There is a high prevalence of blood-borne infections in West Africa. This study sought to determine the seroprevalence of blood-borne infections, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus ...(HCV), HIV, and syphilis, in blood donors in Burkina Faso. Blood donors were recruited from 2009 to 2013 in four major cities in Burkina Faso of urban area (Ouagadougou) and rural area (Bobo Dioulasso, Fada N'Gourma, and Ouahigouya). Serology tests including hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and rapid plasma reagin test were used for screening and were confirmed with ELISA. Disease prevalence was calculated among first-time donors. Incidence and residual risk were calculated from repeat donors. There were 166,681 donors; 43,084 had ≥ 2 donations. The overall seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 13.4%, 6.9%, 2.1%, and 2.4%, respectively. The incidence rates (IRs) of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis infection were 2,433, 3,056, 1,121, and 1,287 per 100,000 person-years. There was lower seroprevalence of HBV and HCV in urban area than in rural area (12.9% versus 14.0%, P < 0.001; and 5.9% versus 8.0%, P < 0.001), and no difference in HIV (2.1% versus 2.1%, P = 0.25). The IRs of new HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 2.43, 3.06, 1.12, and 1.29 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The residual risk was one per 268 donations for HBV, one per 181 donations for HCV, and one per 1,480 donations for HIV, respectively. In conclusion, this comprehensive study from four blood donation sites in Burkina Faso showed high HBV and HCV seroprevalence and incidence with high residual risk from blood donation.
Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health problem worldwide. In Burkina Faso, nearly 720,000 people are living with HCV, and each year about 900 people die from ...complications of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was planned to determine the HCV seroprevalence, characterize circulating genotypes, and monitor HCV viral loads in patients under treatment with antivirals. Methods: A total of 4,124 individuals and 167 patients in the pre-therapy program were recruited. The “SD Bioline HCV” kit was used for rapid screening of anti-HCV antibodies. Viral load and genotyping were performed in 167 HCV patients on antivirals using the “Iontek HCV Quant” and “Iontek genotyping” kits. Results: Prevalence of HCV was 1.65% (68/4,124), and the median viral load of participants was 5.37 log10/mL (1.32–7.67 log10/mL). Genotype 2 was predominant with a frequency of 86.23% (144/167) and appeared to be more active with higher viral load compared to 13.77% (23/167) for genotype 1 (p < 0.001). After 24 weeks of pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals, such as sofosbuvir/daclatasvir and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, the viral loads of all patients became undetectable. Conclusion: The responses to antivirals by the circulating genotypes indicate that the results are very satisfactory. Therefore, the prevalence of HCV in the population can be reduced through identification of cases and treatment.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) belongs to the Retroviridae family and remains a public health problem in sub‐Saharan Africa. Recent reports from WHO have shown that 33 million people died ...from HIV infections. HIV is one of the most serious fatal human diseases of the 20th and 21st centuries. However, variations in genetic and immunological factors are associated with protection against HIV infection in uninfected people exposed to HIV. This is the case with naturals killers which play an important role in the progression or regression of HIV infection. The objective of this study is to characterize certain HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genes and KIR genes in HIV‐1 serodiscordant couples in Burkina Faso. This study was carried out at Burkina Faso among nineteen (19) HIV‐1 serodiscordant couples. Classical multiplex PCR (SSP‐PCR) was used to characterize the presence or absence of the KIR genes and certain class II HLAs (DRB1*11 and DRB1*12). The characterization of the KIR and HLA genes DRB1*11, DRB1*12 in this study demonstrated that the inhibitor KIR2DL5B, would confer protection against HIV‐1 infection in seronegative partners (odd ratio OR = 0.13 0.02−0.72 and p = 0.029), and the HLA DRB1*12 allele was associated with protection against HIV‐1 infection in seronegative partners (OR = 0.16 0.03−0.77 and p = 0.038). AA and Bx haplotypes were not found to be associated with HIV‐1 infection in serodiscordant couples. This study confirms the involvement of the KIR genes in viral pathologies such as HIV‐1 infection. Future larger‐scale studies may provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanism by which the KIR haplotype and combination of KIR/HLA are associated with protection against HIV infection.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women in both developed and developing countries. It is multifactorial, including genetic predispositions such as oncogenic mutations on BRCA1 and 2 ...genes. The objectives of the present study were to identify oncogenic mutations in exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene and to determine the risk factors for breast cancer among women population in Burkina Faso. This study involved 100 women, including 50 cases of breast cancer and 50 controls (no clinical signs and no family history of breast cancer or other cancers). Mutations in the BRCA1 gene were detected by PCR using sequence primers specific for exon 11 fragments (11.1 and 11.2). In our study population, age (OR=22.40; CI: 4.33-115.82; p0.001) and obesity (OR=4.23; CI: 1.64-10.92; p=0.003) were risk factors while multiparity was a protective factor for breast cancer (OR=0.35; CI: 0.15-0.81; p=0.02). A mutation was found on both fragments 11.1 and 11.2 of the BRCA1 gene exon 11 in 04/50 (8.0 %) of patients. No mutations were observed in controls. The present study revealed high frequency of oncogenic mutations in exon 11 fragments (11.1 and 11.2) of the BRCA1 gene. These mutations on exon 11 are and involved in the occurrence of breast cancer in our population. Age and obesity were also risk factors for breast cancer among women population in Burkina Faso.
Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is a public health problem in Burkina Faso. OBI represents a risk factor for the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). OBI could be due to ...mutant viruses undetectable by HBsAg assays or a strong suppression of viral replication and gene expression under the pression of the host immune system. To investigate the role of killer cell immunoglobulin‑like receptor (KIR) gene polymorphisms in patients with OBI in Burkina Faso compared to healthy and chronic hepatitis B subjects. A total of 286 participants was recruited, including 42 cases of OBI, 110 cases of chronic hepatitis B and 134 HBV negative subjects. SSP‑PCR was performed to search for the presence of KIR genes. The HBV viral load was determined by qPCR. The frequencies of the activator gene KIR2DS5 (P=0.045) and the pseudogene KIR2DP1 (P0.001) in patients with OBI were higher than those in patients with chronic hepatitis B. These genes are associated with susceptibility of occult hepatitis B infection. The frequencies of the inhibitory KIR gene KIR2DL3 (P=0.01) of patients with occult hepatitis B were lower than those in chronic hepatitis B patients. This gene KIR2DL3 is associated with protection against occult hepatitis B infection. Also, the frequencies of the inhibitory KIR genes KIR2DL2 (P0.001), KIR2DL3 (P0.001) and activators KIR2DS2 (P0.001) in chronic hepatitis B patients were higher compared to the frequencies of the KIR genes in healthy subjects. These genes KIR2DL3, KIR2DL5 (A, B), KIR3DL3, KIR3DS1, KIR2DL2 and KIR2DS2 are thought to be genes associated with the susceptibility to OBI. The KIR2DS5 and KIR2DP1 genes could be associated with susceptibility to OBI. As for the KIR gene KIR2DL3 could be associated with protection against occult hepatitis B infection.
Glaucoma is a group of degenerative diseases of the optic nerve whose predisposing factors may be genetic. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of the Glu323Lys mutation as a ...genetic risk factor for glaucoma.
A cross-sectional study over 6 months from October 2020 to March 2021 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. A total of 89 samples of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) were collected. The frequency of the Glu323Lys mutation of the myocilin, trabecular meshwork inducible glucocorticoid response (
) gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism.
In glaucoma patients, only homozygous nonmutated guanine-guanine (GG) and heterozygous mutated adenine-guanine (AG) genotypes were found in 96.63 and 3.37% of cases, respectively. Around 69.66% of patients had a family history of glaucoma, 28.09% had a history of hypertension, and 7.86% had a history of diabetes.
The frequency of the Glu323Lys mutation of the
gene was 3.37% in the glaucoma population in Ouagadougou. A case-control study is necessary to know the contribution of the Glu323Lys mutation as a genetic risk factor for glaucoma in our study population.
This study constituted the beginning of genetic investigations of glaucoma in our context and showed a low Glu323Lys mutation.
Traoré L, Sanou J, Bakyono BS,
Prevalence of Glu323Lys Mutation of the
Gene and Risk Factors amongst Primary Open-angle Glaucoma Patients in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2023;17(2):79-84.
Recent genome-wide association studies and replication analyses have reported the association of variants of the exostosin- 2 gene (EXT2) and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in some populations, but ...not in others. This study aimed to characterize the variants rs1113132, rs3740878 and rs11037909 of EXT2 and to determine the existence of a possible correlation with T2D in Burkina Faso. It is a case-control study undertaken in Burkina Faso in the city of Ouagadougou at the Hospital of Saint Camille of Ouagadougou from December 2014 to June 2015. It relates to 121 type 2 diabetes cases and 134 controls. The genotyping of these polymorphisms was done by real-time PCR using the allelic exclusion method with TaqMan probes. The minor allele frequencies (MAFs) was almost identical in diabetic and control subjects for the all three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) with no statistical significance, p0.05: rs1113132 (OR=0.89; p=0.82); rs11037909 (OR=0.89; p=0.74) and rs3740878 (OR=1.52; p=0.42). None of the three polymorphisms studied was associated with the risk of DT2. However, an association between the BMI, age and type 2 diabetes was noted. The variants of EXT2 would not be associated to the risk of T2D in the African black population of Burkina Faso.
