Forensic DNA database and criminal investigation in the Sahel region: a need to update the national security policy?

Ongoing terrorist attacks in the Sahel region call for strengthening the security system by using human DNA identification technology. In this context, public opinion must be considered when establishing solid standards and universal safeguards for one of the most invasive forms of surveillance and profiling. For this purpose, we gathered internet users' opinions in Burkina Faso (a country located in the Sahel region) on the use of DNA technology to support criminal investigations. The results revealed that 91.7% (431) of the 470 participants believed that this technology is currently necessary for the Burkina Faso's criminal justice system. However, the respondents expressed concerns about the custody and management of a national forensic DNA database. In this particular security setting, the public opinion of this study may provide leaders and political policymakers with clues for considering genetic fingerprints and implementing an national forensic DNA database to support criminal investigations in Burkina Faso whilst also considering the ethical implications.

Genetic diversity and occult hepatitis B infection in Africa: A comprehensive review.

BACKGROUND: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is a globally prevalent infection, with its frequency being influenced by the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in a particular geographic region, including Africa. OBI can be transmitted through blood transfusions and organ transplants and has been linked to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The associated HBV genotype influences the infection. AIM: To highlight the genetic diversity and prevalence of OBI in Africa. METHODS: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and involved a comprehensive search on PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and African Journals Online for published studies on the prevalence and genetic diversity of OBI in Africa. RESULTS: The synthesis included 83 articles, revealing that the prevalence of OBI varied between countries and population groups, with the highest prevalence being 90.9% in patients with hepatitis C virus infection and 38% in blood donors, indicating an increased risk of HBV transmission through blood transfusions. Cases of OBI reactivation have been reported following chemotherapy. Genotype D is the predominant, followed by genotypes A and E. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the prevalence of OBI in Africa, which varies across countries and population groups. The study also demonstrates that genotype D is the most prevalent.

Rotavirus vaccines in Africa and Norovirus genetic diversity in children aged 0 to 5 years old: a systematic review and meta-analysis : Rotavirus vaccines in Africa and Norovirus genetic diversity.

Noroviruses are the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 years old. They are responsible for 200 million cases of diarrhoea and 50,000 deaths in children through the word, mainly in low-income countries. The objective of this review was to assess how the prevalence and genetic diversity of noroviruses have been affected by the introduction of rotavirus vaccines in Africa. PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct databases were searched for articles. All included studies were conducted in Africa in children aged 0 to 5 years old with gastroenteritis. STATA version 16.0 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. The method of Dersimonian and Laird, based on the random effects model, was used for the statistical analyses in order to estimate the pooled prevalence's at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran's Q test using the I2 index. The funnel plot was used to assess study publication bias. A total of 521 studies were retrieved from the databases, and 19 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled norovirus prevalence's for pre- and post-vaccination rotavirus studies were 15% (95 CI, 15-18) and 13% (95 CI, 09-17) respectively. GII was the predominant genogroup, with prevalence of 87.64% and 91.20% respectively for the pre- and post-vaccination studies. GII.4 was the most frequently detected genotype, with rates of 66.84% and 51.24% respectively for the pre- and post-vaccination studies. This meta-analysis indicates that rotavirus vaccination has not resulted in a decrease in norovirus infections in Africa.

In vitro activities and mechanisms of action of anti-cancer molecules from African medicinal plants: a systematic review.

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 in vitro anti-cancer activities and the mechanisms of molecular actions have been identified. From the scientific databases Science Direct, 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.

Carrying SNP rs17506395 (T > G) in TP63 gene and CCR5Δ32 mutation associated with the occurrence of breast cancer in Burkina Faso.

Genetic alterations in the TP63 (GenBank: NC_000003.12, ID: 8626) and CCR5 (receptor 5 chemokine co-receptor) (GenBank: NC_000003.12, ID: 1234) genes may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the probable involvement of polymorphisms rs17506395 in the TP63 (tumour protein 63) gene and the CCR5Δ32 mutation in the occurrence of breast cancer in Burkina Faso. This case-control study included 72 patients and 72 controls. Genotyping of SNP rs17506395 (TP63) was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and genotyping of the CCR5Δ32 mutation was performed by allele-specific oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction. For SNP rs17506395 (TP63), the genotypic frequencies of wild-type homozygotes (TT) and heterozygotes (TG) were, respectively, 27.72 and 72.22% in cases and 36.11 and 63.89% in controls. No mutated homozygotes (GG) were observed. For the CCR5Δ32 mutation, the genotypic frequencies of wild-type homozygotes (WT/WT) and heterozygotes (WT/Δ32) were 87.5 and 13.5%, respectively, in the cases and 89.29 and 10.71%, respectively, in the controls. No mutated homozygotes (Δ32/Δ32) were observed. None of the polymorphisms rs17506395 of the TP63 gene (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.69-3.17, P = 0.284) and the CCR5Δ32 mutation (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.46-3.77; P = 0.79) were associated with the occurrence of breast cancer in this study.

