Makerere University

About: Makerere University is a education organization based out in Kampala, Uganda. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 7220 authors who have published 12405 publications receiving 366520 citations. The organization is also known as: Makerere University Kampala & MUK.

Nephrotoxicity of HAART

Abstract: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and other medical therapies for HIV-related infections have been associated with toxicities. Antiretroviral therapy can contribute to renal dysfunction directly by inducing acute tubular necrosis, acute interstitial nephritis, crystal nephropathy, and renal tubular disorders or indirectly via drug interactions. With the increase in HAART use, clinicians must screen patients for the development of kidney disease especially if the regimen employed increases risk of kidney injury. It is also important that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are not denied the best combinations, especially since most drugs can be adjusted based on the estimated GFR. Early detection of risk factors, systematic screening for chronic causes of CKD, and appropriate referrals for kidney disease management should be advocated for improved patient care. The interaction between immunosuppressive therapy and HAART in patients with kidney transplants and the recent endorsement of tenofovir/emtricitabine by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for preexposure prophylaxis bring a new dimension for nephrotoxicity vigilance. This paper summarizes the common antiretroviral drugs associated with nephrotoxicity with particular emphasis on tenofovir and protease inhibitors, their risk factors, and management as well as prevention strategies.

Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Subtype on Women Receiving Single-Dose Nevirapine Prophylaxis to Prevent HIV-1 Vertical Transmission (HIV Network for Prevention Trials 012 Study)

Abstract: In Uganda, the HIV Network for Prevention Trials (HIVNET) 012 study recently demonstrated that single-dose nevirapine (Nvp) prophylaxis is effective for preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). This exploratory study examines the relationship between HIV-1 subtype, MTCT, and the development of Nvp resistance (Nvp(R)) in women enrolled in HIVNET 012. For 102 women (32 whose infants were HIV-1 infected by age 6-8 weeks and 70 whose infants were uninfected), HIV-1 subtypes included 50 (49%) subtype A, 35 (34%) subtype D, 4 (4%) subtype C, 12 (12%) recombinant subtype, and 1 unclassified. There was no apparent difference in the rate of MTCT among women with subtype A versus D (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-3.43). Nvp(R) mutations were detected more frequently at 6-8 weeks postpartum in women with subtype D than in women with subtype A (adjusted OR, 4.94; 95% CI, 1.21-20.22). Additional studies are needed to further define the relationship between HIV-1 subtype and Nvp(R) among women receiving Nvp prophylaxis.

Prostate cancer susceptibility in men of African ancestry at 8q24

Abstract: The 8q24 region harbors multiple risk variants for distinct cancers, including >8 for prostate cancer. In this study, we conducted fine mapping of the 8q24 risk region (127.8-128.8Mb) in search of novel associations with common and rare variation in 4853 prostate cancer case patients and 4678 control subjects of African ancestry. All statistical tests were two-sided. We identified three independent associations at P values of less than 5.00×10(-8), all of which were replicated in studies from Ghana and Uganda (combined sample = 5869 case patients, 5615 control subjects; rs114798100: risk allele frequency [RAF] = 0.04, per-allele odds ratio [OR] = 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.04 to 2.61, P = 2.38×10(-40); rs72725879: RAF = 0.33, OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.30 to 1.45, P = 3.04×10(-27); and rs111906932: RAF = 0.03, OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.53 to 2.08, P = 1.39×10(-13)). Risk variants rs114798100 and rs111906923 are only found in men of African ancestry, with rs111906923 representing a novel association signal. The three variants are located within or near a number of prostate cancer-associated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), including PRNCR1, PCAT1, and PCAT2. These findings highlight ancestry-specific risk variation and implicate prostate-specific lncRNAs at the 8q24 prostate cancer susceptibility region.

Mental health policy process: a comparative study of Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

Abstract: Background Mental illnesses are increasingly recognised as a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet many countries lack a mental health policy or have an outdated, inappropriate policy. This paper explores the development of appropriate mental health policies and their effective implementation. It reports comparative findings on the processes for developing and implementing mental health policies in Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia as part of the Mental Health and Poverty Project.

The epidemiology and consequences of Schistosoma mansoni infection in West Nile, Uganda: I. Field studies of a community at Panyagoro

Abstract: A Jonam fishing community at Panyagoro, West Nile District, Uganda, was studied and the 235 people examined showed a very high infection rate with S. mansoni . The mean egg output of males over 5 years old was 1112 eggs/g. and of females was about half this level. High egg output levels were maintained into old age. Diarrhoea with blood and abdominal pain were extremely frequent. Hepatosplenomegaly, eosinophilia and anaemia were common and particularly occurred together in people who looked ill and had marked abdominal distension and ascites. Malaria was endemic but other possible causes of these findings were largely absent. Much disease is probably due to S. mansoni which is here causing disease of public health importance in sub-Saharan Africa.