The prevalence of RA in Kinshasa is 0.6 and 0.9% in people aged >18 years. Disease activity was high, but RF and ACPA positivity was not frequent. The Kongo seems to be the most affected linguistic group.

The aim of the present retrospective and hospital-based study was to describe epidemiological and clinical features of rheumatic diseases in patients attending the University Hospital of Kinshasa (UHK). Rheumatic complaint was a reason for consultation in 12.1% of outpatients attending the Department of Internal Medicine of the UHK. Osteoarthritis was the most common rheumatic disease (59.2%), followed by soft tissue rheumatism (16.1%), gout (9.3%), and spondylarthropathies (7.5%). The cumulative frequency of autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, and mixed connective tissues disease) and the frequency of osteoporosis were 5.2 and 2.7%, respectively. Lumbar spine was the part of the skeleton mostly affected by osteoarthritis. Pathological fractures in osteoporosis, subcutaneous nodules, rheumatoid factor, and erosive bone lesions in rheumatoid arthritis were rarely found. Compared to the previous studies performed in the same hospital, our results disclose a threefold increase of rheumatic outpatients. The paucity of erosive arthritis and extra-articular manifestations suggest the less severity of rheumatoid arthritis in our patients. Likewise, the absence of femoral and wrist osteoporotic fractures and the scarcity of advanced vertebral crush fractures suggest the mildness of osteoporosis.

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate and determine the risk factors associated with poor growth among SCA children. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa, the capital's country. The nutritional status was assessed using the Z scores of the anthropometric indices. Results. We gathered data on the 256 patients, 138 females (53.9%), who entered the study. The mean age at presentation was 8.4 ± 4.9 years of age. Underweight, stunting, and wasting were found, respectively, in 47.7%, 10.5%, and 50.3% of SCA children. A history of hand-foot syndrome, more than 3 blood transfusions, being less than 12 months of age when receiving the first transfusion, more than two severe sickle crises per year, a medical history of severe infections, and the presence of hepatomegaly were associated with poor growth. When comparing sickle cell patients under 12 years of age (n = 159) to a group of 296 age-matched children with normal Hb-AA, a significantly higher proportion of subjects with stunting and underweight were found among SCA. Conclusion. Nutritional status encountered in Congolese sickle cell children has been described for the first time in this study. A high prevalence of poor growth in SCA children was found in our study.

IntroductionLittle is known about rheumatoid arthritis in the black, particularly in Congolese, populations. Our objective was to describe the phenotype and genotype of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Congolese.MethodsAll consecutive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients attending Kinshasa University Hospital in a three-year time period were included. Demographics, clinical features and tobacco consumption were noted. Disease Activity Score (DAS)-28 based on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (CCP) antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF) were determined. Radiographs were scored according to Sharp-van der Heijde. On a subset of patients and controls HLA-DRB1 typing was performed.ResultsA total of 114 females and 14 males aged 51.2 ± 14.9 were included. Mean duration of symptoms was four years. Moderate tobacco consumption was reported in a minority of patients. DAS-28 at first visit was >5.1 and HAQ ≥0.5 in all patients. X-rays showed joint erosions and/or joint space narrowing, mostly of a moderate grade in 55.8% of patients. Anti-CCP and/or RF were present in 48.6% of patients with available data (n = 72) and in 3.0% of controls (n = 67). Radiographic changes and nodules were more frequent in RF or anti-CCP positive patients. One copy of the shared epitope was found in 13 patients (35.1%) and 3 controls (12.5%). Two copies were found in one patient (2.7%) and in one control (4.2%).ConclusionCongolese patients with RA consult long after disease onset. Despite this delay, the majority presents without major damage and is RF, anti-CCP and SE negative. We put forward the hypothesis that besides different environmental factors there is probably also a particular genetic risk profile in Congolese patients, different from the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope.