title: [Amyloidosis in sub-Saharan Africa].
abstract: Amyloidosis is a protein folding disorder in which normally soluble proteins are deposited extracellularly as insoluble fibrils. When stained with Congo red dye, it produces apple-green birefringence under polarized light. The main amyloid proteins are AL, AA, ATTR and Aβ(2)-M. The incidence of amyloidosis in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from 0.28 to 0.57% in autopsy series. Secondary AA amyloidosis is the most frequent, found in 42 to 66% of amyloidoses. Chronic infections, especially tuberculosis, are the main cause. AL amyloidosis is found in 21 to 34% of amyloidosis cases, half of them due to myeloma. Other types of amyloidosis seem rare, but are probably underdiagnosed. The clinical presentation in sub-Saharan Africa is similar to that in Western series. Further experimental and clinical studies will allow a better assessment of the characteristics of amyloidosis in sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: Clinique Médicale 1, CHU Aristide-Le-Dantec, Université Cheikh-Anta-Diop, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Lekpa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ndongo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouye
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tiendrebeogo
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ndao
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ka
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Diop
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans