Stromal Fibroblasts in Digestive Cancer

The normal gastrointestinal stroma consists of extra-cellular matrix and a community of stromal cells including fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, pericytes, endothelium and inflammatory cells. α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive stromal fibroblasts, often referred to as myofibroblasts or activated fibroblasts, are critical in the development of digestive cancer and help to create an environment that is permissive of tumor growth, angiogenesis and invasion. This review focusses on the contribution of activated fibroblasts in carcinogenesis and where possible directly applies this to, and draws on examples from, gastrointestinal cancer. In particular, the review expands on the definition, types and origins of activated fibroblasts. It examines the molecular biology of stromal fibroblasts and their contribution to the peritumoral microenvironment and concludes by exploring some of the potential clinical applications of this exciting branch of cancer research. Understanding the origin and biology of activated fibroblasts will help in the development of an integrated epithelial-stromal sequence to cancer that will ultimately inform cancer pathogenesis, natural history and future therapeutics

Maternal death review and outcomes : an assessment in Lagos State, Nigeria

Strong political will by hospital management and supervising government agencies are a prerequisite for effectively addressing the human and infrastructural deficits that predispose to maternal mortality in Lagos State. Failure to address the patients and facility-related causes of maternal mortality could account for the persistently high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the hospitals. Interventions aimed at redressing all causes identified in the reviews will likely reduce MMRs. The study investigates results of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) conducted in three referral hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria over a two-year period and reports outcomes and lessons learned

Maternal Tetanus in Pregnancy: Medical Management and Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery at Term: A Case Report.

A 30-year old pregnant woman presented at 30 weeks gestation with inability to open the mouth, eat or swallow and abdominal pain of two weeks duration having sustained abrasive injuries and laceration to the face 10 days earlier. Provocative spasms and risus sardonicus were found on examination. She was managed with intravenous infusions, metronidazole and diazepam. She resumed oral feeds two weeks later and was discharged home after 4 weeks of admission. She later had vaginal delivery at term with both mother and fetus being in good condition

Short Report: Psychiatric Morbidity among Infertile Women Attending a Tertiary Healthcare Institution in Lagos

Background Infertile women have been observed to suffer from various forms of psychopathology due to the psychosocial pressures placed on them because of their inability to conceive. This study aimed at investigating levels of anxiety, depression and psychological distress among infertile women in Lagos state, Nigeria. Method The study included 107 women with primary infertility in the study group and 99 healthy fertile women in the control group. The 12th version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and were administered to both groups to determine their levels of psychological distress, anxiety and depression. Result The findings show that 37% of the subjects surveyed had high scores in general psychopathology and only 31% of the controls had scores above the general health questionnaire cut-off norm. Anxiety was diagnosed in 30.8% of the experimental group when compared with the control group. Depression was observed 22.0% of the subjects as against 40.4% of the control group. Conclusion The findings of this study showed that infertile women in the study group showed some degrees of psychopathology. Psychosocial factors should also be taken into consideration in the evaluation of infertile women because infertility can also be a source of psychological distress, anxiety and depression. Keywords: Psychological morbidity, anxiety, depression, infertile wome