The Protective Effect of Phaseolus Vulgaris on Cataract in Type 2 Diabetes: A Profitable Hypothesis

The pathophysiology of major ocular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Bantu is not well understood. Several studies have been conducted to determine the basic reasons of visual deficiencies (VD) (blindness, visual impairment, and ocular eye diseases) in T2DM among Bantu from Central Africa. The quality of dietary intake was assessed in patients along with other ophthalmological assessments for diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and macular edema. Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and leafy vegetables are rich in antioxidants. The consumption of at least 3 ladles per meal, 3 times or more per week, has been identified as a potential protective factor against cataract. The anti-radical activity of beans is well known in the literature. Beans are considered to have a comparatively higher antioxidant activity than in many other vegetables. Our findings from previous epidemiologic studies establish that the antioxidant activity of P. vulgaris helps control blood glucose. We, therefore, hypothesize that the dietary supplements of bean can be a low-cost prevention approach to reduce cataract and much other visual comorbidity associated with T2DM. However, further epidemiological studies combined with molecular research need to be conducted to prove this hypothesis

The Role of T Helper 17 (Th17) and Regulatory T Cells (Treg) in the Pathogenesis of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis among HIV-Infected Women

Background. The study sought to describe relationships between 20 cytokines and chemokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) and the presence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in women, stratified by HIV status. Methods. Plasma and genital samples were obtained from 51 clinic attendees in KwaZulu-Natal between June 2011 and December 2011. Cytokine and chemokine concentrations were measured by Luminex® multiplex immunoassays. Multiple comparisons of means of cytokine/chemokine levels displaying significant differences in univariate analyses across the study groups were performed using post hoc Bonferroni pairwise tests considering a type I error rate of 0.05. A discriminant analysis (DA) was carried out to identify linear combinations of variates that would maximally discriminate group memberships. Results. Of the 51 participants, 16/26 HIV-infected and 15/25 HIV-uninfected women were diagnosed with VVC. DA identified 2 variables (MIP-1β and TGF-β3) in plasma (Box’s M (5.49), p (0.57) > α (0.001); Wilks’ lambda = 0.116, p α (0.001); Wilks’ lambda = .677, p<0.0001) as able to discriminate the HIV + VVC + group, whilst TGF-β1 in plasma discriminated the HIV + VVC − group. Mean concentrations of genital IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, and TGF-β3 were significantly higher in HIV infected women coinfected with VVC. Conclusions. In HIV-infected women, VVC might be explained by a decline of Th17 cells, hence a decrease of Th17/Treg ratio

The Protective Effect of Phaseolus Vulgaris on Cataract in Type 2 Diabetes: A Profitable Hypothesis

The pathophysiology of major ocular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Bantu is not well understood. Several studies have been conducted to determine the basic reasons of visual deficiencies (VD) (blindness, visual impairment, and ocular eye diseases) in T2DM among Bantu from Central Africa. The quality of dietary intake was assessed in patients along with other ophthalmological assessments for diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and macular edema. Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and leafy vegetables are rich in antioxidants. The consumption of at least 3 ladles per meal, 3 times or more per week, has been identified as a potential protective factor against cataract. The anti-radical activity of beans is well known in the literature. Beans are considered to have a comparatively higher antioxidant activity than in many other vegetables. Our findings from previous epidemiologic studies establish that the antioxidant activity of P. vulgaris helps control blood glucose. We, therefore, hypothesize that the dietary supplements of bean can be a low-cost prevention approach to reduce cataract and much other visual comorbidity associated with T2DM. However, further epidemiological studies combined with molecular research need to be conducted to prove this hypothesis

Determinants of Symptomatic Vulvovaginal Candidiasis among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infected Women in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Introduction. We sought to determine the association between HIV-induced immunosuppression, virologic correlates, and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Methods. This is a retrospective cohort study, where HIV infected and uninfected women were studied with VVC being the primary outcome. Ninety-seven HIV-infected and 101 HIV-uninfected women were enrolled between June and December 2011. Cases of VVC were confirmed. HIV RNA load was determined by RT-PCR and CD4 counts were obtained from medical records. Results. Fifty-two of 97 (53.6%) HIV-infected and 38/101 (37.6%) HIV-uninfected women were diagnosed with VVC (P=0.032). The relative risk for VVC amongst HIV-infected patients was 1.53 (95% CI: 1.04–2 P=0.024). Cases of VVC increased at CD4+ T cell count below 200 cells/mm3 (P<0.0001) and plasma HIV RNA load above 10 000 copies/mL (P<0.0001). VVC was associated with increased genital shedding of HIV (P=0.002), and there was a linear correlation between plasma HIV load and genital HIV shedding (r=0.540; R2=0.292; P<0.0001). Women on HAART were 4-fold less likely (P=0.029) to develop VVC. Conclusion. CD4 counts below 200 cells/mm3 and plasma HIV loads ≥10 000 copies/mL were significantly associated with VVC

