Molecular diagnosis of MDR-TB using GenoType MTBDRplus 96 assay in Ibadan, Nigeria

Summary: Multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is of great public health importance worldwide. This three month laboratory- based study (1st September-30th November, 2011) was carried out at the TB laboratories of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria to determine the magnitude of MDR-TB using molecular based GenoType MTBDRplus 96 assay. Two sputum samples were collected from each subject. These were processed using Ziehl -Neelsen (ZN) reagents. The sputa were cultured on Loewenstein-Jensen egg –based medium and incubated at 370C for eight weeks. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) was confirmed by colonial morphology and repeat ZN staining. All the Acid-fast bacill (AFB) positive smears and culture positive isolates were tested for genetic identification and drug susceptibility testing (DST) using PCR- based GenoType MTBDRplus 96 assay (HAINs Lifesciences, GmbH, Nehren, Germany) according to manufacturers’ instructions. Of the 68 samples processed, 11 (16.2%) were AFB positive while six (8.8%) were positive for culture. Eleven (64.7%) out of the 17 samples tested for genetic identification were MTBC while six were Non Tuberculosis  Mycobacteria (NTM). All NTM were from AFB positive sputum while none was from culture positive isolates. Of the six culture isolates tested for DST, three (33.3%) were susceptible to isoniazid and rifampicin; one (16.7%) showed mono-resistance to isoniazid while two (30.0%) were resistant to the two drugs. This study shows that MDR-TB is present in Ibadan. There is a need to make DST diagnostic facilities more available and accessible in Nigeria.Keywords: Molecular diagnosis, MDR-TB, GenoType MTBDRplus 96assay, Ibadan, Nigeri

Anti-tuberculosis activities of the crude methanolic extract and purified fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus

Summary: Tuberculosis (TB) is of great public health burden globally especially in developing countries of Africa and Asia . Current TB regimen involves multiple therapies and of long duration leading to poor patient adherence. There is also the challenge of multidrug resistant TB. Hence, there is a need for discovery of new anti- TB drugs. This study was designed to investigate the in –vitro activity of the crude methanolic extract and chromatographic fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus against Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. The extracts were screened for anti- TB activity against three different M. tuberculosis isolates and a drug susceptible reference strain H37Rv using Lowenstein Jensen (L-J) medium and Middlebrook 7H10agar. The crude extract was prepared using soxhlet extraction apparatus while the purified fractions were obtained by column chromatography. The two media were inoculated with M. tuberculosis strains, after which the crude and purified extracts were added. After 4-6 weeks incubation, colony forming units were counted and percentage inhibition calculated. The crude extract and the purified fractions showed inhibitory activity on all the isolates tested including the reference strain. Fraction 3 showed the highest inhibitory percentage (86%) among the extracts. At a concentration of 1.0mg/ml, the percentage inhibition of fraction 3, rifampicin and isoniazid against M. tuberculosis strain 3 were 83%, 95% and 86% in L-J medium respectively while 86%, 96% and 89% were obtained respectively in Middle brook medium. Results showed that the crude methanolic extract and the purified fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus exhibited anti-mycobacterial activity which is an indication of promising potential of this plant for the development of anti-tuberculosis agent.Keywords: Crinum jagus, Chromatographic fractions, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, In-vitr

Epidemiology of Smear ‐ Negative Tuberculosis in Ibadan, Nigeria

Inadequate case detection has been identified as one of the reasons for high burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world especially in poor resourced countries of Africa and Asia. This retrospective laboratory study involving the review of specimens processed at the TB laboratory of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria was carried out over a period of five years (January 2006‐December 2010) to access the epidemiology of smear‐ negative TB. Of the 3468 specimens processed, 2,175 (62.7%) were from males while a lower percentage (37.3%)1293 were from females, giving a M:F = 1:0.37. Over half of the specimens, 2,046 (59.0%) were from patients aged 21 to 60 years, 392 (11.3%) from 11 to 20 years, 825 (23.8%) from 60 years and above while 205 (5.9%) were from age 1‐10 years. Most of the 2,663 (76.8%) specimens processed were sputum while 201 (5.8%) were gastric washings. Three hundred and nine (8.9%) were smear positive while 392 (11.3%) out of the 3468 specimens processed were culture positive. However, 83 (2.6%) of the 3159 smearnegative specimens were culture positive (false negative) while 66 (21.4%) of the 309 smear‐ positive specimens were negative for culture (false positive). The majority, 3010 (86.8%) were smear and culture negative while 309 (8.9%) were positive for both tests. Of the 83 false negative specimens, 51 were sputum samples representing (61.4%), 19 (22.9%) were gastric washings while 13 (15.7%) were from extra‐pulmonary sites (CSF, aspirates, ascitic fluids, etc). The findings of 2.6% smear‐negative but culture positive (false negative) specimens in this study reveals that culture of specimens in addition to smear microscopy from suspected cases is necessary as a diagnostic /confirmatory tool for tuberculosis.Keywords: Epidemiology, Smear negative, TB, Ibadan, Nigeri

