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Alemu J, Gumi B, Tsegaye A, Rahimeto Z, Fentahun D, Ibrahim F, Abubeker A, Gebremedhin A, Gelanew T, Howe R. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and Hepatitis B Virus Coinfections among Ethiopians with Acute Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1606. [PMID: 38672687 PMCID: PMC11049053 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and blood-borne viral coinfections are well reported. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and coinfection with blood-borne viruses in hematologic malignancy patients in Ethiopia. We aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and associated infections with hepatitis B and other viruses among adolescent and adult acute leukemia patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2020 to June 2021. Blood samples were tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2, HBV, HCV, and HIV with ELISA kits and occult hepatitis B infection with a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Out of a total 110 cases, the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 35.5%. The prevalence showed a significant increment from July 2020 to the end of June 2021 (p = 0.015). In 22.7% and 2.7% of leukemia cases, HBV and HIV, respectively, were detected. No HCV was identified. The rate of SARS-CoV-2 coinfection with HBV and HIV was 28% (11/39) and 2.6% (1/39), respectively; however, there was no statistically significant association between SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity with HBV and HIV (p > 0.05). There is a need for viral screening in leukemia cases to monitor infections and inform management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemal Alemu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia;
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia; (Z.R.); (D.F.); (F.I.); (T.G.); (R.H.)
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia;
| | - Balako Gumi
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia;
| | - Aster Tsegaye
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia;
| | - Ziyada Rahimeto
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia; (Z.R.); (D.F.); (F.I.); (T.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Dessalegn Fentahun
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia; (Z.R.); (D.F.); (F.I.); (T.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Fozia Ibrahim
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia; (Z.R.); (D.F.); (F.I.); (T.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Abdulaziz Abubeker
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia; (A.A.); (A.G.)
| | - Amha Gebremedhin
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia; (A.A.); (A.G.)
| | - Tesfaye Gelanew
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia; (Z.R.); (D.F.); (F.I.); (T.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia; (Z.R.); (D.F.); (F.I.); (T.G.); (R.H.)
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Tamene W, Wassie L, Marconi VC, Abebe M, Kebede A, Sack U, Howe R. Protein Expression of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 on Monocytes in TB, HIV, and TB/HIV. J Immunol Res 2024; 2024:9399524. [PMID: 38660059 PMCID: PMC11042910 DOI: 10.1155/2024/9399524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have a critical role in recognizing pathogenic patterns and initiating immune responses against TB and HIV. Previously, studies described the gene expression of TLRs in patients with TB and HIV. Here, we demonstrated TLRs protein expressions and their association with clinical status and plasma markers in TB, HIV, and TB/HIV coinfection. The phenotyping of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 on CD14+ monocytes and their subsets were determined by multicolor flow cytometry. Host plasma biomarkers and microbial indices were measured using Luminex Multiplex assay and standard of care tools, respectively. TLR2 expression significantly enhanced in TB, slightly increased in HIV but slightly reduced in TB/HIV coinfection compared to apparently health controls (HC). On the other hand, TLR4 expression was significantly increased in TB, HIV, and TB/HIV compared to HC. Expression of TLR4 was equally enhanced on classical and intermediate monocytes while higher TLR2 expression on intermediate than classical monocytes. TLR4 had a positive correlation pattern with plasma biomarkers while TLR2 had an inverse correlation pattern. TLR4 is associated with disease severity while TLR2 is with the immune-competent status of patients. Our findings demonstrated that the pattern of TLR expression is disease as well as monocyte subset specific and distinct factors drive these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wegene Tamene
- HIV and TB Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Liya Wassie
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Vincent C. Marconi
- School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health and the Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Meseret Abebe
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Amha Kebede
- HIV and TB Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ulrich Sack
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Belachew EB, Desta AF, Mulu A, Deneke DB, Tefera DA, Alemu A, Anberber E, Beshah D, Girma S, Sewasew DT, Tessema TS, Howe R. High rate of high-risk human papillomavirus among benign and breast cancer patients in Ethiopia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298583. [PMID: 38507429 PMCID: PMC10954173 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There have been numerous studies that showed the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in breast cancer; nonetheless, there is ongoing debate regarding their association. Given few studies in Ethiopia, we aimed to investigate the magnitude of HPV infection in Ethiopian breast cancer patients. METHODS A total of 120 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were obtained, and basic demographic, clinical, and histological data were collected from medical records. DNA was extracted from archived FFPE breast tissue specimens using GeneRead DNA FFPE Kit. The AnyplexTM II HPV28 Detection Kit (Seegene, Korea) was used to detect HPV by following the manufacturer's instructions. The SPSS Version 25 was used to enter and analyze data. RESULTS Among the 120 study participants; HPV (both high-risk and low-risk) was detected in 20.6% of breast cancer and 29.6% of non-malignant breast tumors. The most common genotype was the high-risk HPV 16 genotype. The frequency of HPV was nearly 10-fold higher in estrogen receptor-positive than ER-negative breast cancer. The percentage of HPV in the luminal (luminal A and luminal B) breast cancer subtypes was also much higher than in the non-luminal subtypes (HER-2 enriched and triple-negative breast cancer). CONCLUSION This study did not find a significant difference in HPV expression between breast cancer and non-malignant breast tumors; however, the higher percentage of HPV in ER-positive compared to ER-negative breast cancer warrants further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmael Besufikad Belachew
- Biology Department, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mizan Tepi University, Mizan, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adey Feleke Desta
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | | | - Ashenafi Alemu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Endale Anberber
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Beshah
- Department of Diagnostic Laboratory, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Selfu Girma
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Alemayehu A, Wassie L, Neway S, Ayele S, Assefa A, Bobosha K, Petros B, Howe R. Clinical and Imaging Characteristics of Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: A Comparative Study. Pulm Med 2024; 2024:2182088. [PMID: 38487406 PMCID: PMC10937078 DOI: 10.1155/2024/2182088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Prevalence surveys in Ethiopia indicate smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis (SNPTB) taking the major share of the overall TB burden. It has also been a diagnostic dilemma worldwide leading to diagnostic delays and difficulty in monitoring treatment outcomes. This study determines and compares the clinical and imaging findings in SNPTB and smear positive PTB (SPPTB). Methodology. A case-control study was conducted on 313 PTB (173 SNPTB) patients. Data and sputum samples were collected from consented patients. Smear microscopy, GeneXpert, and culture analyses were performed on sputum samples. Data were analyzed using Stata version 17; a P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Of the 173 SNPTB patients, 42% were culture positive with discordances between test results reported by health facilities and Armauer Hansen Research Institute laboratory using concentrated smear microscopy. A previous history of TB and fewer cavitary lesions were significantly associated with SNPTB. Conclusions Though overall clinical presentations of SNPTB patients resemble those seen in SPPTB patients, a prior history of TB was strongly associated with SNPTB. Subject to further investigations, the relatively higher discrepancies seen in TB diagnoses reflect the posed diagnostic challenges in SNPTB patients, as a higher proportion of these patients are also seen in Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alem Alemayehu
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Medical Laboratory Science, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
| | - Liya Wassie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sebsib Neway
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Samuel Ayele
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Assefa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Kidist Bobosha
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Beyene Petros
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Negash M, Chanyalew M, Girma T, Alemu F, Alcantara D, Towler B, Davey G, Boyton RJ, Altmann DM, Howe R, Newport MJ. Evidence for immune activation in pathogenesis of the HLA class II associated disease, podoconiosis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2020. [PMID: 38448477 PMCID: PMC10917762 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46347-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Available evidences suggest that podoconiosis is triggered by long term exposure of bare feet to volcanic red clay soil particles. Previous genome-wide studies in Ethiopia showed association between the HLA class II region and disease susceptibility. However, functional relationships between the soil trigger, immunogenetic risk factors and the immunological basis of the disease are uncharted. Therefore, we aimed to characterise the immune profile and gene expression of podoconiosis patients relative to endemic healthy controls. Peripheral blood immunophenotyping of T cells indicated podoconiosis patients had significantly higher CD4 and CD8 T cell surface HLA-DR expression compared to healthy controls while CD62L expression was significantly lower. The levels of the activation markers CD40 and CD86 were significantly higher on monocytes and dendritic cell subsets in patients compared to the controls. RNA sequencing gene expression data indicated higher transcript levels for activation, scavenger receptors, and apoptosis markers while levels were lower for histones, T cell receptors, variable, and constant immunoglobulin chain in podoconiosis patients compared to healthy controls. Our finding provides evidence that podoconiosis is associated with high levels of immune activation and inflammation with over-expression of genes within the pro-inflammatory axis. This offers further support to a working hypothesis of podoconiosis as soil particle-driven, HLA-associated disease of immunopathogenic aetiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikias Negash
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Tigist Girma
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Fekadu Alemu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Diana Alcantara
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Ben Towler
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Gail Davey
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
- School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rosemary J Boyton
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel M Altmann
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Melanie J Newport
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
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Wada FW, Desta AF, Gebre M, Mihret W, Seyoum T, Melaku K, Alemu A, Howe R, Mulu A, Mihret A. Pneumococcal colonization and coinfecting respiratory viruses in children under 5 years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a prospective case-control study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4174. [PMID: 38378681 PMCID: PMC10879120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54256-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in conjunction with respiratory virus infections is essential for enhancing our knowledge of the pathogenesis and advancing the development of effective preventive strategies. Therefore, a case-control study was carried out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to investigate the colonization rate of S. pneumoniae and its coinfection dynamics with respiratory viruses among children under the age of 5 years. Samples from the nasopharyngeal and/or oropharyngeal, along with socio-demographic and clinical information, were collected from 420 children under 5 years old (210 cases with lower respiratory tract infections and 210 controls with conditions other than respiratory infections.). A one-step Multiplex real-time PCR using the Allplex Respiratory Panel Assays 1-4 was performed to identify respiratory viruses and bacteria. Data analysis was conducted using STATA software version 17. The overall colonization rate of S. pneumoniae in children aged less than 5 years was 51.2% (215/420). The colonization rates in cases and controls were 54.8% (115/210) and 47.6% (100/210), respectively (p = 0.14). Colonization rates were observed to commence at an early age in children, with a colonization rate of 48.9% and 52.7% among infants younger than 6 months controls and cases, respectively. The prevalence of AdV (OR, 3.11; 95% CI [1.31-8.19]), RSV B (OR, 2.53; 95% CI [1.01-6.78]) and HRV (OR, 1.7; 95% CI [1.04-2.78]) tends to be higher in children who tested positive for S. pneumoniae compared to those who tested negative for S. pneumoniae. Further longitudinal research is needed to understand and determine interaction mechanisms between pneumococci and viral pathogens and the clinical implications of this coinfection dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiseha Wadilo Wada
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Soddo, Ethiopia.
