
Fernando Kemta LekpaDouala General Hospital, Douala, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceuticals Sciences, Dschang, Cameroon · Internal Medicine
Fernando Kemta Lekpa
Internal Medicine Practitionner & Rheumatologist
About
128
Publications
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Introduction
My research is focused on spondyloarthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, relapsing polychondritis, amyloidosis, gout and hyperuricemia, low back pain and pain management, especially neuropathic pain.
My main goal is to promote the development of Rheumatology in sub-Saharan Africa.
Additional affiliations
October 2019 - present
October 2013 - September 2019
January 2012 - present
Education
November 2007 - October 2009
October 2005 - May 2010
November 1998 - June 2005
Publications
Publications (128)
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a slowly evolving multifactorial disorder that affects joints, particularly the knee. Periodontitis is an infection of the tissues supporting the teeth, leading to significant tooth loss. Recent studies suggest an association between Knee OA (KOA) and periodontitis, with the prevalence of periodontitis increasing w...
Introduction
hypertension is a major public health problem worldwide, associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Although the national prevalence of hypertension is well established, its prevalence in semi-urban areas is poorly known. This study aimed to establish the prevalence and determinants of hypertension in a semi-urban area.
Met...
Introduction
Studies exploring the clinical and imaging characteristics of juvenile-onset back pain (JOBP) are scarce. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical presentation, imaging findings, and factors associated with JOBP.
Methods
A retrospective record-based study was conducted among all pediatric cases presenting to the Rheumatolo...
Introduction:
phytotherapy is widely used in Africa for the management of many diseases. Data on the use of phytotherapy in people with type 2 diabetes are scarce. We aimed to determine the frequency and factors associated with the consumption/use of phytotherapy products among patients with type 2 diabetes in the Dschang Health District.
Methods...
Background: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was associated with a reduction in patient consultations and admissions. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CKD and its determinants among a sub-Saharan population of parti...
Background: COVID19 is an emerging infectious disease that has spread all over the world and became a pandemic. Cameroon is the 7th most affected country in Africa, with most of the cases in metropoles. The main objective was to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of the Cameroonian populations about COVID19 infection. Methods: A cross-...
Background
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 continues to spread around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, outside South Africa, as in adults, the pandemic has had very little impact on African children and adolescents, despite very low vaccination coverage. In addition, cases of multisystemic inflammatory syndrom...
Profil des admissions et devenir des patients hospitalisés dans un service médecine interne en Afrique subsaharienne : une étude rétrospective dans un hôpital tertiaire au Cameroun ABSTRACT Background. An accurate description of the pattern of diseases is important in planning and assessing public health policies. Hence, we aimed to determine the c...
Objective
The COVID-19 pandemic remains a hot topic whose results are highly uncertain. This acute respiratory infection is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and contact routes. Frail patients such as those with severe heart disease are at higher risk of contracting moderate to severe forms of COVID-19 pneumonia. our goal was to deter...
Objective
To describe the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutical and evolutive patterns of super hypertension in Yaounde University Teaching Hospital.
Design and method
This study is an observation cohort over a period of 9 months (January 2016 to September 2016). We recruited from members of the public who accepted voluntary blood pressure scre...
Background
Immune checkpoint inhibition with anti-PD(L)1 and anti-CTLA4 antibodies has significantly changed cancer treatment during the last 10 years. Nevertheless, boosting the immune system with immune checkpoint inhibition can result in immune-related adverse events, affecting different organ systems, among which the endocrine system is the mos...
Introduction:
few studies have specifically investigated the link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and gout in sub-Saharan Africa. This report aimed to evaluate in patients with gout the association between gout at diagnosis and MetS and to assess the gender difference.
Methods:
we performed a single-centre retrospective cohort study on all out...
Background
Researchers are responsible for the protection of health research participants. The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the training needs of researchers involved in human health research in Cameroon.
Methods
It was a cross-sectional study conducted in all the Cameroon regions in the last quarter of 2020. It targeted re...
Background
Administration of supplements to strengthen the joint cartilage matrix have become popular not only for pain relief but also for joint preservation. Reports have suggested anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of Garcinia kola (GK) extracts in knee osteoarthritis (KOA)1,2.
Objectives
To evaluate the non-inferiority of GK compared t...
Background
An unusual increase in the number of gout cases was observed in Cameroon in 2020. Was there a link with lifestyle changes during confinement, especially the consumption of certain types of beverages (beer, liquor, water, sweetened drinks)?
Objectives
To determine if there was a correlation with the consumption of different beverages (wa...
Introduction:
prognosis of lupus nephritis in sub-Saharan Africa is poorly known. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical profile and survival of patients with lupus nephritis treated in the Department of Nephrology.
Methods:
we conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study over a period of 5 years. Patients with newly diagn...
Introduction
Quelques rapports ont suggéré des propriétés anti-inflammatoires et analgésiques aux extraits du Garcinia kola (GK) dans la gonarthrose. L’objectif était d’évaluer la non-infériorité du GK par rapport au Diclofénac.