Iodine deficiency in pregnancy along a concentration gradient is associated with increased severity of preeclampsia in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa

Background Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in South Africa. Iodine deficiency in pregnancy, which is amenable to correction through iodine supplementation, has been reported to increase the risk of preeclampsia. However, the association of iodine nutrition status with preeclampsia in South Africa has not been studied. Methods We enrolled 51 randomly selected normotensive pregnant controls at term together with 51 consecutively selected cases of preeclampsia and 51 cases of severe preeclampsia/eclampsia, all in the third trimester, from Mthatha Regional and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in the Eastern Cape Province. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC), serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroxine (FT4) and thyroglobulin (Tg) levels were compared between cases and controls. Results The respective chronological and gestational ages at enrolment for normotensive, preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia/eclampsia participants were: age 23, 24 and 19 years (p = 0.001), and gestational age 38, 34, and 35 weeks (p  0.05). The respective median values for normotensive, preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia/eclampsia participants were UIC 217.1, 127.7, and 98.8 μg/L; FT4 14.2, 13.7, and 12. pmol/L; FT3 4.8, 4.4, and 4.0 pmol//L; Tg 19.4, 21.4, and 32. Nine microgram per liter; TSH 2.3, 2.3, and 2.5 mIU/L. UIC  16 μg/L and FT4 < 11.3 pmol/L were independent predictors of preeclampsia/eclampsia syndrome. Conclusion Women with severe preeclampsia/eclampsia had significantly low UIC and high Tg, suggesting protracted inadequate iodine intake. Inadequate iodine intake during pregnancy severe enough to cause elevated Tg and FT4 deficiency was associated with an increased risk of severe preeclampsia/eclampsia

Mildly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone is associated with endothelial dysfunction and severe preeclampsia among pregnant women with insufficient iodine intake in Eastern Cape province, South Africa

Background Preeclampsia and hypothyroidism are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Iodine deficiency is a risk factor for subclinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy. However, there is a paucity of data on the relationship between iodine nutrition state in pregnancy, the degree of endothelial dysfunction, and the risk of preeclampsia. Methods Ninety-five normotensive pregnant women, 50 women with preeclampsia with no severe features, and 50 women with severe preeclampsia were enrolled into the current study from the maternity units of Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital and Mthatha Regional Hospitals in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC), serum markers of thyroid function, aortic augmentation index, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were compared. Results Median UIC was 167.5, 127.7, and 88.5 µg/L, respectively for normotensive pregnant women, those with preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia (p = .150). Participants with severe preeclampsia had significantly higher median thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and oxidized LDL than normotensive and preeclamptic women without severe features (respectively 3.0, 2.3, and 2.3 IU/L; 1.2, 1.0, and 1.0 IU/L, p  less  .05). The median Aortic augmentation index was 7.5, 19.0, and 21.0 (p  less  .001), and the pulse wave velocity 5.1, 5.7, and 6.3, respectively for normotensive, preeclampsia, and severe preeclampsia participants (both p  less  .001). In linear regressions, TSH, age, and hypertensive disease were independent predictors of elevated PWV. Conclusion Upper normal-range TSH levels in women with severe preeclampsia were associated with markers of endothelial dysfunction. The low UIC and trend towards the elevation of thyroglobulin suggest that inadequate iodine intake may have increased TSH levels and indirectly caused endothelial dysfunction. Keywords: Preeclampsia, Iodine deficiency, Elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone, Pulse wave velocity, Endothelial dysfunctio

Iodine nutrition status in Africa: Potentially high prevalence of iodine deficiency in pregnancy even in countries classified as iodine sufficient

Objective: To assess the burden of iodine deficiency in pregnancy in Africa using estimated pregnancy median urinary iodine concentration (pMUIC). Design: pMUIC for each African country was estimated using a regression equation derived by correlating the school-age children (SAC) median UIC (mUIC) and pMUIC from countries around the globe, and the SAC mUIC data for African countries obtained from the Iodine Global Network (IGN) 2017 and 2019 Score cards. Setting: Iodine deficiency was endemic in many African countries before the introduction of iodine fortification, mainly through universal salt iodisation programmes about 25 years ago. There is a scarcity of data on the level of iodine nutrition in pregnancy in Africa. Women living in settings with pMUIC below 150 μg/l are at risk of iodine deficiency-related pregnancy complications. Participants: Fifty of the fifty-five African countries that had data on iodine nutrition status. Results: A cut-off school age mUIC ≤ 175 μg/l is correlated with insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy (pregnancy mUIC ≤ 150 μg/l). Twenty-two African countries had SAC mUIC less than 175 μg/l, which correlated with insufficient iodine intake during pregnancy (pMUIC less than 150 μg/l). However, nine of these twenty-two countries had adequate iodine intake based on SAC mUIC. Conclusions: There is likely a high prevalence of insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy, including in some African countries classified as having adequate iodine intake in the general population. A SAC mUIC ≤ 175