Chemical fingerprinting and diagnostic ratios of Agbada-1 oil spill impacted sites in Niger Delta, Nigeria

Detailed compositional analysis by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) was employed to elucidate an oil spill in the Niger delta by fingerprinting technique. Distribution patterns of normal alkanes and isoprenoids show nC8 to nC40 petroleum hydrocarbons. The diagnostic ratios such as Pr/Ph ranged from 1.52 to 2.17; Pr/nC17 ranged from 0.31 to 0.51; Ph/nC18 ranged from 0.14 to 0.99; nC25/nC18 ranged from 0.93 to 3.52; CPI ranged from 0.97 to 1.13; (Pr + nC17)/(Ph + nC18) ranged from 1.10 to 2.25; Ph/anth ranged from 0.28 to 1.11; BaA/Ch ranged from 0.57 to 2.90; Fl/Py ranged from 1.24 to 2.90. The ratio Fl/Py which is greater than unity (>1) is an indication of the petrogenic source of PAHs. Statistical analyses such as principal component analysis and cluster analysis were also applied as supporting tools. PCA loadings and scores plots carried out on selected parameters obtained from the analysis of the oil spill show that PC1 and PC2 together represented 95.4% (55.8% and 39.6% respectively) of the variability. The high similarity level of the results obtained from the cluster analysis which is 98%, shows that the spilled oil originated from a common source

The systemic management of cutaneous dermatomyositis: Results of a stepwise strategy

Treatment of dermatomyositis (DM) is often achieved with a stepwise algorithm. However, the literature lacks quality evidence to support the use of this therapeutic strategy. The result of a stepwise therapeutic strategy in the management of skin-only DM is presented to better understand the clinical outcomes and allow for future studies. A cohort of 102 patients with DM, 41 of whom had skin-only disease, were seen between July 2009 and April 2013 at a referral-based connective tissue disease clinic. The Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index was used to prospectively assess disease severity and the outcomes in 41 adult patients with skin-only DM were analyzed. Of the 41 patients with skin-only DM, 23 patients (56.1%) received antimalarial medications alone and 18 patients (43.9%) received second- or third-line agents. Ten patients (24.4%) remained at the first level of the treatment algorithm and received only hydroxychloroquine. Prednisone was included in the treatment regimen for 11 patients with skin-only disease (26.8%). The results show that management of cutaneous DM often requires second-line agents because antimalarial medications alone are insufficient to treat most patients with skin-only disease. Keywords: dermatomyositis, antimalarial, immunosuppressive, CDASI, outcome measures, treatmen

Chloroquine-Chlorpheniramine Interaction In Human Malaria

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of chloroquine-chlorpheniramine (CQ-CP) combination therapy on the efficacy and disposition of chloroquine (CQ) in acute uncomplicated malaria. A 3-day standard treatment with 25 mg CQ base per kilogram body weight alone or in combination with chlorpheniramine (CP) was orally administered to 17 semi-immune Nigerian children with Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia, attending the Massey Street Children's Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Parasitemia was determined on thick blood films stained with Giemsa, and treatment failures were established following the WHO classification for CQ resistance. Whole blood CQ concentrations were monitored at pre-determined intervals during the 28 days of follow-up using blood dried on filter-paper. Treatment with CQ-CP combination resulted in a shorter parasite clearance time (2.0 ± 0.5 d) & a higher cure rate (87.5%) compared to treatment with CQ alone (3.5 ± 0.5 d; 66.7%). CQ pharmacokinetic parameters: maximum drug concentration (Cmax) and the area under the first-moment drug-concentration-time curve (AUMC) were significantly increased (p < 0.01; p < 0.001 respectively) by CP administration while the time to achieve the peak was reduced in the presence of CP. We conclude that administration of CP increased CQ uptake as judged by an increase in the maximum concentration (Cmax) and a decrease in the time to attain the concentration (Tmax), as well as an increase in the area under the curve, which signifies increased systemic availability of CQ in the presence of CP. Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol.9, No.3 (1999) pp. 225-23

Investigation of the efficacy of two rapid assessment techniques (Optimal 1 and SD-Bioline) for the diagnosis of malaria in rural areas of Nigeria

We had previously studied the efficacy of three new techniques-Para Sight F, (PSF), Immunochromatographic Test (ICT) and Quantitative Buffy Coat (QBC) – as possible replacements for the time-consuming microscopy in the diagnosis of malaria. Two more rapid assessment techniques (the Optimal 1 and SD-BIOLINE) were recently introduced into Nigeria and claimed to exhibit high sensitivity and specificity. Optimal 1 was particularly claimed to distinguish between P falciparum, P. malariae, P ovale and P. vivax. We have in this work evaluated the efficacy of both the Optimal 1 and SD-Bioline in 240 patients from Ibafo and Magboro Communities in Obafemi-Owode LGA of Ogun State, Nigeria. Results showed that with regard to the detection of P. falciparum, Optimal 1 gave a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 63.95%, 92.20%, 82.1% and 82.1% respectively, while the SD-Bioline gave 54.84%, 42.9%, 68.0% and 68.0% respectively. In retrospect, the sensitivities shown by 3 other techniques (ICT, PSF and QBC) investigated by us were 88.63, 89.95 and 87.6% respectively. Their specificities on the other hand were 94.60, 91.17, 94.70% respectively. The main advantage of the rapid Optimal 1 technique is that it was able to detect P. malariae which microscopy also detected in three patients. The SD-BIOLINE gave the worst comparative result and could not be recommended for use in Nigeria. This work in conclusion has shown that Optimal 1 could be useful in the rapid diagnosis of the various species of Plasmodium in Nigeria provided the patients could afford the test. (Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2003 4(1): 6-13