Kurt Sartorius

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of the Witwatersrand and Kwazulu-Natal

One of the outstanding features of chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) is its strong association with liver fibrosis. CHB induced inflammation and injury trigger multiple biochemical and physical changes that include the promotion of a wide range of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors that activate hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) CHB induced act...

Hepatitis B-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) remains an intractable high-mortality solid tumor cancer that accounted for 42% of global HCC cases in 2019. Despite some developments in systemic therapy, only a small subset of late-stage HCC patients responds positively to recently developed therapeutic innovations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act...

The liver is a major metastatic site (organ) for gastrointestinal cancers (such as colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers) as well as non-gastrointestinal cancers (such as lung, breast, and melanoma cancers). Due to the innate anatomical position of the liver, the apoptosis of T cells in the liver, the unique metabolic regulation of hepatocyte...

The incidence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase sharply by 2040 against a backdrop of limited diagnostic and therapeutic options. Two large South African-based case control studies have developed a serum-based miRNome for Hepatitis B-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC), as well...

The ability of the human liver to both synthesize extracellular matrix(ECM), as well as regulate fibrogenesis, are integral functions to maintaining homoeostasis. Chronic liver injury stimulates fibrogenesis in response to the imbalance between ECM accumulation and fibrosis resolution. Liver disease that induces fibrogenesis is associated with mult...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a fast-growing public health problem and predisposes to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a significant proportion of patients. Metabolic alterations might underlie the progression of NAFLD to HCC, but the magnitudes of risk and population-attributable risk fractions (PAFs) for various metabolic conditio...

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most malignant neoplasms worldwide, accounting for about 770,000 deaths in 2020. The incidence of gastric cancer bone metastasis (GC-BM) is low, about 0.9–13.4%, and GC patients develop GC-BM because of a suitable bone microenvironment. Osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and tumor cells interact with each other, secreting c...

The liver is a central immunomodulator that ensures a homeostatic balance between protection and immunotolerance. A hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the deregulation of this tightly controlled immunological network. Immune response in the liver involves a complex interplay between resident innate, innate, and adaptive immune cells. The...

Recent evidence suggests the global incidence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are increasing. Although the highest incidence of HCC remains entrenched in WHO regions with high levels of HBV-HCV infection, the etiology of this disease is rapidly changing to include other lifestyle risk factors. Extrahepatic metastasis is a frequent f...

Despite the early promise of RNA therapeutics as a magic bullet to modulate aberrant signaling in cancer, this field remains a work-in-progress. Nevertheless, RNA therapeutics is now a reality for the treatment of viral diseases (COVID-19) and offers great promise for cancer. This review paper specifically investigates RNAi as a therapeutic option...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) pathogenesis is fueled by persistent HBV infection that stealthily maintains a delicate balance between viral replication and evasion of the host immune system. HBV is remarkably adept at using a combination of both its own, as well as host machinery to ensure its own replication...

Introduction: the burden of colorectal carcinoma (CRC), once considered rare in Africa, may be changing with the disease being increasingly diagnosed and there is a suggestion that age and race influence tumour behaviour. We sought to describe the clinicopathological spectrum of CRC among the different race and age groups in a South African settin...

Currently, the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [HBV-HCC] relies on blunt tools that are unable to offer effective therapy for later stage pathogenesis. The potential of miRNA to treat HBV-HCC offer a more targeted approach to managing this lethal carcinoma; however, the complexity of miRNA as an ancill...

Objectives To assess space-time trends in malnutrition and associated risk factors among children (<5 years) in South Africa. Design Multiround national panel survey using multistage random sampling. Setting National, community based. Participants Community-based sample of children and adults. Sample size: 3254 children in wave 1 (2008) to 4710...

The incidence and mortality of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) is an intractable public health problem in developing countries that is compounded by limited early detection and therapeutic options. Despite the early promise of utilizing the regulatory role of miRNA in liver cancer, this field remains largely in...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a disease of global public health significance with mortality on the rise, despite the preventable nature of its risk factors especially in Africa. It is now the sixth most common cancer worldwide, fifth in males, and ninth in females. HCC incidence and mortality are predicted to increase in African countries const...

Background: The ability of the Baltic Dry Index to predict economic activity has been evaluated in a number of developed and developing countries. Aim: Firstly, the article determines the primary factors driving the dynamics of the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) and, secondly, whether the BDI can predict future share price reactions on the Johannesburg St...

The potential of exploitation of miRNA as diagnostic agents and therapeutic tools will likely only be realized when a complete knowledge of their biology is revealed. Despite more than a decade of research, the use of miRNA as diagnostic and therapeutic tools remains a ‘work in progress’. The objective of this review is to explore more recent devel...

Objectives The present study aimed to test the association between high and low carbohydrate diets and obesity, and second, to test the link between total carbohydrate intake (as a percentage of total energy intake) and obesity. Setting, participants and outcome measures We sought MEDLINE, PubMed and Google Scholar for observation studies publishe...