| | - Adey Feleke Desta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Meseret Gebre
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Wude Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrayehu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Kalkidan Melaku
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ashenafi Alemu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Andargachew Mulu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Seyoum A, Seyoum B, Gure T, Alemu A, Alemayehu DH, Alemu A, Belachew A, Tefera DA, Aseffa A, Howe R, Mulu A, Mihret A. High rate of non-vaccine targeted high-risk HPV genotypes circulate among women in Eastern Ethiopia. Sci Rep 2024; 14:958. [PMID: 38200092 PMCID: PMC10781741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51594-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization [WHO] recommends a genotype-specific human papillomavirus [HPV] vaccination as a primary prevention strategy to control the burden of cervical cancer globally. In Ethiopia, where the non-vaccine-targeted HPV genotypes have not been adequately studied, a vaccination initiative was launched in 2018 targeting HPV-6,-11, -16, and -18 for girls aged 14-18 years. The co-existence of both vaccine-targeted and non-targeted genotypes is a serious concern, as it can accelerate cancer progression. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of non-vaccine-targeted HPV genotypes and assess the level of multiple infections with other genotypes in eastern Ethiopia. A health facility-based cross-sectional study including 110 women with positive HPV DNA results was conducted from April to August 2021. A structured questionnaire to collect demographic and clinical data was used. Cervical swabs were collected using L-shaped FLOQSwabs. Women's cytological profile was determined based on Pap smear test results. An automated nucleic acid extraction system using STARMag 96 ProPrep Universal Extraction Kit was utilized following the manufacturer's protocol. An amplification assay in real-time was employed to amplify and identify the HPV Late 1 [L1] gene, which is utilized for genotyping purposes. Following this, the collected data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 software, and the analysis was performed using STATA version 14. A total of 110 women [age range 30-60 years, mean age = 36.5 years and SD ± 6.9] had positive HPV DNA results and were included in the study. Among these, 108 women had valid co-testing [Pap test and HPV DNA test] results for further analysis, and the results of the remaining 2 women were rejected. Overall, the prevalence of non-vaccine-targeted HPV was 56 (51.8%, 95%CI [0.42, 0.61]), of which 28 women (25.4%, 95%CI [0.18, 0.34]) had a single non-vaccine HPV genotype infection. The remaining 29 women (26.4%, 95% CI: 0.190-0.355) experienced multiple infections. The non-vaccine-targeted genotypes of HPV-35 accounted for 11 cases (10%, 95%CI [0.06, 0.17]), HPV-68 was detected in 9 women (8.2%, 95%CI [0.04, 0.15]), HPV-56 and HPV-66 were both found in 8 cases each (7.3%, 95%CI [0.04, 0.14]) of the total. In addition, out of these 108 women, 93 (86.1%, 95%CI [0.78, 0.91]) had low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 13 (12%, 95%CI [0.07, 0.20]) no intraepithelial lesion or malignancy, and two (1.9%, 95%CI [0.01, 0.07]) high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference [p = 0.755] between vaccine-targeted and non-vaccine-targeted genotypes as the primary cause of cervical lesions. In conclusion, the findings of the present study highlight the existence of a notable prevalence of multiple infections caused by non-vaccine-targeted HPV genotypes. Therefore, it is recommended that both the Federal and regional health bureaus to evaluate the range of hr HPV genotypes protected by the current HPV vaccine and explore the option of transitioning from the quadrivalent HPV vaccine to a novavalent vaccine that includes seven high-risk HPV genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayichew Seyoum
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tadesse Gure
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Ashenafi Alemu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Addisu Alemu
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Anteneh Belachew
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Okop KJ, Kedir K, Kasenda S, Niyibizi JB, Chipeta E, Getachew H, Sell K, Lambert EV, Puoane T, Rulisa S, Bunn C, King AC, Bavuma C, Howe R, Crampin AC, Levitt NS. Multi-country collaborative citizen science projects to co-design cardiovascular disease prevention strategies and advocacy: findings from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, and South Africa. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2484. [PMID: 38087240 PMCID: PMC10714547 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17393-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were responsible for 20.5 million annual deaths globally in 2021, with a disproportionally high burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is growing evidence of the use of citizen science and co-design approaches in developing interventions in different fields, but less so in the context of CVD prevention interventions in SSA. This paper reports on the collaborative multi-country project that employed citizen science and a co-design approach to (i) explore CVD risk perceptions, (ii) develop tailored prevention strategies, and (iii) support advocacy in different low-income settings in SSA. METHODS This is a participatory citizen science study with a co-design component. Data was collected from 205 participants aged 18 to 75 years in rural and urban communities in Malawi, Ethiopia and Rwanda, and urban South Africa. Fifty-one trained citizen scientists used a mobile app-based (EpiCollect) semi-structured survey questionnaire to collect data on CVD risk perceptions from participants purposively selected from two communities per country. Data collected per community included 100-150 photographs and 150-240 voice recordings on CVD risk perceptions, communication and health-seeking intentions. Thematic and comparative analysis were undertaken with the citizen scientists and the results were used to support citizen scientists-led stakeholder advocacy workshops. Findings are presented using bubble graphs based on weighted proportions of key risk factors indicated. RESULTS Nearly three in every five of the participants interviewed reported having a relative with CVD. The main perceived causes of CVD in all communities were substance use, food-related factors, and litter, followed by physical inactivity, emotional factors, poverty, crime, and violence. The perceived positive factors for cardiovascular health were nutrition, physical activity, green space, and clean/peaceful communities. Multi-level stakeholders (45-84 persons/country) including key decision makers participated in advocacy workshops and supported the identification and prioritization of community-specific CVD prevention strategies and implementation actions. Citizen science-informed CVD risk screening and referral to care interventions were piloted in six communities in three countries with about 4795 adults screened and those at risk referred for care. Health sector stakeholders indicated their support for utilising a citizen-engaged approach in national NCDs prevention programmes. The citizen scientists were excited by the opportunity to lead research and advocacy. CONCLUSION The collaborative engagement, participatory learning, and co-designing activities enhanced active engagement between citizen scientists, researchers, and stakeholders. This, in turn, provided context-specific insights on CVD prevention in the different SSA settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kufre J Okop
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Cape Town.
- Citizen Science Research Foundation (CSRF), Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Kiya Kedir
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, CA, Ethiopia
| | - Stephen Kasenda
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Jean Berchmans Niyibizi
- Directorate of Research and Innovation, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Effie Chipeta
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Centre for Reproductive Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Kerstin Sell
- Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, IBE, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- UCT Research Centre for Health Through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport, Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thandi Puoane
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stephen Rulisa
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Christopher Bunn
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Abby C King
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA, CA
- Department of Medicine (Stanford Prevention Research Center), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA, CA
| | - Charlotte Bavuma
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, CA, Ethiopia
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Naomi S Levitt
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Cape Town
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Belachew EB, Desta AF, Gebremariam TY, Deneke DB, Ashenafi S, Yeshi MM, Fenta BD, Alem AT, Alemu A, Abafogi AK, Desta T, Chanyalew M, Beshah D, Taylor L, Bauer M, Tsehay D, Girma S, Melka DS, Tessema TS, Kantelhardt EJ, Howe R. Immunohistochemistry-derived subtypes of breast cancer distribution in four regions of Ethiopia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1250189. [PMID: 38027092 PMCID: PMC10666628 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1250189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Different biological characteristics, therapeutic responses, and disease-specific outcomes are associated with different molecular subtypes of breast cancer (BC). Although there have been different studies on BC in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa, there have been few studies in other parts of the nation, and none have evaluated biological characteristics in other locations in the context of the extensive ethnic and genetic diversity found in Ethiopia. This study was carried out to evaluate the distribution of immunohistochemistry (IHC) subtypes of BCs throughout four Ethiopian regions. Methods A total of 227 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were collected from tertiary hospitals in four Ethiopian regions between 2015 and 2021. The IHC staining was performed for subtyping, ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 proliferation markers. Results The mean age at diagnosis was 43.9 years. The percentage of ER and PR-negative tumors were 48.3% and 53.2%, respectively. The IHC subtypes showed the following distribution: 33.1% triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), 27.6% luminal B, 25.2% luminal A, and 14.1% HER2 enriched. In multiple logistic regression analysis, grade III and HER2 positivity were associated with larger tumor size, and also originating from Jimma compared to Mekele. Conclusion Patients with ER-negative, PR-negative, and TNBC were found in 48.3%, 53.2%, and 33.1% of cases, respectively, showing that half the patients could potentially benefit from endocrine treatment. A considerably high prevalence of TNBC was reported in our study, demanding additional research that includes genetic predisposition factors. Additionally, aggressive tumors were found in a high percentage of younger age groups, which must be considered when planning personalized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmael Besufikad Belachew
- Biology Department, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mizan Tepi University, Mizan, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adey Feleke Desta
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tewodros Yalew Gebremariam
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dinikisira Bekele Deneke
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Senait Ashenafi
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Melisachew Mulatu Yeshi
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Addisu Alemu
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Abdo Kedir Abafogi
- Pathology Department, Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Tigist Desta
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Menberework Chanyalew
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Beshah
- Department of Diagnostic Laboratory, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Lesley Taylor
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Marcus Bauer
- Global Health Working Group, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Dareskedar Tsehay
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Selfu Girma
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Seifu Melka
- Department of Biochemistry, Division of Basic Sciences, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
| | | | - Eva J. Kantelhardt
- Department of Gynecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Gemechu A, Mihret A, Aseffa A, Howe R, Seyoum B, Mulu A. Loss to Follow-up and Death Among Individuals With Newly Diagnosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus Receiving Dolutegravir-Based First-Line Antiretroviral Treatment in Eastern Ethiopia: Implications for 95% United Nations Targets. Open Forum Infect Dis 2023; 10:ofad522. [PMID: 37953815 PMCID: PMC10638489 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Loss to follow-up (LTFU) and death are unfavorable outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment. This study aimed to identify the predictors of LTFU and death among individuals with newly diagnosed HIV receiving dolutegravir (DTG)-based first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) in eastern Ethiopia. Methods A multisite prospective cohort study was carried out between October 2020 and July 2022. New case patients who started ART were enrolled consecutively and then followed up for the next 6 months. A structured questionnaire and checklists were used to collect data. HIV viral load was determined using the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify baseline factors associated with the outcomes. Results A total of 235 people with newly diagnosed HIV were enrolled; 16.6% (95% confidence interval, 12.3%-21.9%) were lost to follow-up, and 5.9% (3.5%-9.8%) died within 6 months of follow-up. Baseline World Health Organization clinical stage I (adjusted odds ratio, 3.93 [95% confidence interval, 1.34-11.57]), low viral load (3.67 [1.09-12.36]), and body weight (1.04 [1.01-1.07]) were predictors of LTFU, whereas nonfunctional status (10.02 [1.9-51.3]) was the only factor associated with death. Conclusions LTFU and death rates among patients with DTG were relatively high, accounting for roughly a quarter of the attrition of people with newly diagnosed HIV from ART care and services. Thus, targeted interventions are required to reduce LTFU and death among individuals with HIV on ART. Further investigation is necessary to evaluate the long-term effects of DTG-based regimens on LTFU and its impact on HIV mortality rates, and qualitative research, specifically tracing LTFU, is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdella Gemechu
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Belachew EB, Desta AF, Deneke DB, Gebremariam TY, Tefera DA, Atire FA, Alemayehu DH, Seyoum T, Bauer M, Girma S, Sewasew DT, Kantelhardt EJ, Tessema TS, Howe R. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2, 9 and 11 in Ethiopian breast cancer patients. BMC Res Notes 2023; 16:253. [PMID: 37798646 PMCID: PMC10557335 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06518-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a pathophysiological role in cancer initiation and progression. Numerous studies have examined an association between MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-11 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer (BC); however, no research has been done on the MMP expression levels in BC cases from Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 58 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast tissue samples encompassing 16 benign breast tumors and 42 BC were collected. The RNA was extracted and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR was performed. GraphPad Prism version 8.0.0 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS The MMP-11 expression levels were significantly higher in breast cancer cases than in benign breast tumors (P = 0.012). Additionally, BC cases with positive lymph nodes and ER-positive receptors had higher MMP-11, MMP-9, and MMP-2 expression than cases with negative lymph nodes and ER-negative, respectively. The MMP-11 and MMP-9 expressions were higher in grade III and luminal A-like tumors than in grade I-II and other subtypes, respectively. CONCLUSION The MMP-11 expression was higher in BC than in benign breast tumors. Additionally, MMP-11, MMP-9, and MMP-2 were higher in BC with positive lymph nodes and estrogen receptors. Our findings suggest an important impact of MMPs in BC pathophysiology, particularly MMP-11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmael Besufikad Belachew
- Biology Department, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mizan Tepi University, Mizan, Ethiopia.
