Publications by authors named "Ochieng J"

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common thyroid cancer and commonly presents asymptomatically in a patient with cervical node enlargement. The defining characteristic of metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma is its ability to spread through the lymphatic system. However, this case details a 71-year-old woman with metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma who presents initially with complaints of back pain and leg weakness.

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Background: Mortality attributed to respiratory illnesses is well characterized in children <5 years. However, there is paucity of data among older populations. Here, we leveraged data from the COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Evaluation to establish the factors associated with mortality among patients with severe respiratory illness (SRI) in Kenya and Mali.

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Introduction: The Vaginal Microbiome Research Consortium for Africa (VMRC4Africa) study is a multicentre observational cohort study. We aim to enrol parallel cohorts of 100 women from two sites in two African countries (N=200) (Desmond Tutu HIV Centre [DTHC], South Africa; Kenya Medical Research Institute [KEMRI], Kenya) to evaluate detailed temporal fluctuations in vaginal microbiota in young, generally healthy women from Southern and Eastern Africa.

Methods And Analysis: Cohorts in Kenya and South Africa will be followed up twice a week for 10 weeks to create detailed profiles of vaginal microbial community state types (CSTs; by 16S rRNA gene sequencing) and fungal communities (by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing) and to identify women with stable -dominated microbiota, with no evidence of genital inflammation, as assessed by the measurement of inflammatory cytokines.

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Background/aim: Previous studies have demonstrated that breast cancer cells secrete exosomes into the tumor microenvironment, promoting tumor progression. However, the paracrine influence of noncancerous breast epithelial cells on the growth of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells has largely been overlooked. We hypothesize that exosomes from noncancerous breast epithelial cells are secreted into the tumor microenvironment, stimulating TNBC growth.

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Background: Despite the adverse health outcomes associated with longer duration diarrhea (LDD), there are currently no clinical decision tools for timely identification and better management of children with increased risk. This study utilizes machine learning (ML) to derive and validate a predictive model for LDD among children presenting with diarrhea to health facilities.

Methods: LDD was defined as a diarrhea episode lasting ≥ 7 days.

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Fetuin-A, also known as alpha-2-Heremans-Schmid-glycoprotein (Ahsg), is a multifunctional molecule with diverse roles in biological processes such as mineralization, tumor growth, and inflammation. This review explores the involvement of Ahsg in various cancers, including liver, breast, prostate, colorectal, brain, osteosarcoma, and lung cancers. In many cancer types, Ahsg promotes tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis through various mechanisms, including cellular adhesion, spreading, chemotaxis, and modulation of cell-growth signaling pathways.

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  • * A machine learning approach was applied using data from the VIDA and EFGH-Shigella studies in rural Kenya to create predictive models for LGF among children aged 6-35 months, encompassing 65 potential predictors including demographic and health-related factors.
  • * The models showed a prevalence of LGF at 16.9% and 22.4% in different cohorts, with the gradient boosting model providing the best prediction accuracy, demonstrating its usefulness in identifying at-risk children for targeted healthcare interventions
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Wesselsbron virus (WSLV) is a neglected mosquito-borne virus within the yellow fever subgroup in the genus of the family. Despite being primarily a veterinary pathogen able to cause stillbirths, congenital malformations, and mortality in ruminants, WSLV also infects humans, causing a usually self-limiting febrile illness, or may lead to neurological complications in rare cases. WSLV causes sporadic outbreaks in Southern Africa, but findings in mosquitoes from other African countries suggest a wider distribution.

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Pro-inflammatory cytokines are secreted via the classical pathway from secretory vesicles or the non-classical pathway via extracellular vesicles (EVs), that together, play critical roles in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression. Annexin A6 (AnxA6) is a Ca -dependent membrane-binding protein that in TNBC is implicated in cell growth and invasiveness. AnxA6 is associated with EVs, but whether it affects the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and/or EVs remains to be fully elucidated.

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  • Campylobacteriosis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are major global concerns, especially in Africa, which has the highest campylobacteriosis rates and significant AMR prevalence in Campylobacter spp. from humans and animals.
  • A study analyzed 178 Campylobacter isolates (81 from human diarrheal patients in Kenya and 97 from poultry in Tanzania) between 2006-2017, using whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
  • The findings revealed high sequence type diversity and noted that multidrug resistance was significantly higher in poultry (40.9%) compared to humans (2.5%), highlighting the need for better antimicrobial management in livestock.
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  • Most knowledge about alphavirus diversity comes from studying those that infect humans and livestock during outbreaks, mainly focusing on mosquitoes that are attracted to humans.
  • Research on alphavirus strains in wildlife settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, has been limited compared to those studied in outbreak scenarios.
  • In a new study conducted in southwestern Uganda, researchers found two alphaviruses, Sindbis virus (SINV) and Middelburg virus (MIDV), indicating their widespread presence in local mosquitoes and suggesting ongoing transmission in the region.
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Background: Quantitative molecular assays are increasingly used for detection of enteric viruses.

Methods: We compared the clinical severity using the modified Vesikari score (mVS) of enteric viruses detected by conventional assays (enzyme immunoassays [EIAs] for rotavirus and adenovirus 40/41 and conventional polymerase chain reaction for astrovirus, sapovirus, and norovirus) and a quantitative molecular assay (TaqMan Array Card [TAC]) among children aged 0-59 months in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study. For rotavirus and adenovirus 40/41, we compared severity between EIA-positive and TAC-positive cases assigned etiologies using different cycle threshold (Ct) cutoffs.

