BackgroundThe prevalence of Sickle cell disease is extremely high in Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite this high prevalence of the disease, data on renal abnormalities in children are rare.MethodThe study proposed to assess blood pressure, glomerular function, urea and uric acid levels in 65 steady state Congolese children with homozygous sickle cell disease and 67 normal controls.ResultsIn Hb-SS group, blood pressure level tended to be lower than Hb-AA groups but there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between the two groups. The absolute values for GFR corrected for BSA were significantly higher in Hb-SS group compared to Hb-AA group (130.5±34.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs 113.7±24.5 ml/min/1.73 m2; p = 0.004). Children with Hb-SS were more likely to hyperfiltrate (30.8% of subjects) than children with Hb-AA (6.1% of subjects). Proteinuria was found in 4 (6.2%) children with Hb-SS. Uric acid level was significantly increased in children with Hb-SS compared to corresponding values in control group (4.4±1.3 mg/dl vs 3.5±1.1 mg/dl; p<0.001). Urea level was significantly decreased compared to corresponding values in Hb-AA group (15.3±8.3 mg/dl vs 22.9±10.1 mg/dl; p<0.001).ConclusionHyperfiltration, low creatinine, lower urea and high uric acid are more common in children with sickle cell disease than in normal controls.

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IntroductionL'insuffisance des moyens de base pour le dépistage et la prise en charge de la socioculturel Africain. D'où la nécessité de réaliser un travail de mise en sens du vécu et des émotions en vue d'information et de soutien psychologique des familles des drépanocytaires. Cette étude a eu pour objectif d'identifier la nature des répercussions psychosociales de la drépanocytose chez les parents et chez les malades.MéthodesUne approche qualitative a été utilisée. Des entretiens ont été menés auprès des parents et des patients drépanocytaires. Nos résultats ont fait l'objet d'une analyse thématique articulée sur les circonstances de découvertes de la maladie, les répercussions de la maladie et la perception de la prise en charge.RésultatsNos interviews ont montré des répercussions psychosociales importantes chez les parents d'enfants drépanocytaires et de stigmatisation des difficultés d'insertion sociale et scolaire pour les enfants drépanocytaires. Ces derniers sont les grands oubliés des récits de parents. La prise en charge est uniquement médicale avec des ressources très limitées et aucun accompagnement psychologique de la famille n'est assuré.ConclusionLa prise en charge de cette maladie nécessite la mise en place d'une politique de prise en charge basée sur une approche globale de la maladie.

In Kinshasa, the prevalence of nocturnal enuresis was high to those reported in Asian and Western countries. Nocturnal enuresis remains an important clinical problem in children but only a small percentage of parents seek medical help.

Aim:We investigated the nature and frequency of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) associated with oral polio vaccines (OPV) in the general population in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). Methods: The DR Congo National Pharmacovigilance Centre organized active AEFI surveillance during mass immunization campaigns for the general population from March to June 2011. A patient individual case safety report was used as a questionnaire and addressed to pupils and students from high schools and universities who had any adverse events after OPV administration. We used the preferred term from the WHO Adverse Reaction Terminology for AEFI designation. Here is presented the results of the second step of the mass immunization campaign. Results: A total of 767 patients reported AEFI during the second step. Sex distribution shows that 512 (66.8%) students were females, while 255 (33.2%) were males, giving a female/male ratio 2 : 1. The average age was 16.865.19 years (ranged: 6-35.5 years). Each person reported a mean of 1.3360.6 AEFI. The average AEFI onset duration was 1.7461.16 days post-vaccination, ranging from 1 to 9 days. Headache (22.4%), abdominal pain (17.2%), fever (11.7%), diarrhea (9.9%), and asthenia (7.5%) were the common symptoms. Paralysis and asthma-like reactions were rare and serious adverse events in this study. The most affected systems were gastro-intestinal (33.5%) and nervous system (29.3%). Rechallenge was positive for 173 persons (22.6%). Conclusion: OPV-related AEFIs are not uncommon, although it is under-reported. Active AEFI surveillance during mass immunization campaigns is very important and may help to detect rare and serious adverse events. Further investigation will be important to identify risk of AEFI with OPV in adults and is warranted to elucidate the cause of this association in the Congolese environment.

The decline of susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resulted in the change of drug policy. This policy has probably changed the facies of the severe form of malaria. A prospective study was conducted in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Data on children aged ≤13 years, diagnosed with severe malaria were analyzed. In total, 378 children were included with an overall median age of 8 years (age range: 1-13 years). Dark urine was seen in 25.1% of cases. Metabolic acidosis (85.2%), hypoglycemia (62.2%) and hemoglobin ≤5 g/dl (39.1%) were the common laboratories features. Severe malaria anemia, cerebral malaria and Blackwater fever (BWF) were found in 39.1, 30.1 and 25.4%, respectively. Mortality rate was 4%. BWF emerges as a frequent form of severe malaria in our midst. Availing artemisin-based combination treatments in the health care system is a priority to reduce the incidence of BWF in our environment.

BackgroundHIV and malaria are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy in Africa. However, data from Congolese pregnant women are lacking. The aim of the study was to determine the magnitude, predictive factors, clinical, biologic and anthropometric consequences of malaria infection, HIV infection, and interactions between malaria and HIV infections in pregnant women.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women admitted and followed up at Camp Kokolo Military Hospital from 2009 to 2012 in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Differences in means between malaria-positive and malaria-negative cases or between HIV-positive and HIV-negative cases were compared using the Student’s t-test or a non-parametric test, if appropriate. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, if appropriate. Backward multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the potential risk factors of malaria and HIV infections. The odds ratios with their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated to measure the strengths of the associations. Analyses resulting in values of P < 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsA malaria infection was detected in 246/332 (74.1%) pregnant women, and 31.9% were anaemic. Overall, 7.5% (25/332) of mothers were infected by HIV, with a median CD4 count of 375 (191; 669) cells/μL. The mean (±SD) birth weight was 2,613 ± 227 g, with 35.7% of newborns weighing less than 2,500 g (low birth weight). Low birth weight, parity and occupation were significantly different between malaria-infected and uninfected women in adjusted models. However, fever, anemia, placenta previa, marital status and district of residence were significantly associated to HIV infection.ConclusionThe prevalence of malaria infection was high in pregnant women attending the antenatal facilities or hospitalized and increased when associated with HIV infection.

Background. Despite the high prevalence of the HIV/AIDS, few studies focused on the prevalence of lipodystrophy in pediatric HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (ARV) in sub-Saharan African countries. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and to identify the risk factors of metabolic disorders related to ARV therapy in this population. Methods. A cross-sectional study was completed in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. HIV-infected children aged between six and 18 years on ARV were consecutively recruited. For each case, two control children (one non-HIV infected child and one HIV-infected antiretroviral therapy-naïve child) were also recruited. Results. 80 HIV-infected on ARV therapy children (group 1), 80 noninfected children (group 2) and 65 HIV-infected antiretroviral therapy-naïve children (group 3) were recruited. The frequency of lipoatrophy was not statistically different between group 1 (16.3%) and group 3 (21.5%). A significantly higher proportion of lipohypertrophy, hypercholesterolemia, and lactic acidosis was noted in children of group 1, compared to the controls (p<0.05). Mixed form was rarely observed in this series. The frequency of hypertriglyceridemia was not different between the 3 groups (p>0.05). Conclusion. Lipohypertrophy, hypercholesterolemia, and lactic acidosis emerge as a frequent metabolic disorders due to ARV therapy.