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Adey Feleke Desta
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dinikisira Bekele Deneke
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Health Science, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tewodros Yalew Gebremariam
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Health Science, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | | | | | - Marcus Bauer
- Global Health Working Group, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Selfu Girma
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Eva J Kantelhardt
- Department of Gynecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Informatics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Ali AM, Adam H, Hailu D, Howe R, Abula T, Coenen MJH. Evaluating the Frequencies of CNOT3, GRIA1, NFATC2, and PNPLA3 Variant Alleles and Their Association with L-Asparaginase Hypersensitivity in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Appl Clin Genet 2023; 16:131-137. [PMID: 37551203 PMCID: PMC10404408 DOI: 10.2147/tacg.s404695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction L-asparaginase is a vital component for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); however, hypersensitivity reactions and hepatotoxicity hinder its anti-neoplastic efficacy. Previous reports indicated that genetic variants in CNOT3, GRIA1, and NFATC2 genes might be associated with hypersensitivity reactions and PNPLA3 with liver function. Objective In this study, it was investigated whether this association also exists in a pediatric ALL cohort from Ethiopia. Methods Three variants GRIA1 rs4958351, CNOT3 rs73062673, and NFATC2 rs6021191 were genotyped in a cohort of 160 patients. Association analysis to investigate the association with hypersensitivity reactions was performed using logistic regression analyses. Besides these variants, a variant in PNPLA3 (rs738409) was genotyped to assess the association with liver function. Results Genotype frequencies of GRIA1 rs4958351, CNOT3 rs73062673, and NFATC2 rs6021191 were higher/lower than previously reported. One hundred and forty-four patients were included in the association analysis of which, 18 (12.5%) developed L-ASP hypersensitivity. Though the frequency of hypersensitivity was higher in patients that carried the risk alleles of the three investigated genes, no statistically significant differences were observed. Association analysis between PNPLA3 rs738409 and liver function could not be investigated due to a lack of clinical information. Conclusion In conclusion, none of the tested genes did predict L-asparaginase hypersensitivity in an Ethiopian pediatric ALL patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awol Mekonnen Ali
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Haileyesus Adam
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Hailu
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Teferra Abula
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Marieke J H Coenen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Gemechu A, Mihret A, Atire FA, Aseffa A, Howe R, Seyoum B, Mulu A. Virological Non-Suppression among Newly Diagnosed HIV-Positive Individuals on Dolutegravir-Based Antiretroviral Treatment in Eastern Ethiopia: Follow-Up Study. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:391. [PMID: 37624329 PMCID: PMC10458791 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8080391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
There have been limited studies linking baseline factors, including the viral load (VL) test, with virological non-suppression since the introduction of dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimens as first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Ethiopia. This study aimed to identify baseline factors associated with virological non-suppression between October 2020 and July 2022. A follow-up study was conducted in eastern Ethiopia among newly diagnosed people living with HIV (PLHIV). A questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect the data. Five milliliters of venous blood were obtained at baseline and six months to determine the VL. A VL test was performed using the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay. To determine predictors of virological non-suppression, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. There were 235 PLHIV enrolled, 70.6% of whom were female, with a mean age of 33.9 years. Of the 161 retained on ART, virological non-suppression was 8.7% at six months. Baseline predictors of virological non-suppression were age ≤ 30 years, a history of substance use, and a VL greater than 4-log10 copies/mL. In this cohort, virological non-suppression was found to be optimal but still lagged slightly behind the third 95%-target. Thus, targeted interventions, the introduction of baseline VL testing to improve treatment outcomes, and fostering the attainment of UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets are recommended. Furthermore, broader research is recommended to explore the reasons for virological non-suppression in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdella Gemechu
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar P.O. Box 235, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | | | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Andargachew Mulu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
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Alemu J, Gumi B, Tsegaye A, Abubeker A, Tadesse F, Shewaye A, Rahimeto Z, Mihret A, Mulu A, Gebremedhin A, Howe R. Frequency of viral infections in adolescent and adult in-patient Ethiopians with acute leukemia at presentation to a tertiary care teaching hospital: a cross-sectional study. Infect Agent Cancer 2023; 18:44. [PMID: 37438754 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-023-00519-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leukemic patients are prone to infectious agents such as viruses due to dysregulated immune system resulting from infiltration of the bone marrow by malignant cells, chronic stimulation, reactivation of some viruses and viral pathogenicity as well as rarely from acquisition of a new infections leading to severe complications. However, the prevalence of these infections has not been systematically documented in resource-limited settings such as Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV among adult and adolescent in-patients with acute leukemia before the administration of chemotherapy, at the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS A cross sectional study was conducted on 176 adult and adolescent inpatient Ethiopians, who were diagnosed with acute leukemia from April 2019 to June 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics and relevant clinical data were collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected and tested for HBV, HIV, and HCV using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between variables. RESULTS Of the 176 patients, 109(62%) were males. The median age was 25[IQR,18-35] yr, with a range from 13 to 76 year. The prevalence of HBV (positivity for HBsAg plus HBV DNA), HCV and HIV was 21.6%, 1.7%, and 1.7%, respectively. HBsAg was positive in 19 cases (10.8%). Among 157 HBsAg negative patients, 52(33.1%) were positive for Anti-HBcAg; of these seropositive cases, 47.5% were positive for HBV DNA. Most DNA positive, HBsAg negative cases (79.0%) had DNA concentrations below 200 IU/ml indicating true occult HBV infection (OBI). Of the 176 cases, 122 had a history of blood transfusions, but no statistically significant association was found between HBV infection and blood product transfusion history (P = 0.963). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of HBV, HIV and HCV in patients with acute leukemia was similar to the national prevalence level of these infections. Given the HBsAg positivity and the high prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection in our study, these patients may be at increased risk for chemotherapy related hepatitis flares. Hence, clinicians caring these patients are strongly advised to screen their patients for HBV and also for HIV and HCV infections routinely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemal Alemu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Balako Gumi
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Aster Tsegaye
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abdulaziz Abubeker
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Fisihatsion Tadesse
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abel Shewaye
- Department of Laboratory, ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Amha Gebremedhin
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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15
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Ali AM, Adam H, Hailu D, Coenen MJH, Howe R, Abula T. Incidence and determinants of hematotoxicity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia children who received 6-mercaptopurine based maintenance therapy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286544. [PMID: 37267380 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The maintenance phase of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment is the final and longest stage of treatment, mainly focused on antimetabolite therapy. This phase is essential to eliminate residual leukemic clones and prevent relapse. However, dose-limiting hematotoxicity is a major problem during this phase resulting in dose reduction or treatment discontinuation. OBJECTIVE In this cohort study, the clinical features and risk factors of hematological toxicity during the maintenance phase of treatment were analyzed in pediatric patients from Ethiopia. METHODS A total of 160 patients from Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital were included in the study of which 142 had sufficient data available for analysis. Patient characteristics as well as information about the care-givers, sides-effects as reported by the care-givers and clinical factors were collected. Bivariable followed by multivariable analysis was performed to investigate which factors were associated with hematological toxicity during the maintenance phase. RESULTS During the first six months of maintenance phase treatment grade 4 neutropenia was detected in 52.8% of the patients. The risk of developing grade 4 neutropenia was increased by about two fold in children with the age of 6 years and less compared to those with the age of more than 6 years. Similarly, the rate of developing grade 4 neutropenia among children with less than 4,500 maintenance day 1 white blood cell counts was significantly higher than that of children with normal maintenance day 1 white blood cell counts (AHR 2.477, 95% CI = 1.461-4.200, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION In conclusion, child's age and day 1 maintenance white blood cell/absolute neutrophil counts significantly affected the occurrence of grade 4 hematotoxicity. Close monitoring for white blood cell and absolute neutrophil counts during maintenance phase treatment is recommended for early diagnosis of hematotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awol Mekonnen Ali
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Haileyesus Adam
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Hailu
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Marieke J H Coenen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Teferra Abula
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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16
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Tamene W, Marconi VC, Abebe M, Wassie L, Belay Y, Kebede A, Sack U, Howe R. Differential expression of chemokine receptors on monocytes in TB and HIV S. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17202. [PMID: 37484366 PMCID: PMC10361379 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we defined multiple chemokine receptors expressed by classical, intermediate and non-classical monocyte subsets in TB, HIV and TB/HIV co-infection and associate it with the perturbation of monocyte subsets due to the diseases. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from TB+ (n = 34), HIV+ (n = 35), TB + HIV+ (n = 12), as well as TB-HIV- healthy controls (n = 39), were tested for monocyte phenotyping by flow cytometry. Frequencies of intermediate and non-classical monocytes were significantly higher in TB and/or HIV disease relative to healthy controls. CCR2 and CX3CR1 were significantly higher on monocytes in TB disease, whereas CCR4 and CCR5 were present at higher levels in HIV disease. TB/HIV co-infected patients exhibited CCR2, CCR5 and CX3CR1 levels intermediate to TB and HIV subjects, while CCR4 was at a higher level than HIV. Despite the increase in the expression of chemokine receptors due to disease conditions, chemokine receptors maintained their original expression pattern on monocyte subsets. Our data provided new insight into the disease-specific but not monocyte subsets-specific modulation of chemokine receptors in TB and HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wegene Tamene
- TB and HIV Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Vincent C. Marconi
- Emory University School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Meseret Abebe
- Bacterial and Viral Diseases Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Liya Wassie
- Bacterial and Viral Diseases Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yohannes Belay
- TB and HIV Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Amha Kebede
- TB and HIV Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ulrich Sack
- Institute of Immunology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Bacterial and Viral Diseases Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Hailu S, Kinde S, Cross M, Tsegaye A, Kelemu T, Seifu D, Alemayehu D, Tarekegn A, Jabessa G, Abeje D, Abebe M, Sherif A, Tadesse F, Platzbecker U, Howe R, Gebremedhin A. Estimating prognostic relevant cutoff values for a multiplex PCR detecting BCR::ABL1 in chronic myeloid leukemia patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in resource-limited settings. Ann Hematol 2023:10.1007/s00277-023-05254-x. [PMID: 37212909 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-023-05254-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The prognosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) on tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment is based on the quantification of BCR::ABL1 fusion gene transcript copy number, harmonized by an international scale (IS) based on TaqMan-based real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). In Ethiopia, as in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), access to standard diagnostic, follow-up, and prognostic tools is very limited, and it has been challenging to strictly follow international guidelines. This seriously compromises clinical outcome, despite the availability of TKIs through the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP). Multiplex PCR (mpx-PCR), conventionally regarded as a "screening tool," offers a potential solution to this problem. A total of 219 samples from confirmed CML patients were assayed. In reference to qRT-PCR, the AUC of ROC curve for mpx-PCR was 0.983 (95% CI: 0.957 to 0.997). At the optimum cut-off value, equivalent to BCR::ABL1 (IS) transcript copy number of 0.6%, the specificity and sensitivity were 93% and 95%, respectively, with 94% accuracy. Albeit the sensitivity and accuracy of mpx-PCR decrease below the optimum cutoff of 0.6% (IS), the specificity at 0.1% (IS) was 100%, making it an attractive means to rule-out relapse and drug non-adherence at later stages of treatment, which is particularly an issue in a low income setting. We conclude that the relative simplicity and low cost of mpx-PCR and prognostic relevant cutoff values (0.1-0.6% IS) should allow its use in peripheral clinics and thus maximize the positive impact of TKIs made available through GIPAP in most LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saifu Hailu
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Madda Walabu University, Bale Robe, Ethiopia
| | - Samuel Kinde
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Aster Tsegaye
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tsehayneh Kelemu
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Seifu
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Azeb Tarekegn
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Gutema Jabessa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Desalegn Abeje
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Markos Abebe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abdulaziz Sherif
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Amha Gebremedhin
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Ali AM, Adam H, Hailu D, Engidawork E, Howe R, Abula T, Coenen MJH. Genetic variants of genes involved in thiopurine metabolism pathway are associated with 6-mercaptopurine toxicity in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients from Ethiopia. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1159307. [PMID: 37251339 PMCID: PMC10214954 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1159307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Genetic variation in the thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) gene by and large predicts variability in 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) related toxicities. However, some individuals without genetic variants in TPMT still develop toxicity that necessitates 6-MP dose reduction or interruption. Genetic variants of other genes in the thiopurine pathway have been linked to 6-MP related toxicities previously. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of genetic variants in ITPA, TPMT, NUDT15, XDH, and ABCB1 on 6-MP related toxicities in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from Ethiopia. Methods: Genotyping of ITPA, and XDH was performed using KASP genotyping assay, while that of TPMT, NUDT15, and ABCB1 with TaqMan® SNP genotyping assays. Clinical profile of the patients was collected for the first 6 months of the maintenance phase treatment. The primary outcome was the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia. Bivariable followed by multivariable cox regression analysis was performed to identify genetic variants associated with the development of grade 4 neutropenia within the first 6 months of maintenance treatment. Results: In this study, genetic variants in XDH and ITPA were associated with 6-MP related grade 4 neutropenia and neutropenic fever, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that patients who are homozygous (CC) for XDH rs2281547 were 2.956 times (AHR 2.956, 95% CI = 1.494-5.849, p = 0.002) more likely to develop grade 4 neutropenia than those with the TT genotype. Conclusion: In conclusion, in this cohort, XDH rs2281547 was identified as a genetic risk factor for grade 4 hematologic toxicities in ALL patients treated with 6-MP. Genetic polymorphisms in enzymes other than TPMT involved in the 6-mercaptopurine pathway should be considered during its use to avoid hematological toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awol Mekonnen Ali
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Haileyesus Adam
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Hailu
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ephrem Engidawork
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Teferra Abula
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Marieke J. H. Coenen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Belachew EB, Desta AF, Deneke DB, Fenta BD, Alem AT, Abafogi AK, Lukas FY, Bezabih M, Sewasew DT, Kantelhardt EJ, Tessema TS, Howe R. Clinicopathological Features of Invasive Breast Cancer: A Five-Year Retrospective Study in Southern and South-Western Ethiopia. Medicines (Basel) 2023; 10:medicines10050030. [PMID: 37233606 DOI: 10.3390/medicines10050030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in Ethiopia. The incidence of BC is also rising, but the exact figure is still poorly known. Therefore, this study was conducted to address the gap in epidemiological data on BC in southern and southwestern Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: This is a five-year (2015-2019) retrospective study. The demographic and clinicopathological data were collected from biopsy reports of different kinds of breast carcinomas in the pathology department of Jimma University Specialized Hospital and Hawassa University Specialized Referral Hospital. Histopathological grades and stages were conducted using Nottingham grading and TNM staging system, respectively. Collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS Version-20 software. Results: The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 42.27 (SD = 13.57) years. The pathological stage of most BC patients was stage III, and most of them had tumor sizes greater than 5 cm. Most patients had moderately differentiated tumor grade, and mastectomy was the most common type of surgery at the time of diagnosis. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most common histological type of BC, followed by invasive lobular carcinoma. Lymph node involvement was seen in 60.5% of cases. Lymph node involvement was associated with tumor size (χ2 = 8.55, p = 0.033) and type of surgery (χ2 = 39.69, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that BC patients in southern and southwestern Ethiopia displayed advanced pathological stages, relatively young age at diagnosis, and predominant invasive ductal carcinoma histological patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmael Besufikad Belachew
- Biology Department, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mizan Tepi University, Addis Ababa 260, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 1176, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Adey Feleke Desta
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 1176, Ethiopia
| | | | | | | | - Abdo Kedir Abafogi
- Pathology Department, Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Jimma 378, Ethiopia
| | | | - Mesele Bezabih
- Pathology Department, Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Jimma 378, Ethiopia
| | | | - Eva J Kantelhardt
- Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06097 Halle, Germany
| | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa 1005, Ethiopia
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Girma T, Tsegaye A, Desta K, Ayalew S, Tamene W, Zewdie M, Howe R, Mihret A. Phenotypic characterization of Peripheral B cells in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and disease in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 140:102329. [PMID: 36921454 PMCID: PMC10302117 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mortality and morbidity from tuberculosis (TB) remain one of the most important public health issues. Although cell-mediated immunity is the main immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the role of B-cells during MTB infection and disease is unclear. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from treatment naïve Pulmonary TB patients (TB, n = 16), latent TB-infected participants (LTBI, n = 17), and healthy controls (HC, n = 19). PBMCs were stained with various fluorescently labeled antibodies to define B-cell subsets using multicolor flow cytometry. RESULTS Atypical memory B cells (CD19+CD27-CD21-) and circulating marginal zone B-cells (CD19+CD27+CD21+IgM+IgD+CD23-) were significantly higher in active TB when compared to LTBI and HC. CD5+ regulatory B cells (Breg, CD19+CD24hiCD38hiCD5+) and resting B-cells (CD19+CD27+CD21+) in Active TB patients were significantly lower compared to HC and LTBI. Overall, there were no differences in B cell percentages (CD19+), naïve B cells (CD19+CD27-CD21+), Breg (CD19+CD24hiCD38hi), and activated memory B cells (CD19+CD27+CD21-) among the three study groups. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that multiple subsets of B cells were associated with TB infection and disease. It will be useful to examine these cell populations for their potential use as biomarkers for TB disease and LTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tigist Girma
- Addis Ababa University (AAU), Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ethiopia; Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Aster Tsegaye
- Addis Ababa University (AAU), Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ethiopia.