Background: A wide range of studies has investigated the diagnostic proficiency of extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) in hepatocellular cancer (HCC). HCC is expected to increase in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), due to endemic levels of viral infection (HBV/HIV), ageing and changing lifestyles. This unique aetiological background provides an opportunity...

The exponential rise in cancer costs in South Africa (SA) was illustrated in a recent Sunday Times article entitled 'The cost of cancer can be a debt sentence'. Our minister of health talks of a 'war' against the high costs of cancer drugs, and epidemiologists project a sharply rising incidence. Eminent international medical journals, such as The L...

Lung cancer incidence is increasing in many low-to-middle-income countries and is significantly under-reported in Africa, which could potentially mislead policy makers when prioritising disease burden. We employed an ecological correlation study design using countrylevel lung cancer incidence data and associated determinant data. Lagged prevalence...

Introduction Linkages between carbohydrates, obesity and cancer continue to demonstrate conflicting results. Evidence suggests inconclusive direct linkages between carbohydrates and specific cancers. Conversely, obesity has been strongly linked to a wide range of cancers. The purpose of the study is to explore linkages between carbohydrate intake a...

Service delivery in South African municipal areas differs widely across jurisdictional boundaries. The paper illustrates the potential of geo-spatial mapping to quantify and map service delivery inequality at local municipal level in order to differentiate policy interventions. Data from a national 2007 South African survey were analysed to assess...

The problems of screening costs, as well as poor data, potentially lead to the underestimation of the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In particular, this is problematic in developing countries with limited resources and poor data. The study develops a model to inform policy makers of the true incidence and potential extra cost of HCC i...

This paper investigates household dissolution and changes in asset wealth (socio-economic position) in a rural South African community containing settled refugees. Survival analysis applied to a longitudinal dataset indicated that the covariates increasing the risk of forced household dissolution were a reduction in socio-economic position (asset w...

The need for a multidimensional measure of population health that accounts for its distribution remains a central problem to guide the allocation of limited resources. Absolute proxy measures, like the infant mortality rate (IMR), are limited because they ignore inequality and spatial clustering. We propose a novel, three-part, multidimensional mor...

Infant mortality rate (IMR) is regarded as an important indicator of population health. IMR rates vary substantially with the highest found in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) compared to the lowest in Europe. Identifying spatial disparities in IMR and quantifying attributable risk factors is essential for policymakers when tailoring time-appropriate inter...

This paper investigates household dissolution and changes in asset wealth (socioeconomic position) in a rural South African community containing settled refugees. Survival analysis applied to a longitudinal dataset indicated that the covariates increasing the risk of forced household dissolution were a reduction in socioeconomic position (asset wea...

The assimilation of refugees into their host community economic structures is often problematic. The paper investigates the ability of refugees in rural South Africa to accumulate assets over time relative to their host community. Bayesian spatial-temporal modelling was employed to analyse a longitudinal database that indicated that the asset accum...

African students continue to underperform in South Africa's schools and universities. This paper investigates the comparative performance of African chartered accountancy students from school to post-university level. The paper employed a mixed-method approach to analyse a series of cross-sectional datasets. The results showed that African students...

Background: Health inequities in developing countries are difficult to eradicate because of limited resources. The neglect of adult mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a particular concern. Advances in data availability, software and analytic methods have created opportunities to address this challenge and tailor interventions to small areas....

A longitudinal dataset was used to investigate adult mortality in rural South Africa in order to determine location, trends, high impact determinants and policy implications. Adult (15-59 years) mortality data for the period 1993-2010 were extracted from the health and demographic surveillance system in the rural sub-district of Agincourt. A Bayesi...

Background Sub Saharan Africa is confronted with a wide range of interlinked health and economic problems that include high levels of mortality and poor service delivery. The objective of the paper is to develop a spatial model for Sub-Saharan Africa that can quantify the mortality impact of (poor) service delivery at sub-district level in order to...

Achieving high growth that is sustainable is an elusive goal for all but a few great companies. Despite the relative importance of this topic, limited research has been performed to explain this phenomenon, especially in a South African context. This paper adopts an exploratory approach to investigate some of the variables that influence company gr...

This research adds to the existing body of knowledge on the perceived impact of capital gains tax (CGT) on the fairness of the South Africa tax system. Building on the largely qualitative work done by Vivian (2006) and Smith (1776), the research makes use of an extensive literature review followed by a correspondence analysis to complement the exis...

The motivation of professional personnel within the confines of formal management control systems is often problematic. The paper investigates how interactive management controls can augment a performance measurement framework (PMF) in order to motivate personnel in a state-controlled research organisation. A case study method, combined with a surv...

Many sub-Saharan countries are confronted with persistently high levels of infant mortality because of the impact of a range of biological and social determinants. In particular, infant mortality has increased in sub-Saharan Africa in recent decades due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The geographic distribution of health problems and their relationship...

