68 research outputs found
Exploring How Lecturers Have Designed Their Online Courses to Promote Active Engagement in Teaching and Learning Contexts
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it mandatory for all university courses to be taught using online technologies. One of the major challenges experienced by Lecturers has been how to make students responsive and engaged in online environments as opposed to face-to-face classrooms. This study seeks to investigate how extended curriculum programme academics design their online extended curriculum courses such that they can promote active engagement in their online classrooms. The research design adopted for this study falls within the interpretative paradigm, embracing a qualitative research approach within a case study methodology. For data collection purposes, three courses and nine Lecturers, three from each faculty were selected for each of these faculties because of their engagement in online learning and hybrid learning initiatives, making nine courses. Two theoretical frameworks underpinned this study: the SAMR Model and the Technology integration matrix (TIM). The researchers argue that it is imperative that academic development supports and enhances the development and agency of academics in designing and creating active and engaging hybrid or online environments
HBV/HIV co-infection: The dynamics of HBV in South African patients with AIDS
Objective. As sub-Saharan Africa is highly endemic for hepatitis Bvirus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections,and their co-infection requires special management, we aimedto assess the serological and molecular characteristics of HBV inpatients with AIDS.Design. This was a cross-sectional, case control study, whichenrolled 200 patients with AIDS and 200 HIV-negative controls.HBV serology was done in all participants and HCV serologyin participants with a hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) onlyserological pattern. Nested HBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR)and HBV viral load assays were used for HBV molecular detection.Results. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence was3-fold higher while the ‘anti-HBc only’ pattern was 6-fold higher inthe AIDS group compared with the controls. Mean HBV viral loadwas significantly higher in HBsAg-positive patients with CD4+cell counts <100 cells/ìl than in patients with CD4+ cell counts of100-200 cells/ìl (p=0.019). There were markedly reduced hepatitisB surface antibody (anti-HBs) titres in the AIDS group comparedwith the controls (p=0.002). A significant proportion of AIDSpatients with an ‘anti-HBc only’ pattern had CD4+ cell counts <100cells/ìl (p=0.004). Occult HBV prevalence was 3.5% in the AIDSgroup compared with 1% in the controls (p=0.092). When occultHBV infection was taken into consideration, the overall HBVprevalence became 10% in the AIDS group and 3% in the controlgroup.Conclusion. We showed an increased HBV prevalence in patientswith AIDS and identified a CD4+ cell count <100 cells/ìl as amajor risk factor for the ‘anti-HBc only’ pattern and increasedHBV replication. These data have significant public healthimplications for HBV in developing countries, especially in areaswhere antiretroviral (ARV) guidelines do not cater for HBV/HIVco-infection
Evaluation of the Determineâ„¢ fourth generation HIV rapid assay
Assays that detect p24 antigen reduce the diagnostic window period of HIV testing. Most point-of-care HIV assays have poor sensitivity to diagnose acute HIV infection as they only detect antibodies against
HIV-1 and HIV-2 (HIV-1/2). This was a cross-sectional laboratory-based study that evaluated the performance of the DetermineTM HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo fourth generation rapid strip – currently the only rapid assay that detects both HIV-1/2 antibodies and p24 antigen. A total of 79 serum specimens (29 positive for HIV antibodies only, 14 positive for HIV antibodies and p24 antigen, 20 HIV-negative, and 16 positive for p24 antigen only) were used for the evaluation. Results were compared with those from validated fourth generation HIV ELISAs. The DetermineTM Combo rapid strips had a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 100% for the detection of HIV-1/2 antibodies. Its sensitivity for the detection of p24 antigen was only 10% (3 out of 30 p24 antigen positive specimens). This implies that most acute HIV infections will be missed with this assay. The need for a point-of-care assay which can detect acute HIV
infection reliably still remains, particularly for use in a high prevalence setting such as South Africa.The authors would like to thank the South African Regional Headquarters of Alere (Waltham, USA) for providing DetermineTM HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo kits for validation purposes, as well as funding provided for the purchase of the seroconversion panel from the South African National Blood Service.http:// www.elsevier.com/locate/jviromethb2013ay201
Variability of the preC/C region of hepatitis B virus genotype A from a South African cohort predominantly infected with HIV