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Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy with poor response to systemic chemotherapy. Mitotane is the only approved therapy for adrenocortical carcinoma. Cabozantinib is a multikinase inhibitor approved in multiple malignancies.

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Introduction: While there have been several studies examining the understanding and quality of informed consent in clinical trials of cancer therapies, there is limited empirical research on health practitioners' experiences on the informed consent process in cancer care, especially from low resource settings. This study explored health professionals' perspectives on information disclosure during the consenting process in cancer care.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to collect data.

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Background: is a leading cause of acute watery diarrhea, dysentery, and diarrhea-attributed linear growth faltering, a precursor to stunting and lifelong morbidity. Several promising vaccines are in development and field efficacy trials will require a consortium of potential vaccine trial sites with up-to-date diarrhea incidence data.

Methods: The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) surveillance study will employ facility-based enrollment of diarrhea cases aged 6-35 months with 3 months of follow-up to establish incidence rates and document clinical, anthropometric, and financial consequences of diarrhea at 7 country sites (Mali, Kenya, The Gambia, Malawi, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Peru).

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Background: Comparative costs of public health interventions provide valuable data for decision making. However, the availability of comprehensive and context-specific costs is often limited. The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) surveillance study-a facility-based diarrhea surveillance study across 7 countries-aims to generate evidence on health system and household costs associated with medically attended diarrhea in children.

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  • qPCR is a more efficient method for detecting pathogens in clinical samples than traditional culture methods, which often miss cases, leading to underestimation of disease burden by 2- to 3-fold.
  • The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) study will use a TaqMan Array Card (TAC) to detect and differentiate various pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes, analyzing samples from rectal swabs or stool.
  • The high sensitivity of TAC allows for better estimation of disease burden caused by specific pathogens, which is important for influencing health policy and designing future clinical trials.
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  • Molecular diagnostics have revealed a higher prevalence of shigellosis from human fecal samples than traditional culture methods, highlighting the need for improved identification of its causes.* -
  • The study involves testing dried blood spots for specific antibodies to determine immune responses in individuals with shigellosis and comparing these responses among various case types to identify patterns.* -
  • The findings aim to enhance our understanding of shigellosis, establish baseline immunity, and ultimately aid in the development of effective vaccines against diarrhea.*
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  • The study aims to improve the detection of bacterial diarrhea episodes by using fecal inflammatory biomarkers, which could help in deciding when antibiotics are needed.
  • A systematic review was conducted to analyze previous research on the effectiveness of these biomarkers, focusing on their sensitivity and specificity in identifying different bacteria associated with diarrhea.
  • The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) study plans to test specific biomarkers in stool samples from various countries and develop prediction scores to better categorize diarrhea types using advanced detection methods like qPCR.
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Background: Although is an important cause of diarrhea in Kenyan children, robust research platforms capable of conducting incidence-based estimates and eventual targeted clinical trials are needed to improve -related outcomes in children. Here, we describe characteristics of a disease surveillance platform whose goal is to support incidence and consequences of diarrhea as part of multicounty surveillance aimed at preparing sites and assembling expertise for future vaccine trials.

Methods: We mobilized our preexisting expertise in shigellosis, vaccinology, and diarrheal disease epidemiology, which we combined with our experience conducting population-based sampling, clinical trials with high (97%-98%) retention rates, and healthcare utilization surveys.

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Background: Rigorous data management systems and planning are essential to successful research projects, especially for large, multicountry consortium studies involving partnerships across multiple institutions. Here we describe the development and implementation of data management systems and procedures for the Enterics For Global Health (EFGH) surveillance study-a 7-country diarrhea surveillance study that will conduct facility-based surveillance concurrent with population-based enumeration and a health care utilization survey to estimate the incidence of -associated diarrhea in children 6 to 35 months old.

Methods: The goals of EFGH data management are to utilize the knowledge and experience of consortium members to collect high-quality data and ensure equity in access and decision-making.

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Background: is a major cause of diarrhea in young children worldwide. Multiple vaccines targeting are in development, and phase 3 clinical trials are imminent to determine efficacy against shigellosis.

Methods: The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) surveillance study is designed to determine the incidence of medically attended shigellosis in 6- to 35-month-old children in 7 resource-limited settings.

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Background: Genetic testing presents unique ethical challenges for research and clinical practice, particularly in low-resource settings. To address such challenges, context-specific understanding of ethical, legal and social issues is essential. Return of genetics and genomics research (GGR) results remains an unresolved yet topical issue particularly in African settings that lack appropriate regulation and guidelines.

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Black Americans in the US not only suffered from disproportionately high hospitalization and death rates throughout the pandemic but also from the consequences of low COVID-19 vaccination rates. This pattern of disparity is linked to distrust of public health systems that originates from a history of medical atrocities committed against Black people. For that reason, mitigation of race-based inequity in COVID-19 impacts might find more success in grassroots information contagion than official public health campaigns.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text mentions a correction to a previously published article identified by its DOI (Digital Object Identifier) 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.03.026.
  • The correction indicates that there may have been errors or updates that need to be addressed in the original publication.
  • Readers and researchers should refer to the updated information for accurate reference and understanding of the study.
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