Publications Internationales (Articles Scientifiques)

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : The objective of this study is to search for mutations in the BRCA1 (c.5177_5180delGAAA and c.4986+6T>C) and BRCA2 genes (c.6445_6446delAT) in a population of women diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is a case-control study that involved 140 participants, including 70 patients with histologically diagnosed breast cancer and 70 healthy women without breast cancer. Mutations in the BRCA1 (rs80357867, rs80358086) and BRCA2 (rs80359592) genes were tested by real-time PCR. The 95% confidence interval Odds Ratio (OR) was used to estimate the associations between specific genotypes and breast cancer.

The study revealed that no mutations were detected for rs80359592. Similarly, no reference allele (TTTC/TTTC) of rs80357867 was found in this study. However, the homozygous double mutant (-/) genotype of this rs80357867 was observed in 11.43% and 1.43% of patients and controls respectively, while 88.57% of patients and 98.57% of controls had a heterozygous deletion (TTTC/-). Concerning rs80358086, 8.57% of the patients had a heterozygous mutation (A/G) with no significantly risk association with occurrence of breast cancer (OR = 6.46; 95% CI: 0.75-55.21; p = 0.11). In addition, this heterozygous mutation was significantly associated with a family history of breast cancer (OR=128; 95% CI: 9.46-1730.93) and breast cancer risk in nonmultiparous women (OR=6; 95% CI: 1-35.90; p= 0.05) but no association with overweight/obesity (OR=1.66; 95% CI: 0.18-15.35; p=1).

This study shows high frequencies of heterozygous mutation of rs80357867 and rs80358086 from patients. In Burkina Faso, these results could help with early diagnosis of breast cancer in patients.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

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.

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.

Résumé / Abstract : Human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) is the main etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma. This virus is frequently associated with immunocompromision. This study aimed to detect HHV-8 in people with compromised immune system.

This is a cross-sectional study that included 180 subjects: 179 HIV-infected patients and 1 patient with bullous pemphigoid. Blood samples were taken from all subjects, and swabs of lesions were then taken from individuals with symptoms of Kaposi's sarcoma. Viral load and CD4+ T lymphocytes count were performed for persons living with HIV and real-time PCR detection of HHV-8 DNA was performed in all subjects in the study.

Among HIV-infected persons, 13.41% had a viral load of more than 10,000 copies/mL, and 22.91% had a CD4+ T lymphocytes count of fewer than 350 cells/µL. A total of four (three HIV-1 infected patients and one patient with bullous pemphigoid) patients (2.22%) had apparent lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma. In the plasmas and swabs from associated lesions, HHV-8 DNA was found in only two individuals, with an HHV-8 prevalence of 1.11% (2/180) with 0.55% (1/179) in an HIV-infected patient on antiretroviral therapy.

These results exposing low prevalence levels of HHV-8 in HIV-infected patients could be due to the beneficial effect of antiretroviral drugs.

Résumé / Abstract : Bacterial resistance to beta lactamins is a real public health problem as it complicates treatment strategies. Several types of beta lactamase confer this resistance. Numerous studies report a high prevalence of ESBL producers among Gram-negative bacilli. The objective of this work was to identify the presence of the resistance gene GES in strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in Burkina Faso.

During this study 39 strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae resistant to oxyimino-cephalosporin and monobactam were collected in several samples and analyzed to determine the presence of the beta lactamase resistance gene BlaGES by classic PCR.

In the present study, resistant strains were observed in 21 E. coli and 18 K. pneumoniae. Among producers of ESBL isolates, the presence of the GES gene was detected up to 63% in E. coli and 37% in K pneumoniae.

This study highlighted the presence of the GES gene in strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae resistant to oxyimino-cephalosporin and monobactam in Burkina Faso. This highlights the presence of new ESBL in Burkina, which is of great interest for the proper care of patients and the control of resistance to antibiotics.

Résumé / Abstract : BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the two most commonly mutated tumor suppressor genes associated with hereditary breast cancer (BC). Also, mutations in TP53, PIK3CA, PTEN and AKT1 were observed at a high frequency in BC with their mutation spectrum exhibiting a subgroup particularity with enormous clinical significance in the prevention, classification and treatment of cancers. Unfortunately, the mutation spectrum of these genes is still unknown in most Sub-Saharan African population. Therefore, using samples from 133 unselected BC patients, we aimed to assess the contribution of these mutations by direct Sanger sequencing. The analysis revealed pathogenic germline variants on BRCA1 exon 11 (c.3331C > T, 0.75%) and BRCA2 exon 11 (c.5635G > T, c.6211delA; 1.5%). Five other pathogenic variants were identified in 61 of the 133 subjects (45.86%), with 39.09% for PIK3CA, 12.78% for TP53. Interestingly, a variant in PIK3CA found in high frequency in our population was different from the one usually found in other populations (c.1634A > C, 38.34%), and four patients carried mutations linked to Cowen Syndrome 5 c.[1634A > C;1658_1659delGTinsC]. A novel variant (c.312G > T) was found in TP53 gene at 12.78%. Overall, mutation carriers were found more in Her2 negative and in patients that underwent surgery and chemotherapy. No pathogenic variant was found in PTEN and AKT1. Our population displayed a high frequency of PIK3CA mutations with an unusual distribution and spectrum as well as a relatively low prevalence of BRCA mutations. Our results provided novel data on an unstudied population and may help in prevention, and the establishment of suitable therapeutic approaches for our population.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

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).

