Seroprevalence of HHV8 in a cohort of HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients in Mozambique.

Kaposi Sarcoma shows several different clinical and epidemiological patterns. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the HIV achieves an high prevalence of infection, the KS can be found both in HIV positive than in HIV negative patients, and the diffusion of the HHV8 virus is endemic. The aim of the work is to evaluate the HHV8 seroprevalence in Mozambique. Moreover the relationship of some main indicators, as CD4 and CD8 cells count, HIV viral load, Body Mass Index and haemoglobin values have been calculated in a part of the DREAM Cohort, (HIV positive patients enrolled in the Community of Sant'Egidio program to fight AIDS in the Sub-Saharan Africa). In the HIV positive cohort HHV8 negative and HHV8 positive groups show statistical significance (p < 0.05) in CD4 cells count, a strong significance (p = 0.01) in CD8 cells count and a significance also in Haemoglobin levels (p = 0.35). The difference in Haemoglobin levels (0.5 g/dl) is related more to a statistical than a clinical significance. The study confirms the free circulation of the HHV8 virus in the Mozambican population, with a prevalence rate of 51.1%, similar than that measured in bordering countries. Considering the CD8 value within the HIV positive sub-cohort a strong correlation with the positivity for HHV8 and the immunological status is suggested.

Iron deficiency anemia and feeding practices in Albanian children.

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional problem of humans. In northern Albania, nutritional deficiencies are widespread among children but there is a lack of biochemical data. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of the iron deficiency anemia in a sample of northern Albanian children. A group of 112 children aged 6-60 months, recruited during the routine vaccinations, was enrolled in a cross-sectional health examination survey that included venou blood measurements of iron status. The survey was conducted during 2000 in Lezha District. The mean age was 17.1 +/- 10 months, the majority of the children were living in rural areas (61%), 47.8% were female. The mean level of hemoglobin was lower than the reference value (10.3 +/- 1.1). Iron deficiency Anemia occurred in 47 children (47%) and more likely during the first year of the life (51%). Fifty seven children were fed with whole cow's milk, among them 44 were IDA. The risk value to be anemic or iron deficient for infants aged 6 to 12 months that were fed with whole cow's milk before the fourth months of life was high (OR = 6.2 (C.L.1.0-38)). In conclusion, the high prevalence of IDA and the relationship with early feeding of whole cow's milk suggest to consider iron deficiency in infancy and childhood in Albania as an important nutritional public health problem and to implement strategies for his detection, treatment and prevention.