Mannitol in diuretic resistant nephrotic syndrome: a case report

A 6 year old presented with generalized oedema to Kagando hospital, Uganda, and was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. Despite treatment with a fluid restriction, prednisolone and furosemide, the oedema worsened and the weight increased. Mannitol was added to the treatment regime and the oedema improved. The patient was able to be discharged four days later without any diuretic therapy. The case highlights the use of mannitol in the treatment of diuretic resistant oedema with nephrotic syndrome. It provides an alternative therapy for the resource-poor setting to the expensive albumin-furosemide combination often used elsewhere

WEED FLORA OF CASSAVA IN WEST NILE ZONES OF UGANDA

Information on weeds of cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) in eastern Africa is limited. The objective of this study was to establish the status of weed flora in selected cassava growing regions of Uganda. This study was conducted in 2013 at Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute; (AbiZARDI) in Arua, Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NgeZARDI) in Lira, and Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Bulindi ZARDI) in Hoima, all in Uganda. Weed densities were estimated from twelve quadrant samples taken systematically along diagonal transects, in 27 cassava fields. Grass weed species were the most frequent, averaging 55.01% of the entire weed species. Five weed species namely, Digitaria abyssinica (African couch grass), Imperata cylindrica (Spear gras), Commelina benghalensis (Wandering Jew), Panicum maximum (Guinea grass) and Ageratum conyzoides (Goat weed or White weed or Chick weed), predominated the study areas.Les informations sur les mauvaises herbes de cassave ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) dans l\u2019Afrique de l\u2019est sont limit\ue9es. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9tablir le statut de flore de mauvaise herbe dans la cassave choisie cultivant des r\ue9gions de l\u2019Ouganda. Cette \ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 accomplie en 2013 \ue0 l\u2019Institut de D\ue9veloppement et de Recherche Agricole Zonal Abi; (AbiZARDI) dans Arua, Ngetta l\u2019Institut de D\ue9veloppement et de Recherche Agricole Zonal (NgeZARDI) en Lire et Institut de D\ue9veloppement et de Recherche Agricole Zonal Bulindi (Bulindi ZARDI) dans Hoima, tous en Ouganda. Les densit\ue9s de mauvaise herbe ont \ue9t\ue9 estim\ue9es de douze \ue9chantillons de quadrant pris syst\ue9matiquement le long de la diagonale transects, dans 27 champs de cassave. Les esp\ue8ces de mauvaise herbe d\u2019herbe \ue9taient les plus fr\ue9quentes, en faisant en moyenne 55.01 % des esp\ue8ces de mauvaise herbe enti\ue8res. Cinq esp\ue8ces de mauvaise herbe \ue0 savoir, Digitaria abyssinica (le chiendent africain), Imperata cylindrica (la Lance gras), Commelina benghalensis (le Juif se Promenant), Panicum maximum (l\u2019herbe de Guin\ue9e) et Ageratum conyzoides (la mauvaise herbe de Ch\ue8vre ou la mauvaise herbe Blanche ou la mauvaise herbe de Poussin), ont pr\ue9domin\ue9 les r\ue9gions d\u2019\ue9tude

In vitro embryo rescue and plant regeneration following self-pollination with irradiated pollen in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Cassava is a highly heterozygous species; hence, current methods used in classical cassava breedingcannot match the urgent need to high yielding varieties. Recently, progress was made through androgenesis and gynogenesis as pathways for raising doubled cassava haploid lines to overcome problems associated with cassava’s inherent reproductive biology, but these efforts were limited (nocandidate cassava plantlets were regenerated). For the first time, this study shows that pollen irradiation coupled with self-pollination and embryo rescue regenerated 62 candidate cassava plantlets. Plants of an elite cassava variety, Nase14, served as a mother plant and as the pollen donor for the irradiation. Irradiation dosages of 50 to 250 Gray studied across five pollination events and 300 or 500 Gray in one pollination event caused a reduction in pollen germination up to 67.0%. By 15 days after pollination (DAP) with irradiated pollen, up to 89.7% of the pollinated flowers had aborted. By embryo rescue time (42 DAP), significant differences were observed in number of fruits, seeds and embryos generated, with the non-irradiated pollen treatments having significantly higher numbers. Sixteen (16) heterozygous SSR markers in the parent and ploidy analysis showed that none of the regenerated plants was haploid or homozygous. However, the plantlets resulting from pollination with non-irradiated pollen had 56.2% homozygous loci, while progeny derived from irradiated treatments had frequencies of homozygous loci between 28.1 and 55.0%. This is the first time to use irradiated pollen in cassava as a pathway to generate candidate plantlets as an initial step in double haploid production.Key words: Cassava, doubled haploids, embryo rescue, plant regeneration, pollen germination, pollenirradiation