These variants, considered in isolation or in combination, are not associated with the risk of prostate cancer.

Résumé / Abstract : This study was conducted to describe the distribution of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix uteri, enumerated during a mass screening in Burkina Faso. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 577 women aged 18 to 60 years, carried out from November 23 to December 19, 2013, in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso and in the rural commune of Bama. Regarding the screening results, 89 participants (15.4%) were positive for pre-malignant cervical lesions. Chi-square testing and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the likelihood of cervical pre-cancer lesion in the women. Participants less than 29 years old were approximately 3 times more likely to have cervical lesions than participants >39 years. Participants who were parous (1-3 deliveries) and multiparous (four or more deliveries) were approximately 4 times more likely to present with cervical lesions than nulliparous women. Access to screening services is low in the Bobo-Dioulasso region. Further research should be conducted to understand the incidence and distribution of cervical precancerous and cancerous lesions in Burkina Faso.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

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.

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.

Résumé / Abstract : &lt;b&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/b&gt; Dengue is a remerging vector-borne viral disease in Burkina Faso since the outbreak of 2013 and requires special attention from health authorities. This study reports the prevalence of dengue fever serological markers (NS1Ag, IgM and IgG) and infection dynamic from January, 2018 to December, 2020 among patients tested for dengue infection at Saint Camille Hospital of Ouagadougou (HOSCO). &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; The study population consisted of 6414 patients aged 0-97 years. Dengue virus infection was detected in serum or plasma using the SD bioline dengue duo rapid detection kit. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The prevalence of dengue NS1Ag was 2.25% (45/2003), 18.43% (501/2719) and 2.42% (38/1569) in the study population in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. The age groups over 50 years and 15-20 years were significantly more infected compared to the group 21-30 years respectively in 2019 (p = 0.030) and 2020 (p = 0.035). Patients tested positive for at least one of these markers (NSlAg, IgG and IgM) represented 26.01% (521/2003) and 38.98% (1060/2719). The peak of infection during 2018 and 2019 was observed between October and November. The present study reports a high seroprevalence of acute dengue virus infection. The presence of NS1Ag, IgM and IgG in patients suggests an active circulation of the dengue virus in Ouagadougou. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; Data shows recurrent outbreaks of dengue infection in our country need strong surveillance and a suitable and affordable diagnostic system to clarify the burden, pinpoint the risk factors and for better case management.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

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.

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.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : Surveys were conducted in 2016 and 2017 across the main cassava-growing regions of Burkina Faso to assess the status of cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and to determine the virus strains causing the disease, using field observation and phylogenetic analysis. CMD incidence varied between regions and across years but was lowest in Hauts-Bassins (6.0%, 2016 and 5.4%, 2017) and highest in Centre-Sud (18.5%, 2016) and in Boucle du Mouhoun (51.7%, 2017). The lowest CMD severity was found in Est region (2.0) for both years and the highest in Sud-Ouest region (3.3, 2016) and Centre-Sud region (2.8, 2017). The CMD infection was primarily associated with contaminated cuttings in all regions except in Hauts-Bassins, where whitefly-borne infection was higher than cuttings-borne infection in 2016. PCR screening of 687 samples coupled with sequence analysis revealed the presence of African cassava mosaic-like (ACMV-like) viruses and East African cassava mosaic-like (EACMV-like) viruses as single infections at 79.5% and 1.1%, respectively. Co-infections of ACMV-like and EACMV-like viruses were detected in 19.4% of the tested samples. In addition, 86.7% of the samples positive for EACMV-like virus were found to be positive for East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCMV). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the segregation of cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) from Burkina Faso into three clades specific to ACMV, African cassava mosaic Burkina Faso virus (ACMBFV), and EACMCMV, confirming the presence of these viruses. The results of this study show that EACMCMV occurrence may be more prevalent in Burkina Faso than previously thought.

Résumé / Abstract : Persistent infection with high-risk (HR) papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes plays a central role in the pathogenesis of invasive cervical cancer.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of HR-HPV among women with or without cervical lesions at VIA/VILI in Togo.

Cervical samples were collected from 238 women with or without cervical lesions at VIA / VILI and[c3] DNA [c4]was extracted and analyzed by real-time multiplex PCR. Logistic regression analysis was used to determined risk factors associated with HPV infection.inPietro Annigoni Biomolecular Research Center (CERBA / LABIOGENE) in Burkina Faso.

The age of the women ranged from 17 to 61 years old, and most were married (73.5%). The prevalence of HRHPV was 35.71% and this was higher in the age range 35-39 years. The six most common genotypes were HPV 31 (18.7%), HPV 52 (13.82%), HPV 68 (13.01%), HPV 66 (9.76%), HPV 58 (8.13%) and HPV 56 (8.13%). Genotypes HPV 18 (4.07%) and HPV 16 (0.81%) were less frequent.[c5] Married or living with a partner was associated with HPV infection (OR=2,17, IC [1.20-3.91], p<0,009).

This study allowed characterizing for the first time in Togo, HR-HPV genotypes. This will help mapping-HR-HPV genotypes circulating in West Africa.

