Spectrum of Skin Diseases among School Aged Children in Jos North-Central Nigeria

Skin diseases are common causes of morbidity among children in developing nations. An awareness of the types of skin morbidities seen in school children and the associated factors may enable individuals’ families and government carry out or direct preventive and therapeutic measures appropriately.The aim of this study was to assess the spectrum of skin diseases among primary school children in Jos North Local Government Area. Three hundred and ninety (390) pupils were recruited from selected public and private primary schools using multistage sampling technique. Structured Interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain information. Key diagnostics features were used for clinical diagnosis of major skin diseases. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 21. There were a total of 199 males and 191 females. Age range was between 6 and 12 years. Prevalence rate of skin disease was 36.2%. A total of 28 different types of skin diseases were seen among the pupils, with infections making up the bulk (47.3%). Among the infections, Tinea (23.9%) was the most prevalent. while dermatitis accounted for 20.7%. There was no sex predilection. Skin diseases were significantly more prevalent in children between 6-7 years ( p-0.014) and associated with lower socioeconomic class (p-0.001) and children from public schools (p0.000). Preventive and curative health services should be provided in the school health programme especially in public schools for reduction of the prevalence of skin disorders

Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome: A community survey in an African population

Background : Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been reported to be common in the West. Community surveys are lacking in the African setting. We determined the prevalence of IBS in a rural community setting in Nigeria. Method : Questionnaires were administered to consenting individuals. Subjects satisfying the Rome II criteria for IBS were invited for physical examination at a health center to identify the presence of "alarm factors." Results : One hundred forty (31.6%) of the 443 evaluated individuals fulfilled the Rome II criteria for IBS, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.37:1 (P= .11). The prevalence of IBS was highest (39.3%) in the third decade, followed by 25% in the fourth decade (P= .009). Ninety-six (67%) IBS individuals had the alternating pattern of diarrhea and constipation, whereas 28 (20%) and 19 (13%) had constipation and diarrhea subtypes, respectively. Conclusion : IBS as diagnosed by the Rome II criteria has a high prevalence in the African rural population, as obtained elsewhere.Contexte: Irritable Syndrome (IBS) a \ue9t\ue9 signal\ue9 \ue0 \ueatre commune \ue0 l\u2019Ouest. Enqu\ueates communautaires font d\ue9faut dans le contexte africain. Nous avons d\ue9termin\ue9 la pr\ue9valence de IBS dans un milieu rural. communaut\ue9 d\ue9fi nition dans le Nig\ue9ria. M\ue9thode: Questionnaires ont \ue9t\ue9 administr\ue9 aux personnes consentantes. Sujets de satisfaction de la Rome II crit\ue8res d\u2019IBS ont \ue9t\ue9 invit\ue9s pour l\u2019examen physique dans un centre de sant\ue9 \ue0 identifi er la pr\ue9sence de \u201c alarme les facteurs \u201d. R\ue9sultats: Un cent et quarante (31,6 %) des individus \ue9valu\ue9es 443 rempli le Rome Crit\ue8res II IBS avec un m\ue2le \ue0 ratio f\ue9minin de 1.37:1 (p = 0,11) .la pr\ue9valence IBS \ue9tait plus \ue9lev\ue9 dans la troisi\ue8me d\ue9cennie (39.3 %), suivie de 25 % dans le quatri\ue8me dix ans (p = 0.009). Quatre-vingt-seize (67 %) IBS personnes avaient le mod\ue8le d\u2019alternance de la diarrh\ue9e et constipation, alors que 28 (20 %) et 19 (13 %) avaient constipation et la diarrh\ue9e subtypes respectivement. Conclusion: IBS comme un diagnostic par les crit\ue8res de Rome II a une haute pr\ue9valence dans la population rurale africaine comme obtenu ailleurs

Emergence of unusual human rotavirus strains in Salento, Italy, during 2006–2007

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years, rotavirus genotyping by RT-PCR has provided valuable information about the diversity of rotaviruses (RV) circulating throughout the world.</p> <p>The purpose of the present study was to monitor the prevalence of the different G and P genotypes of rotaviruses circulating in Salento and detect any uncommon or novel types.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>During the period from January 2006 to December 2007, a total of 243 rotavirus positive stool samples were collected from children with diarrhoea admitted to four Hospitals in the province of Lecce (Copertino, Galatina, Gallipoli and Tricase).</p> <p>All the specimens were tested for RV by real time PCR and genotyped for VP7 (G-type) and VP4 (P-type) gene by reverse transcription (RT) and multiplex PCR using different type specific primers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In course of this study we identified 4 common G&P combinations viz. G2P[8], G1P[8], G2P[4] and G9P[8] amongst 59.8% of the typeable rotavirus positives.</p> <p>Rotavirus G2P[8] was recognized as the most widespread genotype during the sentinel-based survey in Salento.</p> <p>The detection of other novel and unusual strains, such as G2P[10], G4P[10], G8P[4], G9P[11] and G10P[8] is noteworthy.</p> <p>Furthermore, a significant number of mixed infections were observed during the survey period but G3P[8] rotaviruses were not detected.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study highlights the genetic diversity among rotaviruses isolated from children in Salento and the emergence of some novel strains. Therefore, it is highly essential to continuously monitor for these strains so as to assess the impact of vaccines on RV strains circulating in Salento and understand the effect of strain variation on efficacy of presently available vaccines.</p