| | - Kassu Desta
- Addis Ababa University (AAU), Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ethiopia.
| | - Sosina Ayalew
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Martha Zewdie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Seyoum A, Seyoum B, Gure T, Alemu A, Belachew A, Abeje D, Aseffa A, Howe R, Mulu A, Mihret A. Genotype heterogeneity of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in Ethiopia. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1116685. [PMID: 36846744 PMCID: PMC9951590 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1116685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a vaccine-preventable sexually transmitted disease. In the year 2020, there were an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths worldwide. Although its incidence is global, it is much higher in sub-Saharan African countries. In Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of data about the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection and its association with cytological profiles. Therefore, this study was conducted to fill this information gap. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 26 to August 28, 2021, and enrolled 901 sexually active women. Socio-demographic and other relevant bio-behavioral and clinical data were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Visual inspection with acetic acid [VIA] was done as an initial screening method for cervical cancer. The cervical swab was then collected using L-Shaped FLOQSwabs in eNAT nucleic acid preservation and transportation medium. A Pap test was done to determine the cytological profile. Nucleic acid was extracted using STARMag 96 ProPrep Kit on SEEPREP32. A Real-time multiplex assay was performed to amplify and detect the HPV L1 gene used for genotyping. The data were entered into Epi data version 3.1 software and exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. A total of 901 (age range from 30 to 60 years, mean age = 34.8 years, and SD± 5.8) women were screened for cervical cancer using VIA and 832 women had a valid co-testing (Pap test and HPV DNA testing) results for further process. The overall prevalence of hr HPV infection was 13.1%. Out of 832 women, 88% of them had normal and 12% had abnormal Pap test results. The proportion of high risk HPV was significantly higher among women with abnormal cytology (X 2 = 688.446, p < 0.001) and younger age (X 2 = 15.3408, p = 0.018). Among 110 women with hr HPV, 14 genotypes (HPV-16, -18, -31, -33, -35, -39, -45, -51, -52, -56, -58, -59, -66, and -68) were identified while HPV-16, -31, -52, -58, and -35 genotypes were highly prevalent. The high risk HPV infection continues to be a significant public health problem among women 30-35 years old. The presence of high-risk HPV irrespective of genotypes is highly correlated with cervical cell abnormalities. Genotype heterogeneity is observed suggesting the importance of periodic geospatial genotyping surveillance for vaccine effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayichew Seyoum
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia,Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,*Correspondence: Ayichew Seyoum, ✉
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tadesse Gure
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Addisu Alemu
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Anteneh Belachew
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Abraham Aseffa
- TDR, the Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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22
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Tassachew Y, Belyhun Y, Abebe T, Mihret A, Teffera T, Ababi G, Shewaye A, Desalegn H, Aseffa A, Mulu A, Howe R, Liebert UG, Maier M. Magnitude and genotype of hepatitis delta virus among chronic hepatitis B carriers with a spectrum of liver diseases in Ethiopia. Ann Hepatol 2023; 28:100770. [PMID: 36220615 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2022.100770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Chronic hepatitis D infection contributes substantially to the progression of chronic liver disease, especially in most low and middle-income countries, where hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease is endemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the magnitude and genotype of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related liver diseases in Ethiopia. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 323 known HBsAg positive individuals comprising 220 patients with CHB-related liver diseases [121 advanced liver diseases (hepatocellular carcinoma /HCC/ and non-HCC) and 99 chronic hepatitis (CH)], and 103 symptomless blood donors (BD) were enrolled. An ELISA kit was employed to determine HDV infection, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect HDV RNA. In addition, a non-coding genomic RNA region was sequenced for genotyping and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS Irrespective of the stage of liver disease, the overall magnitude of HDV was 7.7% (25/323). The frequency of anti-HDV increases with the severity of liver disease, 1.9%, 4%, 10%, and 21.3% among BD, CH, non-HCC, and HCC patients, respectively. HDV RNA has been detected in 1.54 %(5/323) cases with a mean viral load of 4,010,360 IU/ml. All isolates were found to be HDV genotype 1. CONCLUSIONS The magnitude of HDV infection increased with the severity of liver disease, indicating HDV infection is more common among patients with CHB-related liver diseases in Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayehyirad Tassachew
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Institute of Virology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
| | - Yeshambel Belyhun
- Institute of Virology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrat Abebe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tezazu Teffera
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Girma Ababi
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia; Yanet Specialized Clinic, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Abate Shewaye
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Adera Medical Center PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hailemichael Desalegn
- Department of Internal Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Andargachew Mulu
- Institute of Virology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Uwe G Liebert
- Institute of Virology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melanie Maier
- Institute of Virology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Adam M, Bekuretsion Y, Gebremedhin A, Kwiecinska A, Howe R, Petros B, Jerkeman M. Evidence for distinct mechanisms of immune suppression in EBV-positive and EBV-negative Hodgkin lymphoma. J Clin Exp Hematop 2023; 63:230-239. [PMID: 38148013 PMCID: PMC10861371 DOI: 10.3960/jslrt.23037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) has been recognized for its ability to transform B lymphocytes and for its association with different types of cancers including Hodgkin lymphoma. In addition, EBV may also modulate the microenvironment of HL. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of EBV among HL cases in Ethiopia and to assess the tissue cellular composition of EBV-related and EBV-unrelated cases. We constructed a tissue microarray (TMA) of 126 consecutive cases of classical HL (CHL) and nodular lymphocyte predominant HL (NLPHL) from a tertiary cancer centre, Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and evaluated a panel of immunohistochemical markers. The quantification of immune cells was performed using HALO 2.3, a platform for image analysis from Indica Lab Inc. A total of 77/126 (61.1%) of HL cases expressed LMP1/EBER. Infiltration of CD8+, T-bet+ and FoxP3+ cells was higher in the microenvironment of EBV-related CHL, with P values of <0.001, <0.001 and <0.016, respectively. In contrast, the expression of PD1 was higher in the microenvironment of EBV-unrelated CHL cases (P < 0.001). Unlike in Western countries, the majority of HL cases in Ethiopia were associated with EBV. As FoxP3+ and PD1-expressing cells are thought to participate in down regulation of the immune response by different mechanisms, this finding highlights the previously unrecognized possibility that distinct immunosuppressive mechanisms may be ongoing within EBV positive and negative HL types. This may have important prognostic and therapeutic implications.
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Seyoum A, Seyoum B, Gure T, Alemu A, Belachew A, Abeje D, Aseffa A, Howe R, Mulu A, Mihret A. Corrigendum: Genotype heterogeneity of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in Ethiopia. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1178530. [PMID: 37032889 PMCID: PMC10078983 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1178530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1116685.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayichew Seyoum
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tadesse Gure
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Addisu Alemu
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Anteneh Belachew
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Okop K, Delobelle P, Lambert EV, Getachew H, Howe R, Kedir K, Niyibizi JB, Bavuma C, Kasenda S, Crampin AC, King AC, Puoane T, Levitt NS. Implementing and Evaluating Community Health Worker-Led Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening Intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa Communities: A Participatory Implementation Research Protocol. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 20:ijerph20010298. [PMID: 36612620 PMCID: PMC9819933 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) poses a considerable threat to public health. Community-driven CVD risk screening, referral and follow-up of those at high CVDs risk is essential to supporting early identification, treatment and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction. This protocol describes a multi-country study that aims to implement and evaluate a community health worker (CHW)-led CVD risk screening programme to enhance referral linkages within the local primary care systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), using a participatory implementation science approach. The study builds upon a prior community-driven multicentre study conducted by the Collaboration for Evidence-based Health Care and Public Health in Africa (CEBHA+). This is a participatory implementation research. The study will leverage on the CVD risk citizen science pilot studies conducted in the four selected CEBHA+ project countries (viz. Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi, and South Africa). Through planned engagements with communities and health system stakeholders, CHWs and lay health worker volunteers will be recruited and trained to screen and identify persons that are at high risk of CVD, provide referral services, and follow-up at designated community health clinics. In each country, we will use a multi-stage random sampling to select and then screen 1000 study participants aged 35-70 years from two communities (one rural and one urban). Screening will be done using a simple validated non-laboratory-based CVD risk assessment mobile application. The RE-AIM model will be used in evaluating the project implementation outcomes, including reach, fidelity, adoption and perceived effectiveness. Developing the capacities of CHWs and lay health worker volunteers in SSA to support population-based, non-invasive population-based CVD risk prevention has the potential to impact on early identification, treatment and secondary prevention of CVDs in often under-resourced communities. Using a participatory research approach to implementing mobile phone-based CHW-led CVD risk screening, referral and follow-up in SSA will provide the evidence needed to determine the effectiveness of CVD risk screening and the potential for scaling up in the wider region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kufre Okop
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
- Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | - Peter Delobelle
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
- Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport, Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Kiya Kedir
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | | | - Charlotte Bavuma
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali 4285, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Kasenda
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe P.O. Box 46, Malawi
| | - Amelia C. Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe P.O. Box 46, Malawi
| | - Abby C. King
- Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thandi Puoane
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Naomi S. Levitt
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
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Esmael A, Mihret A, Abebe T, Mussa D, Neway S, Ernst J, Rengarajan J, Wassie L, Howe R. Persistent expression of activation markers on Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD4 T cells in smear negative TB patients. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271234. [PMID: 36040958 PMCID: PMC9426896 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background T cell activation (HLA-DR, CD-38), proliferation (KI-67), and functional (IFN-γ, TNF-α) markers have recently been shown to be useful in predicting and monitoring anti-TB responses in smear positive TB, but previous research did not characterize the activation and proliferation profiles after therapy of smear negative TB. Methodology In this study, we used polychromatic flow cytometry to assess selected PPD-specific T cell markers using fresh PBMC of smear negative and positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients, recruited from health facilities in Addis Ababa. Result Levels of activation (HLA-DR, CD38) and proliferation (Ki-67) among total unstimulated CD4 T cells decreased significantly after therapy, particularly at month 6. Similarly, levels of PPD-specific T cell activation markers (HLA-DR, CD-38) were significantly lower in smear positive PTB patients following treatment, whereas a consistent decline in these markers was less apparent among smear negative PTB patients at the sixth month. Conclusion After six months of standard anti-TB therapy, persistent levels of activation of HLA-DR and CD-38 from PPD specific CD4+T cells in this study could indicate that those markers have little value in monitoring and predicting anti-TB treatment response in smear negative pulmonary TB patients in Ethiopian context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Esmael
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Adane Mihret
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrat Abebe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Mussa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sebsibe Neway
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Joel Ernst
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jyothi Rengarajan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Emory Vaccine Center, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Liya Wassie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Tassachew Y, Abebe T, Belyhun Y, Teffera T, Shewaye AB, Desalegn H, Andualem H, Kinfu A, Mulu A, Mihret A, Howe R, Aseffa A. Prevalence of HIV and Its Co-Infection with Hepatitis B/C Virus Among Chronic Liver Disease Patients in Ethiopia. Hepat Med 2022; 14:67-77. [PMID: 35591850 PMCID: PMC9113656 DOI: 10.2147/hmer.s365443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The efficient use of antiretroviral drugs has significantly reduced AIDS-related morbidities and mortalities; however, mortality due to non-AIDS-related end-stage liver diseases is escalating in those living with HIV. Objective The study was designed to determine the prevalence of HIV and its co-infection with HBV and HCV among chronic liver disease (CLD) patients in Ethiopia. Methods Three hundred and forty-five CLD patients were included in this study in two groups: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n=128) and non-HCC (n=217) patients. The non-HCC group comprised patients with advanced liver disease (n=98) and chronic hepatitis (n=119). Enzyme immunoassays were used to determine HBV and HCV infection markers. In addition, a serial rapid HIV testing algorithm was employed to screen HIV infection. Results Regardless of the stage of liver disease, the overall frequency of HIV was 4.3% (15/345), with a 2% (7/345) and 0.3% (1/345) of HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV co-infection rate. Of all HIV-infected patients (n=15), 46.7% (7/15) and 6.7% (1/15) were co-infected with HBV (HBsAg+HBcAb+) and HCV (anti-HCV+ HCV-RNA+), respectively, and 86.7% (13/15) exhibited a marker of HBV exposure (total HBcAb+). Overall, the frequency of HIV and its co-infection with HBV was more noticeable among HCC than non-HCC patients [8.6% (11/128) vs 1.8 (4/217), p=0.005 and 3.9% (5/128) vs 0.9% (2/217), p=0.1]. The rate of HIV mono-infection was 3.9% (5/128) vs 0.9% (2/217) among HCC and non-HCC patients. Conclusion The frequency of HIV and its co-infections with HBV/HCV exhibited an increasing pattern with the severity of the liver disease. Thus, screening all HIV-positive patients for HBV and HCV infection and all CLD patients for HIV infection and taking necessary preventive measures would be an essential strategy to prevent the progression of CLD and death related to liver disease in people living with HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayehyirad Tassachew
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrat Abebe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yeshambel Belyhun
- School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tezazu Teffera
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Abate Bane Shewaye
