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.

Prevalence and patterns of chromosomal abnormalities in patients suspected of genetic disorders: insights from a study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Chromosomal abnormalities contribute significantly to human morbidity and mortality, leading to various pathologies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities among patients suspected of genetic disorders in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. METHODS AND RESULTS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1, 2018, to July 16, 2021, involving patients from different university hospitals in Ouagadougou. Blood samples were collected at Hôpital Saint Camille de Ouagadougou (HOSCO) and sent to the Cerba laboratory in France for cytogenetic analysis. A total of 61 cases with suspected genetic disorders were referred for cytogenetic examination. The average age of the patients was 26.81 years ± 18.92, ranging from 1 month to 68 years. Among the cases, 37 (60.65%) exhibited chromosomal abnormalities. Structural abnormalities were the most prevalent (78.38%), while number anomalies accounted for 21.62% of the cases. Chronic myeloid leukemia was detected in 59.45% of cases, followed by free and homogeneous trisomy 21 (18.91%) and sexual inversion (8.10%). Additionally, one case each of Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome were identified. CONCLUSION: This this study revealed a high frequency of chromosomal abnormalities, with a predominance of structural abnormalities, among patients suspected of genetic disorders in Ouagadougou. The findings emphasize the significance of genetic evaluation and counseling services in the region, particularly for autosomal abnormalities.

Performance of Molecular Tests in the Diagnosis of Syphilis From 2009 to 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Syphilis continues to be a public health problem, and its diagnosis still has limitations. Molecular diagnosis provides an alternative for rapid and effective management. The objective is to determine the accuracy of tests in the molecular diagnosis of syphilis. METHODS: We searched PubMed and Web of Sciences for articles related to molecular detection of syphilis from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2019. The bivariate Reitsma model and the hierarchical receiver operating characteristic curve model were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of molecular tests at a 95% confidence interval. A subgroup meta-analysis was performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Forty-seven articles were identified for qualitative synthesis, of which 23 met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivities in conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR were 77.52 (59.50-89.01) and 68.43 (54.96-79.39), respectively. The pooled specificities were 98.00 (90.73-99.59) and 98.84 (97.55-99.46), respectively. Ulcer samples had a better performance (sensitivity of 79.88 [69.00-87.62] and specificity of 98.58 [97.25-99.27]), and the major target genes were the polymerase A gene and tpp47 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Our work showed that conventional PCR was more widely used than real-time PCR in the diagnosis of syphilis, and ulcers were the best specimens. Sample types and target genes are factors that may influence the quality of the different tests. These results could provide evidence for further work in the direction of providing a more efficient diagnostic test.

Seroprevalence, Genotyping, and Monitoring of Hepatitis C Viral Loads in Patients on Antivirals in Burkina Faso.

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.

Glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 genes deletion polymorphisms and risk of developing essential hypertension: a case-control study in Burkina Faso population (West Africa).

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferases play a key role in the detoxification of persistent oxidative stress products which are one of several risks factors that may be associated with many types of disease processes such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. In the present study, we characterize the null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 in order to investigate the association between them and the risk of developing essential hypertension. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in Burkina Faso, including 245 subjects with essential hypertension as case and 269 control subjects with normal blood pressure. Presence of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 was determined using conventional multiplex polymerase chain reaction followed by gel electrophoresis analysis. Biochemical parameters were measured using chemistry analyzer CYANExpert 130. RESULTS: Chi-squared test shows that GSTT1-null (OR = 1.82; p = 0.001) and GSTM1-active/GSTT1-null genotypes (OR = 2.33; p <  0.001) were significantly higher in cases than controls; the differences were not significant for GSTM1-null, GSTM1-null/GSTT1-active and GSTM1-null/GSTT1-null (p > 0.05). Multinomial logistic regression revealed that age ≥ 50 years, central obesity, family history of hypertension, obesity, alcohol intake and GSTT1 deletion were in decreasing order independent risk factors for essential hypertension. Analysis by gender, BMI and alcohol showed that association of GSTT1-null with risk of essential hypertension seems to be significant when BMI < 30 Kg/m2, in non-smokers and in alcohol users (all OR ≥ 1.77; p ≤ 0.008). Concerning GSTT1, GSTM1 and cardiovascular risk markers levels in hypertensive group, we found that subjects with GSTT1-null genotype had higher waist circumference and higher HDL cholesterol level than those with GSTT1-active (all p <  0.005), subjects with GSTM1-null genotype had lower triglyceride than those with GSTM1-active (p = 0.02) and subjects with the double deletion GSTM1-null/GSTT1-null had higher body mass index, higher waist circumference and higher HDL cholesterol than those with GSTM1-active/GSTT1-active genotype (all p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that GSTT1-null genotype is significantly associated with risk of developing essential hypertension in Burkinabe, especially when BMI < 30 Kg/m2, in non-smokers and in alcohol users, and it showed that the double deletion GSTM1-null/GSTT1-null genotypes may influence body lipids repartition.

