Assessment of Premarital Haemoglobin Genotype Counselling in the Control of Haemoglobinopathies in Osogbo, Southwestern Nigeria

Introduction: Premarital haemoglobin genotype counselling is gradually becoming popular for joining a man and a woman together as husband and wife in Southwestern Nigeria but there are still many couples who marry without the benefit of this exercise. Aim: To assess the importance of premarital haemoglobin genotype counselling in the control of haemoglobinopathies. Methods: A total of 220 individuals comprising 110 individuals (55 couples) who had premarital haemoglobin genotype counselling and 110 individuals (55 couples) who had no such counselling participated in this study. A sample of 1 ml of blood was drawn from each participant for determination of haemoglobin genotype by cellulose acetate electrophoresis technique. Results: Haemoglobin genotype incompatibility was significantly higher in the non-counselled group (10.9%) than in the counselled group (1.8%) (p = 0.01). Of the 7 couples who were incompatible, 85.7% was HbAS/AS and 14.3% was HbAS/AC. In the noncounselled group, there was 1 in 44 chance of having a child living with sickle cell anaemia and 1 in 220 chance of having a child with HbSC disorder while in the counselled group there was only 1 in 220 chance of having a child with sickle cell anaemia. A non-counselled parent had 6.61 times the risk of a counselled parent of being incompatible with their partner. This study shows that premarital haemoglobin counselling plays a vital role in the control of haemoglobinopathies. Therefore it should be embraced by all stakeholders to contain the menace and harrowing experience of haemoglobinopathies.Keywords:, ,

Effects of Storage Temperature, pH and Time on Urinary Albumin Level

The storage of urine samples at 2-8°C and at -20°C for several weeks is a common laboratory practice in research and epidemiological studies to facilitate batch analysis. Despite numerous studies, there is no agreement on how stable albumin is in urine and the best way to store such urine specimen. Random urine samples were obtained from 15 patients with nephropathy and end stage renal failure. Urinary pH and specific gravity of freshly voided urine were determined before storage. A portion of each urine samples were stored at voided pH and another portion stored at neutral pH (7.0) after adjustment with acid or base at 4°C and -20°C for 10 weeks. Pre -analytical treatment of samples involved vortex mixing or centrifuging urine samples before measurement of urinary albumin. Albumin levels were determined at 0, 2, 4 and 10 weeks in both vortex mixed and centrifuged samples using standard spectrophotometric methods. Mean pH and specific gravity of fresh urine samples were 5.82 ± 0.71 and 1.009±0.004 respectively. Significant decreases (p< 0.05) were observed in urinary albumin levels at 4°C at the 4th week. Significant changes were seen at the 10th week in samples stored at -20°C in pH unadjusted samples. Vortex mixing or centrifuging of sample of did not restore decreases in albumin level. No significant difference was observed in the pH adjusted group after 10 weeks of storage at -20°C.These results suggest that where long term storage (6-10 weeks) of urine samples is required, samples should be stored at -20°C. However, in medium term storage (2-4 weeks) storage at 4°C may require the adjustment of the pH to neutral (7.0) before storage to obtain reliable results

Evaluation of Plasma Electrolytes in Patients Suffering From Depressive Illness

There are speculations that electrolyte concentrations may play a role in depressive illness but despite a number of studies, no agreement has been reached about blood electrolyte status in depression. One hundred subjects made up of sixty (60) depressed patients with mean age (40.3±12.3) and forty (40) normal controls with mean age (40.1±10.1) were recruited for this study. All patients were free from medication for a period of one month prior to the start of the study. Anthropometric indices of all subjects were also determined. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used for diagnosis and measurement of severity of depression respectively. The mean plasma sodium (p<0.05) and potassium (p<0.01) were significantly decreased in depressed patients when compared with corresponding normal controls while the mean plasma calcium (p<0.05) and urea (p<0.01) were significantly increased in depressed subjects in comparison to normal controls. There were no significant differences in blood parameters determined between male and female patients. Similarly, the mean plasma concentrations of biochemical parameters did not significantly change from mild through to severe depression (p>0.05). The results from this study suggest that plasma electrolyte levels could be altered in Nigerian Africans suffering from depressive illness and this may not be gender specific

Evaluation of Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins in Nigerians Suffering From Depressive Illness

There are conflicting reports on the role of plasma lipids in depressive illness. Very little is known about the lipid and lipoprotein status in Nigerian adults suffering from depression. One hundred subjects consisting of sixty (60) depressed patients with mean age (40.3±12.3 yrs) and forty (40) apparently healthy controls (40.1±10.1 yrs) were selected for the study. All subjects were free from medication at least one month prior to the start of the experiment. The anthropometric indices were also determined. There was a significant increase in plasma triglyceride concentration in depressed subjects when compared to control values (p<0.01). However, the plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and body mass index (BMI) did not significantly differ from control values. The mean plasma triglyceride was significantly increased in female patients in comparison to corresponding female controls. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels did not demonstrate any definite pattern with increasing level of depression in patients. In conclusion, plasma lipid levels could play a significant role in depressive illness in Nigerian