Clinical outcomes of untreated adults living with chronic hepatitis B in The Gambia: an analysis of data from the prospective PROLIFICA cohort study.

Background: Expanding antiviral therapy to people with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who are ineligible to receive treatment under current international criteria has been increasingly debated. Evidence to support this approach is scarce, especially in Africa. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by analysing the clinical outcomes of people with chronic hepatitis B in The Gambia who were untreated and ineligible for antiviral therapy at diagnosis.

Outbreak of severe acute respiratory infections caused by recombinant human adenovirus type B 7/3 in hospitalized infants from a nursery in Dakar, April 2024.

Objectives: Acute respiratory infections are among the leading cause of mortality in children under 5 years of age worldwide, with most of these deaths due to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. We investigated and analyzed a pediatric outbreak of acute respiratory infections that resulted in the hospitalization of four infants in a nursery in Dakar in late April 2024.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from infants and tested for a panel of respiratory pathogens by multiplex real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

A recovery-oriented day hospital in psychiatry: A springboard for reintegration.

Psychiatric disorders are common and can cause psychological disabilities. While the creation of day hospitals (DHs) was intended to direct psychiatric care towards community settings, they may have paradoxically contributed to a form of chronicity. Furthermore, the heterogeneity and lack of evaluation of care within DHs prevent the availability needed to collect objective data on users outcomes.

Solutions From Mexican-Descent Perinatal Women To Pandemic-Related Food, Mental Health, And Health And Safety Stressors.

Latina women in the US were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic because of structural racism, including discrimination, reduced care access, and elevated risk for illness and death. Although several US policies were implemented to offset the economic toll of the pandemic, few addressed complex stressors, particularly those among Mexican-descent mothers. This qualitative study with thirty-eight perinatal women and mothers of young children who were of Mexican descent sought to identify pandemic-related stressors and solicit recommendations for addressing them during future large-scale crises.

Blue-Light Induced Iron-Catalyzed Synthesis of γ,δ-Unsaturated Ketones.

A visible-light-induced iron-catalyzed α-alkylation of ketones with allylic and propargylic alcohols as pro-electrophiles is reported. The diaminocyclopentadienone iron tricarbonyl complex plays a dual role by harvesting light and facilitating dehydrogenation and reduction steps without the help of any exogenous photosensitizer. γ,δ-Unsaturated ketones can now be accessed through this borrowing hydrogen methodology at room temperature.

Respiratory syncytial virus in pediatric patients with severe acute respiratory infections in Senegal: findings from the 2022 sentinel surveillance season.

In 2022, many regions around the world experienced a severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic with an earlier-than-usual start and increased numbers of paediatric patients in emergency departments. Here we carried out this study to describe the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of RSV infection in patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections in 2022. Samples were tested for RSV by multiplex real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Effect of an adapted physical activity program on stress, anxiety, depression in patients with schizophrenia: study protocol of a randomized-controlled trial.

Physical activity (PA) is recommended to optimize well-functioning in people with schizophrenia. PA has been found to improve quality of life, general symptomatology, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, global and social functioning. In PA research, most of the interventions are based on one-on-one interventions but there is poor information about group-based PA interventions.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia, west Africa: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Chronic liver disease is a major cause of premature death in sub-Saharan Africa. Efficacy of antiviral therapy among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis is not well established in Africa. We described the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia and assessed the impact of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on survival of HBV-infected patients with cirrhosis.

Demographic and COVID-19-Related Factors Associated with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Among African American and Latina Women in a Midwestern State.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated racial and ethnic disparities among Latina and African American (AA) women, including risk factors for depression and anxiety. This study sought to identify demographic- and pandemic-related factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adult AA and Latina women living in a Midwestern state.

Methods: Data for this secondary analysis of 1037 AA and Latina women were collected in May 2020 and June/July 2020.

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) to evaluate liver fibrosis and cancer in HBV-infected patients in West Africa.

Background: To reduce mortality associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, timely detection of cirrhosis and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is essential. In low-income countries, however, HBV-infected people have limited access to liver histopathology, a reference test. Recently, Asian studies have suggested the usefulness of an inexpensive serum biomarker called Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) in staging liver fibrosis and predicting HCC in HBV-infected patients.

Measles and Rubella Incidence and Molecular Epidemiology in Senegal: Temporal and Regional Trends during Twelve Years of National Surveillance, 2010-2021.

We investigated the epidemiology of measles and rubella infections in Senegal based on data from twelve consecutive years of laboratory-based surveillance (2010−2021) and conducted phylogenetic analyses of circulating measles viruses. Sera from measles-suspected cases were collected and tested for measles and rubella-specific IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Throat swabs were collected from patients with clinically diagnosed measles for confirmation by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and viral genotyping.