Forensic autosomal and gonosomal short tandem repeat marker reference database for populations in Burkina Faso.

Tandem repeat genetic profiles used in forensic applications varies between populations. Despite the diversity and security issues in the Sahel that require the identification of victims (soldiers and civilians), Burkina Faso (BF) remains understudied. To fill this information gap, 396 unrelated individuals from BF were genotyped using a MICROREADER 21 ID System kit. All 20 short tandem repeat (STR) loci tested passed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test. The combined powers of exclusion for duos (CPE duos) and trios (CPE trios) for the 20 tested loci were 0.9999998 and 0.9999307, respectively. The probability that two individuals would share the same DNA profiles among the BF population was 9.80898 × 10-26. For the X-chromosome STR analysis, 292 individuals were included in this study using a MICROREADER 19X Direct ID System kit. Among the 19 loci, no significant deviations from HWE test were observed in female samples after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05/19 = 0.0026), except for loci GATA165B12 and DXS7423. The results showed that the combined power of exclusion (CPE) and the combined power of discrimination in females (CPDF) and males (CPDM) were 0.999999760893, 0.999999999992, and 1, respectively. Comparison with other African sub-populations showed that geographical proximity is a reliable indicator of genetic relatedness.

Distribution of high- and low-risk human papillomavirus genotypes and their prophylactic vaccination coverage among West African women: systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The second most deadly gynecological cancer worldwide, cervical cancer is steadily on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa, while vaccination programs are struggling to get off the ground. This systematic review's aim was to assess the prevalence and distribution of high- and low-risk HPV genotypes in West African women. METHODS: Original studies were retrieved from PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. In these studies, Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA was assessed in cervical samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Hybrid capture, and sequencing. The quality of the articles was assessed and the results were extracted and reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-nine studies from 10 West African countries were included for the systematic review including 30 for the pooled analysis. From an overall of 17358 participants, 5126 of whom were infected with at least one HPV genotype, the systematic review showed a prevalence varying from 8.9% to 81.8% in the general population. In contrast, the pooled prevalence of infection was 28.6% (n = 3890; 95% CI 27.85-29.38), and HPV-52 (13.3%), HPV-56 (9.3%), and HPV-35 (8.2) were the most frequent. Quadrivalent and nonavalent vaccines covered 18.2% and 55.8% of identified genotypes respectively. CONCLUSION: Faced with this growing public health challenge in West Africa, it would be necessary for all its countries to have reliable data on HPV infection and to introduce the nonavalent vaccine. A study of the genotypic distribution of HPV in high-grade precancerous lesions and cervical cancer would be very useful in West Africa.

Adhesion and virulence properties of native Metarhizium fungal strains from Burkina Faso for the control of malaria vectors.

BACKGROUND: Local strains of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium pingshaense in Burkina Faso have demonstrated remarkable virulence against malaria vectors, positioning them as promising candidates for inclusion in the future arsenal of malaria control strategies. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this virulence remain unknown. To comprehend the fungal infection process, it is crucial to investigate the attachment mechanisms of fungal spores to the mosquito cuticle and explore the relationship between virulence and attachment kinetics. This study aims to assess the adhesion and virulence properties of native Metarhizium fungal strains from Burkina Faso for controlling malaria vectors. METHODS: Fungal strains were isolated from 201 insects and 1399 rhizosphere samples, and four strains of Metarhizium fungi were selected. Fungal suspensions were used to infect 3-day-old female Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes at three different concentrations (106, 107, 108 conidia/ml). The survival of the mosquitoes was measured over 14 days, and fungal growth was quantified after 1 and 24 h to assess adhesion of the fungal strains onto the mosquito cuticle. RESULTS: All four fungi strains increased mosquito mortality compared to control (Chi-square test, χ2 = 286.55, df = 4, P < 0.001). Adhesion of the fungal strains was observed on the mosquito cuticle after 24 h at high concentrations (1 × 108 conidia/ml), with one strain, having the highest virulent, showing adhesion after just 1 h. CONCLUSION: The native strains of Metarhizium spp. fungi found in Burkina Faso have the potential to be effective biocontrol agents against malaria vectors, with some strains showing high levels of both virulence and adhesion to the mosquito cuticle.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor alleles influence susceptibility to occult hepatitis B infection in West African population.

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 (P<0.001) 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 (P<0.001), KIR2DL3 (P<0.001) and activators KIR2DS2 (P<0.001) 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.

Association of HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12 gene polymorphism with COVID-19 in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: The clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can vary widely, ranging from asymptomatic to severe, and may be influenced by the host genetic background. The aim of the present study was to determine the frequencies of HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12 allele polymorphisms and their associations with COVID-19. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 198 subjects were enrolled, including 150 COVID-19 positive cases and 48 subjects who tested negative for COVID-19. Participants were recruited from the emergency, intensive care, and infectious diseases departments of the Bogodogo Centre University Hospital (CHU-B) or the routine laboratory of Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA). Genomic DNA was extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs samples and multiplex PCR-SSP was used to detect the HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12 alleles. The study was approved by CERS (№ 2021-02-033). RESULTS: The positive cases were categorized into 38 asymptomatic (CC+), 60 symptomatic (NC+), and 52 severe cases (SC+). Females were more frequent in the overall study population (53.0%, 105/198) as well as in the negative group's CC- (68.75%, 33/48) and SC+ (57.69%, 30/52 negative groups, whereas males were more frequent in the CC+ (63.16%, 24/38) and NC+ (53.33%, 32/60) groups. The highest mean age was observed in the SC + group. A frequency of 19.19% (38/198) and 14.65% (29/198) was found for the HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12 alleles, respectively. Individuals carrying the HLA-DRB1*11 allele had an approximately sixfold higher risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 5.72 [1.683-19.442], p = 0.005) based on the association analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, the present study reports high frequency of HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12 alleles within a population from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The results suggest that individuals carrying the HLA-DRB1*11 allele are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection but may not display symptoms.

Prevalence of Glu323Lys Mutation of the TIGR/MYOC Gene and Risk Factors amongst Primary Open-angle Glaucoma Patients in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Aim: 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. Materials and methods: 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 (TIGR/MYOC) gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: 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. Conclusion: The frequency of the Glu323Lys mutation of the TIGR/MYOC 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. Clinical significance: This study constituted the beginning of genetic investigations of glaucoma in our context and showed a low Glu323Lys mutation. How to cite this article: Traoré L, Sanou J, Bakyono BS, et al. Prevalence of Glu323Lys Mutation of the TIGR/MYOC Gene and Risk Factors amongst Primary Open-angle Glaucoma Patients in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2023;17(2):79-84.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng from Burkina Faso, and Effects against Prostate and Cervical Cancer Cell Lines.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the essential oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. (C. schoenanthus) from Burkina Faso in terms of cytotoxic activity against LNCaP cells, derived from prostate cancer, and HeLa cells, derived from cervical cancer. Antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro. Essential oil (EO) was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Thirty-seven compounds were identified, the major compounds being piperitone (49.9%), δ-2-carene (24.02%), elemol (5.79%) and limonene (4.31%). EO exhibited a poor antioxidant activity, as shown by the inhibition of DPPH radicals (IC50 = 1730 ± 80 µg/mL) and ABTS+. (IC50 = 2890 ± 26.9 µg/mL). Conversely, EO decreased the proliferation of LNCaP and HeLa cells with respective IC50 values of 135.53 ± 5.27 µg/mL and 146.17 ± 11 µg/mL. EO also prevented LNCaP cell migration and led to the arrest of their cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Altogether, this work points out for the first time that EO of C. schoenanthus from Burkina Faso could be an effective natural anticancer agent.

Association of DRB1*11 and DRB1*12 alleles of the HLA system with the evolution of the Hepatitis B virus infection in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection affect all social strata of humanity and in the absence of any management, this infection has a different outcome from one infected person to another. This suggests that there are specific individual factors that influence the outcome of the pathology. Sex, immunogenetics and age of contraction of the virus have been cited as factors that influence the evolution of the pathology. In this study, we looked at two alleles of the Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) system to measure their possible involvement in the evolution of HBV infection. METHOD AND RESULTS: We conducted a cohort study involving 144 individuals spread over 04 distinct stages of infection and then compared allelic frequencies in these populations. A multiplex PCR was conducted and the data obtained was analyzed using R and SPSS software. Our study revealed a predominance of HLA-DRB1*12 in our study population without, however, showing a significant difference between HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12. The HLA-DRB1*12 proportion was significantly higher in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and resolved hepatitis B (RHB) compared to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (p-value = 0,002). Carrying HLA-DRB1*12 has been associated with a low risk of complication of infection (CHB → cirrhosis; OR 0,33 p-value 0,017; RHB → HCC OR 0,13; p-value = 0,00,045) whereas the presence of HLA-DRB1*11 in the absence of HLA-DRB1*12 increased the risk of developing severe liver disease. However, a strong interaction of these alleles with the environment could modulate the infection. CONCLUSION: Our study shown that HLA-DRB1*12 is the most frequent and it's carriage may be protective in the development of infection.

