Introduction: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been proposed in several countries as the main preventive measure despite very limited data, particularly in dialysis patients. We conducted this study to...Introduction: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been proposed in several countries as the main preventive measure despite very limited data, particularly in dialysis patients. We conducted this study to assess the immunological response to vaccination in Senegalese hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective study, in two dialysis centers in Dakar from March 30<sup>th</sup> to August 30<sup>th</sup>, 2021 including patients on hemodialysis for >6 months, vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 according to the vaccination schedule recommended by WHO. A vaccine response was considered positive when seroconversion was observed after one dose of vaccine. The clinical efficacy of immunization was defined as the absence of new COVID-19 infection in patients who received a complete vaccination. Results: Among the 81 patients included in the study, 7.4% had anti-Spike IgM antibodies before their first vaccination. Seroprevalence of IgM antibodies was 38.3% one month after the first vaccine dose (at M1) and 8.6% one month after the second dose (at M4). Anti-Spike IgG antibodies were present in 40.3% of patients before vaccination, in 90.1% at M1, and in 59.7% at M4. Among patients previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, 10.2% had IgM antibodies at M0, 31.6% at M1, and 10.5% at M4 post-vaccination. Similarly, seroprevalences of IgG antibodies in this subgroup were 31.5%, 61.3%, and 50.0% respectively at M0, M1, and M4 post-vaccination. A comparison of seroconversion rates between M0 and M4 showed significant differences only for IgG in COVID-19 naive patients. Mean duration in dialysis and the existence of previous COVID-19 infection were associated with patients’ vaccinal response after the two doses. Age, gender and the use of immunosuppressive treatment did not influence post-vaccinal antibody production. Conclusion: Vaccination against COVID-19 in Senegalese hemodialysis patients induced a low seroconversion rate but it was well tolerated. Moreover, the induced protection was neither strong nor durable, particularly in patients with longer duration in dialysis.展开更多
Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) characterized by the appearance of autoantibodies, which are diagnostic markers. Investigations of these autoantibodies play a major role in the managem...Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) characterized by the appearance of autoantibodies, which are diagnostic markers. Investigations of these autoantibodies play a major role in the management of several autoimmune diseases. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of anti-ENA antibodies according to the clinical symptoms of mixed CTDs in Conakry teaching Hospital. We performed a cross-sectional study during six months. A total of 20 patients was recruited and we measured antibodies using the ELISA technique. The mean age of our patients was 36.5 years, with a predominance of females. Cutaneous and rheumatological signs were the main clinical manifestations. SLP was the most frequent CTDs;the threshold of ENA antibodies positivity was higher in scleroderma with and SLP. Anti-ENA identification reveals the frequency of anti-SSA (83.33%), anti-U1RNP (66.66%) and anti-histone (50%) antibodies. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) react with various components of the cell nucleus. Their detection is of major interest in the diagnosis of CTDs. Our results highlight the importance of determining the specificity of these antibodies to guide differential diagnosis.展开更多
Background: In 2019, the WHO estimated that over 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and over 820,000 deaths attributable to hepatitis B. Most people living with HBV are unawa...Background: In 2019, the WHO estimated that over 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and over 820,000 deaths attributable to hepatitis B. Most people living with HBV are unaware of their immune status and live in endemic areas. This is the case of Benin and Senegal, which have little data on the disease. Objective: This study aimed to provide epidemiological furthers on hepatitis B in Dakar and Cotonou according to WHO recommendations about “obtaining data for action”. Materials and Methods: Our study took place at the Medical Biology Laboratory of the Idrissa Pouye General Hospital (LBM-HOGIP) in Dakar, Senegal. Participants were selected at the LBM-HOGIP of Dakar or at the LBMs of the health centres of the Archdiocese of Cotonou respectively from November to December 2019 and February to March 2020. All participants were tested for hepatitis B virus antigen (HBsAg) using a microparticle chemiluminescence immunoassay assay. Other risk factors including blood transfusion, haemodialysis, tattooing, cultural or clan scarification, piercing, injecting drug use, unprotected sex and surgical procedures were also investigated. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. The study was approved by the ethics committees in Senegal and Benin. For the biological tests, Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics software were used for the analysis of the results. Results: A total of 470 participants were recruited including 234 in Cotonou and 236 in Dakar. The median age in Cotonou was 29 years with extremes of 10 and 65 years, and 38 years in Dakar with extremes of 6 and 93 years. The prevalence of HBsAg was 12.39% in Cotonou and 19.91% in Dakar. The most affected age groups were 20 - 29 in Dakar and 30 - 39 in Cotonou. Except for piercing, none of the other risk factors considered in our study were found to be associated with HBV transmission in our populations. Conclusion: Our study is hospital-based and revealed high prevalence of HBsAg. These prevalences were higher in men.展开更多
Objective: Despite the existence of several therapeutic strategies, the management of cervical cancer remains challenging. Our region has very little data on the interaction between the immune system and the clinical ...Objective: Despite the existence of several therapeutic strategies, the management of cervical cancer remains challenging. Our region has very little data on the interaction between the immune system and the clinical response to chemotherapy. This work examines plasma levels of galectin-3 (Gal-3) and percentages of activated T cells in patients with cervical cancer treated with chemotherapy and investigates if there is a relationship between the rates of these two elements. Methods: We compared data from 37 patients with cervical cancer undergoing chemotherapy and 42 controls with normal cervical cytology. Plasma Gal-3 concentrations were assessed by ELISA and expression of activation markers by T cells (CD69 and HLA-DR) was assessed by flow cytometry at three different time points during chemotherapy. Results: Our results showed that patients had a significantly higher concentration of Gal-3 compared to controls (4.025 vs. 1.340, p 0.001), similarly, they had a significantly high percentage of activated lymphocytes (2.610 vs. 0.731;p 0.0001). According to the response to treatment, patients with no response to treatment had a lower concentration of circulating Gal-3 but had approximately the same percentage of activated CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes as patients with a partial or total response. In addition, we found a positive correlation between the Gal-3 level and CD4 T cells expressing the activation marker CD69 (p 0.05;rho = 0.44). Conclusion: In conclusion, our results show that there would be a relationship between circulating galectin-3 and the percentage of peripheral CD4+</sup>CD69+</sup> cells in cervical cancer.展开更多
Background: According to WHO estimates, by 2022 over 296 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and over 820,000 have died from complications. In sub-Saharan African countries such a...Background: According to WHO estimates, by 2022 over 296 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and over 820,000 have died from complications. In sub-Saharan African countries such as Benin and Senegal, few research studies have addressed the issue of HBV immunization. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate immunization against the hepatitis B virus in populations residing in Cotonou and Dakar by titrating anti-HBs antibodies (Ab) and detecting total anti-HBc immunoglobulins (Ig). Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive, analytical study of two West African populations recruited in Dakar at the Laboratory of Medical Biology (LBM) of the General Hospital Idrissa Pouye (HOGIP) and in Cotonou at the LBMs of the health centres of the Cotonou archdiocese. HBsAg-negative patients constituted our study population. The study took place in November-December 2019 for Dakar and February-March 2020 for Cotonou. Anti-HBs antibodies were tested and titrated. In the event of anti-HBs positivity, total anti-HBc was determined. A microparticle chemiluminescence immunoassay was used for marker determination. The detection threshold was 2.50 IU/L for anti-HBs. Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics software were used for data analysis. Subjects’ sociodemographic characteristics were collected using a questionnaire, as was knowledge of their vaccination status. The study was approved by the ethics committees in Benin and Senegal. Results: A total of 394 HBs antigen-negative participants were recruited: 205 in Cotonou and 189 in Dakar. The population was predominantly female, with 65.36% (N = 134) and 57.14% (N = 108) women in Cotonou and Dakar respectively. The median age of participants was 29 years in Cotonou, with extremes of 10 and 65 years, versus 39 years in Dakar, with extremes of 6 and 93 years. Some participants claimed to be unaware of their vaccination status: 33.17% in Cotonou and 56.61% in Dakar. The total prevalence of anti-HBs-positive subjects was 88.78% (N = 182) in Cotonou and 98.41% (N = 186) in Dakar. In Cotonou (N = 205), 35.61% (N = 73) of subjects had protective anti-HBs levels between 11.60 IU/L and 10,000 IU/L. In Dakar, 61.38% (N = 116) of subjects had protective HBV immunity, with anti-HBs titres ranging from 10.30 IU/L to 11357 IU/L. In Cotonou, 80.82% (N = 59) of immunized subjects (N = 73) had anti-HBC antibodies, compared with 84.48% (N = 98) of immunized individuals (N = 116) in the population recruited in Dakar, indicating immunization following HBV infection. Conclusion: Our study involved a predominantly female population, many of whom were unaware of their serological status. Vaccination policies and knowledge of the viral hepatitis B epidemic need to be strengthened.展开更多
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths of women in developing world. Several studies demonstrated evidences of inflammatory cytokines implication in cancer progression including in initiation, promotion...Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths of women in developing world. Several studies demonstrated evidences of inflammatory cytokines implication in cancer progression including in initiation, promotion and invasion by affecting the immune surveillance. Our aim was to measure blood circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines levels, their profiles according to treatment issue and relation with prognostic factors in cervical cancer during chemotherapy. Blood samples were collected from a cohort of 35 cervical cancer women and 42 women healthy controls (HC) with no history of malignancy. For each CP, three samples were taken at three-week intervals. The first one (S1) was taken before initiation of the chemotherapy protocol. S2 and S3 were samples collected respectively at day 21 and day 42. Cytokines levels were evaluated by ELISA. Mean age of patients was 54.1 year (35 - 77 yo). In groups, no relation was observed between age and cytokines levels. Before chemotherapy, high levels of IL-6, IL-4 and IFN-γ were observed in CP compared to HC (p 0.001) and at the same period, IL-10 and TNF-α levels were significantly low in CP (p 0.05) and negatively correlated (r = —0.79;p = 0.017). In this CP group, IL-4 levels were positively correlated between S1 and S2 (r = 0.72;p = 0.002) and between S1 and S3 (r = 0.74;p = 0.019). Similar correlations were observed for TNF-α levels: S1/S2 (r = 0.54;p = 0.027), S2/S3 (r = 0.82;p = 0.009) and S1/S3 (r = 0.66;p = 0.036) with a significant increase of TNF-α in blood during treatment. Depending on chemotherapy’s efficacy, CP patients were separated into 1) non responders (NR), 2) partial responders (PR) and 3) good responders (GR). Compared to PR and GR groups, NR patients showed: a) higher serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ during the follow-up and b) lower serum levels of IL-4 and TNF-α. In addition, serum levels of IL-4 were significantly higher in GR patients however TNF-α was the predominant cytokines in PR group. Our results highlight the variation of circulating cytokines such as IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ during cervical cancer chemotherapy. In addition, this study suggested that IL-4 and TNF-α might represent potential biomarkers candidate in cervical cancer. Applications in cancer management need further investigations particularly about the relevant prognostic indicator following chemotherapy and validation studies must provide more assurance for translation into clinical practice.展开更多