Positive association between ATP2B1 rs17249754 and essential hypertension: a case-control study in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

BACKGROUND: Genetic and environment play a significant role in the etiology of essential hypertension (EH). Recently STK39 rs3754777, ATP2B1 rs2681472 and rs17249754 have been associated with BP variation and hypertension. In this study we aimed to determine firstly whether index variants were associated with the risk of developing EH in Burkina Faso and secondly to characterize cardiovascular risk markers. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study with 380 participants including 180 case subjects with EH and 200 control subjects with normal BP. We used TaqMan genotyping assays with probes from Applied Biosystems to genotype polymorphisms using the 7500 Real-Time PCR System. Biochemical parameters were measured using chemistry analyzer COBAS C311. RESULTS: T-test showed that cardiovascular risk markers such as body mass index, waist circumference, blood sugar, total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly higher in hypertensive compared to normotensive (all p <  0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed in decreasing order that overweight, family history of hypertension, central obesity and alcohol intake increased the risk of developing EH (all OR > 3.8; all p <  0.001). In genetic level we observed that individuals carrying the AA+AG genotype of ATP2B1 rs17249754 had a low risk of developing EH than those carrying the GG genotype (OR = 0.48 [95% CI: 0.31-0.75] p = 0.001) and the A allele frequency in the cases was significantly lower than that of the controls (OR = 0.56 [95% CI: 0.38-0.82] p = 0.003). We also observed that ATP2B1 rs17249754 was significantly associated with higher SBP and DPB in case and control groups (GG versus AG + AA; p <  0.05), ATP2B1 rs2681472 was significantly associated with higher SBP only in case and control group (AA versus AG + GG; p <  0.05), STK39 rs3754777 was not significantly associated with any of the BP traits (CC versus CT + TT; p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed the significant association of ATP2B1 rs17249754 with the risk of developing EH in Burkinabe and showed an increase of cardiovascular risk markers levels in subjects with EH.

World hepatitis day in Burkina Faso, 2017: seroprevalence and vaccination against hepatitis B virus to achieve the 2030 elimination goal.

BACKGROUND: Burkina Faso is a high endemicity country for HBV infection. However, there are few data on vaccine coverage against HBV. The aim of this study was to contribute to the improvement of HBV vaccine coverage in Ouagadougou through HBV screening. METHODS: Awareness campaigns and voluntary hepatitis B screening were organized in the twelve districts of Ouagadougou by the "SOS Hepatitis Burkina" association. A rapid HBsAg detection test (Abon Biopharma Guangzhou, Co., Ltd. Chine) was performed on 2216 individuals, who voluntarily answered a series of questions. Vaccination against hepatitis B was proposed to HBV negative participants. RESULTS: In a sample of 2216 participants, aged 1 to 78 years (mean age 29.7 ± 14.7 years); a prevalence of 10.4% (230/2216) of HBsAg was obtained. This prevalence was high in the age groups 31 to 40 years (14.5%) and 41 to 50 years (15.0%). The prevalence of HBV was higher in the sixth district (14.3%) of Ouagadougou. At the end of the screening, 1202/1986 HBV negative participants were vaccinated, resulting in a vaccination rate of 60.5%. Vaccination coverage ranged from 44.5 to 73.7% all twelve districts. CONCLUSIONS: This study still reports a high prevalence of HBV infection among young people with a peak in the sixth district of Ouagadougou. The study achieved high vaccination coverage in all age groups and districts of Ouagadougou. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The present study has been approved by the Ethics Committee for Health Research of Burkina Faso. CERS201501006 Registered 14 January 2015.

Prevalence, genetic variants and clinical implications of G-6-PD deficiency in Burkina Faso: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: It is now well-known that some antimalarials such as primaquine may induce severe hemolytic anemia in people with G-6-PD deficiency. Antimalarial drug prescriptions must, therefore take into account the patient's G-6-PD status in malaria endemic areas such as Burkina Faso, where the prevalence of this genetic abnormality is relatively high. Although great clinical heterogeneity is observed depending on the molecular nature of the deficiency and the residual enzyme activity in the red blood cell, there is very poor data on the prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency and the distribution of involved genetic variants in Burkina Faso. In this systematic review, we present a synthesis of the various studies carried out on the G-6-PD deficiency in Burkina Faso in order to determine its prevalence, probable distribution of the genetic variants involved and their clinical implications for a national systematic screening policy among the groups most vulnerable to malaria. METHODS: A systematic review was carried out to analyze available published data on the prevalence, phenotypes and mutations responsible for G-6-PD deficiency in Burkina Faso. The key words used were "G-6-PD deficiency AND Burkina Faso" or "Déficit en G-6-PD AND Burkina Faso" in French. To identify the relevant articles, two independent reviewers reviewed the titles, abstracts and the full text of the selected papers. RESULTS: An average prevalence of 16.6% (183/1100; CI 95%: 0.145-0.190) and 6.5% (69/1066; CI 95%: 0.051-0.081) of G-6-PD deficiency was found respectively in men and women in this systematic review. Although the predominance (99.8% of G-6-PD deficient cases) of 202A/376G G-6-PD A- variant, the Santamaria and Betica Selma variants were identified in Burkina Faso. Independently of the method used, the enzymatic deficiency was significantly higher in males (2.5-20.5%) compared to females (3.3-12.3%). CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that despite the ubiquity of the 202A/376G G-6-PD A- variant in Burkina Faso, it will be necessary to consider the Santamaria and Betica Selma variants although their frequencies remain to be specified. A systematic screening of the G-6-PD deficiency is also needed to prevent the occurrence of iatrogenic hemolytic accidents.

HBV/HIV co-infection and APOBEC3G polymorphisms in a population from Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G) is a potent host defense factor, which interferes with HIV-1 and HBV. Our study had three objectives, to screen a population of HIV-1 infected and uninfected patients in Burkina Faso for HBV, to screen the population for APOBEC3G variants rs6001417, rs8177832, and rs35228531 previously described, and to analyze the effect of these three variants and their haplotypes on HIV-1/HBV co-infection in Burkina Faso. METHODS: HBV detection was performed on samples from HIV-1 infected and uninfected subjects using rapid detection tests and real-time PCR. APOBEC3 genotyping was done by the TaqMan allelic discrimination method. Fisher Exact test, Odds ratio (OR), confidence intervals (CI) at 95 %, Linkage disequilibrium (LD) summary statistics and haplotype frequencies were calculated. RESULTS: The prevalence of HBV was 56.7 % among HIV-1 positive patients of our study while it was about 12.8 % among HIV-1 seronegative subjects. Genotype E was the genotype of HBV present in our hepatitis B positive samples. Minor allele frequencies of rs6001417, rs8177832, and rs35228531 were higher in seronegative subjects. The T minor allele of variant rs35228531 was protective against HIV-1/HBV co-infection with OR = 0.61, 95 % CI (0.42-0.90), p = 0.013. There was also an association between the GGT haplotype and protection against HIV-1/HBV co-infection, OR = 0.57, 95 % CI (0.33-0.99), p = 0.050. The other haplotypes present in the population were not statistically significant. There minor allele T of the rs35228531 was protective against HIV mono-infection OR = 0.53, 95 % CI (0.3-0.93), P = 0.030. But there was no effect of protection against HBV mono-infection. CONCLUSION: APOBEC3G through its variants rs6001417, rs8177832, and rs35228531, in this study interferes with HIV-1/HBV co-infection could be due the HIV-1 mono-infection in a population from Burkina Faso.

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.

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.

