Right Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction Is Common in Hypertensive Heart Failure: A Prospective Study in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Cardiomyopathy is an important cause of heart failure in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for up to 30% of adult heart failure hospitalisations. This high prevalence poses a challenge in societies without access to resources and interventions essential for disease management. Over 80 genes have been implicated as a cause of cardiomyopathy. Mutations in the phospholamban (PLN) gene are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and severe heart failure. In Africa, the prevalence of PLN mutations in cardiomyopathy patients is unknown. Our aim was to screen 315 patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (n = 111), DCM (n = 95), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 40) and peripartum cardiomyopathy (n = 69) for disease-causing PLN mutations by high resolution melt analysis and DNA sequencing. We detected the previously reported PLN c.25C > T (p.R9C) mutation in a South African family with severe autosomal dominant DCM. Haplotype analysis revealed that this mutation occurred against a different haplotype background to that of the original North American family and was therefore unlikely to have been inherited from a common ancestor. No other mutations in PLN were detected (mutation prevalence = 0.2%). We conclude that PLN is a rare cause of cardiomyopathy in African patients. The PLN p.R9C mutation is not well-tolerated, emphasising the importance of this gene in cardiac function.

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Evaluation of ventricular systolic dysfunction as a risk factor for acute kidney injury in intensive care unit

The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine ◽

10.1186/s43162-021-00055-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Aly Obiedallah ◽

Ashraf Anwar E. L. Shazly ◽

Noura Gamal Nasr ◽

Essam M. Abdel Aziz

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Acute Kidney Injury ◽

Right Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Dysfunction ◽

Ventricular Dysfunction ◽

Systolic Dysfunction ◽

Kidney Injury ◽

Right Ventricular Dysfunction ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem. Cardiac and renal diseases interact in a complex bidirectional manner in both acute and chronic settings. Renal dysfunction in the setting of heart failure, termed the cardio renal syndrome (CRS), has been considered consequence of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), whereby decreasing cardiac output (COP) results in renal under perfusion and consequent decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Main body of the abstract This study showed that 500 patients were admitted to internal care unit (ICU), and out of them, 100 (20%) patients developed acute kidney injury (AKI) while 400 (80%) patients did not develop AKI. It is also showed that 67 (67%) of those with AKI and 100 (25%) of those with no-AKI had baseline ventricular systolic dysfunction, left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), and biventricular dysfunction (BiVD)presented in 23 (23%), 16 (16%), and 28 (28%) patients of AKI group, respectively, and presented in 60 (15%), 30 (7.50%), and 10 (2.50%) patients, respectively, in patients without acute kidney injury (AKI) Short conclusion Our study revealed that AKI has highest incidence in patient with biventricular dysfunction followed by left ventricular dysfunction and lastly those with right ventricular dysfunction.

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Prevalence and prognostic impact of right ventricular systolic dysfunction in heart failure patients with reduced LVEF

Archives of Cardiovascular Diseases Supplements ◽

10.1016/j.acvdsp.2019.09.102 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 48

Author(s):

M. Haboub ◽

S. Arous ◽

E. Benouna ◽

A. Drighil ◽

L. Azzouzi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Right Ventricular ◽

Systolic Dysfunction ◽

Prognostic Impact ◽

Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction ◽

Heart Failure Patients

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Postoperative Sepsis Among HIV-Positive Patients with Acute Abdomen at Tertiary Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Prospective Study

SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine ◽

10.1007/s42399-019-00061-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (6) ◽

pp. 465-472

Author(s):

Mohamed Abdullahi Awale ◽

Timothy Makumbi ◽

Gideon Rukundo ◽

Gideon K. Kurigamba ◽

Geoffrey Kisuze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prospective Study ◽

Acute Abdomen ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Postoperative Sepsis ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

A Prospective Study

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Antigen-based diagnosis of Schistosoma infection in travellers: a prospective study

Journal of Travel Medicine ◽

10.1093/jtm/taaa055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Miriam Casacuberta-Partal ◽

Jacqueline J Janse ◽

Roos van Schuijlenburg ◽

Jutte J C de Vries ◽

Marianne A A Erkens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prospective Study ◽

Adult Worm ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Water Contact ◽

Praziquantel Treatment ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

A Prospective Study

Abstract Background Travellers infected with Schistosoma spp. might be pauci- or even asymptomatic on first presentation. Therefore, schistosomiasis may remain undiagnosed in this population. Active infection, as evidenced by the presence of the tissue-dwelling worm, can be demonstrated via the detection of adult worm-derived circulating anodic antigen (CAA) utilising a robust well-described lateral flow-(LF) based test applying background-free up-converting reporter particles (UCP). In this prospective study, we assessed the diagnostic value of serum and urine UCP-LF CAA test in comparison with two Schistosoma-specific serological assays detecting antibodies against adult worm antigen-immuno fluorescence assay (AWA-IFA) and against soluble egg antigen–enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SEA-ELISA) antigens in travellers. Methods Samples were collected from 106 Dutch travellers who reported freshwater contact in sub-Saharan Africa and who were recruited up to 2 years after return. Subjects were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire on travel history, water contact, signs and symptoms compatible with schistosomiasis. Results Two travellers were positive by serum CAA and an additional one by urine CAA. A total of 22/106 (21%) samples were antibody positive by AWA-IFA and 9/106 (9%) by SEA-ELISA. At follow-up 6 weeks and 6 months after praziquantel treatment, all seropositives remained antibody positive whereas CAA was cleared. Seropositivity could not be predicted by the type of fresh water-related activity, country visited or symptoms reported. Conclusion The low number of UCP-LF CAA positives suggests that in travellers, active infections often do not establish or have very low worm burden. Based on our high seroconversion rates, we conclude that the AWA-IFA assay is the most sensitive test to detect schistosome exposure. Given the lack of predictive symptoms or risk factors, we recommend schistosomiasis screening at least by serology in all travellers with reported freshwater contact in high-endemic areas.

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