Résumé / Abstract : Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Africa after cervical cancer. Even if the epidemiological data are now aligned with those relating to industrialized countries, the knowledge concerning breast cancer in Africa, particularly in Western Africa, still lack clinical data, medical treatments, and the evaluation of genetic and non-genetic factors implicated in the etiology of the disease. The early onset and the aggressiveness of diagnosed breast cancers in patients of African ancestry strongly suggest that the genetic risk factor may be a key component, but so far, very few studies on the impact of germ line mutations in breast cancer in Africa have been conducted, with negative consequences on prevention, awareness and patient management. Through Next Generation sequencing (NGS), we analyzed all of the coding regions and the exon-intron junctions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes-the two most important genes in hereditary breast cancer-in fifty-one women from Burkina Faso with early onset of breast cancer with or without a family history.

We identified six different pathogenic mutations (three in BRCA1, three in BRCA2), two of which were recurrent in eight unrelated women. Furthermore, we identified, in four other patients, two variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) and two variants never previously described in literature, although one of them is present in the dbSNP database.

This is the first study in which the entire coding sequence of BRCA genes has been analyzed through Next Generation Sequencing in Burkinabe young women with breast cancer. Our data support the importance of genetic risk factors in the etiology of breast cancer in this population and suggest the necessity to improve the genetic cancer risk assessment. Furthermore, the identification of the most frequent mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the population of Burkina Faso will allow the development of an inexpensive genetic test for the identification of subjects at high genetic cancer risk, which could be used to design personalized therapeutic protocols.

Résumé / Abstract : Several factors contribute to the development of breast cancer, including the immune system. This study is aimed to characterize the carriage of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1*11 and 1*12 alleles in patients with breast cancer. This case-control study consisted of 96 histologically diagnosed breast cancer cases and 102 controls (cases without breast abnormalities). A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to characterize the carriage of HLA-DRB1*11 and 1*12 alleles. The HLA-DRB1*11 allele was present in 26.59% of cases and 22.55% of controls. The HLA-DRB1*12 allele was present in 56.63% of cases and 55.88% of controls. This study found no direct association between the carriage of the HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*12 alleles and the occurrence of breast cancer. In addition, the deletion of the HLA-DRB1*11 allele is associated (beneficial effect) with obesity/overweight (OR = 0.13; 95% CI [0.01-1.14]; and p = 0.03) which is a risk for breast cancer. No direct association was found between the carriage of HLA-DRB1*11 and 1*12 alleles and breast cancer risk. However, further investigation of other HLA alleles involved in the occurrence of breast cancer may provide more information.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

This study showed that the implementation of the analysis of short tandem repeat is required to resolve increasing disputed filiation cases in Burkina Faso.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

Résumé / Abstract : 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&nbsp;QNR B 24.00%, bla&nbsp;GES 22.00%, bla&nbsp;SHV 17.00%, blaCTX-M 13.00% and bla&nbsp;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.

Résumé / Abstract : The causative agent of cervical cancer referred to as Human papillomavirus (HPV) remains a real public health problem. Many countries in West Africa, such as Togo have no data on the high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection and genotypes distribution. In order to fill the knowledge gap in the field in Togo, the main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix and HR-HPV genotypes among Togolese women.

Samples were collected from 240 women by introducing a swab in the cervix. Then, the screening of precancerous cervical lesions using the visual inspection with acetic acid and lugol (VIA / VIL) was conducted. The HR-HPV genotypes were characterised by real-time multiplex PCR.

Out of 240 women recruited, 128 (53.3%) were infected by HR-HPV. The most common genotypes were HPV 56 (22.7%), followed by HPV 51 (20.3%), HPV 31 (19.5%), HPV 52 (18.8%) and HPV 35 (17.2%). The least common genotypes were HPV 33 (2.3%) and HPV 16 (2.3%). Among the women, 1.3% (3/240) were positive to VIA/VIL.

This study allowed HR-HPV genotypes to be characterised for the first time in Lomé, Togo. This will help in mapping the HR-HPV genotypes in West Africa.

Résumé / Abstract : Burkina Faso (BF) is a landlocked Sahelian country located in the middle of West Africa. Sixty-three local languages are spoken in BF. Despite this high diversity, the BF population remains poorly investigated, and updated forensic parameters with a large number of Y chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are still missing. Herein, 447 DNA samples were typed for a cocktail of 29 Y-STR loci. None of these 447 individuals in total shared a common haplotype. The overall Y-STR haplotypes were successfully uploaded online on the Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD) with the accession numbers YA004690 and YA004691. The main haplotype diversity was 0.9999999965, which is much higher than that obtained with 12 Y-STRs in a previous study. Haploid Match Probability for the whole dataset was 0.002237. The phylogenetic analysis of 24 ethnic groups of BF shows that the ethnic group named BISSA is closer to Gur speakers than Mande speakers, where they belong. In addition, genetic structure analysis of 49 African subpopulations sheds light on the fact that geographic proximity turns out to be one of the best predictors of genetic affinity between populations.

Résumé / Abstract : There is a high prevalence of blood-borne infections in West Africa. This study sought to determine the seroprevalence of blood-borne infections, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV, and syphilis, in blood donors in Burkina Faso. Blood donors were recruited from 2009 to 2013 in four major cities in Burkina Faso of urban area (Ouagadougou) and rural area (Bobo Dioulasso, Fada N'Gourma, and Ouahigouya). Serology tests including hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and rapid plasma reagin test were used for screening and were confirmed with ELISA. Disease prevalence was calculated among first-time donors. Incidence and residual risk were calculated from repeat donors. There were 166,681 donors; 43,084 had ≥ 2 donations. The overall seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 13.4%, 6.9%, 2.1%, and 2.4%, respectively. The incidence rates (IRs) of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis infection were 2,433, 3,056, 1,121, and 1,287 per 100,000 person-years. There was lower seroprevalence of HBV and HCV in urban area than in rural area (12.9% versus 14.0%, P < 0.001; and 5.9% versus 8.0%, P < 0.001), and no difference in HIV (2.1% versus 2.1%, P = 0.25). The IRs of new HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 2.43, 3.06, 1.12, and 1.29 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The residual risk was one per 268 donations for HBV, one per 181 donations for HCV, and one per 1,480 donations for HIV, respectively. In conclusion, this comprehensive study from four blood donation sites in Burkina Faso showed high HBV and HCV seroprevalence and incidence with high residual risk from blood donation.

