Immunoglobulin G responses against falciparum malaria specific antigens are higher in children with homozygous sickle cell trait than those with normal hemoglobin

Abstract Background High Immunoglobulin G (IgG) response to Plasmodium falciparum antigens is associated with partial malaria protection in sickle hemoglobin (HbS) children. However, this response has been more studied in children with heterozygous sickle cell trait (HbAS) but little explored in those with homozygous sickle cell trait (HbSS). The current study was conducted to determine the IgG responses against specific Plasmodium falciparum antigens in children with homozygous sickle cell trait (HbSS) by comparing to those with normal hemoglobin (HbAA). Methods A cross sectional study was conducted between April and July 2018 in Dar es Salaam tertiary hospitals. Parents were consented for their child to give about 5 ml of venous blood. IgG concentration from the blood plasma of 220 children (110 HbAA vs. 110 HbSS) were determined using indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Then IgG medians were compared between the groups with prism 5 software (GraphPad) using Mann Whitney U test. Where the differences in age, hemoglobin levels and body weight between the groups was analyzed using independent sample t test. Multiple linear regressions were used to control cofounding variables such as body weight, age and hemoglobin level using statistical package for social sciences software (SPSS version 23). P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The median IgG concentration to PfEBA-175, Pfg27, yPfs28C antigens were HbSS; 20.7 ng/ml (IQR; 18.1–25.6) vs. HbAA; 2.3 ng/ml (IQR; 1.21–3.04), HbSS; 2.76 ng/ml (IQR: 2.08–5.69) vs. HbAA; 1.36 ng/ml (IQR: 1.28–1.76), and HbSS; 26,592 ng/ml (IQR: 10817–41,462) vs. HbAA; 14,164 ng/ml (IQR; 3069–24,302) respectively (p < 0.0001 for all IgG). In both groups; age, body weight and hemoglobin level had no impact on the levels of IgG responses to Plasmodium falciparum antigens except for HbAA group which showed a significant increase in IgG against Pfg27 by 0.004 ng/ml with 1 g/dl increase in Hb level (p = 0.028). Conclusions This study found significant higher levels of specific Plasmodium falciparum IgG responses in children with homozygous sickle cell trait than those with normal hemoglobin

Erratum to: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage on admission among patients attending regional hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Following publication of the original article [1], author Elia Mmbaga pointed out that her name had been misspelt as Elia Mbaga

Mental health symptoms and inflammatory markers among HIV infected patients in Tanzania

Background: HIV and mental disorders are predicted to be the leading causes of illness worldwide by the year 2030. HIV-infected patients are at increased risk of developing mental disorders which are significantly associated with negative clinical outcomes and propagation of new HIV infections. There is little evidence that links inflammation to development of mental disorders among HIV patients. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate if mental health symptoms were associated with biomarkers of inflammation in HIV infected subjects. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dar es Salam, Tanzania from March to May 2018. Standardized tools were used to collect data based on the World Health Organisation\u27s (WHO) stepwise approach for non-communicable diseases (NCD) surveillance. A total of 407 HIV+ patients on antiretroviral therapy were recruited. The WHO stepwise approach for NCD surveillance was used to collect data together with anthropometric measurements. Mental health symptoms were determined based on self-reported thoughts of helplessness, suicide ideation, depression, despair, discouragement, and feelings of isolation. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test for inflammatory markers:- C-reactive protein (CRP), Iinterleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor-I (sTNFR-I), and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor-II (sTNFR-II). Bivariate and multi-variate analysis was conducted to examine the association between biomarkers and mental health symptoms. Results: The prevalence of self-reported mental health symptoms was 42% (n = 169). Participants with self-reported symptoms of mental health had elevated CRP, were less likely to walk or use a bicycle for at least 10 minutes, were less likely to participate in moderate-intensity sports or fitness activities, and had poor adherence to HIV treatment (p \u3c 0.005). CRP remained significant in the sex adjusted, age-sex adjusted, and age-sex-moderate exercise adjusted models. In the fully adjusted logistic regression model, self-reported mental health symptoms were significantly associated with a higher quartile of elevated CRP (OR 4.4; 95% CI 1.3–5.9) and sTNFR-II (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.4–6.6) and the third quartile of IL-18 (OR 5.1;95% CI 1.5–17.5) as compared with those reporting no mental health symptoms. The significance of sTNFR-II and IL-18 in the fully adjusted model is confounded by viral load suppression rates at the sixth month. Conclusion: High CRP and sTNFR II were important contributors to the prevalence of mental health symptoms. This study is among the minimal studies that have examined mental health issues in HIV, and therefore, the findings may offer significant knowledge despite the potential reverse causality. Regardless of the nature of these associations, efforts should be directed toward screening, referral, and follow-up of HIV patients who are at-risk for mental health disorders

Nasal Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among Health Care Workers in Tertiary and Regional Hospitals in Dar es Salam, Tanzania

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among health care workers (HCWs) increases the risk of spreading the organism in hospital settings. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and October 2016 among HCWs in tertiary and regional hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to determine the MRSA nasal carriage rate. Nasal swabs were collected from HCWs and cultured on mannitol salt agar. S. aureus was identified based on colonial morphology, Gram staining, catalase, coagulase, and DNase test results. MRSA was detected using the cefoxitin disk. Among 379 HCWs enrolled, 157/379 (41.4%) were colonized with S. aureus, of whom 59 (37.6%) were MRSA carriers giving an overall prevalence of 59/379 (15.6%). MRSA carriage was high among HCWs in Temeke (56.9%) and Amana (37.5%) regional hospitals. A high proportion of MRSA carriage was detected among nurses (35, 45.5%). MRSA isolates showed high resistance toward kanamycin (83.7%), gentamicin (83.1%), ciprofloxacin (71.2%), and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (46.8%) compared to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates (p≤0.001). In conclusion, we found a high nasal carriage of MRSA and resistance to commonly prescribed antimicrobial agents among HCWs. Implementation of infection control measures including contact precautions, urgent reporting of MRSA laboratory results, and routine MRSA screening of HCWs is highly needed to reduce MRSA spreading