ABSTRACT Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a serious global health problem, and HBV genotype is an important determinant of disease progression and treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to assess variations of the precore/core (preC/C) region in HBV genotype A. Sequencing of the preC/C and surface (S) genes of HBV was performed on plasma samples from 20 HBV/HIV co-infected and 5 HBV mono-infected individuals. All preC/C study sequences clustered with subgenotype A1, except for 2 which clustered with subgenotype D4 reference strains. The nucleotide and amino acid variability was far higher in the preC/C region than in the S region. Mutations associated with reduction or failure of HBV e-antigen (HBeAg) production were observed, with a preC start codon mutation being common (24%). Other mutations (e.g. P5H/L and I97L) associated with severe liver disease were also noticed, some of which were located in the major histocompatibility restricted sites. PreC/C intergenotype nucleotide divergence was >7%, while subgenotypes differed by 2.5 -7%. Several study sequences were highly divergent from other African subgenotype A1 strains. This study showed that HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B is underestimated in subgenotype A1, and also highlighted the variant South African A1 strains. The major advantage of preC/C sequencing is that it informs patient management as HBeAgnegative chronic hepatitis B responds poorly to conventional interferon-α therapy, and some guidelines treat HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B differently from HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. These data suggest that subgenotype A1 may be more involved in severe HBVrelated diseases
HIV-1/2 differentiation in a South African public laboratory
BACKGROUND : The human immunodeficiency virus type-2 (HIV-2) prevalence in South Africa
(SA) is unknown, however, sporadic cases have been reported. Human immunodeficiency
virus -1 and 2 differentiation is not part of most South African public laboratories’ testing
algorithm. Human immunodeficiency virus -2 diagnosis using serology assays may be
complicated by HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody cross-reactivity.
OBJECTIVES : To determine the proportion of HIV-2 infections in specimens that tested HIV-1/2
positive at a public laboratory in Tshwane.
METHOD: A total of 480 specimens that were previously tested with fourth generation ELISA
platforms (Modular E170 [Roche, Switzerland] and Architect i2000 [Abbott, Germany]) were
randomly selected. Human immunodeficiency virus -1 and 2 antibody differentiation testing
was carried out using the Multispot HIV-1/2 rapid assay (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA). An inhouse nested HIV-2 PCR assay targeting the 5'-long terminal repeats (5'-LTR) region was
evaluated and used as a confirmatory test.
RESULT: The study tested 480 HIV-1/2 seropositive patients and their mean age was 36.7 years
(range 3–82 years). Of the 480 patients, 292 (60.8%) were female, 182 (37.9%) were male and
6 (1.3%) were not specified. Human immunodeficiency virus differentiation results were as
follows: 466 (97.1%) were positive for only HIV-1 antibodies, 11 (2.3%) [95%CI: (0.98%; 3.74%)]
were positive for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies, 3 (0.6%) were negative for both antibodies
and none were positive for only HIV-2 antibodies. Of the 11 specimens with both HIV-1 and
HIV-2 antibodies, seven had sufficient volume for confirmatory testing and were all negative
on the in-house HIV-2 PCR assay.
CONCLUSION: The multispot HIV-1/2 rapid assay demonstrated cross-reactivity
between HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. Human immunodeficiency virus -2 infections were
not detected.NHLS Research Trust; Discovery Foundation and University of Pretoria Research grant.http://www.sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmeddm2022Medical Virolog
Antenatal screening for hepatitis B virus in HIV-infected and uninfected pregnant women in the Tshwane district of South Africa
BACKGROUND. Despite enormous strides in preventing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, perinatal transmission still contributes significantly
to HBV epidemiology worldwide; this could account for approximately 50% of chronically infected individuals.
OBJECTIVE. To assess the need for HBV screening in antenatal clinics in the HIV/AIDS era.
METHODS. This was a retrospective study conducted at the antenatal clinic of 1 Military Hospital, Tshwane, South Africa. Laboratory data
for HBV, HIV and CD4 count were obtained and analysed for the period January 2008 - December 2013.
RESULTS. A total of 2 513 patients’ results were retrieved and 2 368 patients were enrolled as both their HBV and HIV serology results were
available. The mean age of participants was 29 years (range 14 - 46). HIV prevalence in this study was 20.5% (95% confidence interval
(CI) 0.189 - 0.222). The median CD4 count in HIV-infected patients was 522 cells/μL (interquartile range 370 - 711). There was an overall
HBV prevalence of 0.8% (95% CI 0.005 - 0.011). The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence was significantly higher (2.1%) among
HIV co-infected compared with HIV-uninfected patients (0.4%) (p=0.0001). Hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg) positivity was 30% in the HIV
co-infected compared with 37.6% in the HIV-uninfected individuals (p=0.7400).