Involvement of ERCC1 (rs3212986) and ERCC2 (rs1799793, rs13181) polymorphisms of DNA repair genes in breast cancer occurrence in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Genetic alterations can result in DNA repair defects, increasing susceptibility to breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement of two DNA repair genes, ERCC1 (rs3212986, GenBank NC_000073.9) and ERCC2 (rs1799793, rs13181, GenBank: NC_000019.10) in the occurrence of breast cancer in Burkina Faso. METHODS: This case-control study enrolled 128 participants including 64 patients and 64 healthy controls. Genotyping of polymorphisms were performed by real-time PCR and PCR-RFLP. RESULTS: The heterozygous AC genotype of the ERCC2rs13181 polymorphism was associated with the occurrence of breast cancer when the mutant allele is inherited under the dominant pattern (CC/AC vs AA; OR = 2.74, 95% IC (1.09-6.87); p = .028), but this association became insignificant after the Bonferroni correction (p = .156). No association was observed between ERCC1rs3212986 and ERCC2rs1799793 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the heterozygous genotype (CA) of the ERCC2rs13181 polymorphism may be associated with a risk of breast cancer.

KIR2DL2, KIR2DL5A and KIR2DL5B Genes Induce Susceptibility to Dengue Virus Infection, while KIR3DL3 and KIR2DS5 Confer Protection.

Background and Objectives: Dengue fever (DF), an emerging and re-emerging viral disease, is a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of KIRs genes polymorphism and KIRs genotypes in susceptibility to dengue virus infection and disease severity in a population from Burkina Faso through a case-control study. Methods: KIRs genes determination was performed using PCR-SSP in 50 patients infected by dengue virus (DENV) and 54 Healthy controls (HC) subjects who had never been infected. Results: Data analysis showed significant association between frequencies of three KIR genes and dengue virus infection (DF): KIR2DL2 (OR: 7.32; IC: 2.87-18.65; P < 0.001); KIR2DL5A (OR: 15.00, IC: 5.68-39.59; P < 0.001) and KIR2DL5B (OR: 11.43; IC: 4.42-29; P < 0.001). While, KIR3DL3 (OR: 0.13, IC: 0.052-0.32; P < 0.001) and KIR2DS5 (OR: 0.12; IC: 0.04-0.30; P < 0.001) were associated with protection against DF. KIR2DL4 (OR: 9.75; IC95%: 1.33-70.97; p: 0.03) and KIRD3DL1 (OR: 12.00; IC95%: 1.60-90.13; p: 0.02) were associated with an increased risk in the development of secondary dengue infection (SDI). Conclusion: The results suggest a contribution of KIR2DL2, KIR2DL5A, and KIR2DL5B genes in the susceptibility of DF development. In contrast, KIR3DL3 and KIR2DS5 were associated with protection against DF development by enhancing both innate and acquired immune responses.

Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Implementation: Effect on Malaria Incidence and Immunity in a Context of Expansion of P. falciparum Resistant Genotypes with Potential Reduction of the Effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), which combines amodiaquine (AQ) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), is an effective and promising strategy, recommended by WHO, for controlling malaria morbidity and mortality in areas of intense seasonal transmission. Despite the effectiveness of this strategy, a number of controversies regarding the impact of the development of malaria-specific immunity and challenges of the strategy in the context of increasing and expanding antimalarial drugs resistance but also the limited coverage of the SMC in children make the relevance of the SMC questionable, especially in view of the financial and logistical investments. Indeed, the number of malaria cases in the target group, children under 5 years old, has increased while the implementation of SMC is been extended in several African countries. This ambivalence of the SMC strategy, the increase in the prevalence of malaria cases suggests the need to evaluate the SMC and understand some of the factors that may hinder the success of this strategy in the implementation areas. The present review discusses the impact of the SMC on malaria morbidity, parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs, molecular and the immunity affecting the incidence of malaria in children. This approach will contribute to improving the malaria control strategy in highly seasonal transmission areas where the SMC is implemented.