Aims This paper aims to examine: the status and the use of financial and non‐financial measures, and the balanced scorecard (BSC) in Bangladeshi companies; the reasons for BSC adoption; and associated problems. Design/methodology/approach Data via a questionnaire were obtained from the chief accounting and finance officers of a cross section of 60...

A limited number of studies in Africa have reconciled human resource management (HRM) programs with cultural diversity as represented by Hofstede's cultural dimensions. The objective of this study is to examine how Western-based HRM can be modified to embrace cultural diversity in an African context. A mixed methodology employed a survey, as well a...

How to set up successful multicultural human resource management programmes remains a contentious issue. This study examined variables that influenced job satisfaction in the workforce of a multinational company operating in Mozambique. It took a mixed methods approach and analysed case study data using a combination of content, thematic, descripti...

The motivation of professional personnel within the confines of formal management control systems is often problematic. The paper investigates how interactive management controls can augment a performance measurement framework (PMF) in order to motivate personnel in a state-controlled research organisation. A case study method, combined with a surv...

The development of multiple stakeholder performance measurement frameworks (PMF) is a complex process in the public research sector. The objective of the paper was to investigate whether the performance measurement framework (PMF) of a state owned research organization could be adapted to the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). A conceptual framework develop...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has recently received considerable attention in literature.One of the vehicles by which companies can conform to CSR in South Africa is Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). In this regard, BEE has been employed to assist previously disadvantaged groups of investors obtain a larger share of the equity of South Afri...

Rural poverty in South Africa remains a contentious issue and national statistics often conceal the complex nature of this dilemma at village and household level. The objective of the paper is to better understand the variables, dynamics and trends that influenced the socio economic position (SEP) of a rural community. The study examines asset and...

The success of black economic empowerment (BEE) is still not clear. The objective of this paper is to assess the results of BEE equity transfers and contribute to the development of a framework to assess the cost/benefit of transferring equity in this fashion. BEE data from 62 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange were analysed using...

This paper presents an overview of contracting arrangements in agribusiness procurement practices in South Africa. The objective of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the structures and issues of raw commodity procurement in South African agribusiness supply chains. The results suggest that a wide range of institutions are emp...

Purpose/objectives: The objective of the study is to contribute to a better understanding of the key variables that influence the profitability of this sector, as well as to develop a reliable model to predict retail fuel sales volumes in an urban setting. Problem investigated: South African fuel retail outlets are confronted by a wide range of v...

Activity Based Costing (ABC) has been researched extensively in developed countries. Research on these issues in South Africa is limited. This article creates a better understanding of the design of ABC systems in South Africa, comparing ABC implementation in South Africa to that in several developed/developing countries. A quantitative methodology...

The industrialization of agriculture and the potential problem of small-scale farmer marginalization calls for a fresh approach to the design of agribusiness supply chain arrangements in developing countries. The objective of the paper is to contribute to a better understanding of institutional arrangements that can promote stable smallholder agrib...

The development of performance measures in service companies has not kept abreast with their manufacturing counterparts despite the unprecedented growth of this sector in recent decades. The objective of this paper is to contribute towards a better understanding of the design of performance measures in the service sector. More specifically, the obj...

Industrial firms world wide have shed non-core business and outsourced these activities. An increasing number of sugar producers in Southern Africa have also outsourced their sugarcane production activities for both strategic and equity reasons. The purpose of the study is to use a transaction cost analysis (TCA) approach to assist the firm, as an...

The inclusion of small-scale commercial farmers in South African agribusincss supply chains is a national priority and there is an urgent need for managerial accounting (MAS) inputs to successfully accomplish this objective. This paper explores ways that small fanners can be cost effectively incorporated in modern agricultural supply chains. A case...

The objective of this paper is to contribute to the design of agribusiness smallholder contracting linkages in South Africa. A fresh approach to design is adopted that combines a case study in the timber industry, the lessons of history and the economics of organisational architecture. The results confirm that the transaction characteristics of the...

This article examines a new role for contract farming in developing countries in the light of the industrialization of agriculture and the globalization of world markets. A theoretical rationale for contracting in developing countries is developed on the basis of adopting new institutional economic theory for the purpose of matching governance form...

Historically, South Africa's apartheid policies had a negative effect on the financial performance of the South African beverage industry. This effect was characterised by the non-participation of South African companies in the global market and the presence of foreign enterprises in the domestic market. From 1994, South African industries have bee...

This paper contributes towards the economic evaluation of small farms in the tropics and demonstrates why this analysis can be both complex and unique. A Cobb-Douglas type Production Function has been developed, for a number of micro regions within the state of Rondonia, Brazil, as the basis for constructing predictive models. The models have been...

Thesis (D.Com.)(Agricultural Economics)--University of Pretoria, 2003. Includes bibliographical references. Adobe Acrobat Reader needed to open files.