Résumé / Abstract :

Résumé / Abstract : Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype E (HBV-E) accounts for the majority of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infections in West Africa. We aimed to determine factors associated with HBV-E-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in West Africa. Data on patients from Burkina Faso who were hepatitis B surface antigen positive (HBsAg+) and had CHB were analyzed. HBV viral load and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status were measured in 3,885 individuals with CHB without HCC (CHB HCC-) and 59 individuals with CHB with HCC (CHB HCC+). HBV genotyping was performed for 364 subjects with CHB HCC- and 41 subjects with CHB HCC+. Overall, 2.5% of the CHB HCC- group was HBeAg+ compared with 0% of the CHB HCC+ group. Of the 364 patients who were CHB HCC- with available genotyping, the frequencies of HBV genotypes E and C/E were 70.3% and 12.9%, respectively. Age (odds ratio [OR] for older age, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.10 per 1-year increase in age), male sex (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.11-3.69), and HBV viremia (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.31-1.67 per 1 log10 IU/mL) were each associated with HCC diagnosis. Patients with genotype E had a lower HBeAg prevalence (6.3% vs. 14.9%), lower HBV viral load, and higher prevalence of cirrhosis (14.5% vs. 4.8%) than patients with genotype C/E. Conclusion: HBV-E is the most common circulating strain (70.3%) in West African patients. HCC was associated with older age, male sex, and high HBV viral load. It is expected that these results will further inform guidance on clinical management of HBV infection in West Africa.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : Medicinal plants are a potential source of drug discovery and development of new pharmacological compounds for cancer chemoprevention. More than 80% of the West African population uses medicinal plants. It is estimated that over 60% of approved anti-cancer agents are derived from plants. The plant raw material used in African traditional medicine and particularly in West Africa can be an important source for the research of anti-tumor drugs against gynecological cancers. These tumors have a negative impact on women's general health status and causes enormous health costs as they affect all age groups. Gynecological cancers remain thus a major concern worldwide, especially in West Africa where these cancers are the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. This review reports on the contribution of West African flora to the discovery of potential antiproliferative and/or cytotoxic phytochemical compounds against gynecological cancer cells. Scientific databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and GoogleScholar were used to extract publications reporting West African plants and/or isolated compounds used in cell models of gynecological cancers. Thresholds of cytotoxicity and modes of action of these phytochemicals have been summarized. This research can serve as a basis for taking medicinal plants into account in the management of these gynecological cancers in resource-limited countries such as those in West Africa.

Résumé / Abstract : Hyptis suaveolens is an aromatic plant used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso for management of various diseases including wounds and inflammatory diseases. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize the chemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of Essential Oil (EO) of H. suaveolens from Burkina Faso on cultured cancer cells.

The chemical composition of EO was determined by GC/FID and GC/MS analysis and the antioxidant activity was evaluated through inhibition of DPPH radicals and ABTS +• radical cations. The cytotoxic activity in prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) of EO was evaluated by MTT assay and effect on cells cycle by flow cytometry analysis.

A total of 58 compounds were identified in the EO of H. suaveolens of which the major compounds identified are Sabinene 14.03%, β-Pinene 5.92%, Limonene 4.40%, Eucalyptol 12.78%, Trans-Oxide of Linalol 5.43%, β-Caryophyllene 11.27%, Germacrene-D 3.04% and Bicyclogermacrene 8.08%. The EO of H. suaveolens showed antioxidant activity and concentration dependent antiproliferative activities with G0/G1 arrest on LNCaP and HeLa cells.

This work help to justify some uses of H. suaveolens in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso and also, presents a promising new application for the essential oil of H. suaveolens in prostate and cervical cancer research.

Résumé / Abstract : Situs inversus is a rare congenital malformation often discovered during childhood. It can cause diagnosis errors in adulthood. Its association with gastric perforation is an extremely rare event in the literature. Its diagnosis is made by an adequate morphological assessment.

A 45-years-old man, was admitted to the surgical emergency department for generalized acute abdominal pain initially sitting in the right hypochondrium, accompanied by bilious vomiting and a stop in intestinal transit, progressing for 48 h. He had no known surgical history. The clinical examination noted an altered general state (WHO III) and a peritoneal syndrome. A diagnosis of generalized acute peritonitis has been made. An x-ray of the abdomen without preparation revealed a bilateral pneumoperitoneum with a cardiac point on the right. The thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT scan confirmed the diagnosis. After resuscitation, the patient underwent a laparotomy with gastroraphy and appendectomy. The postoperative follow-ups were without an uneventful, over a 15-month follow-up.

Situs inversus totalis is an uncomon event. Its exact etiology is still unknown. Some authors incriminate an autosomal recessive gene. In our context, its diagnosis is a surprise. Its revelation by gastric perforation is an extremely rare event. Surgical treatment must be performed early. Prognosis is generally better.