A Non-Cytosolic Protein of Trypanosoma evansi Induces CD45-Dependent Lymphocyte Death

In a recent study dealing with a mouse model of Trypanosoma evansi-associated disease, a remarkable synchrony between the parasitaemia peak and the white-blood-cell count nadir was noticed. The present study was designed to establish whether there is a direct causal link between the parasite load during its exponential phase of growth and the disappearance of peripheral blood leukocytes. In vitro experiments performed with trypanosomes and purified peripheral blood mononucleated cells revealed the existence of a lymphotoxin embedded in the T. evansi membrane: a protein sensitive to serine proteases, with a molecular mass of less than 30 kDa. Lymphocytes death induced by this protein was found to depend on the intervention of a lymphocytic protein tyrosine phosphatase. When lymphocytes were exposed to increasing quantities of a monoclonal antibody raised against the extracellular portion of CD45, a transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase covering over 10% of the lymphocyte surface, T. evansi membrane extracts showed a dose-dependent decrease in cytotoxicity. As the regulatory functions of CD45 concern not only the fate of lymphocytes but also the activation threshold of the TCR-dependent signal and the amplitude and nature of cytokinic effects, this demonstration of its involvement in T. evansi-dependent lymphotoxicity suggests that T. evansi might manipulate, via CD45, the host's cytokinic and adaptive responses

The Chemistry of Boronic Acids in Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery

Interest in increasing drug delivery efficiency has risen over the past decade both as a means to improve efficacy of already clinically available drugs and due to the increased difficulties of approving new drugs. As a functional group for targeted drug delivery, boronic acids (BAs) have been incorporated in polymeric particles both as a stimuli-responsive functional group and as a targeting ligand. Here, BA chemistry presents a wealth of opportunities for biological applications. It not only reacts with several chemical markers of disease such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glucose, and reduced pH, but it also acts as ligands for diols such as sialic acid. These stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems optimize delivery of therapeutics based on rational design and precise molecular engineering. When designing materials containing BA, the unique chemical properties are important to take into consideration such as its vacant p-orbital, its molecular geometry, and the designed acid\u27s pK(a). Instead of behaving as most carboxylic acids that donate protons, BAs instead primarily act as Lewis acids that accept electrons. In aqueous solution, most polymers containing BA exist in an equilibrium between their triangular hydrophobic form and a tetrahedral hydrophilic form. The most common pK(a)\u27s are in the nonphysiological range of 8-10, and much ongoing research focuses on modifying BAs into materials sensitive to a more physiologically relevant pH range. So far, BA moieties have been incorporated into a stunning array of materials, ranging from small molecules that can self-assemble into higher order structures such as micelles and polymeric micelles, via larger polymeric assemblies, to large scale hydrogels. With the abundance of biological molecules containing diols and polyhydroxy motifs, BA-containing materials have proven valuable in several biomedical applications such as treatment of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and bacterial infections. Both materials functionalized with BA and boronic esters display good safety profiles in vitro and in vivo; thus, BA-containing materials represent promising carriers for responsive delivery systems with great potential for clinical translation. The intention of this Account is to showcase the versatility of BA for biomedical applications. We first discuss the chemistry of BA and what to consider when designing BA-containing materials. Further, we review how its chemistry recently has been applied to nanomaterials for enhanced delivery efficiency, both as a stimuli-responsive group and as a targeting ligand. Lastly, we discuss the current limitations and further perspectives of BA in biomaterials, based on the great benefits that can come from utilizing the unique BA chemistry to enhance drug delivery efficiency

NMR-Derived Models of Amidopyrine and Its Metabolites in Complexes with Rabbit Cytochrome P450 2B4 Reveal a Structural Mechanism of Sequential N-Dealkylation

To understand the molecular basis of sequential N-dealkylation by cytochrome P450 2B enzymes, we studied the binding of amidopyrine (AP) as well as the metabolites of this reaction, desmethylamidopyrine (DMAP) and aminoantipyrine (AAP), using the X-ray crystal structure of rabbit P450 2B4 and two nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques: saturation transfer difference (STD) spectroscopy and longitudinal (T-1) relaxation NMR. Results of STD NMR of AP and its metabolites bound to P450 2B4 were similar, suggesting that they occupy similar niches within the enzyme's active site. The model-dependent relaxation rates (R-M) determined from T-1 relaxation NMR of AP and DMAP suggest that the N-linked methyl is closest to the heme. To determine the orientation(s) of AP and its metabolites within the P450 2B4 active site, we used distances calculated from the relaxation rates to constrain the metabolites to the X-ray crystal structure of P450 2B4. Simulated annealing of the complex revealed that the metabolites do indeed occupy similar hydrophobic pockets within the active site, while the N-linked methyls are free to rotate between two binding modes. From these bound structures, a model of N-demethylation in which the N-linked methyl functional groups rotate between catalytic and noncatalytic positions was developed. This study is the first to provide a structural model of a drug and its metabolites complexed to a c-ytochrome P450 based on NMR and to provide a structural mechanism for how a drug can undergo sequential oxidations without unbinding. The rotation of the amide functional group might represent a common structural mechanism for N-dealkylation reactions for other drugs such as the local anesthetic lidocaine