CONCLUSION. This study showed a significantly higher HBV prevalence in HIV-infected compared with HIV-uninfected patients. The
comparable HBeAg prevalence between the two groups indicates that both were at an increased risk of vertical transmission, therefore
demonstrating a need for antenatal screening for HBV. Since antenatal screening is often not affordable in low-income countries,
administration of HBV vaccine at birth is needed for prevention of vertical transmission.http://www.samj.org.zaam2016Medical VirologyObstetrics and Gynaecolog
Recommendations for the medical evaluation of children prior to adoption in South Africa
The current legislative framework in South Africa (SA) supports adoption as the preferred form of care for children with inadequate or no parental or family support. There are an estimated 3.8 million orphans in SA, with approximately 1.5 - 2 million children considered adoptable. As a means of improving services, newly drafted adoption guidelines from the National Department of Social Development will in future require both non-profit and private sector adoption agencies to obtain a medical report on a child prior to placement. However, no local guidelines specify what an appropriate medical examination entails or how it should be reported. For the purposes of proposing and developing such guidelines, an open forum was convened at the Institute of Pathology, University of Pretoria, in March 2013. These ‘Recommendations for the medical evaluation of children prior to adoption in South Africa’ emanate from this meeting
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease caused by coxsackievirus A6 in a patient infected with HIV
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is common in children ≤ 5 years of age, and is mainly caused by enterovirus 71 and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA6).
A 12-year-old boy on treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presented to an HIV clinic with fever and a rash on the palms and soles.
The syphilis test were negative. Enterovirus was identified from a stool sample by PCR and characterised as as coxsackievirus A6(CVA6). The patient
completely recovered a week later. CVA6 has recently been associated with HFMD. This case highlights the significance of the laboratory confirmation
of suspected HFMD cases aand phylogenetic analysis of the identified virus.http://www.sajei.co.za/index.php/SAJEIam201
Pre-treatment minority HIV-1 drug resistance mutations and long term virological outcomes : is prediction possible?
BACKGROUND : Although the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV positive individuals has proved to be
effective in suppressing the virus to below detection limits of commonly used assays, virological failure associated
with drug resistance is still a major challenge in some settings. The prevalence and effect of pre-treatment resistance
associated variants on virological outcomes may also be underestimated because of reliance on conventional
population sequencing data which excludes minority species. We investigated long term virological outcomes
and the prevalence and pattern of pre-treatment minority drug resistance mutations in individuals initiating
HAART at a local HIV clinic.
METHODS : Patient’s records of viral load results and CD4 cell counts from routine treatment monitoring were
used and additional pre-treatment blood samples for Sanger sequencing were obtained. A selection of pretreatment
samples from individuals who experienced virological failure were evaluated for minority resistance
associated mutations to 1 % prevalence and compared to individuals who achieved viral suppression.
RESULTS : At least one viral load result after 6 months or more of treatment was available for 65 out of 78
individuals followed for up to 33 months. Twenty (30.8 %) of the 65 individuals had detectable viremia and
eight (12.3 %) of them had virological failure (viral load > 1000 RNA copies/ml) after at least 6 months of
HAART. Viral suppression, achieved by month 8 to month 13, was followed by low level viremia in 10.8 % of
patients and virological failure in one patient after month 20. There was potentially reduced activity to Emtricitabine or
Tenofovir in three out of the eight cases in which minority drug resistance associated variants were investigated but
detectable viremia occurred in one of these cases while the activity of Efavirenz was generally reduced in all
the eight cases.
CONCLUSIONS : Early viral suppression was followed by low level viremia for some patients which may be an
indication of failure to sustain viral suppression over time. The low level viremia may also be representing
early stages of resistance development. The mutation patterns detected in the minority variants showed
potential reduced drug sensitivity which highlights their potential to dominate after treatment initiation.
TRIAL REGISTRATION : Not applicable.Additional file 1: Figure S1. Deep sequencing coverage. C – E shows
sequencing coverage for samples with virologicalfailure (L031, L054 and
L064 respectively), F shows coverage for a sample with detectable
viremia (L009)and G and H show coverage for virally suppressed samples
(L074 and L075 respectively). Mutations wereexcluded from analysis for
any of the following: noisy mutations filtering, coverage filtering, forward/
reverse unbalanced frequency and forward/reverse unbalanced coverage.This work is based on the research supported by grants awards from South
African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology
and National Research Foundation of South Africa (C.T. Tiemessen), the HIV
Research Trust (M.L. Mzingwane), the National Health Laboratory Service
Research Trust and the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation.http://www.virologyj.comam2016Medical Virolog
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