In developing countries the diagnosis of situs inversus is a surprise during a pathology which led the patient to a medical consultation. CT-scan is one of the key paraclinic exams for its diagnosis.

Résumé / Abstract : This study aimed to assess the pharmacokinetic profile of 150 mg rifabutin (RBT) taken every other day (every 48 h) versus 300 mg RBT taken every other day (E.O.D), both in combination with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), in adult patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection.

This is a two-arm, open-label, pharmacokinetic, randomised study conducted in Burkina Faso between May 2013 and December 2015. Enrolled patients were randomised to receive either 150 mg RBT EOD (arm A, 9 subjects) or 300 mg RBT EOD (arm B, 7 subjects), both associated with LPV/r taken twice daily. RBT plasma concentrations were evaluated after 2 weeks of combined HIV and TB treatment. Samples were collected just before drug ingestion and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after drug ingestion to measure plasma drug concentration using an HPLC-MS/MS assay.

The Cmax and AUC0-12h medians in arm A (Cmax = 296 ng/mL, IQR: 205-45; AUC0-12h = 2528 ng.h/mL, IQR: 1684-2735) were lower than those in arm B (Cmax = 600 ng/mL, IQR: 403-717; AUC0-12h = 4042.5 ng.h/mL, IQR: 3469-5761), with a statistically significant difference in AUC0-12h (p = 0.044) but not in Cmax (p = 0.313). No significant differences were observed in Tmax (3 h versus 4 h). Five patients had a Cmax below the plasma therapeutic limit (< 300 ng/mL) in the 150 mg RBT arm, while the Cmax was above this threshold for all patients in the 300 mg RBT arm. Additionally, at 48 h after drug ingestion, all patients had a mycobacterial minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) above the limit (> 64 ng/mL) in the 300 mg RBT arm, while 4/9 patients had such values in the 150 mg RBT arm.

This study confirmed that the 150 mg dose of rifabutin ingested EOD in combination with LPV/r is inadequate and could lead to selection of rifamycin-resistant mycobacteria.

PACTR201310000629390, 28th October 2013.

Résumé / Abstract : : The great majority of breast and prostate tumors are hormone-dependent cancers; hence, estrogens and androgens can, respectively, drive their developments, making it possible to use pharmacological therapies in their hormone-dependent phases by targeting the levels of steroid or modulating their physiological activity through their respective nuclear receptors when the tumors relapse. Unfortunately, at some stage, both breast and prostate cancers become resistant to pharmacological treatments that aim to block their receptors, estrogen (ER) or androgen (AR) receptors, respectively. So far, antiestrogens and antiandrogens used in clinics have been designed based on their structural analogies with natural hormones, 17-β estradiol and dihydrotestosterone. Plants are a potential source of drug discovery and the development of new pharmacological compounds. The aim of this review article is to highlight the recent advances in the pharmacological modulation of androgen or estrogen levels, and their activity through their cognate nuclear receptors in prostate or breast cancer and the effects of some plants extracts.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

Résumé / Abstract : The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the promoter region of MMP-1 (at 1607 bp) and MMP-3 (at 1171 bp) create Ets binding sites. Correlations between these SNPs and sensitivity to several biological processes such as metastasis and recurrence of cancer have been reported in several studies. In this case-control study, we looked for these SNPs in women infected with or not with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV). The frequency, distribution and correlation of these SNPs with the presence or absence of HR-HPV infection were evaluated. Genotypes 1G1G, 1G2G and 2G2G for MMP1 and genotypes 5A5A, 5A6A, 6A6A for MMP3 were found in our study population. In general, we noted that the 1G (40.8%) and 2G (64.8%) alleles were more frequent in non-infected women and infected women, respectively, and more specifically this difference was significant in women from Côte d'Ivoire. These results, although yet to be reaffirmed with assays for quantifying the mRNA of these genes, suggest that the SNP of the MMP-1 promoter could promote infection with HR-HPV.

Résumé / Abstract : Objectives Natural products commonly used in traditional medicine, such as essential oils (EOs), are attractive sources for the development of molecules with anti-proliferative activities for future treatment of human cancers, e.g., prostate and cervical cancer. In this study, the chemical composition of the EO from Cymbopogon nardus was characterized, as well as its antioxidativeproperties and anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities on LNCaP cells derived from prostate cancer. Methods The chemical composition of the EO was determined by GC/FID and GC/MS analyses. The antioxidative properties were assessed using DPPH radical scavenging assay and ABTS+• radical cation decolorization assay, and the anti-inflammatory capacity was determined by the inhibition of the lipoxygenase activity. Antiproliferative activity was evaluated by MTT assay. Results Collectively, our data show that the major constituents of C. nardus EO are citronellal (33.06 %), geraniol (28.40 %), nerol (10.94 %), elemol (5.25 %) and delta-elemene (4.09 %). C. nardus EO shows modest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity compared to the standard galic acid. C. nardus EO exhibits the best antiproliferative activity on the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP with an IC50 of 58.0 ± 7.9 μg/mL, acting through the induction of the cell cycle arrest. Conclusions This study has determined that C. nardus EO efficiently triggers cytotoxicity and pens a new field of investigation regarding the putative use of this EO in vivo.

Résumé / Abstract : Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Persistence infection can lead to the development of cervical cancer potentially due to some genetic factors such as polymorphisms in regulatory and coding regions of cytokine genes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between TNF-308 G/A or IL18 polymorphisms and high-risk HPV infection among sexually active women from Burkina Faso. Ninety-one HPV infected and two hundred and nine HPV negative women (the latter used as healthy controls) were screened. TNFA-308 G/A and IL18-607 C/A polymorphisms were detected using the TaqMan allelic discrimination. HPV 52 (21.19%), HPV 39 (11.86%) and HPV 33 (11.02%) were the most common HPV genotypes. The TNFA-308A and IL18-607 C alleles were predominant in all women in the study. None of the TNFA and IL18 alleles were associated with HPV infection. The results suggest that there is no relationship between TNF-308 G/A or IL18-607C/A polymorphisms and HPV infection among women in the study.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

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).

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.

Résumé / Abstract : To evaluate the pharmacokinetic of plasma lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV) when co-administered with three times weekly (TPW) rifabutin (RBT) at a dose of either 150 or 300 mg in African tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infected adult patients.

This is a pharmacokinetic study conducted in Ouagadougou among patients treated with a standard dosage of LPV/RTV 400/100 mg twice daily and RBT 150 mg TPW (arm A = 9 patients) or rifabutin 300 mg TPW (arm B = 7 patients) based regimens. Patients were recruited from the Bogodogo and Kossodo district hospitals in Ouagadougou from May 2013 to December 2015. Study inclusion criteria were that the patients were between 18 and 60 years of age, HIV-1 infected with pulmonary tuberculosis confirmed or suspected. Subsequent blood samples for pharmacokinetic monitoring were collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 h after combined drug ingestion for plasma drug monitoring using HPLC/MS assays.

The medians LPV Cmax and Tmax were respectively, 20 μg/mL and 4 h for the RBT 150 mg group (arm A) and 7.7 μg/mL and 3 h for the RBT 300 mg group (arm B). The AUC0-12 of LPV was 111.8 μg h/mL in patients belonging to arm A versus 69.9 μg/mL for those in arm B (p = 0.313). The C0 of LPV was lower than 4 μg/mL in three patients receiving RBT 300 mg. Of note, the RTV plasma concentrations were nearly halved among patients on RBT 300 mg compared to those on lower RBT doses. The AUC0-12 of RTV in arm A was 12.7 μg h/mL versus 6.6 μg h/ml in arm B (p = 0.313).

In our study, the pharmacokinetic of LPV and RTV was found to be highly variable when coadministrated with RBT 150 mg or 300 mg three times per week. There is a need for specific large study to verify clinical and virological effects of this variation, especially when coadministrated with RBT of 300 mg TPW, and to prevent viral resistance in response to under-dosing of LPV. Trial registration PACTR201310000629390. Registered 28 October 2013, http://www.pactr.org/.

Résumé / Abstract : Developing African countries face health problems that they struggle to solve. The major causes of this situation are high therapeutic and logistical costs. Plant-made therapeutics are easy to produce due to the lack of the safety considerations associated with traditional fermenter-based expression platforms, such as mammalian cells. Plant biosystems are easy to scale up and inexpensive, and they do not require refrigeration or a sophisticated medical infrastructure. These advantages provide an opportunity for plant-made pharmaceuticals to counteract diseases for which medicines were previously inaccessible to people in countries with few resources.

The techniques needed for plant-based therapeutic production are currently available. Viral expression vectors based on plant viruses have greatly enhanced plant-made therapeutic production and have been exploited to produce a variety of proteins of industrial, pharmaceutical and agribusiness interest. Some neglected tropical diseases occurring exclusively in the developing world have found solutions through plant bioreactor technology. Plant viral expression vectors have been reported in the production of therapeutics against these diseases occurring exclusively in the third world, and some virus-derived antigens produced in plants exhibit appropriate antigenicity and immunogenicity. However, all advances in the use of plants as bioreactors have been made by companies in Europe and America. The developing world is still far from acquiring this technology, although plant viral expression vectors may provide crucial help to overcome neglected diseases.

Today, interest in these tools is rising, and viral amplicons made in and for Africa are in progress. This review describes the biotechnological advances in the field of plant bioreactors, highlights factors restricting access to this technology by those who need it most and proposes a solution to overcome these limitations.

Résumé / Abstract : Objectives A cluster of specialized KIR genes of specialized KIR genes has been shown to be associated with susceptibility or resistance to viral infections in humans. Therefore, this pilot study, this pilot investigation sought to determine the frequencies of KIR genes human immunodeficiency virus type 1( HIV-1) patients and establish their potential clinical involvement in disease progression and staging. Methods HIV-1 infected and healthy individuals were selected for this study. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV antibodies and anti-HIV-1/2 antibody/ antigen were screened using a 4th generation ELISA assay (Cobas e 411 Analyzer, Roche Diagnostics GmbH Mannheim, Germany). SSP-PCR was used to evaluate the frequencies of KIR genes. CD4+ T counts and HIV-1 viral load were measured in patients using respectively BD FACSCount and Abbott m2000rt instruments. Results We found a significant association between the frequencies of KIR2DL2 (OR=4.41; p < 0.001), KIR2DS2 (OR=4.76; p < 0.001), KIR2DS3 (OR=2.27; p=0.004), KIR2DS4 (OR=1.76; p=0.026), KIR3DS1 (OR=2.43; p=0.016) and HIV-1 infection; whilst the KIR3DL1 gene (OR= 0.39; p < 0.001) was associated with protection against HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 replication was found to be associated with the presence of KIR2DS2 (OR=6.08, p = 0.024). In contrary the pseudogene KIR2DP1 (OR=0.39; p=0.026) were linked to a protective status with the highest number of lymphocyte T CD4 counts. Conclusion Our data showed that KIR2DL2, KIR2DS2, KIR2DS3, KIR2DS4, and KIR3DS1 were significantly associated with HIV-1 infection whereas KIR3DL1 was associated with protection against HIV-1 infection. Further investigations are needed to fully comprehend the clinical significance of KIR genes in HIV disease progression.