Cytotoxicity of Particulate Matter PM10 Samples from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the main air pollutants with 257,000 deaths per year in Africa. Studying their toxic mechanisms of action could provide a better understanding of their effects on the population health. The objective of this study was to describe the PM10 toxic mechanism of action collected in 3 districts of Ouagadougou. Once per month and per site between November 2015 and February 2016, PM10 was sampled for 24 hours using the MiniVol TAS (AirMetrics, Eugene, USA). The collected filters were then stored in Petri dishes at room temperature for in vitro toxicological studies using human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC) at the Bordeaux INSERM-U1045 Cardio-thoracic Research Center. The three study districts were classified based on PM10 level (high, intermediate, and low, respectively, for districts 2, 3, and 4). PM10 induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability. A significant decrease in cell viability was observed at 1 µg/cm2, 10 µg/cm2, and 25 µg/cm2 for, respectively, districts 2, 3, and 4. A significant increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed at 10 µg/cm2 for district 2 versus 5 µg/cm2 and 1 µg/cm2 for districts 3 and 4, respectively. Finally, a significant production of IL-6 was recorded from 5 µg/cm2 for district 4 versus 10 µg/cm2 for districts 2 and 3. Consequently, Ouagadougou is subjected to PM10 pollution, which can induce a significant production of ROS and IL-6 to cause adverse effects on the health of the population.

Mutations in exon 11 (11.1 and 11.2) of the BRCA1 gene and risk factors for breast cancer in Burkina Faso.

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; p<0.001) 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.

Disputed paternity presumption in Burkina Faso: determination of the biological fathers of children using ABO-rhesus/hemoglobin electrophoresis and STR assays.

BACKGROUND: In resource-limited countries, ABO, HLA, MNS, Kells, and hemoglobin electrophoresis are classic tests for the resolution of paternity disputes due to their affordable cost. The limitations of these tests in cases of disputed paternity require the use of Short Tandem Repeats (STR) for their certification. This study aimed to determine the biological fathers of children using ABO-rhesus/hemoglobin electrophoresis and STR assays in Burkina Faso, West Africa. RESULTS: Of the fourteen trios studied, the ABO-rhesus/hemoglobin electrophoresis analysis revealed ten probable inclusion cases, three exclusion cases, and one undetermined paternity. DNA STR analysis found five inclusions of paternity out of the ten probable inclusions with ABO-rhesus/hemoglobin electrophoresis assay versus nine exclusions of paternity. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the implementation of the analysis of short tandem repeat is required to resolve increasing disputed filiation cases in Burkina Faso.

Molecular Epidemiology of Human Papillomaviruses, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium among Female Sex Workers in Burkina Faso: Prevalence, Coinfections and Drug Resistance Genes.

Viral and bacterial infections represent an occupational risk for female sex workers. This study aimed at determining HPV coinfection with genital pathogens among female sex workers in West and Central Africa and identifying antibiotic resistance genes. A total of 182 samples from female sex workers were analyzed by real-time PCR and classic PCR. For the molecular diagnosis of HPV, the real-time multiplex amplification kit "HPV Genotypes 14 Real-TM Quant" from SACACE Biotechnologies®, detecting 14 high-risk HPV genotypes, was used, while for other pathogens, the real-time multiplex amplification kit N. gonorrhoeae/C. trachomatis/M. genitalium/T. vaginalis Real-TM, allowing their simultaneous detection, was used. The women were aged 17-50 years with an average age of 27.12 ± 6.09 years. The pathogens identified were HPV 54.94% (100/120), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (13.74%), Chlamydia trachomatis (11.54%) and Mycoplasma genitalium (11.54%). The most common HPV genotypes were HPV68, HPV38 and HPV52. The antibiotic resistance genes identified were bla QNR B 24.00%, bla GES 22.00%, bla SHV 17.00%, blaCTX-M 13.00% and bla QNR S 1.00%. This study revealed the presence of various HPV genotypes associated with other pathogens with problems of antibiotic resistance among sex workers of West and Central African origin working in Ouagadougou.

Glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 genes deletion polymorphisms and blood pressure control among treated essential hypertensive patients in Burkina Faso.

OBJECTIVE: Glutathione S-transferases have been associated with experimental resistance to some drugs. The present study investigated the factors associated with blood pressure control in patients with essential hypertension, especially the role of GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes polymorphisms. This cross-sectional study in Burkina Faso consisted of 200 patients with essential hypertension and under treatment. RESULTS: In the present study, 57.5% (115/200) of patients had their hypertension under control. No statistically significant difference was found between controlled and uncontrolled groups for anthropometric and biochemical parameters as well as for GSTT1 or GSTM1 gene polymorphisms (all p > 0.05). Current alcohol consumption (OR = 3.04; CI 1.88-6.13; p < 0.001), Physical inactivity (OR = 3.07; CI 1.71-5.49; p < 0.001), severe hypertension before any treatment (Grade III [OR = 3.79; CI 2.00-7.17; p < 0.001]) and heart damage (OR = 3, 14; CI 1.59-6.02; p < 0.001) were statistically more frequent in uncontrolled essential hypertensive patients than controlled hypertensive patients.

Molecular characterization of African Swine fever viruses in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal 1989-2016: Genetic diversity of ASFV in West Africa.

African swine fever (ASF) has been endemic in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1960s. Following its introduction in Senegal, in 1957, ASF steadily progressed through West Africa, reaching Burkina Faso in 2003, and later Mali in 2016. Despite the heavy burden of disease on pig production, little information is available on the genetic diversity of Africa swine fever virus (ASFV) in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Here, we used real-time PCR ASFV to detect the ASFV genome in samples collected between 1989 and 2016, in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, and conventional approaches for isolate characterization. The C-terminal end of the p72 protein gene, the full E183L gene and the central variable region (CVR) within the B602L gene in ASFV genome were sequenced and compared to publicly available sequences. ASFV genome was found in 27 samples, 19 from Burkina Faso, three from Mali and five from Senegal. The phylogenetic analyses showed that all viruses belong to genotype I, with the ASFVs from Burkina Faso and Mali grouping with genotype Ia and ASFV serogroup 4, and those from Senegal with genotype Ib and the ASFV serogroup 1. The analysis of the CVR tetrameric tandem repeat sequences (TRS) showed four TRS variants in Burkina Faso, two in Senegal and one in Mali. The three countries did not share any common TRS, and all CVRs of this study differed from previously reported CVRs in West Africa, except for Senegal. Three of the five isolates from Senegal fully matched with the CVR, p72 and p54 sequences from ASFV IC96 collected during the 1996 ASF outbreak in Ivory Coast. This study shows the spread of the same ASFV strains across countries, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring of ASFV isolates. It also calls for an urgent need to establish a regional plan for the control and eradication of ASF in West Africa.

Genotypic distribution of human oncogenic papillomaviruses in sexually active women in Burkina Faso: Central, Central-Eastern and Hauts-Bassins regions.

Objective this study was conducted to determine the distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes in women in the general population of three regions of Burkina Faso. Method This multicenter, descriptive cross-sectional study involved 1321 sexually active women in five cities in three regions of Burkina Faso: Central, Central-Eastern and Hauts-Bassins regions. After collection of endocervical specimens, pre-cervical lesions were screened by visual inspection with acetic acid and lugol (VIA / VILI). HR-HPV genotypes were characterized by multiplex real-time PCR after extraction of viral DNA. Results The mean age of women was 31.98 ± 10.09 years. The HR-HPV infection in the three regions ranged from 26.16% to 43.26% with 35.42% as overall prevalence in women. The most common HR-HPV genotypes in descending order were: HPV 56, 52, 66, 59, 39, 51, 18, 35. The prevalence of bivalent vaccine genotypes (HPV16 / 18) was 7.83% against 63.78% of genotypes not covered by HPV vaccine; 36.32% (170/468) of women had multiple concomitant HR-HPV infections. Conclusion this study showed significant regional variation and high prevalence of HR-HPV infection in women. The predominant genotypes differ from those covered by available vaccines in Burkina Faso. These results will help guide our health policies towards better prevention of cervical cancer. The diversity of oncogenic genotypes is sparking a large-scale study in the West African sub-region, particularly in cases of cancer and the introduction of the nonavalent vaccine which includes HPV 52 found among the predominant genotypes in this study.

No correlation between the variants of exostosin 2 gene and type 2 diabetes in Burkina Faso population.

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, p>0.05: 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.