Virus Load Kinetics in Lassa Fever Patients Treated With Ribavirin: A Retrospective Cohort Study From Southern Nigeria.

Background: The standard of care for Lassa fever is the use of ribavirin with supportive therapy. There is little information on the course of viremia and its relationship with clinical outcomes in patients treated with ribavirin. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of virologic and clinical parameters of 152 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-confirmed Lassa fever cases admitted and treated with ribavirin therapy. We describe the Lassa virus RNA kinetics in blood in relation to the clinical course of the patients. Results: The overall mortality was 9%. The median duration (interquartile range [IQR]) of illness before admission was 8 (5-12) days. Median (IQR) Ct values on admission (t0 ) were lower among patients who died (21 [20-27]) than in those who survived (34 [30-37]; P < .01). The receiver operating characteristics curve of the association between outcome and Ct value at t0 had a high classification performance, with an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.86-0.98). The median time to viral clearance (IQR) was 10 (5-15) days. The viral load decreased steadily with the duration of treatment, and all survivors achieved viral clearance within 25 days of hospitalization. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the Ct value on admission has prognostic value and Lassa fever patients treated with ribavirin typically clear the virus within 3-4 weeks of hospitalization. This kinetics has implications for the design of clinical case management and future clinical trial protocols.

Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in an Isolation Centre in South-West Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can vary widely, and while the primary infection involves the respiratory system, other organs can also be affected. This study presents the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital in Ado Ekiti, South-West Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving COVID-19 patients admitted to the isolation ward between August 2020 and January 2021. The data used for this study was obtained from the patient's medical record, which includes demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, baseline co-morbidities, and laboratory investigations. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 60.3 years, and more than two-thirds were male. The most common symptoms were fever, shortness of breath, cough, and tiredness. Comorbidities identified among the patients included diabetes mellitus, heart disease, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The most common radiological findings were bilateral homogeneous patchy opacities and peripheral fluffy infiltrates. The overall mortality rate was 21.9%, with 13 deaths in patients with severe disease. Age and duration of admission were found to be significant predictors of death. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide valuable insights into the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in Nigeria and may guide future management strategies for similar infections.

Acute kidney injury and mortality in pediatric Lassa fever versus question of access to dialysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI), and its impact on outcome in hospitalized pediatric patients with Lassa fever (LF). METHODS: We reviewed the presenting clinical and laboratory features and outcomes of 40 successive hospitalized children with PCR-confirmed LF. The diagnosis and staging of AKI was based on KDIGO criteria. We compared groups of patients using t- or χ2 tests as necessary, and took p-values <0.05 as indicative of the presence of significant differences. RESULTS: Sixteen (40%) children had AKI. Case fatality rate (CFR) was 9/16 (56%) in children with and 1/24 (4%) in those without AKI (OR [95% CI] of CFR associated with AKI = 29.57 [3.17, 275.7]). Presentation with abnormal bleeding (p = 0.008), encephalopathy (p = 0.004), hematuria plus proteinuria (p = 0.013), and elevated serum transaminase levels (p <0.02) were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of AKI. CONCLUSION: AKI prevalence in hospitalized pediatric patients with Lassa fever is high, and correlated with illness severity/CFR. The high prevalence underscores the need for access to hemodialysis, and clinical presentation and/or presence of hematuria plus proteinuria could serve as a ready prompt for referral for such specialized care.

Clinical and laboratory predictors of Lassa fever outcome in a dedicated treatment facility in Nigeria: a retrospective, observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease endemic to west Africa. No large-scale studies exist from Nigeria, where the Lassa virus (LASV) is most diverse. LASV diversity, coupled with host genetic and environmental factors, might cause differences in disease pathophysiology. Small-scale studies in Nigeria suggest that acute kidney injury is an important clinical feature and might be a determinant of survival. We aimed to establish the demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors associated with mortality in Nigerian patients with Lassa fever, and hypothesised that LASV was the direct cause of intrinsic renal damage for a subset of the patients with Lassa fever. METHODS: We did a retrospective, observational cohort study of consecutive patients in Nigeria with Lassa fever, who tested positive for LASV with RT-PCR, and were treated in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. We did univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, including logistic regression, of all demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables available at presentation to identify the factors associated with patient mortality. FINDINGS: Of 291 patients treated in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital between Jan 3, 2011, and Dec 11, 2015, 284 (98%) had known outcomes (died or survived) and seven (2%) were discharged against medical advice. Overall case-fatality rate was 24% (68 of 284 patients), with a 1·4 times increase in mortality risk for each 10 years of age (p=0·00017), reaching 39% (22 of 57) for patients older than 50 years. Of 284 patients, 81 (28%) had acute kidney injury and 104 (37%) had CNS manifestations and thus both were considered important complications of acute Lassa fever in Nigeria. Acute kidney injury was strongly associated with poor outcome (case-fatality rate of 60% [49 of 81 patients]; odds ratio [OR] 15, p<0·00001). Compared with patients without acute kidney injury, those with acute kidney injury had higher incidence of proteinuria (32 [82%] of 39 patients) and haematuria (29 [76%] of 38) and higher mean serum potassium (4·63 [SD 1·04] mmol/L) and lower blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (8·6 for patients without clinical history of fluid loss), suggesting intrinsic renal damage. Normalisation of creatinine concentration was associated with recovery. Elevated serum creatinine (OR 1·3; p=0·046), aspartate aminotransferase (OR 1·5; p=0·075), and potassium (OR 3·6; p=0·0024) were independent predictors of death. INTERPRETATION: Our study presents detailed clinical and laboratory data for Nigerian patients with Lassa fever and provides strong evidence for intrinsic renal dysfunction in acute Lassa fever. Early recognition and treatment of acute kidney injury might significantly reduce mortality. FUNDING: German Research Foundation, German Center for Infection Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, US National Institutes of Health, and World Bank.

