The Pattern of Admission, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes Among Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Tanzania: A 5-Year Retrospective Review.

Introduction: Despite the implementation of complex interventions, ICU mortality remains high and more so in developing countries. The demand for critical care in Sub-Saharan Africa is more than ever before as the region experiences a double burden of rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the background battle of combating infectious diseases. Limited studies in Tanzania have reported varying factors associated with markedly high rates of ICU mortality. Investigating the burden of ICU care remains crucial in providing insights into the effectiveness and challenges of critical care delivery. Material and Methods: A single-center retrospective study that reviewed records of all medically admitted patients admitted to the ICU of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, from 1st October 2018 to 30th April 2023. To define the population in the study, we used descriptive statistics. Patients' outcomes were categorized based on ICU survival. Binary logistic regression was run (at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05) to identify the determinants for ICU mortality. Results: Medical records of 717 patients were reviewed. The cohort was male (n=472,65.8%) and African predominant (n=471,65.7%) with a median age of 58 years (IQR 45.0-71.0). 17.9% of patients did not survive. The highest mortality was noted amongst patients with septic shock (29.3%). The lowest survival was noted amongst patients requiring three organ support (n=12,2.1%). Advanced age (OR 1.02,CI 1.00-1.04), having more than three underlying comorbidities (OR 2.50,CI 1.96-6.60), use of inotropic support (OR 3.58,CI 1.89-6.80) and mechanical ventilation (OR 9.11,CI 4.72-18.11) showed association with increased risk for mortality in ICU. Conclusion: The study indicated a much lower ICU mortality rate compared to similar studies conducted in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Advanced age, underlying multiple comorbidities and organ support were associated with ICU mortality. Large multi-center studies are needed to highlight the true burden of critical care illness in Tanzania.

Severe Crohn's Disease With Intra-abdominal Fistula: First Reported Case From Tanzania.

We describe a case of Crohn's disease occurring in a young Tanzanian female. Crohn's disease is rare in Africa and not encountered normally. The presentation of Crohn's disease overlaps with many other abdominal disorders that are common in an African setting, such as tuberculosis and schistosomiasis. The disease is probably underdiagnosed in Africa due to limitations in diagnostic testing and rarity.

Revisiting Caroli Syndrome in a Tanzanian Patient.

Caroli disease and Caroli syndrome are two rare congenital diseases of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Caroli syndrome is characterized by the saccular dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts associated with congenital hepatic fibrosis. It is rarely diagnosed in childhood. We hereby describe a case of Caroli syndrome in a young Tanzanian female who had abdominal pain and distension since childhood. Her history suggested the presence of portal hypertension possibly from congenital hepatic fibrosis. The diagnosis was reached based on ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP).

Disseminated Carcinomatosis of Bone Marrow in an African Man with Metastatic Descending Colon Carcinoma.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked third worldwide and seventh in Tanzania. The liver and lungs are the most commonly involved sites. Disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow (DCBM) from colorectal carcinoma is rare and typically indicates widespread disease and poor prognosis. We report a case of a 40-year-old African male, who presented to us with abdominal distension, weight loss, fever and change in bowel habit over the past month. He underwent colonoscopy which revealed a necrotic mass in the descending colon. Biopsies were taken, and histopathology confirmed the presence of poorly differentiated mucin-producing adenocarcinoma. The patient suffered a colonic perforation after the fifth cycle of chemotherapy, requiring surgical interventions. Patient's course was complicated by pancytopenia and bone marrow biopsy revealed infiltration by non-hematopoietic malignant cells and bone marrow necrosis. Disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow is a rare and fatal condition; hence high level of clinical suspicion may help in detecting this rare manifestation of colorectal cancer.

Pseudomyxoma pleurii and peritonei secondary to sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma: a rare clinico-pathologico-radiological presentation.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare condition resulting from mucin-producing tumors that have disseminated into intraperitoneal implants and mucinous ascites. The extra-abdominal spread of PMP is exceptionally rare, with few reported cases in the medical literature. Pseudomyxoma pleurii is an infrequently encountered clinical syndrome characterized by transdiaphragmatic pleural extension and spread of PMP. The disease is highly fatal. We hereby report a case of 58 years old woman who presented with an abdominal distension and shortness of breath of 2 months duration. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of large mucin-producing rectosigmoid adenomatous polypoid lesion with malignant transformation and PMP that had spread to the right pleural space. PMP from colon tumor is uncommon and its transdiaphragmatic pleural extension is very unusual complicated by management challenge and high mortality rate.