Résumé / Abstract : High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV-HR) infections are responsible for 99.99% of cervico-uterine cancers and 50% of carcinomas of the oropharynx.

To characterize high-risk HPV genotypes (HPV-HR) in histologically confirmed ear, nose and throat (ENT) cancers in Ouagadougou.

One hundred and twenty-eight archived tissues from the ENT sphere, obtained over the last ten years (2007 to 2017) and histologically diagnosed in anatomy and pathology-cytology laboratories in Ouagadougou were included. These tissues were dewaxed with xylene; HPV DNA extraction was performed and HPV-HR were researched by real-time multiplex PCR.

Among the fourteen HPV-HR genotypes tested for, seven were identified. The prevalence of HPV-HR infection was 15.6%. The most common genotypes were: HPV56 (45%) and HPV33 (20%). Squamous cell carcinomas accounted for 75% of cases, followed by lymphomas for 10%. The age range was between 5 and 80 years.

The results show the involvement of a diversity of HPV-HR genotypes and a high frequency of HPV56 and HPV33 in ENT cancers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The appropriate HPV vaccination will considerably reduce the number of these cancers.<br />.

Résumé / Abstract : Background and objective Breast cancer remains the most common cause of cancer mortality in women. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between genetic variability in GSTM1 and GSTT1 and susceptibility to breast cancer. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples for 80 cases of histologically diagnosed breast cancer and 100 control subjects. Genotyping analyses were performed by PCR-based methods. Associations between specific genotypes and the development of breast cancer were examined using logistic regression to calculate odds ratios [1] and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results No correlation was found between GSTM1-null and breast cancer (OR = 1.83; 95%CI 0.90-3.71; p = 0.10), while GSTT1-null (OR = 2.42; 95%CI 1.17-5.02; p= 0.01) was associated with increased breast cancer risk. The GSTM1/GSTT1 double null was not associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer (OR = 2.52; 95%CI 0.75-8.45; p = 0.20). Furthermore, analysis found no association between GSTM1-null (OR =1.12; 95%CI 0.08-15.50; p = 1.00) or GSTT1-null (OR = 1.71; 95%CI 0.13-22.51; p = 1.00) and the disease stage of familial breast cancer patients or sporadic breast cancer patients (GSTM1 (OR = 0.40; 95%CI 0.12-1.32; p = 0.20) and GSTT1 (OR = 1.41; 95%CI 0.39-5.12; p = 0.75)). Also, body mass index (BMI) was not associated with increased or decreased breast cancer risk in either GSTM1-null (OR = 0.60; 95%CI 0.21-1.68; p = 0.44) or GSTT1-null (OR = 0.60; 95%CI 0.21-1.68; p =0.45). Conclusion Our results suggest that only GSTT1-null is associated with increased susceptibility to breast cancer development.

Résumé / Abstract : Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which in turn is the leading cause of cancer death in women in Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection (HR-HPV) and the distribution of genotypes encountered in the sexually active female population of Ouagadougou. In four level-two health centers, we recruited 234 women who agreed to undergo an endocervical swab. HR-HPV genotypes were identified by real-time PCR. The Chi-square test was used for comparisons, with significance defined by a P-value < 0.05. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection was 52.56%. Fourteen genotypes corresponding to 216 infections were characterized: HPV 59 (42/216), HPV 66 (30/216), HPV 56 (20/216), HPV 45 (20/216), HPV 58 (18/216), HPV 39 (18/216), HPV 51 (16/216), HPV 68 (14/216), HPV 52 (12/216), HPV 18 (12/216), HPV 35 (6/216), HPV 31 (5/216), HPV 16 (3/216), HPV 33 (0/216). HPV infection was statistically associated with age (P = 0.033) and with some specific sexual practices, such as oral sex (P = 0.001). The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among women without lesions in our study is higher than that reported previously in studies conducted in Ouagadougou among women in the general population and those found in the rest of the world. Moreover, HPV16 and 18 were not the genotypes most frequently encountered.

Résumé / Abstract : Burkina-Faso's HIV/AIDS program is one of the most successful in Africa, with a declining HIV prevalence and treatment outcomes that rival those of developed countries. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) guidelines in Burkina-Faso, initiated in the year 2000, were revised in 2004, 2006 and 2010. The guideline document has since undergone several stages of improvement, largely based on recommendations from WHO, with adaptations by local experts in the field. Option B+ adopted since August 2014 in Burkina-Faso has enabled maintenance of mothers on longer treatment and increasing their survival and that of their children. Through this review, we describe the achievements and challenges of HIV PMTCT programs in Burkina-Faso.

This study had the following objectives: 1) describing the historical perspective of PMTCT implementation in Burkina-Faso; 2) presenting the effectiveness of interventions at improving PMTCT service delivery and promoting retention of mothers and babies in care; and 3) determining the impact of male partner involvement on PMTCT in Burkina-Faso.

