Thirty years old lady with nephrotic syndrome: a case of biopsy proven lupus nephritis in Tanzania

We describe a case of a 30 years old female patient who presented with nephrotic syndrome and impaired renal function which was diagnosed to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with lupus nephritis. This is the first biopsy proven lupus nephritis in Tanzania. SLE is common among females and is reported be more common among Africans as compared to other races. This patient presented with nephrotic syndrome, pleural effusion and pericardial effusion which depicts the multisystem effects of SLE. This patient was treated with cyclophosphamide in combination with steroid as induction therapy and attained remission after one month of treatment. Systemic lupus erythematosus should be considered in patients with nephrotic syndrome and these patients should have renal biopsy to determine renal involvement

EXPRESSION OF OESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE RECEPI ORS, Ki-67, p53 AND BCL-2 PROTEINS, CATHEPSIN D, UROKINASE PLASMINOGEN ACT1 VATOR AND UROKINASE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR-RECEPTORS IN CARCINOMAS OF THE FEMALE BREAST IN AN AFRICAN POPULATION

Objective: To determine the expression of oestrogen (ER) and proj ;esterone receptor (PgR),Ki-67, p53, bcl-2 proteins and the proteolytic enzymes cathe~lsin D (CD), urokinaseplasminogenactivator (uPA) and its receptor (uPA-R) in primary carcinomas of the breastfrom indigenous Tanzanian female patients by immunohistochenristry.Design: i'rospective cross-sectional study.Setting: Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Subjects: Sixty patients admited between 1995 and 1997.Results: Markers were found to be expressed as follows: ER (3: .3%), PgR (18.3%), p53(30%), bcl-2 (43.5%) and the median proliferation rate of Ki-67 was 15%. Proportion oftumours positive for ER, PgR and bcl-2 initially decreased to 12 nonths disease duration,after which it increased. The observed proliferation rate approaches that reported indeveloped countries. p53 expression did not influence the prolife ration rate nor did bcl-2expression. ER, PgR and bcl-2 were strongly co-expressed. CD was wedominantly expressedin stromal macrophages than in cancer cells.Conclusion: The low expression of ER and PgR and their strong co-expression with bcl-2might negatively influence response to hormonal therapy. The influence of bcl-2 on tumourresponse to anti-cancer therapy in patients with long disease duration requires urgentclarification. Determination of CD in stromal macrophages rathe~ than in cancer cells mayhave greatel- prognostic significance in patients of this region

Expression of Oestrogen and progesterone receptors, Ki-67,p53 and bcl-2 proteins, cathepsin D, urokinase plasminogen activator and urokinase plasminogen activator-receptors in carcinomas of the female breast in an African population

(East African Medical Journal: 2001 78(7): 360-365

Toxoplasma encephalitis in HIV: case report

(East African Medical Journal: 2001 78(5): 275-276