Christian Tzeuton

Treatment of Viral Hepatitis C by the Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir With or Without Ribavirin Combination in Cameroon: Efficiency, Tolerance and Significant Predictors of SVR12

Background: There has been a revolution in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection since the introduction of new direct-acting antivirals agents (DAAs) in 2014. About 95% of the patients have a sustained virological response (SVR) after 12 weeks with DAAs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the SVR after 12 weeks of treatment with the combination of sofosbuvir (SOF)/ledipasvir (LDV) +/ribavirin (RBV) among a cohort of Cameroonian HCV carriers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in HCV treatment centers in Cameroon health facilities in Yaounde and Douala. It focused on patients with chronic HCV of genotypes 1 and 4 treated with the SOF/ LDV +/RBV combination for 12 weeks. The virological response after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment was determined. SVR indicating recovery was determined 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12). Results: A total of 111 patients with chronic HCV were included. There was female predominance with a proportion of 58.6%. The average age of the patients was 58.8 ± 8.2 years. Genotype 1 was the most frequent with 68.5% of the cases. The SVR was 93.7% (95% CI (87.4% 97.4%)) regardless of protocol and genotype. HCV infection without cirrhosis was associated with good SVR (aOR = 0.1, 95 CI (0.1 0.9), P = 0.02). The most common clinical adverse reaction was asthenia with 12.5% (n = 10). Conclusions: The SVR12 in Cameroonian patient infected with HCV genotypes 1 and 4 treated with the combination SOF/LDV +/RBV was 93.7%. Cirrhosis is a factor of poor response.

Risk factors associated with gastroduodenal lesions in a Douala referral hospital (Cameroon)

INTRODUCTION The causes of gastroduodenal lesions are multifactorial, and few studies have assessed the impact of each of these factors in Africa. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the occurrence of gastroduodenal lesions in Cameroon. METHOD This prospective, analytical study took place over a 5-month period in the endoscopy unit of the Douala General Hospital. Lifestyle, medical history, demographic, and clinical variables were collected. Infection with Helicobacter pylori was determined with a rapid urease (CLO) test. Multivariate regression was used to determine risk factors. RESULTS The study included 234 of 265 patients seen in the department over the study period. Gastroscopy was normal for 54.2% of the subjects. The prevalence of peptic ulcers was 17.1% and of inflammatory lesions 26.4%. Risk factors associated with a gastroduodenal lesion were: age greater than 60 years [OR age = 2.953; 95% CI: 1.399 to 6.231; p = 0.004], H. pylori infection [OR = 2.953; 95% CI: 1.399 to 6.231; p = 0.003] and regular NSAID use [OR = 0.912; 95% CI: 0.112 to 2.733; p = 0.044] either a month before the examination or over the long term. CONCLUSION Age greater than 60 years, NSAID consumption, and H. pylori infection are associated with the occurrence of gastroduodenal lesions.

Pentastomiase humaine: à propos d’un cas découvert à l’hôpital central de Yaoundé, Cameroun

La pentatosmiase est une parasitose inhabituelle chez l’homme causee par des larves des differentes especes de pentastome. C’est un parasite de la famille des pentastomides ayant des caracteristiques a la fois des arthropodes et des annelides. Nous rapportons ici un cas de pentatostome au Cameroun cause par Armillifer armillatus. Il s’agissait d’un homme de 33 ans, instituteur, celibataire, originaire de la region du Centre Cameroun qui correspond a la zone geographique du grand sud du Cameroun mais qui vivait depuis plus de 10 ans dans un petit village de l’Adamaoua (zone geographique du grand nord). Ce patient a presente une pentastomiase dont le diagnostic a ete fortuit a l’issue d’une intervention chirugicale. La pentastomiase humaine, maladie inhabituelle est paradoxalement rare au Cameroun alors que plusieurs cas sont decrits en Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest. La realisation des autopsies de maniere systematique pourrait permettre les progres de la science non seulement en ce qui concerne cette affection, mais aussi pour la medecine en general.