Impact of Physico-Chemical Factors of Contaminated Foci on the Survival of Geohelminths in Abua Communities, Niger Delta Nigeria

Physio-chemical analysis of 200 soil samples collected from contaminated foci was investigated in six communities of Abua, Niger Delta Nigeria. The Jackson’s method was used in the chemical analysis of contaminated soils while Cobb’s decanting and sieving method was used in the extraction of geohelminths. The  data showed that temperature, pH, Calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (mg2+), potassium (k+) ions and electrical conductivity had much effect on the survival of  eggs and larval development of geohelminths. It was also observed that the nature of the soil in the study communities was clay-loam and sandy-loamy. The continuous deposition of human faeces in these contaminated foci should be discouraged. This can be achieved by the construction of toilet facilities of whatever description in the study  area by the government. @JASEMJ. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. December, 2010, Vol. 14 (4) 117 - 12

Glucagon-like Peptide 2 Concentrations Vary in Zambian Children During Diarrhoea, in Malnutrition and Seasonally.

OBJECTIVES: Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) is a 33 amino acid peptide hormone released from enteroendocrine L-cells following nutrient ingestion. It has been shown to exert trophic effects on the gut. We set out to measure GLP-2 concentrations in blood in children with diarrhoea and malnutrition. METHODS: GLP-2 levels were measured in blood samples collected from 5 different groups of children (n = 324) at different time points: those with acute diarrhoea, during illness and 3 weeks after recovery; persistent diarrhoea and severe acute malnutrition; controls contemporaneous for diarrhoea; stunted children from the community; and controls contemporaneous for the stunted children. Stool biomarkers and pathogen analysis were carried out on the children with stunting. RESULTS: GLP-2 concentrations were higher during acute diarrhoea (median 3.1 ng/mL, interquartile range 2.1, 4.4) than on recovery (median 1.8, interquartile range 1.4, 3.1; P = 0.001), but were not elevated in children with persistent diarrhoea and severe acute malnutrition. In stunted children, there was a progressive decline in GLP-2 levels from 3.2 ng/mL (1.9, 4.9) to 1.0 (0.0, 2.0; P < 0.001) as the children became more stunted. Measures of seasonality (rainfall, temperature,Food Price Index, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli) were found to be significantly associated with GLP-2 concentrations in multivariable analysis. We also found a correlation between stool inflammatory biomarkers and GLP-2. CONCLUSIONS: In diarrhoea, GLP-2 levels increased in acute but not persistent diarrhoea. Malnutrition was associated with reduced concentrations. GLP-2 displayed seasonal variation consistent with variations in nutrient availability

Effects of anti-malarial alkaloids on the sperm properties and blood levels of reproductive hormones of adult men

The effects of treatment with the anti-malarial alkaloids quinine and chloroquine on sperm properties and blood levels of selected reproductive hormones (testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone andluteinizing hormones) of adult men were determined. Informed consents were obtained from twenty healthy adult volunteers who were subsequently allotted to groups A and B with 5 subjects each .Whilegroup C had 10 subjects. Group A received 600 mg of quinine 8 hourly for 5 days; group B subjects had 4 tablets of chloroquine (250 mg each) daily for 2 days then 2 tablets for one day. Group C subjects hadneither of these drugs in the study period of 65 days. Venous blood and masturbation specimens of semen were obtained from the subjects before treatment, immediately post-treatment and by the 65thday from commencement of treatment. Blood levels of follicle stimulating hormones, leutinizing hormone and testosterone were determined by Enzyme Linked Imuno Assay. Seminal Fluid Analysiswas carried out on the semen specimens to determine sperm count, percentage forward motility and percentage abnormal sperm morphology. The means of all the variables assessed were within the limits of normal for their respective method of analysis. No statistical significant effect of these drugs on sperm count, percentage sperm forward motility and blood levels of testosterone were observed whenpre-treatment results were compared with post-treatment and 65th day results as well as when results of quinine and chloroquine treated groups were compared with those of control group. The suggestion bydisparate in vivo animal and in vitro studies that the short term use of these drugs to treat malaria may be associated with fertility changes as a result of their inherent anti-spermatogenic effects have notbeen collaborated by this study in adult men

Complementary Feeding Practices for South Asian Young Children Living in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Sub-optimal nutrition among South Asian (SA) children living in high-income countries is a significant problem. High rates of obesity have been observed in this population, and differential complementary feeding practices (CFP) have been highlighted as a key influence. Our aim was to undertake a systematic review of studies assessing CFP in children under two years of age from SA communities living in high-income countries, including dietary diversity, timing, frequency and promotors/barriers. Searches covered January 1990–July 2018 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, Web of Science, BanglaJOL, OVID Maternity and Infant Care, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, POPLINE and World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Library. Eligible studies were primary research on CFP in SA children aged 0–2 years. Search terms were “children”, “feeding” and “South Asian”, and derivatives. Quality appraisal used the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information (EPPI) Weight of Evidence scoring. From 50,713 studies, 13 were extracted with ten from the UK, and one each from the USA, Canada and Singapore. Sub-optimal CFP were found in all studies. All ten studies investigating timing reported complementary feeding (CF) being commenced before six months. Promoters/barriers influencing CFP included income, lack of knowledge, and incorrect advice. This is the first systematic review to evaluate CFP in SA children living in high-income countries and these findings should inform the development of effective interventions for SA infants in these settings