Hypercholesterolaemia in pregnancy as a predictor of adverse pregnancy outcome

Background: Prevention of viable spontaneous preterm birth and low birth weight through screening is one of the key aims of antenatal care as these have implications for the child, mother and society. If women can be identified to be at high risk of these adverse birth outcomes in early pregnancy, they can be targeted for more intensive antenatal surveillance and prophylactic interventions.Objectives: This study is therefore aimed to determine the association between elevated maternal serum cholesterol level in pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcome.Methods: It was a prospective observational cohort study in which eligible participants were enrolled at gestational age of 14 to 20 weeks. Blood samples were obtained to measure total serum cholesterol concentrations and the sera were then analyzed enzymatically by the cholesterol oxidase: p-aminophenazone (CHOD PAP) method. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained by extraction from medical records and the labour ward register.Results: The incidences of the two adverse pregnancy outcomes examined in the study (preterm births and low birth weight (LBW) in term neonates) were 8.0% and 14.4% respectively. Preterm birth was 6.89-times more common in mothers with high cholesterol than in control mothers with normal total cholesterol level (38.5% versus 5.4%, P=0.029) while LBW was 7.99-times more common in mothers with high total maternal cholesterol than in mothers with normal cholesterol (87.5% versus 10.5%, P=0.019).Conclusion: We can infer that the high maternal serum cholesterol hypercholesterolaemia) is associated with preterm delivery/ low birth weight (LBW) in term infants. However, further validation of these findings with more robust prospective and longitudinal characterization of maternal serum cholesterol profiles is required in subsequent investigations.Keywords: Adverse birth outcome, cholesterol, hypercholesterolaemia, LBW, preterm birth

Fibre Characterization of Cassava Peel Leaf Meal and Its Utilization by Broilers

One hundred and twenty ( n = 120) day old broiler chicks with an average weight (100.00\ub17.00g) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments, with cassava peel leaf meal (CPLM) as replacement for maize at (starter and finisher phases).The trial was in three phases of adaptation (1-2week),starter (3-5week) and finisher (6-9week).Thirty broilers chicks were assigned to each of the four treatments, while was replicated three times at 10 chicks each. Performance of the chicks such weight gain, feed intake and carcass yield was evaluated and the proximate and fiber quality of the diets and CPLM were also determined. Data obtained for performance evaluated was analyzed using ANOVA, while significant means were separated by SAS of the same package. The outcome revealed that CPLM had (89.93%) dry matter, (18.93%) crude protein and (43.28%) NDF, with anon-significant (p< 0.05) variation in weight gain, enhanced (p< 0.05) feed intake and depressed (p< 0.05) feed to gain ratio as CPLM inclusion increased. Dressing percentage values (69.00-73.00%) were obtained on the treatments. CPLM inclusion (0, 15, 30 and 45%) as replacement for maize in the diets of broilers produced a favourable performance

Current concepts in Tuberculosis diagnostics

No Abstract.Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine Vol. 3 (1) 2005: pp. 40-4

Awareness On Genetic ‘Erosion\' Of Some Economic Genes In Nigerian Local Chicken

Insufficient animal protein consumption has been identified as a major nutritional stress among teeming Nigerian populace; however, studies have shown that some genes in domestic chicken could be exploited to improve meat and egg production in poultry. The study sampled 1037 adult local chicken in Atiba and Oyo East local Government areas of Oyo State to investigate the frequency of occurrence and influence of four adaptive genes (Polydactyly, Ptilopody, Frizzle and Naked neck) on body weight of adult chicken. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Result shows that frequency of occurrence was lower than expected (75%) for these dominant genes: Polydactyly; 5.0%, Ptilopody 2.12%, Frizzle 1.74% and Naked neck 0%. Polydactyly and Ptilopody gene carriers were heavier than other phenotypes while frizzled were smaller than normals. The gene frequencies of the dominant genes were significantly different to the expected mendelian frequency. It is clearly demonstrated that these major genes are at the brink of extinction considering their frequency of occurrence in the study area. Conclusively, there is a need for preservation and awareness on the contribution of these genes to rural poultry production. Keywords: Genetic, Erosion, Genes, Local chicken. African Journal of Livestock Extension Vol. 5 2007: pp. 32-3

Economics Of Wholesale Marketing Of Tomato Fruits In Ibadan Metropolis Of Oyo State, Nigeria

The paper examined the socio-economic characteristics of wholesale tomato marketers with a view to identifying the marketing channels of tomato fruits, determining marketing efficiency, margin and marketing costs associated with tomato marketing. Information was randomly collected with the aid of a well structured questionnaire from 108 respondents. Analysis of Costs and Returns was used to establish the profit level of tomato wholesale marketing. The study revealed that wholesale marketing of tomato is a profitable venture but the major constraints militating against increased profit were lack of storage facilities, price instability, and transportation problems. An average tomato marketer had annual revenue of N814,733.50, while annual transportation cost and rent charges were estimated at N105,418.57 and N4,327.73, respectively. For a more efficient marketing enhanced level of profits, road network and quality must be improved. Furthermore, government policies should be focused on assisting the wholesale buyer with necessary infrastructures and credit facilities that can help them cope with challenges of wholesale marketing