A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Google. Search terms included the following keywords: "HIV testing"; "prevention"; "mother"; "child"; "male partner"; "counseling"; "involvement"; "participation"; and the grouped terms "PMTCT and partners"; "VCT"; "barriers and/or factors"; "Male involvement in PMTCT"; and "Burkina-Faso". Data collection took place from May to October 2015. The search was limited to articles published between January 2002 and December 2015. UNICEF and UNAIDS web sites were also used to find relevant abstracts and documents.

Studies have revealed that with PMTCT, HIV transmission rate moved from 10.4% in 2006 to 0% in 2015. The PMTCT program remains the best way to care for HIV-infected pregnant women and their babies. The current PMTCT policy is based on evidence that male partner involvement is associated with women's completion of PMTCT.

This study shows that the reduction in mother to child transmission of HIV in Burkina-Faso over the years is mainly due to the improvement of PMTCT programs. Efforts still need to be made about the involvement of male partners.

Résumé / Abstract : During intraerythrocytic development, the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum alters the mechanical deformability of its host cell. The underpinning biological processes involve gain in parasite mass, changes in the membrane protein compositions, reorganization of the cytoskeletons and its coupling to the plasma membrane, and formation of membrane protrusions, termed knobs. The hemoglobinopathies S and C are known to partially protect carriers from severe malaria, possibly through additional changes in the erythrocyte biomechanics, but a detailed quantification of cell mechanics is still missing. Here, we combined flicker spectroscopy and a mathematical model and demonstrated that knob formation strongly suppresses membrane fluctuations by increasing membrane-cytoskeleton coupling. We found that the confinement increased with hemoglobin S but decreases with hemoglobin C in spite of comparable knob densities and diameters. We further found that the membrane bending modulus strongly depends on the hemoglobinopathetic variant, suggesting increased amounts of irreversibly oxidized hemichromes bound to membranes.

Résumé / Abstract : Qnr genes are known to confer a low-level resistance to fluoroquinolone in Enterobacteriaceae. They are often found on the same resistance plasmids as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and constitute the most common antibiotic resistance mechanism. This study aimed to detect the presence of qnr genes in ESBL-producing E. coli and Klebsiella spp.

From May 2013 to July 2015, 91 E. coli and 64 Klebsiella spp. strains with phenotypic resistance to quinolone were collected from several specimens and analyzed for the detection of qnrA, qnrB, qnrS genes and the β-lactamase resistance genes (blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV) using simplex and multiplex PCR.

In the present study, 107 (69%; 61 E. coli and 46 Klebsiella spp.) of 155 bacterial strains tested were found harboring at least one qnr gene consisting of 74 (47.74%) qnrB, 73 (47.10%) qnrS and 4 (2.58%) qnrA. Of the 107 strains encoding qnr genes, 102, 96 and 52 carried CTX-M1, TEM and SHV type ESBL respectively.

This study identified quinolone resistance (qnr) gene in ESBL-producing E. coli and Klebsiella spp. in Togo. These finding which suggest a possible resistance to quinolone are of high interest for better management of patients and control of antimicrobial resistance in Togo.

Résumé / Abstract : 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.

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.

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).

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.

Résumé / Abstract : Breast cancer is the top cause of cancer mortality among women in the world and the second in Africa. The aims of this study were to: i) identify women with breast nodules suspected of having breast cancer ii) sequence the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and iii) screen mutations. From 2015 to 2016, 112 women aged from 35 to 44 years, who had come for consultation in the gynecology/obstetrics and the oncology department of the University Hospital Yalgado Ouedraogo, voluntarily agreed to participate to this study. Whole blood was collected from those with mammary nodules. The genomic DNA was extracted using Qiagen kit. FAST KAPA was used for genomic DNA amplification and the purified PCR products were analyzed by direct sequencing using Big Dye v1.1 and ABI 3730 automated sequencer. Nucleotides substitutions were determined. We identified BRCA1 SNPs rs1799966, rs799917, rs16942, rs16941, rs2227945, and BRCA2 SNPs rs169547, rs4986860. These identified variants are found mostly in cases of benign tumors of breast or ovarian cancer with familial history of breast cancer. This study in Burkina-Faso, is the basis for improved and more specific genetic testing, and suggests that additional genes contributing to an increased risk of breast cancer should be analyzed.

Résumé / Abstract : Laryngeal papillomatosis is the most common benign tumor of the larynx of children. It is characterized by the development of exophytic proliferative lesions in the mucosa of the airways. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been recognized as a causal agent among which HPV types 6 and 11 are the most frequently implicated. This disease affects the vocal cords and other important functions of the child. The difficulty of treatment is related to the high recurrence of papilloma growth after surgical removal. The objective of this study was to describe the implication of HPV6 and HPV11 in cases of laryngeal papillomatosis histologically confirmed in Ouagadougou.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study based on histologically diagnosed archival tissue; obtained in the last ten years (2007 to 2017) in the anatomy and cyto-pathology laboratories in Burkina Faso. These fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues were deparaffinized with xylene before HPV DNA extraction; then HPV6 and HPV 11 were identified by real-time multiplex PCR.

The prevalence of low-risk HPV infection (HPV-LR) was 54.84% in histologically confirmed laryngeal papillomatosis in Ouagadougou. Among the HPV-LR positive samples, HPV6 and HPV11 genotype prevalence's were respectively 41.17% and 35.3% while the HPV6 / HPV11 co-infection was 23.53%.

The results show the implication of HPV6 and HPV11 in laryngeal papillomatosis in Burkina Faso with a high prevalence.