Browsing by Author "Vento, S."

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Khat-related liver disease in sub-Saharan Africa: neglected, yet important – Authors' reply
(The Lancet Global Health, 2019-03) Vento, S.; Dzudzor, B.; Cainelli, F.; Tachi, K.
We thank Stian Orlien and colleagues for raising attention to the issue of khat use as a recreational drug in sub-Saharan Africa in response to our Comment.1 Although we mentioned the fact that traditional herbal medicine could contribute to the burden of cirrhosis in this region, as the use of khat is associated with a substantial increase in liver fibrosis,2 we do not think that the available evidence shows that khat is a major contributor to chronic liver disease. Khat is used in parts of east Africa, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, and Madagascar. Apart from its long-standing popularity as a recreational drug, it can be used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, malaria, influenza, vomiting, and headache.3 The Central African Republic, Gabon, and Côte d'Ivoire were in the top 10% of countries for cirrhosis-related deaths in 2010 but khat use is uncommon in west or central Africa.4
Liver cirrhosis in sub-Saharan Africa: neglected, yet important
(The Lancet Global Health, 2018-09) Vento, S.; Dzudzor, B.; Cainelli, F.; Tachi, K.
Clinical efforts and research on liver diseases have been scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. The first Conference on Liver Disease in Africa (Nairobi, Sept 13–15, 2018), gathering all stakeholders from the continent, is a welcome step towards greater attention to the problem, and the important issue of liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis-related deaths doubled in sub-Saharan Africa between 1980 and 2010, and the Central African Republic, Gabon, Malawi, Uganda, and Cote d'Ivoire were among the highest 10% of countries for these deaths in 2010.1 Most cases of cirrhosis were attributed to hepatitis B virus (HBV), alcohol misuse, and hepatitis C virus (HCV), but around 30% were unrelated to these causes.1 The understudied non-alcoholic fatty liver disease probably has a role in these latter cases, considering the increase in obesity in sub-Saharan Africa, and traditional herbal medicine could also contribute, because its use is associated with a substantial increase in liver fibrosis.
Overt and occult hepatitis B virus infection detected among chronic kidney disease patients on haemodialysis at a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana
(PLOS ONE, 2024) Dzudzor, B.; Nsowah, K.K.; Agyemang, S.; Vento, S.; Amarh, V.; Boima, V.; Tachi, K.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Ghana and chronic kidney disease patients on haemodialysis are a high-risk group for HBV infection. We determined the prevalence of overt and occult HBV infection among haemodialysis patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hos pital in Ghana. 104 consenting End Stage Renal Disease patients on long-term haemodialy sis were recruited for the study and their socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory information were obtained using structured questionnaire. All the participants were tested for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The HBsAg-negative participants were re tested for hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) and HBV DNA using chemiluminescence and Roche COBAS Ampli-Prep/TaqMan analyser and real time polymerase chain reaction. Eight (7.7%) of the total participants were positive for HBsAg. Among the 96 HBsAg-negative participants, 12.5% (12) were HBcAb-positive, 7.3% (7) had detectable HBV DNA (mean = 98.7±53.5 IU/mL) and 40.6% (39) were positive for HBsAb. Five out of the 7 HBV DNA-positive participants were males and only one partici pant was negative for HBcAb. Seventy-three out of the 96 HBsAg-negative participants were vaccinated and 37 of these vaccinated individuals had significant HBsAb titres (mean = 423.21± 380.72 IU/mL). Our data demonstrated that the prevalence of overt and occult HBV infection among the haemodialysis (HD) patients was 7.7% and 7.3%, respectively, and only 50.7% of those who showed proof of vaccination were protected from HBV infection
Seroprevalences of autoantibodies and anti-infectious antibodies among Ghana’s healthy population
(Scientific Reports, 2020-02-18) Dzudzor, B.; Katz, I.; De Luca, F.; Sarpong, B.K.; Osei- Appiah, B.; Azoulay, D.; Katz, D.; Dey, D.; Gilburd, B.; Amital, H.; Vento, S.; Shoenfeld, Y.; Shovman, O.
Autoantibodies, which are antibodies that target self-epitopes, have considerable diagnostic, prognostic and predictive value in specific autoimmune diseases. Various infectious agents have been linked via numerous mechanisms to the formation of different autoantibodies. Therefore, estimating the prevalence of autoantibodies and anti-infectious antibodies in different populations is of high importance. Different genetic and environmental pressures, such as these found in Ghana’s different geographical provinces, may affect the prevalence of autoantibodies. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of a diverse panel of autoantibodies and anti-infectious antibodies among the healthy Ghanaian population and investigated possible environmental and genetic predispositions for autoantibodies and autoimmunity. The sera of 406 healthy individuals were obtained from Greater Accra, Upper West, Eastern and Volta regions. Multiplexed assay and chemiluminescent immunoassay techniques were utilized to assess the presence of a panel of autoantibodies and anti-infectious antibodies. We found a high prevalence of anti-HSV-1 IgG (91–100%), anti-EBNA IgG (81–93%) and anti-EBV-VCA IgG (97–100%) antibodies. The prevalence of ANA (at least one of: anti-dsDNA; anti-chromatin; anti-ribosomal-P; anti-Ro/SSA; anti-La/SSB; anti-centromere B; anti-Sm; anti-Sm/RNP; anti-Scl-70; anti-Jo1; anti-DFS70) was estimated at 14%. An inverse association between anti-HSV-2 antibodies and ANA (p = 0.044; adjusted OR = 0.398; CI [0.162–0.975]) was found, after adjusting for differences in gender, age, and familial history of autoimmune diseases. A trend towards reduced seroprevalence of anti-dsDNA antibodies among subjects who were positive for anti-HSV-2 antibodies was also noted (p = 0.1). In conclusion, the inverse association between anti-HSV-2 antibodies and ANA positivity suggests a possible protective role of HSV-2 infection against autoimmunity.