The low rate of screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) in pregnant women is a highrisk factor for its vertical transmission. The objectives of this study were: i) to screen pregnant women for HBV ...infection; ii) vaccinate all children from birth against HBV regardless their mother HBV status; and iii) evaluate after 7 months of birth the level of their AbHBs among babies who received HBV vaccine at birth. Serological markers of HBV (HBsAg, HBeAg, AbHBs, AbHBe, and AbHBc) were determined on venous blood samples from 237 pregnant women and their children using the Abon Biopharm Kit. One hundred and two (102) children received the three doses of the EUVAX B® vaccine respectively at birth, two months and four months of life. Seven months after delivery, venous blood samples were collected from mothers and their children. Antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (AbHBs) were measured in vaccinated children using the ELISA Kit AbHBs Quantitative EIA. DNA extraction was performed on samples from HBV-seropositive mothers and their children using the Ribo Virus (HBV Real-TM Qual) Kit and for Real Time PCR, the HBV Real-TM Qual Kit was used. Serological diagnosis in pregnant women revealed 22 (9.28%) hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive samples of which 21 were positive for viral DNA by real-time PCR. Among the 22 HBsAg+ women, five (05) transmitted the virus to their children with a vertical transmission rate of 22.73%. A transmission rate of 23.81% (5/21) was found with the PCR method. Analysis of AbHBs levels revealed that 98.31% of the children had an average concentration of 218.07 ± 74.66 IU/L, which is well above the minimum threshold for protection (11 IU/L). This study has confirmed that vertical transmission of HBV is a reality in Burkina Faso and that vaccination at birth would significantly reduce this transmission.
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to search for mutations in the BRCA1 (c.5177_5180delGAAA and c.4986+6T>C) and BRCA2 genes (c.6445_6446delAT) in a population of women diagnosed with breast ...cancer.METHODS: This is a case-control study that involved 140 participants, including 70 patients with histologically diagnosed breast cancer and 70 healthy women without breast cancer. Mutations in the BRCA1 (rs80357867, rs80358086) and BRCA2 (rs80359592) genes were tested by real-time PCR. The 95% confidence interval Odds Ratio (OR) was used to estimate the associations between specific genotypes and breast cancer.RESULTS: The study revealed that no mutations were detected for rs80359592. Similarly, no reference allele (TTTC/TTTC) of rs80357867 was found in this study. However, the homozygous double mutant (-/) genotype of this rs80357867 was observed in 11.43% and 1.43% of patients and controls respectively, while 88.57% of patients and 98.57% of controls had a heterozygous deletion (TTTC/-). Concerning rs80358086, 8.57% of the patients had a heterozygous mutation (A/G) with no significantly risk association with occurrence of breast cancer (OR = 6.46; 95% CI: 0.75-55.21; p = 0.11). In addition, this heterozygous mutation was significantly associated with a family history of breast cancer (OR=128; 95% CI: 9.46-1730.93) and breast cancer risk in nonmultiparous women (OR=6; 95% CI: 1-35.90; p= 0.05) but no association with overweight/obesity (OR=1.66; 95% CI: 0.18-15.35; p=1).CONCLUSION: This study shows high frequencies of heterozygous mutation of rs80357867 and rs80358086 from patients. In Burkina Faso, these results could help with early diagnosis of breast cancer in patients.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, African countries have been faced with a rapid increase in morbidity and mortality due to this pathology. Management is often ...complicated by the high treatment costs, side effects and the increasing occurrence of resistance to treatments. The identification of new active ingredients extracted from endemic medicinal plants is definitively an interesting approach for the implementation of new therapeutic strategies: their extraction is often lower cost; their identification is based on an ethnobotanical history and a tradipratic approach; their use by low-income populations is simpler; this can help in the development of new synthetic molecules that are more active, more effective and with fewer side effects. The objective of this review is to document the molecules derived from African medicinal plants whose
anti-cancer activities and the mechanisms of molecular actions have been identified. From the scientific databases
, PubMed and Google Scholar, we searched for publications on compounds isolated from African medicinal plants and having activity on cancer cells in culture. The data were analyzed in particular with regard to the cytotoxicity of the compounds and their mode of action. A total of 90 compounds of these African medicinal plants were selected. They come from nine chemical groups: alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, quinones, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, xanthones and organic sulfides. These compounds have been associated with several cellular effects: i) Cytotoxicity, including caspase activation, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential, and/or induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS); ii) Anti-angiogenesis; iii) Anti-metastatic properties. This review points out that the cited African plants are rich in active ingredients with anticancer properties. It also stresses that screening of these anti-tumor active ingredients should be continued at the continental scale. Altogether, this work provides a rational basis for the selection of phytochemical compounds for use in clinical trials.