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory mechanisms in uveitis

The eye, as currently viewed, is neither immunologically ignorant nor sequestered from the systemic environment. The eye utilises distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms to preserve tissue and cellular function in the face of immune-mediated insult; clinically, inflammation following such an insult is termed uveitis. The intra-ocular inflammation in uveitis may be clinically obvious as a result of infection (e.g. toxoplasma, herpes), but in the main infection, if any, remains covert. We now recognise that healthy tissues including the retina have regulatory mechanisms imparted by control of myeloid cells through receptors (e.g. CD200R) and soluble inhibitory factors (e.g. alpha-MSH), regulation of the blood retinal barrier, and active immune surveillance. Once homoeostasis has been disrupted and inflammation ensues, the mechanisms to regulate inflammation, including T cell apoptosis, generation of Treg cells, and myeloid cell suppression in situ, are less successful. Why inflammation becomes persistent remains unknown, but extrapolating from animal models, possibilities include differential trafficking of T cells from the retina, residency of CD8(+) T cells, and alterations of myeloid cell phenotype and function. Translating lessons learned from animal models to humans has been helped by system biology approaches and informatics, which suggest that diseased animals and people share similar changes in T cell phenotypes and monocyte function to date. Together the data infer a possible cryptic infectious drive in uveitis that unlocks and drives persistent autoimmune responses, or promotes further innate immune responses. Thus there may be many mechanisms in common with those observed in autoinflammatory disorders

Inhibiting ex-vivo Th17 responses in Ankylosing Spondylitis by targeting Janus kinases

Treatment options for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) are still limited. The T helper cell 17 (Th17) pathway has emerged as a major driver of disease pathogenesis and a good treatment target. Janus kinases (JAK) are key transducers of cytokine signals in Th17 cells and therefore promising targets for the treatment of AS. Here we investigate the therapeutic potential of four different JAK inhibitors on cells derived from AS patients and healthy controls, cultured in-vitro under Th17-promoting conditions. Levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, GM-CSF and IFN gamma were assessed by ELISA and inhibitory effects were investigated with Phosphoflow. JAK1/2/3 and TYK2 were silenced in CD4+ T cells with siRNA and effects analyzed by ELISA (IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22), Western Blot, qPCR and Phosphoflow. In-vitro inhibition of CD4+ T lymphocyte production of multiple Th17 cytokines (IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22) was achieved with JAK inhibitors of differing specificity, as well as by silencing of JAK1-3 and Tyk2, without impacting on cell viability or proliferation. Our preclinical data suggest JAK inhibitors as promising candidates for therapeutic trials in AS, since they can inhibit multiple Th17 cytokines simultaneously. Improved targeting of TYK2 or other JAK isoforms may confer tailored effects on Th17 responses in AS

A Screening Pipeline for Antiparasitic Agents Targeting Cryptosporidium Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase

Persistent diarrhea is a leading cause of illness and death among impoverished children, and a growing share of this disease burden can be attributed to the parasite Cryptosporidium. There are no vaccines to prevent Cryptosporidium infection, and the treatment options are limited and unreliable. Critically, no effective treatment exists for children or adults suffering from AIDS. Cryptosporidium presents many technical obstacles for drug discovery; perhaps the most important roadblock is the difficulty of monitoring drug action. Here we have developed a set of methods to accelerate the drug discovery process for cryptosporidiosis. We exploit the opportunities for experimental manipulation in the related parasite Toxoplasma to genetically engineer a Cryptosporidium model. This new model parasite mirrors the metabolism of Cryptosporidium for a particularly promising drug target that supplies the building blocks for DNA and RNA. Drug effectiveness can be assayed through simple fluorescence measurements for many candidates. Using this assay as an initial filter, and adapting other assays to a high throughput format, we identify several novel chemical compounds that exhibit markedly improved anti-cryptosporidial activity and excellent selectivity

Laparoscopy-guided liver abscess drainage: An additional use of veress needle

No Abstract

Prevalence of haemoparasitic infection in humans and insect vectors in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The preliminary investigation was conducted to determined the occurrence and transmission of heamoparasites and their insect vectors in two communities of Yenagoa (Agudama and Azikoro), Bayelsa State, between September 2004 and March 2005. 2 mls of intravenous blood was collected from 200 individuals. Thick and thin blood smears and Knott\'s concentration methods were utilized after staining in dilute giemsa solution. 81 (40.5%) of the sampled individuals were positive for different haemoparasites. Of the number positive, 60 (30.0%) were plasmodium falciparum, while 21(10.5%) were micro-filariamic. The different micro-filariae recovered were, 3 (1.5%) Wuchereria bancrofti, 3 (1.5%) Loa loa, and 15 (7.5%) Mansonella perstans. The prevalence rate of the haemoparasites was higher in Azikoro, (46.8%) than in Agudama (34.9%). Differences in the prevalence rates between the two communities was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.013357) (p>0.05). More females with 54 (40.9%) were infected than males, with 27 (39.7%), although, the difference in prevalence was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.86957) at 5% level (p>0.05). Infection was highest in 30-39 years age group with 17 (77.3%) and least in 70+ years age group with 1 (11.1%). The variation in age-related prevalence of haemoparasites was statistically significant (p-value = 0.0000068) (