[The pentoxifylline, a corticosteroid sparing in the treatment of sarcoidosis: A case report]. / La pentoxifylline, un épargneur de corticoïdes dans le traitement de la sarcoïdose : à propos d'une observation.

INTRODUCTION: The pentoxifylline seems to have some effects on immune cells by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Its role as a sparing corticosteroids in the treatment of sarcoidosis remains to be defined. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a patient with sarcoidosis corticodependent despite the use of azathioprine. It was finally improved clinically, functionally and by a thoracic computed tomography with addition of pentoxifylline. CONCLUSION: When the tolerance of the pentoxifylline is good and there is not a bleeding risk, the benefit-risk in the long term might be interesting in some patients with sarcoidosis corticodependent.

[Treatment outcome, survival and their risk factors among new tuberculosis patients co-infected with HIV during the Ebola outbreak in Conakry]. / L'issue du traitement, la survie et ses facteurs de risque chez les nouveaux tuberculeux co-infectés par le VIH pendant l'épidémie d'Ebola à Conakry.

BACKGROUND: Mortality among TB/HIV co-infected patients remains high in Africa. The study aimed to estimate survival and associated factors in a cohort of TB/HIV co-infected patients who started tuberculosis treatment during the Ebola outbreak in Conakry, Guinea. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted from April 2014 to December 2015. TB patients with HIV co-infection were enrolled at the University Hospital of Conakry. Survival and risk factors were analyzed according to Kaplan-Meier's method, log-rank test and Cox's regression. RESULTS: Data from 573 patients were analyzed. From these, 86 (15.0%) died before the end of treatment, 52% occurring within eight weeks of treatment onset. Survival at 4, 12 and 24 weeks after the beginning of the TB treatment was 92%, 86% and 83%, respectively. Independent risk factors associated with death were in the cell CD4 <200 cells/mm3 [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 2.25; 95% CI (confidence intervals): 1.16-4.37], opportunistic infections other than TB [AHR: 2.89; 95% CI: 1.39-6.02], and comorbidities [AHR: 4.12; 95% CI: 2.10-8.10]. An increase of one unit in hemoglobin [AHR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.75-0.91] was protective of death. CONCLUSION: TB/HIV co-infected patients had a higher fatality rate during treatment of tuberculosis. Prevention of opportunistic infections, anemia and proper management of tuberculosis treatment in early comorbidities may improve survival for TB/HIV co-infected patients in restoring immune function.

[Impact of care pathway on the delay for initiation of antituberculosis treatment in Conakry, Guinea]. / Influence des parcours de soins sur le début du traitement antituberculeux à Conakry (Guinée).

Complex care pathways can result in detrimental treatment delay particularly in tuberculosis patients. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the care pathways followed by tuberculosis patients prior to diagnosis and to assess impact on the delay for initiation of treatment in Conakry, Guinea. A total of 112 patients were interviewed at the time of first admission for pulmonary tuberculosis with positive bacilloscopy. Based on interview data, pathways were classified as conventional (use of health care facilities only) and mixed (use of health care facilities, self-medication, and traditional medicine). The correlation between patient characteristics and type of pathway was assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis and the two groups, i.e., conventional vs. mixed, were compared with regard to delay for initiation of treatment. The care pathway was classified as mixed in two out of three patients. Multivariate analysis showed that this type of pathway was only correlated with schooling (p=0.02). The mean delay for treatment was similar, i.e., 13.4 and 12.8 weeks for conventional and mixed pathways respectively (p<0.68). The percentage of pathways including three consultations at health care facilities was significantly higher in the conventional than mixed group (72% vs. 30%, p<0.001). The main reasons given for delayed use of health care facilities were poor knowledge of tuberculosis symptoms (26%) and high cost of care (12%). The findings of this study indicate that tuberculosis patients follow a variety of care pathways that can lead to delayed treatment. An information campaign is needed to increase awareness among the population and care providers.

Influence des parcours de soins sur le debut du traitement antituberculeux a Conakry (Guinee)

Les parcours de soins sont souvent complexes et peuvent induire des retards de traitement; avec des effets particulierement deleteres en cas de tuberculose. Nous avons cherche a identifier de facon retrospective; les parcours de soins des patients avant le diagnostic de tuberculose et l'influence de ces parcours sur les delais de traitement a Conakry-Guinee.Nous avons interroge 112 nouveaux patients a leur enregistrement pour tuberculose pulmonaire a bacilloscopie positive. Ont ete distingues les parcours conventionnels (recours aux seules structures sanitaires) et mixtes (associant structures sanitaires; automedication et medecine traditionnelle). L'influence des caracteristiques des patients sur le type de parcours a ete testee en analyses uni et multivariees et les delais de mise sous traitement ont ete compares pour les deux types de parcours. Deux patients sur trois ont suivi un parcours mixte. Ce type de parcours n'etait lie; en analyse multivariee; qu'au niveau de scolarisation (p=0;02). Les delais moyens de traitement etaient similaires (respectivement 13;4 et 12;8 semaines pour les parcours conventionnels etmixtes; p=0;68). La proportion de parcours comportant plus de trois recours aux structures sanitaires etait significativement plus elevee pour les parcours conventionnels que pour les parcours mixtes (72vs 30; p0;001). Les principales raisons invoquees pour l'utilisation tardive des structures sanitaires etaient l'ignorance des signes de la tuberculose (26) et le cout eleve des soins (12). Les parcours des patients sont multiples et peuvent induire des retards a la mise sous traitement antituberculeux. Une sensibilisation de la population et des soignants est necessaire

Associated tuberculosis and diabetes in Conakry, Guinea: prevalence and clinical characteristics.

