Hypothyroxinemia in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

A journal article on HIV/Aids.Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a disease predictive of a defect in the cell-mediated immunity, is caused by the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV).1'1 Infection with this virus results in a gradual but progressive deterioration of immune function leading to disease manifestation. The syndrome is characterised by generalised infection and lymphad- enopathy, and is often associated with multisystem disorders. Patients with AIDS have been reported to have a high frequency of endocrine abnormalities, mostly affecting the adrenal gland, but also the thyroid and other endocrine organs.4-8 These lesions may result from necrosis, infection of the organs, or malignant transformations, presenting as Kaposi sarcoma

The practice of hepatocellular cancer surveillance in Nigeria

Background: Hepatocellular cancer is a disease of global and public health importance due to the widespread distribution of risk factors and associated high case fatality. Hepatocellular Cancer (HCC) in Sub-Saharan Africa is commonly seen among the younger age groups (<45 years) who present mostly in the terminal stage, when the disease is not amenable to any curative therapy. Hepatocellular Carcinoma surveillance employs the use of simple, cheap and readily available investigations, to detect early curable cancer in individuals with risk factors for HCC.Objectives:The aim of this study is to assess the practice of hepatocellular cancer screening among physicians.Methodolgy:This is a nationwide online survey carried out among physicians who care for patients with HCC. A questionnaire was sent out via a web link to all consenting doctors in Nigeria. The responses were collated in a cloud-based application and data was analysed using Epi-info version 20.Results:Atotal of 218 respondents, 142 were males (65.1 %) with a mean age of 37.6 ± 5.7 years. The modal age group was 31-40 years 153 (69.5%). The main factors considered as a hindrance to surveillance were; the cost of the tests (57.7%), failure of return of patients (50.5%) and not being aware of a surveillance program (45.2 %). The majority of the respondents were Gastroenterologists and Family Physicians. 54% of the gastroenterologists and 64% of the family physicians have never offered HCC surveillance to their patients.Conclusion:This survey highlights a knowledge gap in HCC surveillance among physicians. There is a need to make HCCsurveillance a daily routine among patients at risk by all physicians. Keywords: Surveillance, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, HBV, HCV, Cancer screening

Socio-economic factors affecting fisherfolks in Otuocha and Ebenebe fishing communities in Anambra state, Nigeria

Fishing is an important source of income contributing to the economy of fishing communities living around Ezu and Omamabala Rivers in Ebenebe and Otuocha areas in Anambra State, Nigeria. A total of 120 structured questionnaires were distributed to obtain the socio-economic information from the respondents. Descriptive statistic was used for the data analysis. Results from the study revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between Ebenebe and Otuocha fishing communities, in terms of level of education attained, with no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the average monthly income earned. The study also showed that 71.7% of the respondents were males which engaged in fish farming while 28.3% were females involving in fish processing and trading, both of which were mostly within the age bracket of 30-39 years. The highest household size (35.9%) comprised of 6 members while 92.3% of the respondents had one form of education or the other. Most of the respondents (69.6%) took fishing as their major occupation while 30.4% also involved in other activities in addition to fishing operations. A 5-point likert scale was employed to record challenges of the respondents, and could be concluded that the socio-economic conditions of the fisherfolks in the study areas were not highly excellent due to lack of basic social amenities and modern fishing facilities amongst other factors. Keywords: Fisher folks, Social-Economic factors, Ebenebe, Otuocha, Anambr

Antidiabetic and antioxidant potentials of Pleurotus ostreatus -derived compounds: An in vitro and in silico approach

Many health benefits have reportedly been associated with mushroom consumption. This study determined the chemical constituents of Pleurotus ostreatus methanol extract (MEPO) and investigated its antioxidant and antidiabetic effects using in vitro and in silico approaches. The chemical composition of MEPO was determined using the gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) technique, while 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods were used to determine antioxidant activity. The antidiabetic activity was evaluated using α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays, while molecular docking was done to give insight into the binding potentials of MEPO constituents against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase activities. Thirteen compounds, including ephedrine, oxalate, rutin, naringin, and kaempferol, were identified in MEPO. The extract showed moderate antioxidant activity, as observed from the DPPH (IC50 = 732.41 mg/ml) and FRAP studies. The extract also demonstrated stronger inhibition of α-glucosidase activity (IC50 = 246.58 mg/ml) than α-amylase activity (IC50 = 1074.05 mg/ml). Docking studies revealed that rutin and naringin interacted effectively with amino acid residues crucial for α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and PEP carboxykinase activities via hydrogen bonds. The result shows that MEPO is a rich store of beneficial compounds which could be explored for the management of diabetes and associated complications