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Adera Medical Center PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hailemichael Desalegn
- Department of Internal Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Henok Andualem
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Abiy Kinfu
- Ethiopian National Blood Bank Service, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Adane Mihret
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Esmael A, Abebe T, Mihret A, Mussa D, Neway S, Ernst J, Rengarajan J, Wassie L, Howe R. Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific T cell responses in smear- negative pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Clin Exp Immunol 2022; 209:99-108. [PMID: 35552657 PMCID: PMC9307235 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent improvements in microbial detection, smear negative TB remains a diagnostic challenge. In this study, we investigated the potential discriminatory role of polychromatic flow cytometry of M. tuberculosis antigen-specific T cells to discriminate smear negative TB from health controls with or without latent TB infection, and non-TB respiratory illnesses in an endemic setting. A cross-sectional study was conducted on HIV negative, newly diagnosed smear-positive PTB (n=34), smear-negative/Gene Expert negative PTB (n=29) patients, non-TB patients with respiratory illness (n=33) and apparently healthy latent TB infected (n = 30) or non-infected (n = 23) individuals. The expression of activation (HLA-DR, CD-38), proliferation (Ki-67) and functional (IFN-γ, TNF-α) T cell markers using polychromatic flow cytometry was defined after stimulation with PPD antigens. Sputum samples were collected and processed from all patients for Mtb detection using a concentrated microscopy, LJ/MGIT culture, and RD9 typing by PCR. Our study showed CD4 T cells specific for PPD co-expressed activation/proliferation markers together with induced cytokines IFNγ or TNFα were present at substantially higher levels among patients with smear positive and smear negative pulmonary TB than among healthy controls and to a lesser extent among patients with non-TB illness. Our study conclude that Smear negative TB can be distinguished from non-TB respiratory illness and healthy controls with a flow cytometric assay for PPD-specific T cells co-expressing activation/proliferation markers and cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Esmael
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.,Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrat Abebe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Mussa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sebsib Neway
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Joel Ernst
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jyothi Rengarajan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Liya Wassie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Gelanew T, Seyoum B, Mulu A, Mihret A, Abebe M, Wassie L, Gelaw B, Sorsa A, Merid Y, Muchie Y, Teklemariam Z, Tesfaye B, Osman M, Jebessa G, Atinafu A, Hailu T, Habte A, Kenea D, Gadisa A, Admasu D, Tesfaye E, Bates TA, Bulcha JT, Tschopp R, Tsehay D, Mullholand K, Howe R, Genetu A, Tafesse FG, Abdissa A. High seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Ethiopian healthcare workers. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:261. [PMID: 35296265 PMCID: PMC8926102 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07247-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic has a devastating impact on the economies and health care system of sub-Saharan Africa. Healthcare workers (HWs), the main actors of the health system, are at higher risk because of their occupation. Serology-based estimates of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HWs represent a measure of HWs' exposure to the virus and could be used as a guide to the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the community and valuable in combating COVID-19. This information is currently lacking in Ethiopia and other African countries. This study aimed to develop an in-house antibody testing assay, assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Ethiopian high-risk frontline HWs. METHODS We developed and validated an in-house Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for specific detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain immunoglobin G (IgG) antibodies. We then used this assay to assess the seroprevalence among HWs in five public hospitals located in different geographic regions of Ethiopia. From consenting HWs, blood samples were collected between December 2020 and February 2021, the period between the two peaks of COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using questionnaire-based interviews. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the overall and post-stratified seroprevalence and the association between seropositivity and potential risk factors. RESULTS Our successfully developed in-house assay sensitivity was 100% in serum samples collected 2- weeks after the first onset of symptoms whereas its specificity in pre-COVID-19 pandemic sera was 97.7%. Using this assay, we analyzed a total of 1997 sera collected from HWs. Of 1997 HWs who provided a blood sample, and demographic and clinical data, 51.7% were females, 74.0% had no symptoms compatible with COVID-19, and 29.0% had a history of contact with suspected or confirmed patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overall seroprevalence was 39.6%. The lowest (24.5%) and the highest (48.0%) seroprevalence rates were found in Hiwot Fana Specialized Hospital in Harar and ALERT Hospital in Addis Ababa, respectively. Of the 821 seropositive HWs, 224(27.3%) of them had a history of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 while 436 (> 53%) of them had no contact with COVID-19 cases as well as no history of COVID-19 like symptoms. A history of close contact with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases is associated with seropositivity (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8; p = 0.015). CONCLUSION High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence levels were observed in the five Ethiopian hospitals. These findings highlight the significant burden of asymptomatic infection in Ethiopia and may reflect the scale of transmission in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Markos Abebe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Liya Wassie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Baye Gelaw
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Abebe Sorsa
- Arsi University, Asella College of Health Sciences, Asella, Ethiopia
| | - Yared Merid
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Medical Microbiology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Yilkal Muchie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Zelalem Teklemariam
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Mahlet Osman
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Gutema Jebessa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abay Atinafu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tsegaye Hailu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Antenehe Habte
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dagaga Kenea
- Arsi University, Asella College of Health Sciences, Asella, Ethiopia
| | - Anteneh Gadisa
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Medical Microbiology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Desalegn Admasu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Emnet Tesfaye
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Medical Microbiology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Timothy A Bates
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jote Tafese Bulcha
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Rea Tschopp
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Kim Mullholand
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abebe Genetu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Fikadu G Tafesse
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.
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Berhe DF, Beyene GT, Seyoum B, Gebre M, Haile K, Tsegaye M, Boltena MT, Tesema E, Kibret TC, Biru M, Siraj DS, Shirley D, Howe R, Abdissa A. Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and its clinical implications in Ethiopia: a systematic review. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2021; 10:168. [PMID: 34861894 PMCID: PMC8642948 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-021-00965-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health challenges in Ethiopia. However, there is no comprehensive summary of existing AMR data in the country. AIM To determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and its clinical implications in Ethiopia. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed on the PubMed/Medline database. Original studies on antimicrobial resistance conducted in Ethiopia between 1st January 2009 and 31st July 2019 were included. The outcome measure was the number of isolates resistant to antimicrobial agents in terms of specific pathogens, and disease condition. Data was calculated as total number of resistant isolates relative to the total number of isolates per specific pathogen and medication. RESULTS A total of 48,021 study participants enrolled from 131 original studies were included resulting in 15,845 isolates tested for antimicrobial resistance. The most common clinical sample sources were urine (28%), ear, nose, and throat discharge collectively (27%), and blood (21%). All the studies were cross-sectional and 83% were conducted in hospital settings. Among Gram-positive bacteria, the reported level of resistance to vancomycin ranged from 8% (Enterococcus species) to 20% (S. aureus). E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa were the most common Gram-negative pathogens resistant to key antimicrobial agents described in the national standard treatment guideline and were associated with diverse clinical conditions: urinary tract infections, diarrhea, surgical site infections, pneumonia, ocular infections, and middle ear infections. CONCLUSION Overall, there is a high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Ethiopia. Empirical treatment of bacterial infections needs to be guided by up-to-date national guidelines considering local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Equipping diagnostic laboratories with culture and drug susceptibility testing facilities, and establishing a strong antimicrobial stewardship program should be high priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derbew Fikadu Berhe
- College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | | | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Meseret Gebre
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Kassa Haile
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mulugeta Tsegaye
- Department of Internal Medicine, ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Emawayish Tesema
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Mulatu Biru
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dawd S Siraj
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Daniel Shirley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alemseged Abdissa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Tamene W, Abebe M, Wassie L, Mollalign H, Bauer K, Kebede A, Marconi VC, Howe R, Sack U. PDL1 expression on monocytes is associated with plasma cytokines in Tuberculosis and HIV. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258122. [PMID: 34597347 PMCID: PMC8486133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction PDL1 and its interaction with PD1 is implicated in immune dysfunction in TB and HIV. The expression of PDL1 on multiple subsets of monocytes as well as their associations with cytokines and microbial products have not been well studied. Method HIV (TB-HIV+), TB (TB+HIV-) and TB/HIV co-infected (TB+HIV+) patients as well as apparently healthy controls (TB-HIV-) were recruited. TB and HIV patients were treatment naïve while TB/HIV patients were both ART naïve and experienced but not yet started TB therapy. Monocyte subsets were evaluated for PDL1 expression by flow cytometry; plasma TNFα, IL6, IP10, IFNγ and IL10 were measured by Luminex; and cytokine mRNA from purified monocytes quantitated by qPCR. The association of PDL1 with cytokines, clinical and microbial indices, including HIV viral load, TB smear microscopy and TB urinary lipoarabinomannan (LAM) were assessed. Results Monocyte expression of PDL1 was significantly higher in TB, HIV and TB/HIV co-infected patients compared with healthy controls (p = 0.0001), with the highest levels in TB/HIV co-infected patients. The highest expression of PDL1 was on intermediate (CD14+CD16+) monocytes in all participant groups. PDL1 strongly correlated with HIV viral load in TB/HIV while weakly correlated in HIV. PDL1 levels moderately correlated with plasma TNFα, IL6, IP10, IFNγ and IL10 level in TB subjects whereas weakly correlated with TNFα and IP10 in HIV patients. However, cytokine mRNA from purified monocytes showed no association with either plasma cytokines or monocyte PDL1 expression, implying that if cytokines modulate PDL1, they are likely not originating from circulating monocytes themselves. These results underscore the importance of further characterization of multiple monocyte subsets and their phenotypic and functional differences in different disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wegene Tamene
- HIV and TB Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Meseret Abebe
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Liya Wassie
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Helina Mollalign
- HIV and TB Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Katrin Bauer
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Amha Kebede
- HIV and TB Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Vincent C. Marconi
- School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Mycobacterial Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ulrich Sack
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Urgesa K, Bobosha K, Seyoum B, Weldegebreal F, Mihret A, Howe R, Geda B, Kaba M, Aseffa A. Evidence for hidden leprosy in a high leprosy-endemic setting, Eastern Ethiopia: The application of active case-finding and contact screening. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009640. [PMID: 34473696 PMCID: PMC8454944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy or Hansen’s disease is a disabling infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Reliance on the self-presentation of patients to the health services results in many numbers of leprosy cases remaining hidden in the community, which in turn results in a longer delay of presentation and therefore leading to more patients with disabilities. Although studies in Ethiopia show pockets of endemic leprosy, the extent of hidden leprosy in such pockets remains unexplored. This study determined the magnitude of hidden leprosy among the general population in Fedis District, eastern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in six randomly selected leprosy-endemic villages in 2019. Health extension workers identified study participants from the selected villages through active case findings and household contact screening. All consenting individuals were enrolled and underwent a standardized physical examination for diagnosis of leprosy. Overall, 262 individuals (214 with skin lesions suspected for leprosy and 48 household contacts of newly diagnosed leprosy cases) were identified for confirmatory investigation. The slit skin smear technique was employed to perform a bacteriological examination. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and clinical profiles were obtained through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to assess the association between the outcome variable and predictor variables, and the P-value was set at 0.05. From the 268 individuals identified in the survey, 6 declined consent and 262 (97.8%) were investigated for leprosy. Fifteen cases were confirmed as leprosy, giving a detection rate of 5.7% (95%, CI: 3%, 9%). The prevalence of hidden leprosy cases was 9.3 per 10,000 of the population (15/16107). The majority (93.3%) of the cases were of the multi-bacillary type, and three cases were under 15 years of age. Three cases presented with grade II disability at initial diagnosis. The extent of hidden leprosy was not statistically different based on their sex and contact history difference (p > 0.05). High numbers of leprosy cases were hidden in the community. Active cases findings, and contact screening strategies, play an important role in discovering hidden leprosy. Therefore, targeting all populations living in leprosy pocket areas is required for achieving the leprosy elimination target. Leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, is a neglected infectious disease leading to deformity and disability. Late presentation and hidden cases are the major risks of leprosy-associated disability. Although leprosy endemic pocket areas and grade II disability with a high proportion were reported in Ethiopia, studies on the burden of hidden leprosy cases are limited. Therefore, this study determined the extent of hidden leprosy cases among the general population in leprosy endemic settings in eastern Ethiopia through active case findings and contact tracing. In this community-based survey, leprosy-suspected individuals in the general population and household contacts of newly diagnosed patients with leprosy were included. Health extension workers, community-based health workers in Ethiopia, visited 16107 individuals in the selected villages and 214 leprosy suspects were enrolled in the study based on the clinical signs of leprosy suspects. Leprosy experts examined all leprosy suspects clinically and a skin slit sample was taken for bacteriological examination. After the confirmation of new cases, 48 of their households’ contacts were then examined by leprosy experts. Of 262 suspects and household contacts evaluated for leprosy, 15 hidden cases confirmed, giving an overall prevalence of 9.3 per 10, 000 population. Most of them were Multi-bacillary (MB) type, and one-fourth of them were younger than 15 years of age, and three cases presented with grade II disability. Hidden leprosy was not statistically associated with participants’ sex, age category, and contact history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedir Urgesa