First detection of mutated ERG11 gene in vulvovaginal Candida albicans isolates at Ouagadougou/Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Vulvovaginal candidiasis is an important cause of morbidity among women due to Candida species. In the last decades, resistance to azoles, first-line antifungals has increased. One molecular mechanism of azole resistance by Candida involves mutations in the ERG11 gene encoding lanosterol 14-α-demethylase, the target enzyme. This study was conducted to identify the clinical Candida species associated in vulvovaginal candidiasis; to determine the rate of antifungal resistance among Candida albicans isolates and to determine mutated ERG11 gene at Saint Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. METHODS: Antifungals susceptibility were performed using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. ERG11 gene was detected using conventional PCR in C. albicans isolates resistant to at least one azole. RESULTS: Out of 262 clinical strains isolated, C. albicans accounted for 59.90%, followed by Candida glabrata 27.86%, Candida famata 7.25%, Candida tropicalis 3.05% and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1.91%. Resistance rate of fluconazole to C. albicans was 59.54%. ERG11 gene was found in 9.79% of 92 C. albicans strains resistant to azoles. CONCLUSIONS: This detection of mutated ERG11 gene in C. albicans is the first in Burkina Faso and may be a cause of azole resistance in recurrent Candida vulvovaginitis.

Carriage of mutations R462Q (rs 486907) and D541E (rs 627928) of the RNASEL gene and risk factors in patients with prostate cancer in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (Pca) is a public health problem that affects men, usually of middle age or older. It is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men and the fifth leading cause of death. The RNASEL gene located in 1q25 and identified as a susceptibility gene to hereditary prostate cancer, has never been studied in relation to prostate cancer in Burkina Faso. The aim of this study was to analyze the carriage of RNASEL R462Q and D541E mutations and risks factors in patients with prostate cancer in the Burkina Faso. METHODS: This case-control study included of 38 histologically diagnosed prostate cancer cases and 53 controls (cases without prostate abnormalities). Real-time PCR genotyping of R462Q and D541E variants using the TaqMan® allelic discrimination technique was used. Correlations between different genotypes and combined genotypes were investigated. RESULTS: The R462Q variant was present in 5.3% of cases and 7.5% of controls. The D541E variant was present in 50.0% of cases and 35% of controls. There is no association between R462Q variants (OR = 0.60; 95%IC, 0.10-3.51; p = 0.686) and D541E variants (OR = 2.46; 95%IC, 0.78-7.80; p = 0.121) and genotypes combined with prostate cancer. However, there is a statistically significant difference in the distribution of cases according to the PSA rate at diagnosis (p ˂ 0.001). For the Gleason score distribution, only 13.2% of cases have a Gleason score greater than 7. There is a statistically significant difference in the Gleason score distribution of cases (p ˂ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These variants, considered in isolation or in combination, are not associated with the risk of prostate cancer.

Enigma of the high prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in HIV-positive people with no symptoms of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome due to the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has severely tested the global health response capacity, with predictions of a fatality for developing countries. To evaluate the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV- 2 antibodies in People Living with HIV (PLHIV) with no COVID-19 symptoms in Burkina Faso. Seroprevalence was estimated by performing a qualitative screening test for SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulins. The STANDARDTM Q COVID-19 IgM/IgG Combo Test kit from SD BIOSENSOR was used. Parameters like HIV plasma viral load, CD4 T cell count and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) expression were estimated. This study enrolled a total of 200 PLHIV aged 4-87 years who are asymptomatic for COVID-19. There were 36 (18%) positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and/or IgG of which three (1.50%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and 33 (16.50%) for IgG. Among participants diagnosed as IgM positive, 66.67% (2/3) had the highest HIV viral loads with the lowest CD4 T cell counts (p<0.0001). The expression of CRP was relatively higher in COVID-19 IgG positive individuals (7.95±12.5 mg/L) than negative individuals (6.26±6.92 mg/L; p=0.37). The rate of IgG and IgM SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin carriage (18%), accompanied by a relatively high CRP levels, was revealed in this study among PLHIV. This serologic evidence and mild inflammation suggest that Burkina Faso escaped the worst, not necessarily because there were not many SARS-CoV-2 infections in its population, but because factors including genetic and environmental, might have resulted in many asymptomatic carriers.

KIR2DL5B and HLA DRB1*12 alleles seems to be associated with protection against HIV-1 in serodiscordant couples in Burkina Faso.

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.