HBV continuum of care using community- and hospital-based screening interventions in Senegal: Results from the PROLIFICA programme.

Background & Aims: Strategies to implement HBV screening and treatment are critical to achieve HBV elimination but have been inadequately evaluated in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA).

Methods: We assessed the feasibility of screen-and-treat interventions in 3 real-world settings (community, workplace, and hospital) in Senegal. Adult participants were screened using a rapid HBsAg point-of-care test.

A Review of Regulatory Frameworks Governing Biobanking in the Low and Middle Income Member Countries of BCNet.

Biomedical research based on the sharing and use of ever larger volumes of samples and data is increasingly becoming an essential component of scientific discovery. The success of biobanking and genomic research is dependent on the broad sharing of resources for use by investigators. However, important ethical challenges need to be addressed for the sample and data sharing to be successful.

Maintaining Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte infectivity during blood collection and transport for mosquito feeding assays in the field.

Background: Mosquito feeding assays using venous blood are commonly used for evaluating the transmission potential of malaria infected individuals. To improve the accuracy of these assays, care must be taken to prevent premature activation or inactivation of gametocytes before they are fed to mosquitoes. This can be challenging in the field where infected individuals and insectary facilities are sometimes very far apart.

Pregnancy-Related Change in pQCT and Bone Biochemistry in a Population With a Habitually Low Calcium Intake.

In pregnancy, changes in maternal calcium (Ca) economy occur to satisfy fetal Ca demand. It is unclear whether maternal mineral reserves facilitate these requirements and no data exist from sub-Saharan Africa. The aim was to determine skeletal changes with peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and bone biochemistry between early second and third trimesters.

Clinical utility of quantifying hepatitis B surface antigen in African patients with chronic hepatitis B.

The clinical utility of quantifying hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) levels in African subjects with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been poorly documented. From a multicentre cohort of 944 HBV-infected African patients, we aimed to assess whether qHBsAg alone can accurately identify i) those in a HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection phase at low risk of liver disease progression and ii) those in need of antiviral therapy according to the 2017 EASL guidelines. We analysed 770 HBV mono-infected treatment-naïve patients, mainly males (61%) from West Africa (92%), median age 35 years (IQR: 30-44), median HBV DNA: 95.

Hepatitis B virus preS2Δ38-55 variants: A newly identified risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: Although HBV is a major cause of death in Africa, its genetic variability has been poorly documented. This study aimed to address whether HBV genotype and surface gene variants are associated with HBV-related liver disease in The Gambia.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested in the Prevention of Liver Fibrosis and Cancer in Africa programme.

Exploring influences on adolescent diet and physical activity in rural Gambia, West Africa: food insecurity, culture and the natural environment.

Objective: To explore, from the perspectives of adolescents and caregivers, and using qualitative methods, influences on adolescent diet and physical activity in rural Gambia.

Design: Six focus group discussions (FGD) with adolescents and caregivers were conducted. Thematic analysis was employed across the data set.

[Prevention of liver fibrosis and liver cancer linked to hepatitis B virus in Africa: the Prolifica study].

Despite the existence of an effective vaccine, HBV infects 257 million people worldwide and is the cause of the majority of HCC. With an annual mortality rate of 887 000 patients in 2015, this cancer is the second deadliest. Low-income countries such as ones in sub-Saharan Africa are the most at risk due to the limited access to healthcare.

Hepatitis B Core-related Antigen: An Alternative to Hepatitis B Virus DNA to Assess Treatment Eligibility in Africa.

Background: To eliminate hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, it is essential to scale up testing and treatment. However, conventional tools to assess treatment eligibility, particularly nucleic acid testing (NAT) to quantify HBV DNA, are hardly available and affordable in resource-limited countries. We therefore assessed the performance of a novel immunoassay, hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), as an inexpensive (US$ <15/assay) alternative to NAT to diagnose clinically important HBV DNA thresholds (≥2000, ≥20 000, and ≥200 000 IU/mL) and to select patients for antiviral therapy in Africa.

Centralization of the IARC Biobank: Combining Multiple Sample Collections into a Common Platform.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research agency. The agency conducts research on cancer with worldwide collaborations, adopting a multidisciplinary approach of epidemiology and laboratory-based studies on cancer causes, as well as preventive interventions. The IARC Biobank stores multiple collections of samples and conducts preanalytical services for studies conducted worldwide in support of the research activities.

Development of a Biobank from a Legacy Collection in Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia: Proposed Approach for Centralized Biobank Development in Low-Resource Institutions.

The establishment of a biobank requires specific expertise along with relatively expensive infrastructure and appropriate technology. This causes certain challenges in biobank implementation for research in low-middle-income countries. Biobank development with established specimens and data collection (legacy collection) was an approach used in the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada.