Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorders (BD) are severe mental illnesses that lack reliable biomarkers to guide diagnosis and management. As immune dysregulation is associated with these disorders, ...we utilized the immunoregulatory functions of the natural killer cell inhibitory HLA-E locus to investigate the relationships between HLA-E genetic and expression diversities with SZ and BD risk and severity. Four hundred and forty-four patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for SZ (N = 161) or BD (N = 283) were compared to 160 heathy controls (HC). Circulating levels of the soluble isoform of HLA-E molecules (sHLA-E) were measured and HLA-E*01:01 and HLA-E*01:03 variants genotyped in the whole sample. sHLA-E circulating levels were significantly higher in both SZ and in BD patients compared to HC (pc < 0.0001 and pc = 0.0007 for SZ and BD, respectively). High sHLA-E levels were also observed in stable SZ patients and in acute BD patients experiencing depressive episodes when comparisons were made between the acute and stable subgroups of each disorder. sHLA-E levels linearly increased along HLA-E genotypes (p = 0.0036). In conclusion, HLA-E variants and level may have utility as diagnostic biomarkers of SZ and BD. The possible roles of HLA diversity in SZ and BD etiology and pathophysiology are discussed.
Background: Recent medical education trends encourage the use of teaching strategies that emphasize student centeredness and self-learning. In this context, the use of new educative technologies is ...stimulated at the Faculty of Medicine of Eduardo Mondlane University (FMUEM) in Mozambique. The Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto (FMUP) and FMUEM have a long-lasting record of collaborative work. Within this framework, both institutions embarked in a partnership, aimed to develop a blended learning course of pathology for undergraduates, shared between the two faculties and incorporating interactive digital microscopy as a central learning tool. Methods: A core team of faculty members from both institutions identified the existing resources and previous experiences in the two faculties. The Moodle course for students from the University of Porto was the basis to implement the current project. The objective was to develop educational modules of mutual interest, designed for e-learning, followed by a voluntary student’s survey conducted in FMUEM to get their perception about the process. Results: We selected contents from the pathology curricula of FMUP and FMUEM that were of mutual interest. We next identified and produced new contents for the shared curricula. The implementation involved joint collaboration and training to prepare the new contents, together with building quizzes for self-evaluation. All the practical sessions were based on the use of interactive digital microscopy. The students have reacted enthusiastically to the incorporation of the online component that increased their performance and motivation for pathology learning. For the students in Porto, the major acquisition was the access to slides from infectious diseases as well as autopsy videos. Conclusions: Our study indicates that students benefited from high-quality educational contents, with emphasis on digital microscopy, in a platform generated in a win-win situation for FMUP and FMUEM.
•BD are underpinned by dysimmunity and oxidative stress/ cellular senescence.•Mitchondria are at the cross road between stress, senescence and inflammation.•Low levels of mitochondria DNAcnv, a ...marker of mt dysfunction, are observed during manic episodes of BD and were correlated with disease severity and inflammation.•Peripheral inflammation was mainly reflected by high levels of adhesion molecules known to be involved in the brain barrier integrity.•Mitochondrial dyfunction may explain, at least partly, the inflammatory background often observed in bipolar disorders.
Mitochondria (Mt) are intra-cellular components essential for cellular energy processes whose dysfunction may induce premature cellular senescence and/or inflammation, both observed in bipolar disorders (BD). We investigated mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) levels in patients with BD being in manic, depressive or euthymic phase and in healthy controls (HC) both characterized for the levels of blood-based inflammatory markers and stigma of pathogens.
312 patients with BD were compared to 180 HC. mtDNAcn were measured using a digital droplet PCR. Serum levels of 14 inflammatory molecules and 3 anti-infectious IgG stigma were respectively evaluated by electro-chemiluminescence, ELISA and dedicated immunoassays. The statistical analyses were performed using Spearman’s correlation, Wilcoxon signed-rank and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests. P-values were adjusted for multiple testing with Benjamini-Hochberg method.
We found low levels of mtDNAcn in BD patients as compared to HC (P = 0.008) especially during manic episodes (P = 0.0002). We also observed that low levels of mtDNAcn are negatively correlated with mood and psychotic scales (PANSS, YMRS and CGI) (adjusted P (Adj P) = 0.02, 0.003 and 0.05 respectively) and positively with the GAF severity scale (Adj P = 0.002). They were also correlated with high levels of both intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 (Adj P = 0.003 and 0.001) along with a trend toward increased IL-2, IL-10 and B2M circulating levels (Adj P = 0.05).
Here, we report correlations between marker of mitochondria functioning and both clinical scales and inflammatory markers in BD patients experiencing manic episodes. If replicated, these finding might allow to predict transition between disease phases and to design accurate therapeutic options.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health concern, ranking as the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. However, in Africa, CRC is the fifth ...most common invasive malignancy. Limited data hinder our understanding of the evolving burden of CRC in sub-Saharan Africa. This study explores CRC trends in Mozambique, utilising data from population-based oncological registries.
CRC data were gathered from Beira and Maputo population-based cancer registries, along with supplementary information from pathology-based and hospital-based registries. Comparative analyses were performed across different time periods, focusing on trends and epidemiological characteristics.
Incidence rates of CRC in Maputo and Beira were relatively low historically. However, data from recent years showed an increase, especially in age groups above 50. Analyses from pathology-based and hospital-based registries affirmed the rising trend. The age-standardised incidence rate in Maputo (2015-2017) was 3.17 for males and 2.55 for females. Beira exhibited increasing rates between 2009 and 2020, particularly in individuals aged 50 and above.
The study reveals an emerging burden of CRC in Mozambique, challenging the perception of low incidence. The rising trend underscores the necessity for tailored interventions, emphasizing early diagnosis, preventive strategies, and investments in healthcare infrastructure to address the increasing CRC burden in the region.
•This is the first study to evaluate health students’ preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa•It provides empirical evidence on preparedness towards future pandemics•Students had good ...knowledge of the cause, transmission and prevention of COVID-19•Nursing curricula adequately prepare students for infection prevention, e.g. COVID-19
We assessed the knowledge, preparedness, and attitude of health profession students towards COVID-19 outbreak in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to recruit participants from institutions under African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth). The survey was developed in QuestionPro software covering the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and preparedness towards the COVID-19 outbreak. Data were analysed and the association between variables was tested.
The mean age of the 336 students was 25•75 (±7•88) years. Most (99•7%) knew the cause of COVID-19 which could be transmitted via droplets (97•3%). Several participants vowed to adhere to preventive measures (92•3%) and claimed their curriculum equipped them with skills addressing infectious disease outbreaks (63•6%). Nursing students were better prepared than other students (p=0•001). Students from West African regions were more prepared (p=0•001) and aware they could contract COVID-19 if they cared for infected persons (p=0•001).
Students are knowledgeable about COVID-19, adequately prepared to handle epidemics, have a positive attitude towards infection prevention, and their training institutions and government have taken adequate measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak.
AFREhealth
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