We investigated relationship between galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels and T lymphocytes apoptosis and the activation rates in breast cancer during chemotherapy. We used plasma samples from 112 women classified into two group...We investigated relationship between galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels and T lymphocytes apoptosis and the activation rates in breast cancer during chemotherapy. We used plasma samples from 112 women classified into two groups: 70 women with breast cancer (BC) and submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (3 cycles) and 42 healthy women used as controls. In the group of BC, blood samples were taken before each cycle of chemotherapy and Gal-3 levels was evaluated by ELISA sandwich. Flow cytometry was used to study T cells apoptosis and activation. Before treatment, median value of Gal-3 was 6.31 ng/ml (range 1.07 - 50.74) in BC and 0.84 ng/ml (range 0.00 - 4.82) in HC. Gal-3 levels were highest in plasmas from BC (p p p = 0.010). In addition, we found a dynamic relationship between gal-3 levels, tumor size and T lymphocytes apoptosis rates during treatment depending to the cure efficiency. We suggest gal-3 plasma concentrations could be used as predictive biomarker for chemotherapy efficiency in breast cancer patients.展开更多
Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in female populations. It is a virally induced carcinoma resulting from sexually transmitted high risk Human Papillomavirus infections (e.g...Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in female populations. It is a virally induced carcinoma resulting from sexually transmitted high risk Human Papillomavirus infections (e.g. HPV-16, HPV-18). Previous studies have shown associations between IL-17A levels in cancer micro-environments and metastasis of tumor cells. In Africa, chemotherapy (CT) is the standard first-line treatment for cervical cancer and the prognosis remains poor for metastatic and recurrent cases. The impact of CT as a treatment option is still unclear. We investigated the prognostic relevance of IL-17A profiles in Cervical cancer patients (CP) patients treated with cisplatin in combination with 5-fluouracil (5FU) for three cycles. Methods: The study included 57 CP and 59 women with no history of malignancy as healthy controls (HC). IL-17A plasma levels were evaluated by ELISA. For each CP, three blood samples were collected at three-week intervals before initiation of the chemotherapy protocol. Results: Before chemotherapy CP showed higher serum levels of IL-17A compared to HCs (p = 0.035). No relation was detected between age and IL-17A levels. We observed a significant increase in serum IL-17A during treatment of the CP group (p Conclusion: Our results suggest that high serum levels of IL-17A are associated with poor responses to classical chemotherapy. However, considering these results to design CC biomarkers, we need further investigations particularly about the relevant prognostic indicator following chemotherapy.展开更多
Objective: Evaluate the immunological status to hepatitis B virus of Senegalese pregnant women by screening HBs antigen. Material and methods: The selection criteria of women were presence at the laboratory for biolog...Objective: Evaluate the immunological status to hepatitis B virus of Senegalese pregnant women by screening HBs antigen. Material and methods: The selection criteria of women were presence at the laboratory for biological exams of pregnancy follow-up. All volunteers for the study were screened for HBs antigen (HBs Ag). Investigation of chronic hepatitis B markers (HBe Ag, anti-HBe, viral quantification) was performed in HBs Ag positive participants. The concentration of anti-HBs antibodies was assessed in HBs Ag negative women. Results: One hundred and fifteen (115) pregnant women were included in the study from July to October 2014. The mean age was 29 ± 6 years, ranging from 16 to 47. The seroprevalence of HBs Ag was 12% and the majority of women (90%) were not vaccinated. Any of the 14 HBs Ag-positive subjects did not express serum HBe Ag, (marker of active viral replication) and all were positive for anti-HBe antibodies. Their viral load (HBV DNA) was undetectable and serum transaminases were normal. The anti-HBs antibodies titrated in HBs-Ag negative women serum revealed that only 46 had protective levels against HBV whilst 55 of them were unprotected.展开更多
Purpose: In Sub-Saharan Africa, an important proportion of incident HIV cases occur among heterosexual serodiscordant couples (HSDC) but the majority of HIV negative partners can remain seronegative. These are called ...Purpose: In Sub-Saharan Africa, an important proportion of incident HIV cases occur among heterosexual serodiscordant couples (HSDC) but the majority of HIV negative partners can remain seronegative. These are called HIV-exposed seronegative (HESN). We aimed to compare immune activation (IA) levels between HESN, their HIV infected counterparts (HIV+ partners) and HIV unexposed uninfected individuals (HIV-neg Controls) and to evaluate the association between sexual exposure to HIV (SEHIV) and IA. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Dakar, Senegal on 148 participants recruited between November 2013 and February 2014: 40 HIV-neg Controls, 54 HESN and 54 HIV+ Partners. SEHIV was evaluated individually using questionnaires. IA level was measured by plasma level of β2-microglobulin (β2m). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the different associations. Results: The median levels of β2m were 1.57 mg/l (IQR: 1.37 - 1.77), 2.14 mg/l (IQR: 1.76 - 2.43) and 2.24 mg/l (IQR: 1.80 - 3.17) for HIV-neg Controls, HESN and HIV+ partners, respectively. After adjustment, HESN had similar levels of IA with HIV+ partners but significantly higher than that of HIV-neg Controls (adjusted OR = 6.28;95% CI: [2.19 - 18.00]). The association between IA and SEHIV was evaluated in the HIV negative individuals. High frequency of SEHIV was associated with a β2m > 2.2 mg/l (OR = 6.56;95% CI: [1.71 - 25.21]);significantly more than median cut off value of >1.81 mg/l. Conclusions: Our study shows that, despite being uninfected with HIV, HESN individuals show a high level of IA, which was depended on the level of SEHIV.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been proposed in several countries as the main preventive measure despite very limited data, particularly in dialysis patients. We conducted this study to assess the immunological response to vaccination in Senegalese hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective study, in two dialysis centers in Dakar from March 30<sup>th</sup> to August 30<sup>th</sup>, 2021 including patients on hemodialysis for >6 months, vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 according to the vaccination schedule recommended by WHO. A vaccine response was considered positive when seroconversion was observed after one dose of vaccine. The clinical efficacy of immunization was defined as the absence of new COVID-19 infection in patients who received a complete vaccination. Results: Among the 81 patients included in the study, 7.4% had anti-Spike IgM antibodies before their first vaccination. Seroprevalence of IgM antibodies was 38.3% one month after the first vaccine dose (at M1) and 8.6% one month after the second dose (at M4). Anti-Spike IgG antibodies were present in 40.3% of patients before vaccination, in 90.1% at M1, and in 59.7% at M4. Among patients previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, 10.2% had IgM antibodies at M0, 31.6% at M1, and 10.5% at M4 post-vaccination. Similarly, seroprevalences of IgG antibodies in this subgroup were 31.5%, 61.3%, and 50.0% respectively at M0, M1, and M4 post-vaccination. A comparison of seroconversion rates between M0 and M4 showed significant differences only for IgG in COVID-19 naive patients. Mean duration in dialysis and the existence of previous COVID-19 infection were associated with patients’ vaccinal response after the two doses. Age, gender and the use of immunosuppressive treatment did not influence post-vaccinal antibody production. Conclusion: Vaccination against COVID-19 in Senegalese hemodialysis patients induced a low seroconversion rate but it was well tolerated. Moreover, the induced protection was neither strong nor durable, particularly in patients with longer duration in dialysis.
文摘Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) characterized by the appearance of autoantibodies, which are diagnostic markers. Investigations of these autoantibodies play a major role in the management of several autoimmune diseases. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of anti-ENA antibodies according to the clinical symptoms of mixed CTDs in Conakry teaching Hospital. We performed a cross-sectional study during six months. A total of 20 patients was recruited and we measured antibodies using the ELISA technique. The mean age of our patients was 36.5 years, with a predominance of females. Cutaneous and rheumatological signs were the main clinical manifestations. SLP was the most frequent CTDs;the threshold of ENA antibodies positivity was higher in scleroderma with and SLP. Anti-ENA identification reveals the frequency of anti-SSA (83.33%), anti-U1RNP (66.66%) and anti-histone (50%) antibodies. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) react with various components of the cell nucleus. Their detection is of major interest in the diagnosis of CTDs. Our results highlight the importance of determining the specificity of these antibodies to guide differential diagnosis.