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Kidist Bobosha
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Fitsum Weldegebreal
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Biftu Geda
- Department of Nursing, Madda Walabu University, Shashamene, Ethiopia
| | - Mirgissa Kaba
- School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Adam M, Bekueretsion Y, Abubeker A, Tadesse F, Kwiecinska A, Howe R, Petros B, Jerkeman M, Gebremedhin A. Clinical Characteristics and Histopathological Patterns of Hodgkin Lymphoma and Treatment Outcomes at a Tertiary Cancer Center in Ethiopia. JCO Glob Oncol 2021; 7:277-288. [PMID: 33591838 PMCID: PMC8081535 DOI: 10.1200/go.20.00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In developing countries, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) affects the young population. In Ethiopia, nearly 70% of the population are < 35 years of age. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the age distribution, histopathologic patterns, clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of HL in Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from clinical records of 133 consecutive patients with HL between 2014 and 2019 were reviewed and collected. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of HL cases were collected and used for subtype classification. RESULTS A total of 68.4% (91) of the patients were male; male-to-female ratio was 2.2:1. The median age was 22 years. The age distribution was 57.1% (76), 30.8% (41), and 2.3% (3) for the age groups (10-29), (30-59), and (60-69) years, respectively. Thirteen percent (12) were associated with HIV. The majority of the cases, 50.4% (67), were of the mixed-cellularity (MCCHL) subtypes and 30% (40) nodular-sclerosis (NSCCHL). Most HIV-associated cases (60%, 6) were of the MCHL subtype. The 4-year overall survival (OS) was 83.1%. The 4-year OS of early-stage patients was 100% and advanced-stage patients with low-risk (International Prognostic Score [IPS] ≤ 2) and high-risk (IPS ≥ 3) were 94.1% and 62.9%, respectively. All patients who received combined-therapy survived, whereas those who received doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine only showed a 4-year OS rate of 77.9%. CONCLUSION HL affects the youngest and most productive population in Ethiopia. The treatment outcome is favorable in both HIV-associated and non-HIV-associated HL. However, the study population was likely a highly selected group as the majority of the Ethiopian population do not have access to specialized care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makka Adam
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Yirgalem Medical College, Yirgalem, Ethiopia
| | - Yonas Bekueretsion
- Department of Pathology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abdulaziz Abubeker
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Fisihatsion Tadesse
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Anna Kwiecinska
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Beyene Petros
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mats Jerkeman
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Amha Gebremedhin
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Chanyalew M, Abebe M, Endale B, Girma S, Tasew G, Bobosha K, Zewide M, Howe R, van Zandbergen G, Ritter U, Gadisa E, Aseffa A, Laskay T. Enhanced activation of blood neutrophils and monocytes in patients with Ethiopian localized cutaneous leishmaniasis in response to Leishmania aethiopica Neutrophil activation in Ethiopian cutaneous leishmaniasis. Acta Trop 2021; 220:105967. [PMID: 34029532 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest an essential role of the innate immune effector cells neutrophils and monocytes in protection or disease progression in the early course of Leishmania infection. In areas endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia most individuals are exposed to bites of infected sandflies. Still only a minor ratio of the inhabitants develops symptomatic disease. Neutrophils, followed by monocytes, are the first cells to be recruited to the site of Leishmania infection, the initial response of neutrophils to parasites appears to be crucial for the protective response and disease outcome. Our working hypothesis is that neutrophils and/or monocytes in localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) patients may have defects in function of innate immune cell that contribute to failure to parasite clearance that lead to establishment of infection. The response of cells in Ethiopian LCL patients and healthy controls to Leishmania aethiopica and to the Toll like receptor (TLR) agonists lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and macrophage activating lipopeptide-2 (MALP-2) was investigated by assessing the cell surface expression of CD62L (on neutrophil and monocyte) and CD66b (only on neutrophil), as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by using whole blood-based assays in vitro. No impaired response of neutrophils and monocytes to the microbial constituents LPS and MALP-2 was observed. Neutrophils and monocytes from LCL patients responded stronger to Leishmania aethiopica in the applied whole blood assays than cells from healthy individuals. These experimental findings do not support the hypothesis regarding a possible dysfunction of neutrophils and monocytes in cutaneous leishmaniasis. On the contrary, these cells react stronger in LCL patients as compared to healthy controls. The differential response to L. aethiopica observed between LCL patients and healthy controls have the potential to serve as biomarker to develop FACS based diagnostic/ prognostic techniques for LCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menberework Chanyalew
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Markos Abebe
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Birtukan Endale
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Selfu Girma
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Geremew Tasew
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Kidist Bobosha
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Martha Zewide
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ger van Zandbergen
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Langen D-63225, Germany.
| | - Uwe Ritter
- Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg D-93053, Germany.
| | - Endalamaw Gadisa
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Research and Innovation Division, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamás Laskay
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck D-23560, Germany.
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Gelanew T, Seyoum B, Mulu A, Mihret A, Abebe M, Wassie L, Gelaw B, Sorsa A, Merid Y, Muchie Y, Teklemariam Z, Tesfaye B, Osman M, Jebessa G, Atinafu A, Hailu T, Habte A, Kenea D, Gadissa A, Admasu D, Tesfaye E, Bates TA, Bulcha J, Tschopp R, Tsehay D, Mullholand K, Howe R, Genetu A, Tafesse FG, Abdissa A. High Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Ethiopian Healthcare Workers. Res Sq 2021:rs.3.rs-676935. [PMID: 34312618 PMCID: PMC8312903 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-676935/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Background COVID-19 pandemic has a devastating impact on the economies and health care system of sub-Saharan Africa. Healthcare workers (HWs), the main actors of the health system, are at higher-risk because of their occupation. Serology-based estimates of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HWs represent a measure of HWs’ exposure to the virus and a guide to the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the community. This information is currently lacking in Ethiopia and other African countries. This study aimed to develop an in-house antibody testing assay, assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Ethiopian high-risk frontline HWs. Methods A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was conducted among HWs in five public hospitals located in different geographic regions of Ethiopia. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using questionnaire-based interviews. From consenting HWs, blood samples were collected between December 2020 and February 2021, the period between the two peaks of COVID-19 in Ethiopia. The collected sera were tested using an in-house immunoglobin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies on sera collected from HWs. Results Of 1,997 HWs who provided a blood sample, demographic and clinical data, 50.5% were female, 74.0% had no symptoms compatible with COVID-19, and 29.0% had history of contact with suspected or confirmed patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overall seroprevalence was 39.6%. The lowest (24.5%) and the highest (48.0%) seroprevalence rates were found in Hiwot Fana Specialized Hospital in Harar and ALERT Hospital in Addis Ababa, respectively. Of the 821 seropositive HWs, 224(27.3%) had history of symptoms consistent with COVID-19. A history of close contact with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases was strongly associated with seropositivity (Adjusted odds Ratio (AOR) =1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8; p=0.015). Conclusion High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence levels were observed in the five Ethiopian hospitals. These findings highlight the significant burden of asymptomatic infection in Ethiopia, and may reflect the scale of transmission in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Abebe Sorsa
- Arsi University, Asella College of Health Sciences
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dagaga Kenea
- Arsi University, Asella College of Health Sciences
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kim Mullholand
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Geteneh A, Kassa T, Alemu D, Kiros M, Andualem H, Tenna A, Tesfaye A, Alemayehu DH, Mihret A, Howe R, Mulu A, Mihret W. Viral Etiologies of Meningitis in Patients with Presumed Pyogenic Meningitis at University Hospitals in Ethiopia. Infect Drug Resist 2021; 14:1083-1088. [PMID: 33762832 PMCID: PMC7982549 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s304521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Viral meningitis is common in most resource-limited settings, posing a challenge for the management and prognosis of suspected patients. No study has been done on the detection of either viral or viral-bacterial co-infection among presumed pyogenic meningitis cases in Ethiopia. We, therefore, aimed to determine the distribution of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human enteroviruses (HEVs) among patients with presumptive pyogenic meningitis at University hospitals in Ethiopia. Methods Viral nucleic acid was extracted from 86 repository CSF samples, which were collected from patients presumptively diagnosed with pyogenic meningitis between 2012 and 2013. PCR was done consecutively to investigate the possible viral etiologic agents of meningitis. Results HEVs were detected in 11 (12.8%) of the analyzed samples while none of the 86 samples were tested positive for CMV. Viral-bacterial co-infections were found among 4/11 (36.4%) confirmed cases. The majority of the patients (10/11) with HEVs were younger aged ≤ 19 years old. Conclusions In this study, the magnitude of HEVs was shown to have a significant role in presumed pyogenic meningitis cases. Therefore, we recommend presumed pyogenic meningitis cases to be inspected for viral etiologies and improve meningeal symptoms interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alene Geteneh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfaye Kassa
- School of Medical Laboratory Science, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Derbie Alemu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Arba Minch College of Health Science, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | - Mulugeta Kiros
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Henok Andualem
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Admasu Tenna
- School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Wude Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Okop KJ, Murphy K, Lambert EV, Kedir K, Getachew H, Howe R, Niyibizi JB, Ntawuyirushintege S, Bavuma C, Rulisa S, Kasenda S, Chipeta E, Bunn C, Crampin AC, Chapotera G, King AC, Banchoff A, Winter SJ, Levitt NS. Community-driven citizen science approach to explore cardiovascular disease risk perception, and develop prevention advocacy strategies in sub-Saharan Africa: a programme protocol. Res Involv Engagem 2021; 7:11. [PMID: 33637131 PMCID: PMC7907793 DOI: 10.1186/s40900-020-00246-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which experiences a disproportionately high cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, population-based screening and prevention measures are hampered by low levels of knowledge about CVD and associated risk factors, and inaccurate perceptions of severity of risk. METHODS This protocol describes the planned processes for implementing community-driven participatory research, using a citizen science method to explore CVD risk perceptions and to develop community-specific advocacy and prevention strategies in the rural and urban SSA settings. Multi-disciplinary research teams in four selected African countries will engage with and train community members living in rural and urban communities as citizen scientists to facilitate conceptualization, co-designing of research, data gathering, and co-creation of knowledge that can lead to a shared agenda to support collaborative participation in community-engaged science. The emphasis is on robust community engagement, using mobile technology to support data gathering, participatory learning, and co-creation of knowledge and disease prevention advocacy. DISCUSSION Contextual processes applied and lessons learned in specific settings will support redefining or disassembling boundaries in participatory science to foster effective implementation of sustainable prevention intervention programmes in Low- and Middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kufre Joseph Okop
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Kathy Murphy
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport, Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kiya Kedir
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Charlotte Bavuma
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Rulisa
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Kasenda
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Effie Chipeta
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Centre for Reproductive Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Christopher Bunn
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
- College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Gertrude Chapotera
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Abby C King
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ann Banchoff
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sandra J Winter
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Naomi S Levitt
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Alemnew B, Hoff ST, Abebe T, Abebe M, Aseffa A, Howe R, Wassie L. Ex vivo mRNA expression of toll-like receptors during latent tuberculosis infection. BMC Immunol 2021; 22:9. [PMID: 33509080 PMCID: PMC7842038 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-021-00400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding immune mechanisms, particularly the role of innate immune markers during latent TB infection remains elusive. The main objective of this study was to evaluate mRNA gene expression patterns of toll-like receptors (TLRs) as correlates of immunity during latent TB infection and further infer their roles as potential diagnostic biomarkers. Methods Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were analysed in a total of 64 samples collected from apparently healthy children and adolescents latently infected with tuberculosis (n = 32) or non-infected (n = 32). Relative expression in peripheral blood of selected genes encoding TLRs (TLR-1, TLR-2, TLR-4, TLR-6 and TLR-9) was determined with a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) using specific primers and florescent labelled probes and a comparative threshold cycle method to define fold change. Data were analysed using Graph-Pad Prism 7.01 for Windows and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results An increased mean fold change in the relative expression of TLR-2 and TLR-6 mRNA was observed in LTBI groups relative to non-LTBI groups (p < 0.05), whereas a slight fold decrease was observed for TLR-1 gene. Conclusions An increased mRNA expression of TLR-2 and TLR-6 was observed in latently infected individuals relative to those non-infected, possibly indicating the roles these biomarkers play in sustenance of the steady state interaction between the dormant TB bacilli and host immunity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12865-021-00400-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birhan Alemnew
- College of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia.,Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Tamrat Abebe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Markos Abebe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Liya Wassie