Plexiform Fibromyxoma: A Rare Gastric Tumor.

Plexiform fibromyxoma is a rare and distinctive benign mesenchymal neoplasm that occurs in the gastric antrum. This tumor has a potential for misdiagnosis as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). It causes mucosa and vascular ulcerations without advancement of the tumor. Cytological bland spindle cells within a variably myxoid stroma characterize the histology of the tumor. We report the case of a 41-year-old African Tanzanian lady who presented with melena and recurrent anemia. Endoscopy and imaging studies revealed antral mass with initial suspicion of a GIST. However, immunohistochemically it turned to be a plexiform fibromyxoma. Follow-up evaluation 12 months after surgery revealed no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. This is a very uncommon tumor, which, to our knowledge, has been reported only once in Africa. The clinicians need to be aware of this rare occurrence to avoid misdiagnosis as GIST tumor.

Influence of gastritis on cyclooxygenase-2 expression before and after eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection.

OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic gastritis and induces cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression. The relationship between gastritis and COX-2 expression is not well understood, especially long after the organism has been eradicated. We designed a study to elucidate this relationship. METHODS: Four endoscopic gastric biopsies from each of 118 H. pylori-infected subjects were assessed for COX-2 expression immunohistochemically, gastritis, by an updated Sydney System. In the 107 successfully eradicated subjects, the assessment was repeated once yearly, for 3 years. RESULTS: After successful eradication, COX-2 expression was reduced significantly regardless of site. Atrophy improved significantly and intestinal metaplasia improved but not in the antrum greater curvature. After 1 year COX-2 expression was not significantly different in the epithelia with and without intestinal metaplasia. Correlation between COX-2 expression and neutrophil score in the antrum (r = 0.214, P = 0.042) and inflammation in the corpus (r = 0.234, P = 0.025) disappeared after eradication. COX-2 expression correlated well with atrophy and metaplasia before and after eradication. No significant reduction in COX-2 or improvement in gastritis was found in subjects with eradication failure. CONCLUSION: H. pylori infection is associated with the enhancement of COX-2 expression in the gastric mucosa. Eradication therapy reduces COX-2 expression and hence may reduce the risk of cancer development.

Impact of clarithromycin resistance and CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism on treatment efficacy of Helicobacter pylori infection with lansoprazole- or rabeprazole-based triple therapy in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori treatment failure is thought to be due mainly to polymorphic cytochrome P450 2C19 (CPY2C19) genetic polymorphism, associated with proton pump inhibitor metabolism, and antimicrobial susceptibility. This report has ascertained which was more important, CPY2C19 polymorphism or antimicrobial susceptibility, when using 1-week lansoprazole-based or rabeprazole-based triple therapy in Japan. DESIGN: An open, randomized, parallel group study. SETTING: One hundred and forty-five subjects with H. pylori-positive gastritis or peptic ulcers were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg lansoprazole twice daily (LAC group), 10 mg rabeprazole twice daily (RAC20 group), or 20 mg rabeprazole twice daily (RAC40 group), with 1000 mg amoxicillin twice daily and 400 mg clarithromycin twice daily for 1 week. Antimicrobial resistance testing was performed by E-test. More than 4 weeks after completion of treatment, H. pylori status was assessed by 13C-urea breath test, histology, and culture. RESULTS: Cure rates expressed as intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, respectively, were 79.6 and 83.0% with LAC, 85.4 and 89.1% with RAC20, and 83.3 and 88.9% with RAC40. In the case of clarithromycin-sensitive strains, the cure rates were more than 97%, regardless of CPY2C19 polymorphism. However, treatment succeeded in only one out of 16 clarithromycin-resistant strains. CONCLUSIONS: The key to successful eradication of H. pylori, using lansoprazole or rabeprazole with clarithromycin and amoxicillin, is clarithromycin susceptibility, not CPY2C19 polymorphism.

HLA-DQB1 locus and gastric cancer in Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It has been suggested that the incidence of digestive diseases associated with Helicobacter pylori is influenced by the strain diversity of H. pylori, factors involving the host or environment, and the duration of infection. The authors have previously reported that human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQB1*0401 plays an important role in the development of atrophic gastritis in H. pylori infected patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between HLA-DQB1 genotype and cancer development. METHODS: HLA-DQB1 genotyping was performed by the PCR-RFLP method on 122 H. pylori-infected non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) patients, 53 gastric cancer patients and 28 uninfected controls. To reliably estimate the grade of atrophic gastritis, histological evaluation was performed. RESULTS: The allele frequency of DQB1*0401 was significantly higher in intestinal type cancer patients compared with age- and sex-matched H. pylori-infected NUD patients. There was no significant difference in the mean atrophic scores of the biopsy samples from the lesser curvature of the mid-corpus between these groups. CONCLUSIONS: HLA-DQB1*0401 is a useful marker for determining susceptibility to intestinal type gastric cancer.

Effect of Helicobacter pylori-induced cyclooxygenase-2 on gastric epithelial cell kinetics: implication for gastric carcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 induced by Helicobacter pylori is thought to enhance gastric carcinogenesis by affecting the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gastric biopsies from 160 subjects, 97 with nonulcer dyspepsia (47 H. pylori negative, 50 H. pylori positive) and 63 with gastric cancer were examined immunohistochemically for COX-2 expression, cell proliferation and apoptotic indices. RESULTS: COX-2 expression in corpus was significantly higher in H. pylori positive than in negative non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) (p <.05). Regardless of site, gastric cancer subjects had higher COX-2 expression in both antrum and corpus compared with H. pylori negative and positive NUD (p <.005). Proliferation was higher in cancer and H. pylori positive than in negative NUD (p <.0001). Moreover, cancer had enhanced proliferation than H. pylori positive NUD in corpus greater (p =.0454) and antrum lesser (p =.0215) curvatures. Apoptosis was higher in H. pylori positive than in negative NUD (p <.05). However, both had a higher index than the cancer subjects (p <.0001). Apoptosis : proliferation ratio was higher in corpus of H. pylori negative than in positive NUD in greater (p =.0122) and lesser (p =.0009) curvatures. However, both had a higher A:P ratio than cancer cases (p =.0001). A negative correlation between COX-2 expression and A:P ratio was found in corpus greater (r = -.176, p =.0437) and lesser (r = -.188, p =.0312) curvatures. CONCLUSION: The expression of COX-2 is associated with disruption in gastric epithelial kinetics and hence may play a role in gastric carcinogenesis.

Relationship between gastric ulcer and Helicobacter pylori VacA detected in gastric juice using bead-ELISA method.

BACKGROUND: VacA is an important pathogenetic factor produced by Helicobacter pylori. VacA has often been detected in supernatants of liquid cultures or lysates of whole bacterial cells. However, no studies have ever tried to assay VacA produced in the human stomach. We applied a very sensitive and simple method, bead-ELISA, to detect VacA in gastric juice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight H. pylori-positive patients (16 nonulcer dyspepsia, 16 gastric ulcer, and 16 duodenal ulcer) and four H. pylori-negative nonulcer dyspepsia patients had endoscopy performed and gastric juice were aspirated. Polystyrene beads coated with the antibody to VacA, were used in this bead-ELISA method. The nucleotide sequences of vacA in the signal and middle regions were investigated. RESULTS: Of the 48 samples that were positive for H. pylori, 21 [43.8%] were found to be VacA positive in gastric juice. The average and maximum concentrations of detected VacA in gastric juice were 143.2 +/- 216.5 and 840 pg/ml, respectively. The average density of VacA from gastric ulcer patients (227.5 +/- 276.7 pg/ml) was higher than that found in nonulcer dyspepsia (51.8 +/- 39.8 pg/ml) and duodenal ulcer (49.2 +/- 21.5 pg/ml) patients. There was no relationship between VacA in gastric juice and vacA genotype. CONCLUSIONS: VacA in gastric juice could be directly detected by bead-ELISA. In this study, the diversity of disease outcome was associated with not the quality but the quantity of VacA. Therefore, not only the quality but also the quantity of VacA is important etiological factors in the pathogenesis of mucosal damage.