文摘Background: In 2019, the WHO estimated that over 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and over 820,000 deaths attributable to hepatitis B. Most people living with HBV are unaware of their immune status and live in endemic areas. This is the case of Benin and Senegal, which have little data on the disease. Objective: This study aimed to provide epidemiological furthers on hepatitis B in Dakar and Cotonou according to WHO recommendations about “obtaining data for action”. Materials and Methods: Our study took place at the Medical Biology Laboratory of the Idrissa Pouye General Hospital (LBM-HOGIP) in Dakar, Senegal. Participants were selected at the LBM-HOGIP of Dakar or at the LBMs of the health centres of the Archdiocese of Cotonou respectively from November to December 2019 and February to March 2020. All participants were tested for hepatitis B virus antigen (HBsAg) using a microparticle chemiluminescence immunoassay assay. Other risk factors including blood transfusion, haemodialysis, tattooing, cultural or clan scarification, piercing, injecting drug use, unprotected sex and surgical procedures were also investigated. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. The study was approved by the ethics committees in Senegal and Benin. For the biological tests, Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics software were used for the analysis of the results. Results: A total of 470 participants were recruited including 234 in Cotonou and 236 in Dakar. The median age in Cotonou was 29 years with extremes of 10 and 65 years, and 38 years in Dakar with extremes of 6 and 93 years. The prevalence of HBsAg was 12.39% in Cotonou and 19.91% in Dakar. The most affected age groups were 20 - 29 in Dakar and 30 - 39 in Cotonou. Except for piercing, none of the other risk factors considered in our study were found to be associated with HBV transmission in our populations. Conclusion: Our study is hospital-based and revealed high prevalence of HBsAg. These prevalences were higher in men.
文摘Objective: Despite the existence of several therapeutic strategies, the management of cervical cancer remains challenging. Our region has very little data on the interaction between the immune system and the clinical response to chemotherapy. This work examines plasma levels of galectin-3 (Gal-3) and percentages of activated T cells in patients with cervical cancer treated with chemotherapy and investigates if there is a relationship between the rates of these two elements. Methods: We compared data from 37 patients with cervical cancer undergoing chemotherapy and 42 controls with normal cervical cytology. Plasma Gal-3 concentrations were assessed by ELISA and expression of activation markers by T cells (CD69 and HLA-DR) was assessed by flow cytometry at three different time points during chemotherapy. Results: Our results showed that patients had a significantly higher concentration of Gal-3 compared to controls (4.025 vs. 1.340, p 0.001), similarly, they had a significantly high percentage of activated lymphocytes (2.610 vs. 0.731;p 0.0001). According to the response to treatment, patients with no response to treatment had a lower concentration of circulating Gal-3 but had approximately the same percentage of activated CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes as patients with a partial or total response. In addition, we found a positive correlation between the Gal-3 level and CD4 T cells expressing the activation marker CD69 (p 0.05;rho = 0.44). Conclusion: In conclusion, our results show that there would be a relationship between circulating galectin-3 and the percentage of peripheral CD4+</sup>CD69+</sup> cells in cervical cancer.
文摘Background: According to WHO estimates, by 2022 over 296 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and over 820,000 have died from complications. In sub-Saharan African countries such as Benin and Senegal, few research studies have addressed the issue of HBV immunization. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate immunization against the hepatitis B virus in populations residing in Cotonou and Dakar by titrating anti-HBs antibodies (Ab) and detecting total anti-HBc immunoglobulins (Ig). Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive, analytical study of two West African populations recruited in Dakar at the Laboratory of Medical Biology (LBM) of the General Hospital Idrissa Pouye (HOGIP) and in Cotonou at the LBMs of the health centres of the Cotonou archdiocese. HBsAg-negative patients constituted our study population. The study took place in November-December 2019 for Dakar and February-March 2020 for Cotonou. Anti-HBs antibodies were tested and titrated. In the event of anti-HBs positivity, total anti-HBc was determined. A microparticle chemiluminescence immunoassay was used for marker determination. The detection threshold was 2.50 IU/L for anti-HBs. Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics software were used for data analysis. Subjects’ sociodemographic characteristics were collected using a questionnaire, as was knowledge of their vaccination status. The study was approved by the ethics committees in Benin and Senegal. Results: A total of 394 HBs antigen-negative participants were recruited: 205 in Cotonou and 189 in Dakar. The population was predominantly female, with 65.36% (N = 134) and 57.14% (N = 108) women in Cotonou and Dakar respectively. The median age of participants was 29 years in Cotonou, with extremes of 10 and 65 years, versus 39 years in Dakar, with extremes of 6 and 93 years. Some participants claimed to be unaware of their vaccination status: 33.17% in Cotonou and 56.61% in Dakar. The total prevalence of anti-HBs-positive subjects was 88.78% (N = 182) in Cotonou and 98.41% (N = 186) in Dakar. In Cotonou (N = 205), 35.61% (N = 73) of subjects had protective anti-HBs levels between 11.60 IU/L and 10,000 IU/L. In Dakar, 61.38% (N = 116) of subjects had protective HBV immunity, with anti-HBs titres ranging from 10.30 IU/L to 11357 IU/L. In Cotonou, 80.82% (N = 59) of immunized subjects (N = 73) had anti-HBC antibodies, compared with 84.48% (N = 98) of immunized individuals (N = 116) in the population recruited in Dakar, indicating immunization following HBV infection. Conclusion: Our study involved a predominantly female population, many of whom were unaware of their serological status. Vaccination policies and knowledge of the viral hepatitis B epidemic need to be strengthened.