Chronic renal failure in a patient with bilateral ureterocele.

Ureterocele is a congenital anomaly, in which there is mal-development of the caudal segments of the ureter. There is a female preponderance with most cases seen in Caucasians. Among the reported complications of this condition, chronic renal failure occurring in the setting of ureterocele has not been well documented. We report a case of a young girl with bilateral ureterocele presenting with chronic renal failure, whose management presented a diagnostic failure and inadequate treatment.

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in newly diagnosed patients with Human immunodeficiency virus in Ilorin, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) the causative agent of Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an important cause of renal diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. There is paucity of studies on the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among patients with HIV/AIDS in the North-Central zone of Nigeria. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 227 newly-diagnosed, antiretroviral naïve patients with HIV/AIDS seen at the HIV clinic of the Medical Out-patient Department (MOPD) of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). They were matched with 108 control group. Laboratory investigations were performed for the participants. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and/or albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) > 30 mg/g. RESULTS: There were 100 (44%) males among the patients and 47 (43.5%) among the control group. The mean ages of the patients and controls were 40.3 ± 10.3 years and 41.8 ± 9.5 years respectively. CKD was observed in 108 (47.6%) among the patients and 18 (16.7%) of the controls (p = 0.01). The median CD4 T-cell count was significantly lower in patients with CKD. Ninety-three (41.0%) of the patients had dipstick proteinuria of > 2 +. The median albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) was significantly higher among the HIV-positive patients (272.3 mg/g) compared with the HIV-negative controls (27.22 mg/g) p = 0.01. The CD4 T-cell count correlates positively with eGFR (r = 0.463, p = 0.001) and negatively with ACR (r = -0.806, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CKD is very common among patients with HIV/AIDS in Ilorin. Screening and early intervention for CKD should be part of the protocols in the management of these patients.

Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in newly diagnosed patients with Human immunodeficiency virus in Ilorin, Nigeria / A prevalência de doença renal crônica em pacientes recentemente diagnosticados com o vírus da imunodeficiência humana em llorin, Nigéria

Abstract Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) the causative agent of Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an important cause of renal diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. There is paucity of studies on the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among patients with HIV/AIDS in the North-Central zone of Nigeria. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 227 newly-diagnosed, antiretroviral naïve patients with HIV/AIDS seen at the HIV clinic of the Medical Out-patient Department (MOPD) of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). They were matched with 108 control group. Laboratory investigations were performed for the participants. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and/or albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) > 30 mg/g. Results: There were 100 (44%) males among the patients and 47 (43.5%) among the control group. The mean ages of the patients and controls were 40.3 ± 10.3 years and 41.8 ± 9.5 years respectively. CKD was observed in 108 (47.6%) among the patients and 18 (16.7%) of the controls (p = 0.01). The median CD4 T-cell count was significantly lower in patients with CKD. Ninety-three (41.0%) of the patients had dipstick proteinuria of > 2 +. The median albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) was significantly higher among the HIV-positive patients (272.3 mg/g) compared with the HIV-negative controls (27.22 mg/g) p = 0.01. The CD4 T-cell count correlates positively with eGFR (r = 0.463, p = 0.001) and negatively with ACR (r = -0.806, p = 0.001). Conclusions: CKD is very common among patients with HIV/AIDS in Ilorin. Screening and early intervention for CKD should be part of the protocols in the management of these patients. .

Resumo Introdução: o vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV), o agente causador da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS), é uma importante causa de doenças renais na África subsaariana. Há escassez de estudos sobre o impacto da doença renal crônica (DRC) em pacientes com HIV/AIDS na zona centronorte da Nigéria. Métodos: Este é um estudo transversal com 227 pacientes recém-diagnosticados com HIV/AIDS, não tratados com agentes antirretrovirais, atendidos no ambulatório de HIV do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de Ilorin (UITH). Eles foram pareados com 108 indivíduos do grupo controle. Os pacientes foram submetidos a investigações laboratoriais. A DRC foi definida como taxa estimada de filtração glomerular (eTFG) ≤ 60 ml/min/1,73m2 e/ou a relação entre albumina e creatinina (RAC) ≥ 30 mg/g Resultados: Houve 100 (44%) pacientes do sexo masculino entre os pacientes e 47 (43,5%) entre os indivíduos do grupo controle. As médias de idade dos pacientes e controles foram de 40,3 ± 10,3 anos e 41,8 ± 9,5 anos, respectivamente. A DRC foi observada em 108 indivíduos (47,6%) entre os pacientes e em 18 (16,7%) dos controles (p = 0,01). A contagem mediana de linfócitos T CD4 foi significativamente menor nos pacientes com DRC. Noventa e três (41,0%) dos pacientes tiveram proteinúria ≥ 2 + no exame de dipstick (tiras reagentes). A mediana da relação entre creatinina e albumina (RAC) foi significativamente maior entre os indivíduos HIV-positivos (272,3 mg/g), em comparação com os controles HIV negativos (27,22 mg/g) p = 0,01. A contagem de linfócitos T CD4 correlacionou-se positivamente com a eTFG (r = 0,463, p = 0,001) e negativamente com o RAC (r = -0,806, p = 0,001). Conclusões: DRC é muito comum entre os pacientes com HIV/AIDS em Ilorin. Triagem e intervenção precoce para DRC devem fazer parte dos protocolos de tratamento desses pacientes. .