Patients et méthodes
Essai randomisé contrôlé en double aveugle (1 :1) chez des patients de 18 à 70 ans suivis pour gona...
Despite some cases of severe or critical manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) described among children, the prevalence of this infection in the pediatric population is quite low worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Current data suggest indeed that, independent of the population considered overall, severe and critical...
Background:
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, to palliate to the lockdown and cover academic programs, the faculty of medicine and pharmaceutical sciences (FMPS) of the university of Dschang (UDs) in Cameroon has implemented e-learning using WhatsApp®.
Aim:
Describe the opinion of students and lecturers after its implementation of e-learnin...
Background
Data on the prevalence and factors associated with low back pain (LBP) in schoolchildren are scarce in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
To assess the prevalence and factors associated with LBP in schoolchildren in Cameroon.
Patients and methods
We performed a cross-sectional study in 10 randomly selected schools (...
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become one of the most tendentious diseases of the 21st century, responsible for more than 2,600,000 deaths worldwide since its declaration in Wuhan (province of Wubei, China) by the end of December 2019. The risk of thrombosis has been described as one of the most prominent features of COVID-19. However,...
Rituximab (RTX), a chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody has become part of the standard therapy for patients with CD20-expressing B-cell lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis. After encouraging results with open studies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), RTX has not shown its effectiveness in randomized controlled trials. However, its efficacy ha...
Background The capacity of the Research Ethic Committee (REC) members to review research protocol is one of the frequently raised problems. The purpose of this study was to assess training needs of members of research ethics committee in Cameroon regarding research participant protection.
Methods It was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted...
Background: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, to palliate to the lockdown and cover academic programs, the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Dschang (FMPS-UDs) in Cameroon has implemented e-learning using WhatsApp®. We aimed to describe the opinion of students and lecturers about it after its implementation a...
Objective:
To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its determinants in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients in Cameroon.
Design:
Observational cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Tertiary hospital.
Participants:
There were 150 eligible adults with low back pain of at least 12 weeks who provided informed consent. Of these, 136 wit...
Confirmation of COVID-19 infection is still challenging in Cameroon due to lack of sufficient RT-PCR tests and screening capacity. International organizations as well as philanthropic donators initially provided these tests. Due to limited kits availability, mass screening is currently a luxury that the country cannot afford. This impacts on estima...
Background
Recent studies suggest that pain in osteoarthritis (OA) is not only nociceptive, but also has neuropathic characteristics (1). To our knowledge, no study has been carried out in sub-Saharan Africa to assess the neuropathic pain associated with knee OA.
Objectives
To determine the prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic characteristi...
Background
Job stress (workload) and its repercussions on health have already been described. However, very few publications has been performed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
To assess the link between job stress and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among healthcare workers of the Douala General Hospital.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study,...
Background
To the best of our knowledge, no study has been done in sub-Saharan Africa among those who suggest that knee osteoarthritis is more severe in women.
Objectives
To assess differences in features of knee osteoarthritis between female and male patients in a sub-Saharan Cameroonian population.
Methods
A cross-sectional study from December...
Severe manifestations of COVID-19 represent a major challenge because they not only increase fatality, but also induce long-term mobilization of health resources. Several trials are exploring potential treatment options to reduce the duration of symptoms of severe disease, contamination and mortality. So far, investigations involving hydroxychloroq...
Confirmation of COVID-19 infection is still challenging in Cameroon due to lack of sufficient RT-PCR tests and screening capacity. International organizations as well as philanthropic donators initially provided these tests. Due to limited kits availability, mass screening is currently a luxury that the country cannot afford. This impacts on estima...
Background: A novel viral respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is responsible for a worldwide pandemic. The effects of this new disease in pregnant women and newborns are actually not well known.
Methods: We investigated the clinical features and outcomes of four neonates born to mothers w...
Background
Very little is known about the burden of chronic low back pain in Africa. This study aimed at assessing disability and associated factors in chronic low back patients in Cameroon.
Methods
We carried a hospital-based cross-sectional study including patients suffering from low back pain (LBP) of at least 12 weeks’ duration. Disability was...
Background: Venous thromboembolic (VTE) disease burden is increasing worldwide, representing a major cause of cardiovascular death and public health problem. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most serious clinical presentation of VTE. Epidemiological and clinical data on PE are still lacking in Africa, particularly in Cameroon. This study aimed at det...
Background
The prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is not well known among HIV-infected patients in Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of PAD among HIV-infected patients at the Douala General Hospital (DGH).
Methods
This was a cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study between No...
Background
With easy accessibility to combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART), mortality amongst hospitalized HIV/AIDS patients needs to be described.
Objective
We aimed at determining the trends, causes and factors associated with in-hospital mortality amongst HIV/AIDS patients in the Douala General Hospital.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewe...
Background:
Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests an important association between gout and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, to the best of our knowledge, prevalence of metabolic syndrome in gout has not been reported in sub-Saharan African (SSA) settings.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and char...