文摘Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths of women in developing world. Several studies demonstrated evidences of inflammatory cytokines implication in cancer progression including in initiation, promotion and invasion by affecting the immune surveillance. Our aim was to measure blood circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines levels, their profiles according to treatment issue and relation with prognostic factors in cervical cancer during chemotherapy. Blood samples were collected from a cohort of 35 cervical cancer women and 42 women healthy controls (HC) with no history of malignancy. For each CP, three samples were taken at three-week intervals. The first one (S1) was taken before initiation of the chemotherapy protocol. S2 and S3 were samples collected respectively at day 21 and day 42. Cytokines levels were evaluated by ELISA. Mean age of patients was 54.1 year (35 - 77 yo). In groups, no relation was observed between age and cytokines levels. Before chemotherapy, high levels of IL-6, IL-4 and IFN-γ were observed in CP compared to HC (p 0.001) and at the same period, IL-10 and TNF-α levels were significantly low in CP (p 0.05) and negatively correlated (r = —0.79;p = 0.017). In this CP group, IL-4 levels were positively correlated between S1 and S2 (r = 0.72;p = 0.002) and between S1 and S3 (r = 0.74;p = 0.019). Similar correlations were observed for TNF-α levels: S1/S2 (r = 0.54;p = 0.027), S2/S3 (r = 0.82;p = 0.009) and S1/S3 (r = 0.66;p = 0.036) with a significant increase of TNF-α in blood during treatment. Depending on chemotherapy’s efficacy, CP patients were separated into 1) non responders (NR), 2) partial responders (PR) and 3) good responders (GR). Compared to PR and GR groups, NR patients showed: a) higher serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ during the follow-up and b) lower serum levels of IL-4 and TNF-α. In addition, serum levels of IL-4 were significantly higher in GR patients however TNF-α was the predominant cytokines in PR group. Our results highlight the variation of circulating cytokines such as IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ during cervical cancer chemotherapy. In addition, this study suggested that IL-4 and TNF-α might represent potential biomarkers candidate in cervical cancer. Applications in cancer management need further investigations particularly about the relevant prognostic indicator following chemotherapy and validation studies must provide more assurance for translation into clinical practice.
文摘We investigated relationship between galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels and T lymphocytes apoptosis and the activation rates in breast cancer during chemotherapy. We used plasma samples from 112 women classified into two groups: 70 women with breast cancer (BC) and submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (3 cycles) and 42 healthy women used as controls. In the group of BC, blood samples were taken before each cycle of chemotherapy and Gal-3 levels was evaluated by ELISA sandwich. Flow cytometry was used to study T cells apoptosis and activation. Before treatment, median value of Gal-3 was 6.31 ng/ml (range 1.07 - 50.74) in BC and 0.84 ng/ml (range 0.00 - 4.82) in HC. Gal-3 levels were highest in plasmas from BC (p p p = 0.010). In addition, we found a dynamic relationship between gal-3 levels, tumor size and T lymphocytes apoptosis rates during treatment depending to the cure efficiency. We suggest gal-3 plasma concentrations could be used as predictive biomarker for chemotherapy efficiency in breast cancer patients.
文摘Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in female populations. It is a virally induced carcinoma resulting from sexually transmitted high risk Human Papillomavirus infections (e.g. HPV-16, HPV-18). Previous studies have shown associations between IL-17A levels in cancer micro-environments and metastasis of tumor cells. In Africa, chemotherapy (CT) is the standard first-line treatment for cervical cancer and the prognosis remains poor for metastatic and recurrent cases. The impact of CT as a treatment option is still unclear. We investigated the prognostic relevance of IL-17A profiles in Cervical cancer patients (CP) patients treated with cisplatin in combination with 5-fluouracil (5FU) for three cycles. Methods: The study included 57 CP and 59 women with no history of malignancy as healthy controls (HC). IL-17A plasma levels were evaluated by ELISA. For each CP, three blood samples were collected at three-week intervals before initiation of the chemotherapy protocol. Results: Before chemotherapy CP showed higher serum levels of IL-17A compared to HCs (p = 0.035). No relation was detected between age and IL-17A levels. We observed a significant increase in serum IL-17A during treatment of the CP group (p Conclusion: Our results suggest that high serum levels of IL-17A are associated with poor responses to classical chemotherapy. However, considering these results to design CC biomarkers, we need further investigations particularly about the relevant prognostic indicator following chemotherapy.
文摘Objective: Evaluate the immunological status to hepatitis B virus of Senegalese pregnant women by screening HBs antigen. Material and methods: The selection criteria of women were presence at the laboratory for biological exams of pregnancy follow-up. All volunteers for the study were screened for HBs antigen (HBs Ag). Investigation of chronic hepatitis B markers (HBe Ag, anti-HBe, viral quantification) was performed in HBs Ag positive participants. The concentration of anti-HBs antibodies was assessed in HBs Ag negative women. Results: One hundred and fifteen (115) pregnant women were included in the study from July to October 2014. The mean age was 29 ± 6 years, ranging from 16 to 47. The seroprevalence of HBs Ag was 12% and the majority of women (90%) were not vaccinated. Any of the 14 HBs Ag-positive subjects did not express serum HBe Ag, (marker of active viral replication) and all were positive for anti-HBe antibodies. Their viral load (HBV DNA) was undetectable and serum transaminases were normal. The anti-HBs antibodies titrated in HBs-Ag negative women serum revealed that only 46 had protective levels against HBV whilst 55 of them were unprotected.
文摘Purpose: In Sub-Saharan Africa, an important proportion of incident HIV cases occur among heterosexual serodiscordant couples (HSDC) but the majority of HIV negative partners can remain seronegative. These are called HIV-exposed seronegative (HESN). We aimed to compare immune activation (IA) levels between HESN, their HIV infected counterparts (HIV+ partners) and HIV unexposed uninfected individuals (HIV-neg Controls) and to evaluate the association between sexual exposure to HIV (SEHIV) and IA. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Dakar, Senegal on 148 participants recruited between November 2013 and February 2014: 40 HIV-neg Controls, 54 HESN and 54 HIV+ Partners. SEHIV was evaluated individually using questionnaires. IA level was measured by plasma level of β2-microglobulin (β2m). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the different associations. Results: The median levels of β2m were 1.57 mg/l (IQR: 1.37 - 1.77), 2.14 mg/l (IQR: 1.76 - 2.43) and 2.24 mg/l (IQR: 1.80 - 3.17) for HIV-neg Controls, HESN and HIV+ partners, respectively. After adjustment, HESN had similar levels of IA with HIV+ partners but significantly higher than that of HIV-neg Controls (adjusted OR = 6.28;95% CI: [2.19 - 18.00]). The association between IA and SEHIV was evaluated in the HIV negative individuals. High frequency of SEHIV was associated with a β2m > 2.2 mg/l (OR = 6.56;95% CI: [1.71 - 25.21]);significantly more than median cut off value of >1.81 mg/l. Conclusions: Our study shows that, despite being uninfected with HIV, HESN individuals show a high level of IA, which was depended on the level of SEHIV.