinolones, second-line injectable drugs or ethionamide in Cohort 2 (n=400).

Corrigendum: An study to elucidate the effects of Product Nkabinde on immune response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.

An study to elucidate the effects of product Nkabinde on immune response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors.

A significant number of the South African population still rely on traditional medicines (TM) as their primary healthcare due to their belief in their holistic healing and immune-boosting properties. However, little to no scientific data is available on the effects of most TM products on cytokine and cellular biomarkers of the immune response. Here, we evaluated the impact of traditional medicine [Product Nkabinde (PN)] in inducing cellular and cytokine biomarkers of inflammation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from eight healthy volunteers.

Performance of Softcup® menstrual cup and vulvovaginal swab samples for detection and quantification of genital cytokines.

Cytokines are important mediators of immunity in the female genital tract, and their levels may be associated with various reproductive health outcomes. However, the measurement of cytokines and chemokines in vaginal fluid samples may be influenced by a variety of factors, each with the potential to affect the sensitivity and accuracy of the assay, including the interpretation and comparison of data. We measured and compared cytokine milieu in samples collected via Softcup® menstrual cup versus vulvovaginal swabs.

Metronidazole Treatment Failure and Persistent BV Lead to Increased Frequencies of Activated T- and Dendritic-Cell Subsets.

Metronidazole (MDZ) treatment failure and bacterial vaginosis (BV) recurrence rates are high among African women. This cohort study identified genital immune parameters associated with treatment response by comparing vaginal microbiota and immune cell frequencies in endocervical cytobrushes obtained from 32 South African women with symptomatic BV pre- and post-metronidazole treatment. Cervical T- and dendritic-cell subsets were phenotyped using multiparameter flow cytometry and the composition of vaginal microbial communities was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Baseline and treatment-emergent bedaquiline resistance in drug-resistant tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bedaquiline resistance is a major threat to drug-resistant tuberculosis control strategies. This analysis found a pooled prevalence of baseline bedaquiline resistance of 2.4% and a pooled prevalence of treatment-emergent bedaquiline resistance of 2.

Higher plasma interleukin - 6 levels are associated with lung cavitation in drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background: Lung cavitation is associated with heightened TB transmission and poor treatment outcomes. This study aimed to determine the relationship between systemic inflammation and lung cavitation in drug-resistant TB patients with and without HIV co-infection.

Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 128 participants from the CAPRISA 020 Individualized M(X)drug-resistant TB Treatment Strategy Study (InDEX) prior to treatment initiation.

The impact of enteral feeding and therapeutic monitoring of rifampicin with dose escalation in critically ill patients with tuberculosis.

Objectives: Critically ill patients with tuberculosis (TB) face a high mortality risk and require effective treatment. There is a paucity of data on rifampicin pharmacokinetics, the impact of continuous enteral feeding on drug absorption, and the potential of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimize drug exposure in these patients.

Methods: We performed a sequential pharmacokinetic study to determine the impact of feeding and TDM with rifampicin dose escalation in critically ill patients with TB.

Mental health outcomes and workplace quality of life among South African pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers is gaining attention globally. This study assessed the quality-of-working life (QoWL) and prevalence of, and risk factors for anxiety, depression and stress among South African pharmacists.

Methods: An online survey, after stratification by province, was sent to 3435 (target = 2454) randomly selected pharmacists between 14 April to 18 May 2021.

Detection of differentially culturable tubercle bacteria in sputum from drug-resistant tuberculosis patients.

Several studies described the presence of non-replicating, drug-tolerant differentially culturable tubercle bacteria (DCTB) in sputum from patients with active tuberculosis (TB). These organisms are unable to form colonies on agar but can be recovered in liquid media supplemented with culture filtrate as a source of growth factors. Herein, we undertook to investigate the response of DCTB during the treatment of individuals with drug-resistant TB.