Pro–inflammatory cytokines profiles in Nigerian pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the pro-inflammatory cytokines profiles in in Nigerian pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria.MethodsPeripheral, and placental blood samples were collected from 96 consenting volunteers comprising 76 P. falciparium infected pregnant women and 20 healthy uninfected pregnant women in Ekpoma, Nigeria, and subjected to ELISA for cytokines evaluation.ResultsIncreased serum concentrations of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) was observed in infected pregnant women than their uninfected counterparts [(31.2±20.9) pg/mL vs (1.8±0.9) pg/mL] and these differences were statistically significant (χ2 = 26.18, P <0.05). The depressed levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) seen in peripheral blood of the infected pregnant women than the uninfected women [(13.9±3.6) pg/mL vs (28.4±5.28) pg/mL] respectively was not statistically significant (χ2 = 4.96, P >0.05). The interleukin -6 (IL-6) was significantly elevated in infected pregnant women (81.0±26.1 pg/mL) than in the uninfected pregnant women [(25.0±5.0) pg/mL] (χ2 = 29.58, P <0.05). In all, mean cytokines concentration of IL-6, IL-12 and IFN-γ in the placental blood from infected pregnant women were (53.5±23.4) pg/mL, (8.7±6.9) pg/mL and (16.4±4.0) pg/mL, respectively. The multigravidae had a higher haemoglobin level of 10.2 g/dL and birth weight of 3 000 g than the primigrivadae with lower haemoglobin level of 7.5 g/dL and birth weight of 2 430 g.ConclusionsThe elevated IFN-γamong the malarous pregnant women implicates it as the major cytokine mediator in the host responses to systematic P. falciparum malaria in our locality

Urinary tract pathology in some Schistosoma haematobium infected Nigerians

The parasitological investigation assessing the ova of Schistosoma haematobium in urine of 138 volunteers in Ihieve-Ogben, Edo State, Nigeria revealed a prevalence of 43 (31.2%). Children had ahigher prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis 30 (41.1%) than their adult counterparts 13 (20.0%). More volunteers had light intensity of infection 27 (19.6%) than heavy infection 16 (11.6%). Theultrasonographical investigation carried out on these 43 S. haematobium-infected volunteers revealed ten pathological conditions as abnormal wall thickness 24 (55.8%), abnormal shape 30 (69.8%), irregular bladder wall 12 (27.9%), masses 10 (23.3%), pseudopolyp 2 (4.7%), echogenic particles 30 (69.8%), residual volume 12 (27.9%), calcification 24 (55.8%), hydroureter 10 (23.3%) and hydronephrosis 8 (18.6%). These pathological conditions were higher in the volunteers with heavy intensity of infection than those with light infection. Also more pathological conditions were reported among the childrenthan their adult counterparts. Hydronephrosis and hydroureter were absent in the volunteers with light intensity of infection

Immunoglobulin profile of Nigerian children with Plasmodium falciparum infection

The immunoglobulin profiles of 126 Nigerian children infected with Plasmodium falciparum in their peripheral blood were investigated. The mean malarial parasitaemia was 4699.17 ± 3695.2 ìl. The meanimmunoglobulin profile of these infected children were 2.68 ± 0.019 mg/dl for IgA, 0.031 ± 0.01 mg/dl for IgD, 1358.29 ± 123.57 ng/dl for IgE, 19.09 ± 1.27 mg/dl for IgG and 2.80 ± 0.57 mg/dl for IgM. Therelationship between the IgD and IgE were positively correlated with the ages of the volunteers at (r = 0.89 and r = 0.97, respectively). The levels of IgA, IgG and IgM were negatively correlated with the agesof the infected children (r = -0.96, r = -0.99 and r = -0.85, respectively). The relationship between the level of parasitaemia and IgA, IgD and IgM were negatively correlated (r = -0.82, r = -0.84 and r = -0.82, respectively). IgG correlated positively with the level of malarial parasitaemia (r = 0.99). We deduce that high IgE and low levels of IgA and IgM are associated with the high risk of P. falciparum malaria attack in our community

