The Impact of Certain Pharmacogenetic Differences on the Metabolism of Antiretroviral Drugs Used in A Black South African Population.

Background: Genetic polymorphism of drug-metabolising enzymes and transporters may influence the effect and toxicity of antiretroviral drugs.

Objectives: To determine and compare the minimum allele frequency of 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with possible involvement in the metabolism of the antiretroviral drugs with other populations. To investigate the influence of these variants on Reverse transcriptase, Protease and Integrase strand transfer inhibitor drugs.

A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin E and levocarnitine prophylaxis against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in adult breast cancer patients.

Background: Doxorubicin induces acute and chronic cardiotoxicity. This study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin E and levocarnitine (EL) as cardioprotective agents against acute doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in female adult breast cancer patients.

Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled study was conducted in patients treated with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC).

Critical appraisal of clinical guidelines for prevention and management of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Objective: Doxorubicin is a valuable chemotherapeutic drug; however, it is associated with a high risk of cardiotoxicity. Several institutions and organizations have developed guidelines for risk factor assessment, monitoring and prevention strategies against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. This review aimed to assess the quality of current practice guidelines, using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II).

Vitamin E and levocarnitine as prophylaxis against doxorubicin-induced cardio toxicity in the adult cancer patient: A review.

Objective: Doxorubicin, a component of the anthracycline group, is a highly effective in the treatment of hematologic and solid malignancies. Because of the cardiotoxic adverse effects, use is limited. Antioxidants may negate this anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, although the literature is not conclusive with regards to the cardioprotective benefits of antioxidants.

Parental reporting of adverse drug reactions in South Africa: An online survey.

Background: The high incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children is of global concern. Enhancing the reporting of ADRs could contribute to making safer medicines available to children.

Aim: To assess parents' awareness of reporting ADRs and their knowledge on the reporting procedures in South Africa.

Factors Associated with Bone Mineral Density and Bone Resorption Markers in Postmenopausal HIV-Infected Women on Antiretroviral Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

The study aimed to determine factors associated with changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone resorption markers over two years in black postmenopausal women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Women ( = 120) aged > 45 years were recruited from Potchefstroom, South Africa. Total lumbar spine and left femoral neck (LFN) BMD were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

A retrospective descriptive investigation of adult patients receiving third-line antiretroviral therapy in the North West province, South Africa.

Background: Greater access and prolonged exposure to ART may inevitably lead to more treatment failure and increase the need for third-line ART (TLART) in a resource-limited setting.

Objective: To describe characteristics and resistance patterns of adult patients initiated on TLART in three districts of the North West province.

Method: All-inclusive retrospective descriptive investigation.

Health students' experiences of the process of interprofessional education: a pilot project.

The need for interprofessional education (IPE) in health science disciplines is a current global trend. However, despite international support and demand, IPE is still new to many health professions curricula in South Africa. Furthermore, while ample existing academic literature addresses commonly encountered barriers to IPE, there is still a need to investigate the dynamics and challenges associated with the process of implementing IPE at universities.

Hypertriglyceridaemia and the risk of pancreatitis six months post lopinavir/ritonavir initiation.

Background: Hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) is an important risk factor for pancreatitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), depending on severity. Hypertriglyceridaemia is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and is also a common complication of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r).

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of pancreatitis associated with HTG in patients six months post initiation of LPV/r-based therapy in a regional public hospital.

Adverse Neuropsychiatric Events and Recreational Use of Efavirenz and Other HIV-1 Antiretroviral Drugs.

Efavirenz is a highly effective HIV-1 antiretroviral; however, it is also frequently associated with neuropsychiatric adverse events (NPAE) that include abnormal dreams, sleep disturbances, nervousness, anxiety, depression, and dizziness. The incidence of NPAEs upon initiation of treatment with efavirenz-containing medications is high, exceeding 50% in most studies. Although the NPAEs tend to decrease after the first month in many patients, they persist for long periods of time in others.

Bone turnover markers in HIV-infected women on tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) antiretroviral therapy is associated with disruption of the bone turnover process.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the association between tenofovir (TFV) plasma concentration and various bone turnover markers and compare these markers in HIV-infected women and HIV-uninfected controls.

Method: A cross-sectional sub-study included 30 HIV-infected women on TDF and 30 HIV-uninfected matched participants.

CYP2B6 Haplotype Predicts Efavirenz Plasma Concentration in Black South African HIV-1-Infected Children: A Longitudinal Pediatric Pharmacogenomic Study.

South Africa has the highest burden of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection globally. Efavirenz (EFV), a frequently used drug against HIV infection, displays a relationship between drug concentration and pharmacodynamics effects clinically. However, haplotype-based genetic variation in drug metabolism in a pediatric sample has been little considered in a longitudinal long-term context.

Associations between plasma tenofovir concentration and renal function markers in HIV-infected women.

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has been associated with kidney tubular dysfunction and reduced renal function. Limited studies were performed in Europe and Asia that related plasma tenofovir (TFV) concentration with renal function; no such studies to date have been performed on Africans.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between plasma tenofovir (TFV) concentration and certain renal function markers in HIV-infected women on TDF antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Positive association between dietary iron intake and iron status in HIV-infected children in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Anemia is a common complication of pediatric HIV infection and is associated with suboptimal cognitive performance and growth failure. Routine iron supplementation is not provided to South African HIV-infected children. We hypothesized that dietary iron intake without supplementation is sufficient to protect against iron deficiency (ID) in HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Evidence for time-dependent interactions between ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir plasma levels following P-glycoprotein inhibition in Sprague-Dawley rats.

The interaction between verapamil, a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor, with ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) after acute and chronic treatment was investigated in rats. Rats were divided into 4 groups, viz. Group 1: ritonavir, 20 mg/kg/d (n=18), group 2: ritonavir, 20 mg/kg/d plus verapamil 5 mg/kg/d (n=18), group 3: LPV/r, 80 and 20 mg/kg/d (n=17) and group 4: LPV/r, 80 and 20 mg/kg/d plus verapamil 5 mg/kg/d (n=18).

Determination of salivary efavirenz by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

A novel and robust screening method for the determination of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, efavirenz (EFV), in human saliva has been developed and validated based on high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Sample preparation of the saliva involved solid-phase extraction (SPE) on C18 cartridges. The analytes were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (Phenomenex Kinetex C18, 150mm×3mm internal diameter, 2.

Efavirenz plasma concentrations at 1, 3, and 6 months post-antiretroviral therapy initiation in HIV type 1-infected South African children.

The aim of this study was to quantify the plasma efavirenz concentrations over 6 months in black HIV-1-infected South African children (3-14 years), from resource-limited households, attending an outpatient clinic. The children were antiretroviral treatment (ART) naive and received efavirenz in combination with two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors according to South African national guidelines. Two blood samples were taken between 12 and 20 h after the last efavirenz dose at 1 (n = 58), 3 (n = 54), and 6 (n = 54) months post-ART initiation.