Data onHelicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection and virulence factors in countries across West Africa are scattered. This systematic review seeks to present an update on the status ofH. pyloriinfection focusing on prevalence rate, distribution of virulent genes, and their link to clinical outcomes across countries in the western part of Africa. This information is expected to broaden the knowledge base of clinicians and researchers regardingH. pyloriinfection and associated virulence factors in West African countries.Search Method.A comprehensive search of the scientific literature in PubMed and ScienceDirect was conducted using the search terms including “Helicobacter pyloriinfection in West Africa”. Databases were sourced from January 1988 to December 2018.Results.Data on the incidence ofH. pyloriinfection and related pathological factors were found for some countries, whereas others had no information on it. Smoking, alcohol, exposure to high levels of carcinogens and diet were reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal diseases and gastric cancer. Besides the environmental factors and genetic characteristics, there are important characteristics ofH. pylorisuch as the ability to infect, replicate, and persist in a host that have been associated with the pathogenesis of various gastroduodenal diseases.Concluding Remarks.This systematic search has provided information so far available onH. pylorivirulence factors and clinical outcomes in West Africa. Accordingly, this piece has identified gaps in the body of knowledge highlighting the need for more studies to clarify the role ofH. pylorivirulence factors and associated clinical outcomes in the burden of this bacterial infection in West Africa, as data from these countries do not give the needed direct relation.

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) are endemic in Far East Asia and commonly harbour Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which is known to serve as a key oncogenic promoter. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of NPC. However, in Ghana these two viruses have not been linked to NPC prevalence. This study was designed to determine the HPV genotypes and EBV involved in NPC tissue biopsies. A retrospective study design involving 72 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) samples of NPC from 2006 to 2012 were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, University of Ghana School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences. Sections were taken for histological analysis and for DNA lysate preparation. The DNA lysates were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to determine the presence of HPV genotypes and EBV. HPV specific primers were used to type for fourteen HPV genotypes (HPV-16, 18, 6/11, 31, 33, 35, 44, 42, 43, 45, 56, 52, 58, and 59). Out of the 72 NPC biopsies analyzed by PCR, EBV DNA was present in 18 (25%) cases and HPV DNA in 14 (19.23%). High risk HPV (HR-HPV) genotypes 18 and 31 were associated with the NPC. There were 3 (4.2%) cases of coinfection by both viruses. The EBV DNA present in the undifferentiated variant of the NPC and the histopathology of the NPC in Ghana is similar to the type described in endemic areas.

Sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia trachomatis can enhance HIV-1 infection. However, the molecular mechanisms modulating the enhancement of HIV-1 infectivity and replication during HIV-1/sexually transmitted infections coinfection remain elusive. In this study, we performed an ex vivo infection of HIV-1 in PBMCs of C. trachomatis‒infected patients and observed a significant increase in HIV-1 p24 levels compared with those in cells from healthy donors. Similarly, C. trachomatis‒stimulated PBMCs from healthy donors showed enhanced susceptibility to HIV-1. C. trachomatis‒stimulated CD4 T cells also harbored more HIV-1 copy numbers. RNA sequencing data revealed the upregulation of CCL3L1/CCL3L3, a paralog of CCL3 in C. trachomatis‒stimulated CD4 T cells infected with HIV-1. Furthermore, an increase in CCL3L1/CCL3L3 expression levels correlated with HIV-1 replication in C. trachomatis‒stimulated cells. However, the addition of exogenous CCL3L1 reduces HIV-1 infection of healthy cells, indicating a dual role of CCL3L1 in HIV-1 infection. Further investigation revealed that a knockout of CCL3L1/CCL3L3 in Jurkat T cells rescued the increased susceptibility of C. trachomatis‒stimulated cells to HIV-1 infection. These results reveal a role for CCL3L1/CCL3L3 in enhancing HIV-1 replication and production and highlight a mechanism for the enhanced susceptibility to HIV-1 among C. trachomatis‒infected patients.

Patients who require transfusion as part of their clinical management have the right to expect sufficient blood to be available to meet their needs and to receive the safest blood possible. Donor deferrals (disqualification) lead to loss of precious blood donors and blood units available for transfusion purposes. It is believed that a large majority of donor deferrals are due to temporal and correctable causes such as anemia in developing countries. It is therefore important to determine anemia among donor population to inform decision-making on the type of measures to be taken to reduce deferrals due to anemia. The aim of the study was to determine anemia in prospective blood donors deferred by the copper sulphate technique of hemoglobin estimation. This, to provide information that would help plan a future strategy for donor recruitment and management. Three (3) ml of venous blood samples were collected from the study subjects into EDTA anticoagulant tubes. The hemoglobin levels and red cell indices were measured using Sysmex hematology analyser. A thin blood film was prepared and stained using Leishman stain and then observed under the light microscope. The prevalence of anemia among the total deferred patients (538) was 17.1 %. Four different types of anemia were found among the subjects. These were normocytic normochromic (46.74 %), microcytic hypochromic (42.39 %) normocytic hypochromic (8.70 %), and microcytic normochromic anemia (2.17 %). The study showed that a significant number of the prospective blood donors deferred for having low hemoglobin by the copper sulphate method turned out to have anemia by the standard method of diagnosis. Prevalence of anemia among apparently healthy blood donors was therefore higher than expected. Measures must therefore be taken to address this in order not to lose potential blood donors due to a correctable and preventable cause such as anemia.

Current advances in bispecific T cell–engaging therapies

Cancer remains a global health challenge, with breast and prostate cancers being significant contributory factors to morbidity and mortality. Current treatments are limited by high costs, resistance, and adverse effects hence prompting the exploration of alternative therapies. This study evaluated the anticancer potential of crude extracts of ten medicinal plants commonly found in Ghana: Azadirachta indica , Vernonia amygdalina , Launaea taraxacifolia , Dissotis rotundifolia , Chromolaena odorata , Heliotropium indicum , Zingiber officinale , Carica papaya (leaves and seeds), and Solanum melongena , in breast (MCF-7) and prostate (PC-3) cancer cell lines. The plants were collected, authenticated, and processed for ethanolic extraction. Phytochemical analysis identified bioactive compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and glycosides. The cytotoxicity assays revealed a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, with greater effects observed at higher concentrations than at lower concentrations. The extracts were found to be very effective even after 24 h hours, indicating their highly potent nature for these plants. Notably, extracts from Heliotropium indicum , Vernonia amygdalina , and Azadirachta indica showed significant activity, which could be attributed to their alkaloids and terpenoids, which induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of plant-derived compounds as promising candidates for anticancer drug development. These results also highlight the importance of biodiversity conservation and the integration of traditional knowledge into modern research to combat the global cancer burden. Future studies should focus on optimizing the use of these bioactive compounds, both individually and in combination, to develop more effective cancer treatments.