Cryptococcal Antigen Screening in Patients Initiating ART in South Africa: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective data suggest that cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) screening in patients with late-stage human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) may reduce cryptococcal disease and deaths. Prospective data are limited. METHODS: CrAg was measured using lateral flow assays (LFA) and latex agglutination (LA) tests in 645 HIV-positive, ART-naive patients with CD4 counts ≤100 cells/µL in Cape Town, South Africa. CrAg-positive patients were offered lumbar puncture (LP) and treated with antifungals. Patients were started on ART between 2 and 4 weeks and followed up for 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 4.3% (28/645) of patients were CrAg positive in serum and plasma with LFA. These included 16 also positive by urine LFA (2.5% of total screened) and 7 by serum LA (1.1% of total). In 4 of 10 LFA-positive cases agreeing to LP, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CrAg LFA was positive. A positive CSF CrAg was associated with higher screening plasma/serum LFA titers.Among the 28 CrAg-positive patients, mortality was 14.3% at 10 weeks and 25% at 12 months. Only 1 CrAg-positive patient, who defaulted from care, died from cryptococcal meningitis (CM). Mortality in CrAg-negative patients was 11.5% at 1 year. Only 2 possible CM cases were identified in CrAg-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: CrAg screening of individuals initiating ART and preemptive fluconazole treatment of CrAg-positive patients resulted in markedly fewer cases of CM compared with historic unscreened cohorts. Studies are needed to refine management of CrAg-positive patients who have high mortality that does not appear to be wholly attributable to cryptococcal disease

Integrated Mapping of Neglected Tropical Diseases: Epidemiological Findings and Control Implications for Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State, Southern Sudan

Integrated control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is being scaled up in a number of developing countries, because it is thought to be more cost-effective than stand-alone control programmes. Under this approach, treatments for onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis (LF), schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection, and trachoma are administered through the same delivery structure and at about the same time. A pre-requisite for implementation of integrated NTD control is information on where the targeted diseases are endemic and to what extent they overlap. This information is generated through surveys that can be labour-intensive and expensive. In Southern Sudan, all of the above diseases except onchocerciasis require further mapping before a comprehensive integrated NTD control programme can be implemented. To determine where treatment for which disease is required, integrated surveys were conducted for schistosomiasis, STH infection, LF, and loiasis, throughout one of ten states of the country. Our results show that treatment is only required for urinary schistosomiasis and STH in a few, yet separate, geographical area. This illustrates the importance of investing in disease mapping to minimize overall programme costs by being able to target interventions. Integration of survey methodologies for the above disease was practical and efficient, and minimized the effort required to collect these data

No evidence for association with APOL1 kidney disease risk alleles and Human African Trypanosomiasis in two Ugandan populations:

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) manifests as an acute form caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (Tbr) and a chronic form caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (Tbg). Previous studies have suggested a host genetic role in infection outcomes, particularly for APOL1. We have undertaken a candidate gene association studies (CGAS) in a Ugandan Tbr and a Tbg HAT endemic area, to determine whether polymorphisms in IL10, IL8, IL4, HLAG, TNFA, TNX4LB, IL6, IFNG, MIF, APOL1, HLAA, IL1B, IL4R, IL12B, IL12R, HP, HPR, and CFH have a role in HAT