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Mutavhatsindi H, van der Spuy GD, Malherbe ST, Sutherland JS, Geluk A, Mayanja-Kizza H, Crampin AC, Kassa D, Howe R, Mihret A, Sheehama JA, Nepolo E, Günther G, Dockrell HM, Corstjens PLAM, Stanley K, Walzl G, Chegou NN. Validation and Optimization of Host Immunological Bio-Signatures for a Point-of-Care Test for TB Disease. Front Immunol 2021; 12:607827. [PMID: 33717089 PMCID: PMC7952865 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.607827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of a non-sputum-based, point-of-care diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) is a priority in the global effort to combat this disease, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Previous studies have identified host biomarker signatures which showed potential, but there is a need to validate and refine these for development as a test. We recruited 1,403 adults presenting with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB at primary healthcare clinics in six countries from West, East and Southern Africa. Of the study cohort, 326 were diagnosed with TB and 787 with other respiratory diseases, from whom we randomly selected 1005 participants. Using Luminex® technology, we measured the levels of 20 host biomarkers in serum samples which we used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of previously identified and novel bio-signatures. Our previously identified seven-marker bio-signature did not perform well (sensitivity: 89%, specificity: 60%). We also identified an optimal, two-marker bio-signature with a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 69% in patients with no history of previous TB. This signature performed slightly better than C-reactive protein (CRP) alone. The cut-off value for a positive diagnosis differed for human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV)-positive and -negative individuals. Notably, we also found that no signature was able to diagnose TB adequately in patients with a prior history of the disease. We have identified a two-marker, pan-African bio-signature which is more robust than CRP alone and meets the World Health Organization (WHO) target product profile requirements for a triage test in both HIV-negative and HIV-positive individuals. This signature could be incorporated into a point-of-care device, greatly reducing the necessity for expensive confirmatory diagnostics and potentially reducing the number of cases currently lost to follow-up. It might also potentially be useful with individuals unable to provide sputum or with paucibacillary disease. We suggest that the performance of TB diagnostic signatures can be improved by incorporating the HIV-status of the patient. We further suggest that only patients who have never had TB be subjected to a triage test and that those with a history of previous TB be evaluated using more direct diagnostic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hygon Mutavhatsindi
- Department of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gian D van der Spuy
- Department of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stephanus T Malherbe
- Department of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jayne S Sutherland
- TB Research Group, Medical Research Council Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Banjul, Gambia
| | - Annemieke Geluk
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Harriet Mayanja-Kizza
- Department of Internal Medicine and Immunology, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Karonga Prevention Study, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Karonga, Malawi
| | - Desta Kassa
- Infectious and Non-Infectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Department of Immunology, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Department of Immunology, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Jacob A Sheehama
- Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Emmanuel Nepolo
- Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Gunar Günther
- Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Hazel M Dockrell
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul L A M Corstjens
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Kim Stanley
- Department of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Walzl
- Department of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Novel N Chegou
- Department of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Ayana DA, Mulu A, Mihret A, Seyoum B, Aseffa A, Howe R. Occult Hepatitis B virus infection among HIV negative and positive isolated anti-HBc individuals in eastern Ethiopia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22182. [PMID: 33335238 PMCID: PMC7747707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79392-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the presence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in the blood of apparently healthy individuals may not indicate the absence of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) and might be infectious. Despite the risk of HBV transmission, there has been no report from Ethiopia examining this issue; therefore, this study determined occult HBV infection (OBI) among isolated anti-HBc (IAHBc) HIV negative and HIV positive individuals on ART in eastern Ethiopia. A total of 306 IAHBc individuals were included in this study. DNA was extracted, amplified, and detected from plasma using a commercially available RealTime PCR platform (Abbott m2000rt) following the manufacturer's instructions. Data were entered into EPI Data version 3.1, cleaned, and analyzed using Stata version 13. Descriptive analysis was used to calculate prevalence, summarize sociodemographic data and other factors. From the 306 IAHBc individuals (184 HIV positive and 122 HIV negative) included in the study, 183 (59.8%) were female of which 142 (77.6%) were within the reproductive age group. DNA extraction, amplified and detection was conducted in 224 individuals. The overall OBI prevalence was 5.8% (5.6% in HIV negative and 6% in HIV positive) among the IAHBc individuals. The HBV DNA concentration among the occult hepatitis B individuals was < 200 IU/mL, indicating a true occult. This study reported the burden of OBI, which pauses a significant public health problem due to the high burden of HBV infection in the country. OBI may cause substantial risk of HBV transmission from blood transfusion, organ transplantation as well as vertical transmission as screening is solely dependent on HBsAg testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desalegn Admassu Ayana
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - A Mulu
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - A Mihret
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - B Seyoum
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - A Aseffa
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - R Howe
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Lemma M, Petkov S, Bekele Y, Petros B, Howe R, Chiodi F. Profiling of Inflammatory Proteins in Plasma of HIV-1-Infected Children Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy. Proteomes 2020; 8:proteomes8030024. [PMID: 32906648 PMCID: PMC7563605 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes8030024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of HIV-1-infected patients results in improved clinical and immunological conditions, but severe non-AIDS-related conditions still persist. Novel proteomic platforms have identified inflammatory proteins where abundance is dysregulated in adult treated patients, whereas limited data are available in treated HIV-1 infection of children. Using a proteomic plasma profiling approach comprising 92 inflammation-related molecules, we analyzed specimens from 43 vertically HIV-1-infected children receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) and matched controls in Ethiopia. The infected children were analyzed as a group and separately, according to age of treatment initiation. Proteins displaying a significantly different abundance between groups were hierarchically clustered and presented in heat maps. Random forest analysis was performed to pin-point proteins discriminating between groups; five proteins (STAMBP, CD5, TFG-α, TRANCE, AXIN1) were the strongest prediction factors for treated HIV-1 infection. TRANCE was previously linked to reduced bone mass levels in HIV-1-infected children. CCL4 chemokine, ligand to HIV-1 co-receptor CCR5, was the most critical protein for successful classification between children who initiated ART at different time points. Our data provide evidence that a dysregulated expression of proteins linked to immunological abnormalities and bone metabolism can be found in HIV-1-infected children with prolonged exposure to ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahlet Lemma
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (M.L.); (S.P.); (Y.B.)
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, PO Box 1176, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
| | - Stefan Petkov
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (M.L.); (S.P.); (Y.B.)
| | - Yonas Bekele
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (M.L.); (S.P.); (Y.B.)
| | - Beyene Petros
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, PO Box 1176, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
| | - Francesca Chiodi
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (M.L.); (S.P.); (Y.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-8-52486315
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Tasew G, Gadisa E, Abera A, Chanyalew M, Abebe M, Howe R, Ritter U, Aseffa A, Laskay T. Whole blood-based in vitro culture reveals diminished secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in visceral leishmaniasis. Cytokine 2020; 145:155246. [PMID: 32828639 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The likelihood of being bitten by sand flies infected with Leishmania (L.) donovani is considered to be high for all inhabitants living in the endemic areas, but only a small ratio of the population develop symptomatic visceral leishmanisis (VL). Since adequate activation of antimicrobial immune response plays a key role in control of pathogens early after infection we hypothesized that a dysfunction of essential cells of the immune system is associated with disease development after infection with L. donovani. In order to obtain insights into the capacity of leukocytes to respond to L. donovani, a whole blood based assay was applied to evaluate the production of cytokines and chemokines in clinical VL versus Ethiopian endemic healthy control (EHC). In response to L. donovani, VL blood cultures showed significantly lower secretion of IL-12p70, IL-6, IL-17, IL-8 and IP-10 compared to EHC. On the contrary, there was a significantly higher secretion of IL-10 observed in VL compared to EHC. In response to LPS also a lower IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-6 secretion was observed in VL as compared to EHC. The data clearly indicate a diminished ability of blood leukocytes in VL to respond to L. donovani and to the TLR ligand LPS. This compromised response in VL may contribute to the severe disease development and enhanced susceptibility to secondary infections in VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geremew Tasew
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Bacterial, Parasitic and Zoonotic Diseases Research Directorate, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Endalamaw Gadisa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria Research Team, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adugna Abera
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Bacterial, Parasitic and Zoonotic Diseases Research Directorate, P.O. Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Menberework Chanyalew
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria Research Team, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Markos Abebe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria Research Team, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria Research Team, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Uwe Ritter
- Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Regensburg and University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria Research Team, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamás Laskay
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23560 Lübeck, Germany
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Urgesa K, Bobosha K, Seyoum B, Geda B, Weldegebreal F, Mihret A, Howe R, Kaba M, Aseffa A. Knowledge of and Attitude Toward Leprosy in a Leprosy Endemic District, Eastern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Study. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2020; 13:1069-1077. [PMID: 32848485 PMCID: PMC7428403 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s254625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Leprosy or Hansen’s disease is a potentially disabling disease that results in discrimination and self-stigma. A delay in case detection among leprosy patients is one of the factors resulting in disability. Although poor insights of the community toward leprosy lead to delays in case detection, studies on such matters are neglected in Ethiopia. Objective To assess the level of community knowledge and attitudes toward leprosy in Fedis District, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 728 randomly selected households from July to August 2019. Each participant was interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire consisting of participants’ socio-demographic background, questions related to knowledge of and attitudes toward leprosy. The collected data were entered using EpiData 3.1 and analyzed using STATA version 13. Chi-squared test, binary, and multivariable logistic regressions were applied as appropriate to assess the association between outcome and independent variables. Results Among 728 study participants, 608 (83.52%) of them had heard about leprosy. Among the study participants who had heard of leprosy, 346 (56.91%) of them had high knowledge of leprosy. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that study participants who completed grade 1–8 (AOR=1.68, 95% CI=1.09–2.58, P=0.017) and government employees (AOR=7.56, 95% CI=2.23–25.63, P=0.001) were significantly associated with high level of knowledge of leprosy. Out of 608 study participants who had heard of leprosy, only 248 (40.79%) had a favorable attitude toward leprosy. Study participants who completed grade 1–8 (AOR= 2.72, 95% CI=1.76–4.19, P= 0.000) and urban inhabitants (AOR=0.49, 95% CI=0.31–0.75, P= 0.032) were significantly associated with favorable attitude toward leprosy. Having high knowledge of leprosy was significantly associated with favorable attitudes toward leprosy. Conclusion This study revealed unfavorable attitudes toward leprosy among the community. Having a high overall knowledge level on leprosy has been shown to support a favorable attitude toward leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedir Urgesa
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Kidist Bobosha
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Biftu Geda
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Fitsum Weldegebreal
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mirgissa Kaba
- School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Argaw B, Mihret A, Aseffa A, Tarekegne A, Hussen S, Wachamo D, Shimelis T, Howe R. Sero-prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers and associated factors among children in Hawassa City, southern Ethiopia. BMC Infect Dis 2020; 20:528. [PMID: 32698884 PMCID: PMC7374845 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05229-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Limited information exists about the epidemiology of HBV infection in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess sero-prevalence of HBV markers and associated factors in children living in Hawassa City, southern Ethiopia. METHODS A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 471 children in Hawassa City, southern Ethiopia from May to September, 2018. A total of 471 children were included in the study using a multistage sampling technique. Data on demographic and risk factors were gathered using structured questionnaires. Blood samples were collected and sera were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to core antigen (anti-HBc), and antibody against surface antigen (anti-HBs) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The sero-prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs markers among children were 4.4, 19.5 and 20.0%, respectively. Children at higher risk of having HBsAg marker were those who had a history of injectable medications (AOR 5.02, 95% CI: 1.14, 22.07), a family history of liver disease (AOR 6.37, 95% CI: 1.32, 30.74), a HBsAg seropositive mothers, (AOR 11.19, (95% CI: 3.15, 39.67), and had no vaccination history for HBV (AOR, 6.37, 95% CI: 1.32, 30.74). Children from families with low monthly income, who were home delivered, unvaccinated for HBV or with HBsAg seropositive mother had increased risk of having anti-HBc. CONCLUSIONS The study findings showed an intermediate endemicity of HBV infection in the study setting. The observed rate of residual HBV infection with low rate of immunized children after HBV vaccination was high. Hence, introducing birth dose vaccine, safe injection practice and improving immunization coverage during pregnancy as part of the antenatal care package should be considered. Furthermore, governmental and non-governmental organizations should give attention on timely measures for the prevention of ongoing vertical transmission from mother to child as well as early horizontal transmission of HBV in Hawassa City, Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bedru Argaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Hawassa College of Health Sciences, South Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Azeb Tarekegne
