Association between human leukocyte antigen class II (HLA-DRB and -DQB) alleles and outcome of exposure to : a cross-sectional study in Nairobi, Kenya.

Introduction: human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles play an important role in the early immune response to tuberculosis (TB) by presenting antigenic peptides to CD4+ T cells, hence polymorphisms in those genes can influence the efficiency of the immune response to infection and progression to active disease.

Methods: an analytical cross-sectional study of adult pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients at Mbagathi County Hospital, Nairobi and their HHCs. Sociodemographic data were captured on questionnaires and clinical data extracted from patient files.

Latent tuberculosis among household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Nairobi, Kenya.

Introduction: Household Contacts (HHCs) of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) patients have a higher risk of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, its prevalence and risk factors among adults living with PTB patients are poorly documented in Kenya.

Objective: to determine the prevalence and risk factors for LTBI among adult HHCs of PTB patients in Kenya.

Prevalence of Drug Resistance Mycobacterium Tuberculosis among Patients Seen in Coast Provincial General Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya.

Background: Although prevention and control of spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis strains is a global challenge, there is paucity of data on the prevalence of DR-TB in patients diagnosed with TB in referral hospitals in Kenya. The present study assessed patients' characteristics and prevalence of drug resistant TB in sputa smear positive TB patients presenting to Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) in Mombasa, Kenya.

Methods: Drug resistance was evaluated in 258 randomly selected sputa smear TB positive cases between the periods of November 2011 to February 2012 at the CPGH-Mombasa.

Antifungal susceptibilities of Cryptococcus neoformans cerebrospinal fluid isolates from AIDS patients in Kenya.

Poor susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans to fluconazole (FLC) is a matter of concern among clinicians in Africa. The emergence of resistance to FLC was recently reported in Kenya, but it is not known whether it is widespread. Thus, there is need for more antifungal drug susceptibility studies in Kenya.