Relapsing polychondritis is a severe systemic immune-mediated disease characterized by an episodic and progressive inflammatory condition with progressive destruction of cartilaginous structures. This disease has for nearly a century kept secrets not yet explained. The real incidence and prevalence of this rare disease are unknown. The multiple cli...
Résumé
L’enthèse désigne le tissu jonctionnel qui permet l’ancrage dans l’os de différentes structures fibreuses (tendons, ligaments, fascias, capsules articulaires). Le territoire enthésique comporte trois grands concepts : « enthèse-organe », « enthèse fonctionnelle », et « complexe synovio-enthésique », permettant de comprendre l’implication des...
Background
Few data are available on the characteristics of gout in sub-Saharan Africa (1).
Objectives
We performed this study with the aim to present the clinical, laboratory and imaging characteristics of gout at the time of diagnosis in Cameroon. The results obtained will be compared with data from the Western literature.
Methods
We performed...
Background
Data are mixed on the role of school bags in the occurrence of low back pain in pupils.
Objectives
Thus, we carried out this study with the aim to determine if the school bags were a factor associated with low back pain in Cameroonian schoolchildren.
Methods
We performed a cross-sectional study between December 2015 and April 2016 in 1...
Background
Numerous data in sub-Saharan Africa suggest that MTP1 is not the hallmark of gout (1–5).
Objectives
We carried out this study with the aim to determine the joint most involved at the time of diagnosis of gout in Cameroon.
Methods
We performed a cross-sectional study in all outpatients seen at the Rheumatology unit of the Douala General...
Background
Low back pain is common among healthcare workers but is it more frequent than in other occupations?
Objectives
In order to answer this question, we carried out this study with the aim of determining if healthcare workers was more at risk for low back pain in the same institution than non-healthcare workers, administrative and technical...
The authors assessed the frequency of glucose homeostasis abnormalities among 839 Cameroonians with newly diagnosed hypertension (mean age: 50.8±11 years; 49.9% female) in a cross-sectional survey conducted at the Douala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon. In all participants, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and lipids were recorded....
Background
Liver disease related to Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infection has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS patients. Data on the prevalence of HBV and HCV in Cameroon remains inconclusive.
Objective
We aimed to determine the sero-prevalence and correlates of Hepatitis markers in HIV/AIDS patients in two Regional Ho...
Background:
Few studies have evaluated the link between hyperuricaemia and cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa.
Aims:
To assess the prevalence of and factors associated with hyperuricaemia among newly diagnosed treatment-naïve hypertensive patients in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods:
We performed a community-based cross-sectional study fr...
La entesis es la zona de inserción de un tendón, de un ligamento, de una cápsula o de una fascia en un hueso. En esta revisión se presentarán los resultados de varios trabajos científicos relevantes que permitirán comprender mejor las principales características fundamentales de este «tejido de unión», previas a la comprensión de las entesopatías,...
Background
Gout, the disease of kings is seen today in both urban and rural areas. However, few data are available on the characteristics of gout in the rural area, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
To evaluate the differences between gouty patients in rural and urban areas in Cameroon, Central Africa.
Methods
We performed a cross-sect...
Background
Colchicine has been used for millennia to treat acute gout flare, but numerous other conditions have been proposed for the use of this “eau médicinale”, including familial Mediterranean fever, Behçet's disease and pericarditis.
Objectives
To investigate the efficacy and safety of colchicine whatever the indication.
Methods
A literature...
Background
The ASAS classification criteria for axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis have revolutionized the management of patients with suspicion of spondyloarthritis (1,2). These criteria have not been validated in sub-Saharan Africans. Moreover, the application of these new criteria on a population of sub-Saharan Africa with spondyloarthritis...
Background
The prevalence of spinal pain or back pain among Africans may be comparable to that reported in research undertaken in developed nations. However, studies evaluating the epidemiological characteristics of spinal pain are rare in sub-Saharan Africa (1).
Objectives
To determine the main epidemiological characteristics of spinal pain in a...
Background
Comorbidities associated with gout are frequently described in developed countries. Data are scarce in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
To identify the main comorbidities associated with gout in Cameroon, Central Africa.
Methods
We performed a cross-sectional study on patients seen in the Rheumatology department of the Douala General Hos...
Background
Low back pain is the most frequent cause of rheumatic diseases in Africa (1). However the studies are scarce, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
To determine the main characteristics of non-specific chronic low back pain in Cameroon, Central Africa.
Methods
We performed a cross-sectional study in all 6804 patients seen in Rhe...
Background
Many guidelines from different parts of the world mention the impact of diet on gout (1). However, data are scarce in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a gouty apurinic personalized diet based on ethnic origin, dietary habits and patient comorbidities.
Methods
Gout (177 ACR preliminary criteria) pati...
While gastrointestinal disease is common among HIV infected individuals, the prevalence and distribution of ano-rectal pathology has not been well studied in our setting. The objective of this study therefore was to determine the prevalence and determinants of ano-rectal pathology in HIV infected patients attending the Douala General Hospital HIV t...