SETTING: Anti-tuberculosis centres in Conakry. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients with tuberculosis (TB), identify the associated risk factors and describe the clinical signs of the association of TB and diabetes. METHOD: A total of 388 patients with TB selected by simple random sampling from the register of cases diagnosed in Conakry were examined and administered a capillary blood glycaemia test to detect diabetes. RESULTS: Thirteen cases of diabetes were identified, giving a prevalence rate of 3.35% (95%CI 1.35-5.35). Four (31%) had not been diagnosed before the survey. The diagnosis of diabetes preceded that of TB by an average of 5 years (range 1-9 years). The clinical characteristics of TB (frequent exposure to infection, site and proportion of new and retreated cases) did not differ from one group to another. Increased age (P < 0.0001), obesity (P < 0.005), sedentary lifestyle (P < 0.0004), and previous family history of diabetes (P = 0.04) or obesity (P = 0.04) were significantly associated with diabetes. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of diabetes among TB patients is higher than previously estimated for Guinea. Because of frequent co-morbidity, systematic testing for diabetes among TB patients may be recommended, particularly if risk factors are present.

[Factors linked to delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis in Conakry (Guinea)]. / Facteurs liés au retard du diagnostic de la tuberculose à Conakry (Guinée).

Untreated smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis constitutes a reservoir of infection which is highly contagious. The present study was conducted in Conakry, Guinea, to determine the different options which are available when seeking treatment or care, and to ascertain the average delay in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and the main factors linked to the delay in diagnosis after the initial onset of symptoms. Through a cross-sectional study, 113 consecutive patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were interviewed through the use of a questionnaire. The median total delay from the onset of symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis until the diagnosis was 11 weeks. This delay period exceeded 4 weeks for 90 of the patients (80%). The average delay linked to the conventional health care system was double that of the one at the fault of the patient (6 weeks versus 3 weeks, respectively). 54% of the patients had initially resorted to non-conventional care. To shorten this mean delay period, it is necessary to both strengthen the professional abilities and skills which train for one to better to detect tuberculosis and to sensitize the population to the subject matter and information on the illness and its symptoms.

Serological markers of pulmonary tuberculosis and of response to anti-tuberculosis treatment in a patient population in Guinea.

The aim of the study was to evaluate serological correlates of active tuberculosis and of response to antituberculosis treatment in a cohort of HIV-negative patients with pulmonary tuberculosis studied at diagnosis and during treatment at the Service de Pneumo-Phtisiologie, Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Ignace Deen, Conakry, Republic of Guinea. Two similar cohorts of HIV-negative healthy households of patients and healthy community controls were included in the study. Plasma samples were obtained from 168 untreated tuberculosis patients, 167 healthy household controls, and 168 healthy community controls. Serial plasma samples were also obtained from the tuberculosis patients at 2 and 8 months after initiation of chemotherapy. IgG antibody levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using ten purified M. tuberculosis antigens. ELISA results were analysed by comparing geometric means of data. Of the ten antigens tested, five (14kDa Ag, 19kDa Ag, AlaDH, MS, and MPT83) elicited similar antibody responses in untreated TB patients and controls. In contrast, levels of three antibodies (ESAT-6, LAM, and 38kDa Ag) were higher in untreated TB patients than in household or community controls (p<0.0001). Levels were higher in untreated patients than in community controls also for the anti-Rv2626c antibody (p = 0.0001) and, at a lower significance level, for the anti-FdxA antibody (p<0.025). Antibody levels against ESAT-6 and Rv2626c decreased during therapy, while antibody levels to the 38 kDa antigen and LAM increased during therapy; FdxA antibody levels did not vary with treatment. Neither severity of presentation nor chest X-ray patterns affected levels of these antibodies before treatment. In contrast, after the 8-month therapeutic course, patients who presented with moderate/severe disease had higher levels of anti-ESAT-6, anti-FdxA, and anti-38kDa antibodies than those of patients with mild disease onset. Patients with bilateral lung lesions had significantly higher anti-38kDa and anti-LAM levels, both at diagnosis and after 8-month treatment, than patients with lesions involving only one lung. Antibodies to alanine dehydrogenase and malate synthetase measured at initiation of treatment were higher in tuberculosis patients who subsequently failed therapy than in those who were cured. The main conclusions of the study are: a) plasma levels of antibodies to a number of M. tuberculosis represent serological correlates of active disease; b) these correlates are affected in an antigen-specific fashion by anti-tuberculosis treatment; c) particular serological markers may be predictive of treatment outcome.

Detection of serum antibodies in tuberculosis patients.

Sera of 14 bacteriological confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis and 16 non-tuberculotic or healthy controls were sampled in Ignace Deen University Hospital in Conakry, Quinea. Samples were examined for IgG and IgM antibodies by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using sonicated M. bovis BCG and M. avium antigens and were tested for antibodies to HIV-1/HIV-2 as well. Median of IgG antibody titres to M. bovis BCG antigen was 1:445 and differed significantly from that of the control group (1:149). The median of IgM antibody titres was 1:79.1 and did not differ statistically from that of control group (1:69.3) as well as the antibody titres against M. avium antigen in the IgG and IgM classes for both analyzed serum groups. Seven of tested TB patients sera were positive for antibodies against HIV-1. The median of IgG antibody titres against M. bovis BCG antigen was 1:442 not differing significantly from values of remaining TB patients as well as the IgM antibody titre (1:109).