Vitamin B6 status of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in northwestern Ethiopia

No Abstract Available Ethiop.J.Health Dev. Vol.19(1) 2005: 63-6

Assessment of Self-Medication Practices Among Medical, Pharmacy, and Health Science Students in Gondar University, Ethiopia

The study was aimed at assessing the magnitude and factors of self-medication among medical, pharmacy, and health science students of GCMHS (Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences). A cross-sectional study with two-month illness recall was conducted. A Questionnaire consisting of demographic questions and questions on illnesses in the last two months prior to the interview and treatment strategies was prepared and administered to the 414 students, selected as the sample population, from the GCMHS students. Of a total of 414 students, 213 (51.5%) reported at least one episode of an illness, and 82 (38.5%) of them practiced self-medication. Most drugs for self-medication were obtained from the pharmacy or drug shops; and the most commonly used drugs were Paracetamol and NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Common reported illnesses were fever and headache (24.8%) followed by cough and common cold (23.9%). Prior experience and the non-seriousness of the illness were the top two reported factors for self-medication. Reading materials were the top reported source of information. In conclusion, self-medication was practiced with a range of drugs from the conventional anti-pains to antibiotics. Although the practice of self-medication is inevitable; drug authorities and health professionals need to educate students about the pros and cons of self-medication

Nitric oxide production in the exhaled air of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in relation to HIV co-infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nitric oxide (NO) is essential for host defense in rodents, but the role of NO during tuberculosis (TB) in man remains controversial. However, earlier observations that arginine supplementation facilitates anti-TB treatment, supports the hypothesis that NO is important in the host defense against TB. Local production of NO measured in fractional exhaled air (FeNO) in TB patients with and without HIV co-infection has not been reported previously. Thus, our aim was to investigate levels of FeNO in relation to clinical symptoms and urinary NO metabolites (uNO).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a cross sectional study, FeNO and uNO were measured and clinical symptoms, chest x-ray, together with serum levels of arginine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 12 (IL-12) were evaluated in sputum smear positive TB patients (HIV+/TB, n = 36, HIV-/TB, n = 59), their household contacts (n = 17) and blood donors (n = 46) from Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The proportion of HIV-/TB patients with an increased FeNO level (> 25 ppb) was significantly higher as compared to HIV+/TB patients, but HIV+/TB patients had significantly higher uNO than HIV-/TB patients. HIV+ and HIV-/TB patients both had lower levels of FeNO compared to blood donors and household contacts. The highest levels of both uNO and FeNO were found in household contacts. Less advanced findings on chest x-ray, as well as higher sedimentation rate were observed in HIV+/TB patients as compared to HIV-/TB patients. However, no significant correlation was found between FeNO and uNO, chest x-ray grading, clinical symptoms, TNF-alpha, IL-12, arginine levels or sedimentation rate.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In both HIV negative and HIV co infected TB patients, low levels of exhaled NO compared to blood donors and household were observed. Future studies are needed to confirm whether low levels of exhaled NO could be a risk factor in acquiring TB and the relative importance of NO in human TB.</p

Lipid-soluble Vitamins A, D, and E in HIV-Infected Pregnant women in Tanzania.

There is limited published research examining lipid-soluble vitamins in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women, particularly in resource-limited settings. This is an observational analysis of 1078 HIV-infected pregnant women enrolled in a trial of vitamin supplementation in Tanzania. Baseline data on sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, clinical signs and symptoms, and laboratory parameters were used to identify correlates of low plasma vitamin A (<0.7 micromol/l), vitamin D (<80 nmol/l) and vitamin E (<9.7 micromol/l) status. Binomial regression was used to estimate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Approximately 35, 39 and 51% of the women had low levels of vitamins A, D and E, respectively. Severe anemia (hemoglobin <85 g/l; P<0.01), plasma vitamin E (P=0.02), selenium (P=0.01) and vitamin D (P=0.02) concentrations were significant correlates of low vitamin A status in multivariate models. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) was independently related to low vitamin A status in a nonlinear manner (P=0.01). The correlates of low vitamin D status were CD8 cell count (P=0.01), high ESR (ESR >81 mm/h; P<0.01), gestational age at enrollment (nonlinear; P=0.03) and plasma vitamins A (P=0.02) and E (P=0.01). For low vitamin E status, the correlates were money spent on food per household per day (P<0.01), plasma vitamin A concentration (nonlinear; P<0.01) and a gestational age <16 weeks at enrollment (P<0.01). Low concentrations of lipid-soluble vitamins are widely prevalent among HIV-infected women in Tanzania and are correlated with other nutritional insufficiencies. Identifying HIV-infected persons at greater risk of poor nutritional status and infections may help inform design and implementation of appropriate interventions

What can isolated skeletal muscle experiments tell us about the effects of caffeine on exercise performance?

Caffeine is an increasingly popular nutritional supplement due to the legal, significant improvements in sporting performance that it has been documented to elicit, with minimal side effects. Therefore, the effects of caffeine on human performance continue to be a popular area of research as we strive to improve our understanding of this drug and make more precise recommendations for its use in sport. Although variations in exercise intensity seems to affect its ergogenic benefits, it is largely thought that caffeine can induce significant improvements in endurance, power and strength-based activities. There are a number of limitations to testing caffeine-induced effects on human performance that can be better controlled when investigating its effects on isolated muscles under in vitro conditions. The hydrophobic nature of caffeine results in a post-digestion distribution to all tissues of the body making it difficult to accurately quantify its key mechanism of action. This review considers the contribution of evidence from isolated muscle studies to our understating of the direct effects of caffeine on muscle during human performance. The body of in vitro evidence presented suggests that caffeine can directly potentiate skeletal muscle force, work and power, which may be important contributors to the performance-enhancing effects seen in humans

Nitric oxide production in the exhaled air of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in relation to HIV co-infection

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is essential for host defense in rodents, but the role of NO during tuberculosis (TB) in man remains controversial. However, earlier observations that arginine supplementation facilitates anti-TB treatment, supports the hypothesis that NO is important in the host defense against TB. Local production of NO measured in fractional exhaled air (FeNO) in TB patients with and without HIV co-infection has not been reported previously. Thus, our aim was to investigate levels of FeNO in relation to clinical symptoms and urinary NO metabolites (uNO). Methods: In a cross sectional study, FeNO and uNO were measured and clinical symptoms, chest x-ray, together with serum levels of arginine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 12 (IL-12) were evaluated in sputum smear positive TB patients (HIV+/TB, n = 36, HIV-/TB, n = 59), their household contacts (n = 17) and blood donors (n = 46) from Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia. Results: The proportion of HIV-/TB patients with an increased FeNO level (&gt; 25 ppb) was significantly higher as compared to HIV+/TB patients, but HIV+/TB patients had significantly higher uNO than HIV-/TB patients. HIV+ and HIV-/TB patients both had lower levels of FeNO compared to blood donors and household contacts. The highest levels of both uNO and FeNO were found in household contacts. Less advanced findings on chest x-ray, as well as higher sedimentation rate were observed in HIV+/TB patients as compared to HIV-/TB patients. However, no significant correlation was found between FeNO and uNO, chest x-ray grading, clinical symptoms, TNF-alpha, IL-12, arginine levels or sedimentation rate. Conclusion: In both HIV negative and HIV co infected TB patients, low levels of exhaled NO compared to blood donors and household were observed. Future studies are needed to confirm whether low levels of exhaled NO could be a risk factor in acquiring TB and the relative importance of NO in human TB.Original Publication: Jonna Idh, Anna Westman, Daniel Elias, Feleke Moges, Assefa Getachew, Aschalew Gelaw, Tommy Sundqvist, Tony Forslund, Addis Alemu, Belete Ayele, Ermias Diro, Endalkachew Melese, Yared Wondmikun, Sven Britton, Olle Stendahl and Thomas Schoen, Nitric oxide production in the exhaled air of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in relation to HIV co-infection, 2008, BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES, (8), 146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-8-146 Publisher: BioMed Central http://www.biomedcentral.com

Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy of HIV infected and non-infected women in tropical settings of Northwest Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is known to be a major public health problem among women of reproductive age in South East Asia and Africa. In Ethiopia, there are no studies conducted on serum vitamin A status of HIV-infected pregnant women. Therefore, the present study was aimed at determining the level of serum vitamin A and VAD among pregnant women with and without HIV infection in tropical settings of Northwest Ethiopia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this cross-sectional study, blood samples were collected from 423 pregnant women and from 55 healthy volunteers who visited the University of Gondar Hospital. Serum concentration of vitamin A was measured by high performance liquid chromatography.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After controlling for total serum protein, albumin and demographic variables, the mean ± SD serum vitamin A in HIV seropositive pregnant women (0.96 ± 0.42 μmol/L) was significantly lower than that in pregnant women without HIV infection (1.10 ± 0.45 μmol/L, P < 0.05). Likewise, the level of serum vitamin A in HIV seropositive non-pregnant women (0.74 ± 0.39) was significantly lower than that in HIV negative non-pregnant women (1.18 ± 0.59 μmol/L, P < 0.004). VAD (serum retinol < 0.7 μmol/L) was observed in 18.4% and 17.7% of HIV infected and uninfected pregnant women, respectively. Forty six percent of non-pregnant women with HIV infection had VAD while only 28% controls were deficient for vitamin A (P = 0.002).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study shows that VAD is a major public health problem among pregnant women in the tropical settings of Northwest Ethiopia. Considering the possible implications of VAD during pregnancy, we recommend multivitamin (which has a lower level of vitamin A) supplementation in the care and management of pregnant women with or without HIV infection.</p