Immune surveillance for six vaccinable pathogens using paired plasma and dried blood spots in HIV infected and uninfected children in Kinshasa.

Child vaccination reduces infant mortality rates. HIV-infected children present higher risk of diseases than non-infected. We report the protection coverage rates for 6 vaccine-preventable diseases in a paediatric population from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the impact of HIV infection, providing the first data on the validity of dried blood samples (DBS) to monitor the immune protection. During 2016-2018 DBS from 143 children/adolescents were collected in Kinshasa (DRC), being 52 HIV-infected. Forty-two had a paired plasma sample. Protective IgG was quantified (VirClia-IgG,VIRCELL) to obtain the optimal cut-off in IgG detection in DBS. ROC curves were generated with R software and statistical analyses with Stata. Protective IgG levels varied across pathogens, not reaching herd immunity. HIV-infected presented lower vaccine protection than uninfected for all analyzed pathogens, except rubella, with statistically significant differences for measles (30.8% vs. 53.8%; p = 0.008) and tetanus (3.8% vs. 22%; p = 0.0034). New cut-offs were calculated when using DBS to improve test performance. We reinforce the necessity to increase pediatric vaccination coverage in Kinshasa, especially in HIV seropositive, with less capacity to maintain adequate antibody levels. DBS were useful to monitor vaccination coverage in seroprevalence studies in resource-limited settings, after optimizing the cut-off value for each pathogen.

Predictors of retention in the prospective HIV prevention OKAPI cohort in Kinshasa.

Retention is a key element in HIV prevention programs. In Sub-Saharan Africa most data on retention come from HIV clinical trials or people living with HIV attending HIV treatment and control programs. Data from observational cohorts are less frequent. Retention at 6-/12-month follow-up and its predictors were analyzed in OKAPI prospective cohort. From April 2016 to April 2018, 797 participants aged 15-59 years attending HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing in Kinshasa were interviewed about HIV-related knowledge and behaviors at baseline and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Retention rates were 57% and 27% at 6- and 12-month follow up; 22% of participants attended both visits. Retention at 6-month was significantly associated with 12-month retention. Retention was associated with low economic status, being studying, daily/weekly Internet access, previous HIV tests and aiming to share HIV test with partner. Contrarily, perceiving a good health, living far from an antiretroviral center, daily/weekly alcohol consumption and perceiving frequent HIV information were inversely associated with retention. In conclusion, a high attrition was found among people attending HIV testing participating in a prospective cohort in Kinshasa. Considering the low retention rates and the predictors found in this study, more HIV cohort studies in Kinshasa need to be evaluated to identify local factors and strategies that could improve retention if needed.

[Human papillomavirus genotype profile in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: implications for vaccination]. / Profil génotypique du papillomavirus humain rencontré dans l'environnement de Kinshasa: intérêt vaccinal.

UNLABELLED: Proposed anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, i.e., Cervarix (Glaxomith-Kline) and Gardasil (Merck), are designed to prevent infection by two high-risk HPV types, i.e., 16 and 18, for which estimation mainly in Western Europe and North America have demonstrated a prevalence 60 to 70%. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the genotype profile of HPV strains encountered in the women of childbearing age in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and discuss the implications of this profile for anti-HPV vaccination. METHODS: Data and specimen collection was carried out at a voluntary HIV screening and treatment facility. Genotyping of HPV was performed in 55 patients presenting dysplastic lesions of the uterine cervix including 47 (85.5%) who were HIV-seropositive. Detection and typing of HPV were performed using the Inno-Lipa technique (Innogenetics Line Probe Assay) from Glaxo-Smith-Kline. RESULTS: Tests for HPV were positive in 54 patients (98.2%). A total of 153 HPV strains were isolated. Twenty-three HPV types were identified including 83.0% with high oncogenic activity. In order of frequency the oncogenic types were as follows: 68, 35, 51, 52, 16, 31, 18, 17, 33, 45, 56, 58 and 59. Strain frequency per patient ranged from 1 to 8 (mean +/- standard deviation, 2.8 +/- 2,0). Types 16 and 18 accounted for 11.8% of the isolated strains (18/153) and were observed in 33.3% of patients (18/54). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the HPV genotype profile in Kinshasa differs from the profile observed in Western Europe and North America. If confirmed by larger-scale studies, this result bodes poorly for the efficacy of anti-HPV vaccines in Kinshasa.

Diagnostic des dysplasies cervicales associees a l'infection VIH : perte d'efficacite de la cytologie conventionnelle

Problematique : l'absence d'un programme national de depistage du cancer du col uterin en Republique Democratique du Congo ne permet pas de prendre en charge efficacement cette pathologie dont le risque est de surcroit amplifie par l'infection a VIH. Le choix des techniques diagnostiques se pose de facon critique surtout en condition de faibles ressources ou se trouvent la plupart des pays subsahariens. Objectifs de la recherche : Evaluer ; d'une part; les qualites diagnostiques des frottis conventionnels (FC); facilement realisable en conditions de faibles ressources comparativement aux frottis en couche mince (FCM) pris comme reference; et d'autre part; l'influence de l'infection par le VIH sur les performances de ces techniques diagnostiques. Methodologie : Les examens cytopathologiques cervicaux ont ete realises sur 128 patientes VIH et 132 patientes VIH+ consentantes selectionnees dans deux centres de depistage volontaire de VIH a Kinshasa. Le consentement eclaire etait obtenu apres conseil et explication sur l'interet de cet examen pour la femme en activite sexuelle. Resultats : Les lesions dysplasiques de haut grade et les cancers du col uterin (CCU) etaient 10;3 fois plus frequentes chez les sujets VIH+ comparativement aux sujets VIH- (Odds ration=10;3 ; IC95=3;7 a 31;1). La sensibilite; la specificite; les valeurs predilectives positive et negative; et l'efficacite diagnostique des FC etaient respectivement de 66; 7; 98;2; 87;6; 89;4pour les sujets VIH+ contre 80;0; 100; 100;0; 99;2et 99;2pour les sujets VIH-. Le risque de faux negatif comparativement aux risque de faux positifs etait significativement plus eleve chez le sujets VIH+ (x2 de Mc; Nemar = 10;3 ; p = 0;001) que chez les sujets VIH- (x2 de Mc; Nemar = 0 ; p = 1). Conclusion : La sensibilite; l'efficacite diagnostique des FC; d'une part; le taux de concordance (Kappa entre les FC et les FCM; d'autre part; etaient effondrees en presence de l'infection par le VIH; occasionnant un taux eleves de faux negatifs et une faible valeur predilective negative; probablement du fait de l'intensification des reactions inflammatoires. La frequence des examens de controle devrait etre plus rapprochee en cas d'infection a VIH

Profil genotypique du papillomavirus humain rencontre dans l'environnement de Republique democratique du Congo : interet vaccinal

Les vaccins anti-HPV proposés, Cervarix® de Glaxo-Smith-Kline et Gardasil® deMerck, ciblent deux types du HPV à haut risque, le 16 et 18, dont la prévalence a été évaluée surtout en Europe de l'Ouest et enAmérique du Nord entre 60 et 70%. L'objectif de l'étude était de caractériser génétiquement les souches du HPV rencontrées dans la population des femmes en âge de procréer vivant à Kinshasa et d'en discuter les conséquences sur le plan de la vaccination anti-HPV. La collecte des données et le prélèvement des spécimens s'étaient déroulés à Kinshasa dans des sites de dépistage volontaire et du traitement duVIH. Le génotypage du HPV était conduit sur 55 cas portant des lésions dysplasiques du col utérin, dont 85,5%(47/55) étaient séropositifs pour le VIH. La détection et le typage du HPV étaient réalisés par la technique Inno-Lipa® (Innogenetics Line ProbeAssay) de Glaxo-Smith-Kline. La recherche du HPV était positive chez 98,2%(54/55) des patientes ; sur 153 HPV isolés, 23 types de HPV étaient identifiés dont 83,0%(127/153) à haut pouvoir oncogène, en ordre décroissant de fréquence suivant : 68, 35, 51, 52, 16, 31, 18, 17, 33, 45, 56, 58 et 59. La fréquence des souches trouvées par patiente variait de 1 à 8 (moyenne ± écart-type : 2,8 ± 2,0). Les types 16, 18, représentant 11,8%des isolats (18/153), ont été détectés chez 33,3%(18/54) des patientes. Le spectre génotypique du HPV trouvé à Kinshasa semble différent de celui trouvé en Europe et en Amérique du Nord. Ce résultat, s'il est confirmé par des études plus étendues, présage une faible efficacité des vaccins anti-HPV dans l'environnement de Kinshasa

Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease: high prevalence of graft loss for death-related malignancies and cardiovascular risk factors.

Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a systemic disease with multiple extrarenal manifestations. It accounts for 7% to 11% of patients receiving dialysis or renal transplantation (RT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Europe. We analyzed retrospectively the causes of death, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and the patient and graft survivals in 62 consecutive ADPKD patients who received 63 cadaveric grafts (29 men and 34 women), of the 600 RTs performed between 1980-2001. The diagnosis of ADPKD was established by family history and ultrasound techniques. At present, 50 patients (79.4%) have functioning grafts, with a mean follow-up of 84.7 months (range, 12-255), and 13 patients have lost their grafts. The main cause of failure was patient death with a functioning graft (9 cases). Malignancies occurred in 5 patients, including 2 lymphomas, 1 renal carcinoma, 1 pancreas sarcoma, and 1 lung cancer associated with infection. Three patients died of cardiocerebrovascular events, and 1 patient of pneumonia. One patient lost the graft after decreasing the immunosuppression for an obstructing colon cancer. Three additional patients now on dialysis lost their grafts due to chronic rejection in 2 cases and primary nonfunction in 1 case. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among the 50 patients with functional grafts were: hypertension, 70%; hypercholesterolemia, 62%; hyperhomocysteinemia, 30%; hyperfibrinogenemia, 68%; increased lipoprotein (a), 18%; microalbuminuria, 22%; hyperuricemia, 48%; hyperparathyroidism, 24%; overweight status, 24%; and nonlethal myocardial infarction, 10%. We conclude that ADPKD patients have good graft and patient survivals, and that the presence of malignancy is the main cause of death and graft failure at our center.