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Siraj Hussen
- School of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
| | - Demelash Wachamo
- Department of Public Health, Hawassa College of Health Sciences, South Nations and Nationalities Peoples' Region, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Techalew Shimelis
- School of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Birku M, Desalegn G, Kassa G, Tegbaru B, Howe R, Tsegaye A, Abebe M. Pregnancy suppresses Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific Th1, but not Th2, cell-mediated functional immune responses during HIV/latent TB co-infection. Clin Immunol 2020; 218:108523. [PMID: 32668292 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2020.108523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Immunity to tuberculosis (TB) is suppressed due to HIV coinfection and this suppression could further be enhanced by pregnancy. However, the effect of pregnancy on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis)-specific immune response during HIV/latent TB co-infection is not well understood. Here we investigated the changes in M. tuberculosis-specific functional Th1, Th2 and antibody responses in pregnant women with HIV/latent TB co-Infection. Pregnancy, concurrent with HIV infection, triggers a substantial suppression of M. tuberculosis-specific IFN-γ responses in a CD4+ T cell count dependent manner with an insignificant change in IL-4 and IgG responses. Conversely, M. tuberculosis-specific IL-10 production was markedly augmented in latent TB infected pregnant women with a lesser extent during HIV co-infection. These findings reveal that pregnancy suppresses anti-mycobacterial protective immune response in a CD4+ T cell count dependent manner during HIV/latent TB co-infection, suggesting a higher risk of developing active TB during pregnancy as a result of failing to control TB infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahlet Birku
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Girmay Desalegn
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
| | - Getachew Kassa
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Belete Tegbaru
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Aster Tsegaye
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Markos Abebe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Ahmed JH, Makonnen E, Bisaso RK, Mukonzo JK, Fotoohi A, Aseffa A, Howe R, Hassan M, Aklillu E. Population Pharmacokinetic, Pharmacogenetic, and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Cyclophosphamide in Ethiopian Breast Cancer Patients. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:406. [PMID: 32390827 PMCID: PMC7191301 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclophosphamide (CPA) containing chemotherapy regimen is the standard of care for breast cancer treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. Wide inter-individual variations in pharmacokinetics (PK) of cyclophosphamide (CPA) influence the efficacy and toxicity of CPA containing chemotherapy. Data on the pharmacokinetics (PK) profile of CPA and its covariates among black African patients is lacking. We investigated population pharmacokinetic/pharmacogenetic/pharmacodynamic (PK-PG-PD) of CPA in Ethiopian breast cancer patients. During the first cycle of CPA-based chemotherapy, the population PK parameters for CPA were determined in 267 breast cancer patients. Absolute neutrophil count was recorded at baseline and day 20 post-CPA administration. A population PK and covariate model analysis was performed using non-linear mixed effects modeling. Semi-mechanistic and empiric drug response models were explored to describe the relationship between the area under concentration-time curve (AUC), and neutrophil toxicity. One compartment model better described CPA PK with population clearance and apparent volume of distribution (VD) of 5.41 L/h and 46.5 L, respectively. Inter-patient variability in CPA clearance was 54.5%. Patients carrying CYP3A5*3 or *6 alleles had lower elimination rate constant and longer half-life compared to wild type carriers. CYP2C9 *2 or *3 carriers were associated with increased clearance of CPA. Patients who received 500 mg/m2 based CPA regimen were associated with a 32.3% lower than average clearance and 37.1% lower than average VD compared to patients who received 600 mg/m2. A 0.1 m2 unit increase in body surface area (BSA) was associated with a 5.6% increment in VD. The mean VD (33.5 L) in underweight group (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) was significantly lower compared to those of overweight (48.1 L) or obese patients (51.9 L) (p < 0.001). AUC of CPA was positively correlated with neutropenic toxicity. In conclusion, we report large between-patient variability in clearance of CPA. CYP3A5 and CYP2C9 genotypes, BSA, BMI, and CPA dosage regimen influence PK of CPA. Plasma CPA exposure positively predicts chemotherapy-associated neutropenic toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemal Hussien Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eyasu Makonnen
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ronald Kuteesa Bisaso
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jackson Kijumba Mukonzo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Alan Fotoohi
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Moustapha Hassan
- Experimental Cancer Medicine (ECM), Clinical Research Center (KFC), Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eleni Aklillu
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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MacGowan A, Grier S, Stoddart M, Reynolds R, Rogers C, Pike K, Smartt H, Wilcox M, Wilson P, Kelsey M, Steer J, Gould FK, Perry JD, Howe R, Wootton M. Impact of rapid microbial identification on clinical outcomes in bloodstream infection: the RAPIDO randomized trial. Clin Microbiol Infect 2020; 26:1347-1354. [PMID: 32220636 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bloodstream infection has a high mortality rate. It is not clear whether laboratory-based rapid identification of the organisms involved would improve outcome. METHODS The RAPIDO trial was an open parallel-group multicentre randomized controlled trial. We tested all positive blood cultures from hospitalized adults by conventional methods of microbial identification and those from patients randomized (1:1) to rapid diagnosis in addition to matrix-assisted desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) performed directly on positive blood cultures. The only primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Clinical advice on patient management was provided to members of both groups by infection specialists. RESULTS First positive blood culture samples from 8628 patients were randomized, 4312 into rapid diagnosis and 4136 into conventional diagnosis. After prespecified postrandomization exclusions, 2740 in the rapid diagnosis arm and 2810 in the conventional arm were included in the mortality analysis. There was no significant difference in 28-day survival (81.5% 2233/2740 rapid vs. 82.3% 2313/2810 conventional; hazard ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.93-1.19, p 0.42). Microbial identification was quicker in the rapid diagnosis group (median (interquartile range) 38.5 (26.7-50.3) hours after blood sampling vs. 50.3 (47.1-72.9) hours after blood sampling, p < 0.01), but times to effective antimicrobial therapy were no shorter (respectively median (interquartile range) 24 (2-78) hours vs. 13 (2-69) hours). There were no significant differences in 7-day mortality or total antibiotic consumption; times to resolution of fever, discharge from hospital or de-escalation of broad-spectrum therapy or 28-day Clostridioides difficile incidence. CONCLUSIONS Rapid identification of bloodstream pathogens by MALDI-TOF MS in this trial did not reduce patient mortality despite delivering laboratory data to clinicians sooner.
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Affiliation(s)
- A MacGowan
- Department of Pathology Sciences, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK.
| | - S Grier
- Department of Pathology Sciences, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - M Stoddart
- Department of Pathology Sciences, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - R Reynolds
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
| | - C Rogers
- Bristol Royal Infirmary, Clinical Support Unit, Bristol, UK
| | - K Pike
- Bristol Royal Infirmary, Clinical Support Unit, Bristol, UK
| | - H Smartt
- Bristol Royal Infirmary, Clinical Support Unit, Bristol, UK
| | - M Wilcox
- Department of Microbiology, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | - P Wilson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - M Kelsey
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Whittington Hospital, Whittington NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - J Steer
- Department of Microbiology, Derriford Hospital, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK
| | - F K Gould
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, UK
| | - J D Perry
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, UK
| | - R Howe
- Department of Microbiology, Public Health Wales, Cardiff University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - M Wootton
- Department of Microbiology, Public Health Wales, Cardiff University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK
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Lemma M, Bekele Y, Petkov S, Hägglund M, Petros B, Aseffa A, Howe R, Chiodi F. Streptococcus pneumoniae Nasopharyngeal Carriage among PCV-10-Vaccinated HIV-1-Infected Children with Maintained Serological Memory in Ethiopia. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9030159. [PMID: 32106620 PMCID: PMC7157605 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9030159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) vaccines have substantially reduced the burden of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPDs) worldwide. Despite high coverage with S. pneumoniae vaccination, upper-respiratory-tract colonization by S. pneumoniae is still common. We assessed maintenance of serological responses to S. pneumoniae serotypes included in PCV-10 by ELISA in HIV-1-infected children (n = 50) and age-matched controls (n = 50) in Ethiopia. We isolated S. pneumoniae in nasopharyngeal swabs and determined S. pneumoniae serotype by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Comparable levels of S. pneumoniae serotype-specific IgG concentrations were detected in plasma of HIV-1-infected children and matched controls, with geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) consistently higher than the protective threshold for PCV-10 serotypes of 0.35 μg/mL. We isolated S. pneumoniae from 38 (out of 97) nasopharyngeal swabs, 25 from HIV-1-infected children and 13 from controls. WGS based serotyping revealed 22 known S. pneumoniae serotypes and 2 nontypeable (NT) isolates. Non-PCV-10 serotypes represented >90% of isolates. We showed that HIV-1-infected children and matched controls in Ethiopia carry a level of maintained serological memory to PCV-10 considered protective for IPDs. We identified a higher proportion of nasopharyngeal carriage with highly pathogenic S. pneumoniae non-PCV strains among HIV-1-infected children compared to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahlet Lemma
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Solna, Sweden
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, ALERT compound P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Arat Kilo Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yonas Bekele
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Stefan Petkov
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Moa Hägglund
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Beyene Petros
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Arat Kilo Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, ALERT compound P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, ALERT compound P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Francesca Chiodi
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Solna, Sweden
- Correspondence:
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49
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Ayana DA, Mulu A, Mihret A, Seyoum B, Aseffa A, Howe R. Hepatitis B virus seromarkers among HIV infected adults on ART: An unmet need for HBV screening in eastern Ethiopia. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226922. [PMID: 31887187 PMCID: PMC6936828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Progression of chronic HBV to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease (ESLD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is more rapid in HIV positive individuals than those with HBV alone; however, the distribution of HBV seromarkers in HIV infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not well described. To address this problem, we assessed the distribution of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) among HIV infected adults on ART in Eastern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to February 2018. Socio-demographic, behavioral and health related factors, and clinical data were collected using questionnaire and checklist. Plasma samples were tested for HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs seromarkers using ELISA. Data were double entered into EpiData 3.1, cleaned, exported to and analyzed using STATA 13. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis were conducted and statistical significance was decided at p≤0.05. A total of 901 participants were included and the prevalence of HBsAg was found to be 11.7% [95%CI (10, 14)]. Among the co-infected, 47.6% were also positive for anti-HBc, of which 58% were on an ART containing tenofovir (TDF). Among those screened for the three seromarkers, 38.1% were negative for all and 21% were positive only for anti-HBc (IAHBc). Being single, history of genital discharge and taking ART with TDF combination were significantly associated with HBV co-infection (p≤0.05). There is high burden HBV co-infection among individuals on ART. The unmet need of HBV screening prior to ART initiation leaves many co-infected individuals without appropriate management including therapy, close monitoring or vaccination when indicated, impacting disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desalegn Admassu Ayana
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Andargachew Mulu
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Mihret
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Berhanu Seyoum
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Desalegn G, Tsegaye A, Gebreegziabiher D, Aseffa A, Howe R. Enhanced IFN-γ, but not IL-2, response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in HIV/latent TB co-infected patients on long-term HAART. BMC Immunol 2019; 20:35. [PMID: 31601184 PMCID: PMC6788090 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-019-0317-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background HIV-infected individuals with latent TB infection are at increased risk of developing active TB. HAART greatly reduces the incidence rate of TB in HIV-infected patients and reconstitutes Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis)-specific immune response in the first 12 months of therapy. The durability of the anti-mycobacterial immune restoration after a year of HAART however remains less investigated. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate M. tuberculosis-specific functional immune responses in HIV/latent TB co-infected patients who were on HAART for at least 1.5 up to 9 years as compared to HAART-naïve patients. Three-hundred sixteen HIV-infected patients without active TB were screened by tuberculin skin testing for M. tuberculosis infection and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 61 HIV/latent TB co-infected patients (30 HAART-naïve and 31 HAART-treated). IFN-γ and IL-2 ELISPOT as well as CFSE cell proliferation assays were performed after stimulation with M. tuberculosis antigens PPD and ESAT-6. Result The median frequency of PPD and ESAT-6 specific IFN-γ secreting cells was significantly higher in the HAART-treated patients as compared to HAART-naïve patients, p = 0.0021 and p = 0.0081 respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the median frequency of IL-2 secreting cells responding to PPD (p = 0.5981) and ESAT-6 (p = 0.3943) antigens between HAART-naïve and-treated groups. Both IFN-γ and IL-2 responses were independent of CD4+ T cell count regardless of the HAART status. Notably, the frequency of PPD and ESAT-6 specific IL-2 secreting cells was positively associated with CD4+ T cell proliferation while inversely correlated with duration of HAART, raising the possibility that M. tuberculosis-specific IL-2 response that promote the antigen-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation diminish with time on antiretroviral therapy in HIV/latent TB co-infected patients. Conclusion This study shows an increased M. tuberculosis-specific IFN-γ, but not IL-2, response in HIV/latent TB co-infected patients with long-term HAART, consistent with only partial immune restoration. Future studies should, therefore, be done to prospectively define the rate and extent to which functional immune responses to M. tuberculosis are restored after long-term HAART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Girmay Desalegn
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. .,Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. .,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
| | - Aster Tsegaye
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dawit Gebreegziabiher
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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