Vitamin A status and ocular lesions in some rural Nigerians with onchocerciasis

The vitamin A and ocular lesions in 98 rural Nigerians who excreted microfilariae in their skin tissues and had at least one clinical manifestation of onchocerciasis were investigated. The highest prevalence rate of 18 (69.2%) occurred among adult males with leopard skin. The overall mean vitamin status of (20.3 ± 2.6 ìg/dl) was comparatively lower ( 2 = 41.0; p>0.05) than the control inhabitants (76.2.3 ± 3.8 ìg/dl). The mean vitamin status was higher among the infected children (22.7 ± 0.5 ìg/dl) than their adult counterparts (17.9 ± 6.1 ìg/dl). Also the mean vitamin A status of their infected children (22.7 ± 5.0 ìg/dl) was lower ( 2 = 31.1; p> 0.05) than their control subjects (73.5 ± 2.1 ìg/dl). The vitamin A status of the infected adults (17.9 ± 6.1 ìg/dl) was lower ( 2 = 47.2; p>0.05) than their control counterparts (78.9 ± 4.1ìg/dl). The mean microfilarial load of the different age groups of the infected volunteers showed negative correlation with the mean vitamin A status (r = -0.93). In all, five different ocular lesions namely cataract, optic atrophy, chroroidoretinitis, iriodocyclitis and sclerosing keratitis were reported. Visual impairment was absent and the ocular lesions were low among the children as they had only optic atrophy and sclerosing keratitis among the five different lesions encountered

Modelling an integrated impact of fire, explosion and combustion products during transitional events caused by an accidental release of LNG

In a complex processing facility, there is likelihood of occurrence of cascading scenarios, i.e. hydrocarbon release, fire, explosion and dispersion of combustion products. The consequence of such scenarios, when combined, can be more severe than their individual impact. Hence, actual impact can be only representedby integration of above mentioned events. A novel methodology is proposed to model an evolving accident scenario during an incidental release of LNG in a complex processing facility. The methodology is applied to a case study considering transitional scenarios namely spill, pool formation and evaporation of LNG, dispersion of natural gas, and the consequent fire, explosion and dispersion of combustion products using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Probit functions are employed to analyze individual impacts and a ranking method is used to combine various impacts to identify risk during the transitional events.The results confirmed that in a large and complex facility, an LNG fire can transit to a vapor cloud explosion ifthe necessary conditions are met, i.e.the flammable range, ignition source with enough energy and congestion/confinement level. Therefore, the integrated consequences are more severe than those associated with the individual ones, and need to be properly assessed. This study would provide an insight for an effective analysis of potential consequences of an LNG spill in any LNG processing facility and it can be useful for the safety measured design of process facilities

Catalog and File Services (CFS), Version 5.2 Benutzerbeschreibung

CFSSIGLETIB: AC 9607 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Prevalence of Ascariasis among the Students of Jooro Grammar School, Ibule-Soro, Ondo State, Nigeria

Ascariasis is a human disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides.Perhaps as many as one quarter of the world’s people are infected, with rates of 45% in Latin America and 95% in parts of Africa .Ascariasis is particularly prevalent in tropical regions and in areas of poor hygiene. Study to know the prevalence of ascariasis among the students and teachers of Jooro Grammar School, Ibule-Soro, Ondo State, was undertaken. A total of 243 subjects examined. Stool sample was collected from each subject and examined for the presence of the parasite, using wet preparation and concentration methods with the aid of light microscope. From the total population of 243 subjects recruited for the study, 102 were males while 141 were females of different age groups. The research showed that 42(41.2%)  of the males were positive to ascariasis while 54 (38.3%) of the females were also positive to the infection, amounting to 96 (40%) of the total population. The study showed that there was high prevalence of ascariasis infection among the students of Jooro Grammar School, Ibule-Soro, OndoState,thus there is need for government  intervention programme for sustainable elimination of this  disease