Characteristics of abortion care seekers in south-western Nigeria

This prospective hospital-based study was carried out to understand the characteristics of abortion care seekers in south-western Nigeria. Information was obtained from a total of 1876 women seeking abortion at hospitals using a questionnaire. The results show that majority (60%) were between the ages of 15 and 24 years, of which adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years constituted 23.7%. Most (63.2%) of the respondents were unmarried, but married women also constituted a significant proportion (30.2%) of the abortion care seekers. Students were the single highest group, while the predominant economic activity was trading (26.7%). Respondents terminated their pregnancies mainly because they were students or because they did not desire to have children. Most (35.5%) of the women were introduced to providers by friends. Average contraceptive prevalence among the abortion care seekers was 27.4%. It is obvious from the results that young persons, especially in-school adolescents, should be targeted for comprehensive sexuality education especially in view of the current HIV/AIDS pandemic.     

Promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights in Nigeria through change in medical school curriculum

Significant developments have occurred in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally in the last decade. However, this is yet to translate into improved status of SRHR in developing countries. One of the strategies recognised worldwide for addressing the poor status of SRHR is human capacity building at all levels. A pilot work conducted in two federal university medical schools identified a major gap in knowledge among medical students on issues related to SRHR. This called for a review of the curriculum to enable the incorporation of relevant and topical issues. This article describes the processes leading to the adoption of the Nigerian medical schools' sexual and reproductive health and rights curriculum. The exercise culminated in the identification of internal and external stakeholders and needs of the Nigerian medical schools in teaching reproductive health. The participation of lecturers (bottom-up approach) brought about a sense of ownership of the document and promoted the broad consultation and participation of all participants. It also identified capacity building and the need for evaluation as a basis for further review.     

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity of Root Extract of Pepper Fruit (Dennetia Tripetala), and It's Potential for the Inhibition of Lipid Peroxidation

Background

The antioxidant properties of ethanolic root extract of pepper fruit (Donnetia tripetala), and its effect on lipid peroxidation of some fresh beef tissues during frozen storage were investigated.

Materials and Methods

The antioxidant parameters were assessed using standard methods, while malondialdehyde levels of different fresh beef tissue sections treated with the extract prior to freezing, were estimated in a colorimetric reaction with thiobarbituric acid.

Results

The H₂O₂-scavenging ability of the extract was similar to that of ascorbic acid, with a maximum scavenging power of 55.61 ±4.98%, and an IC₅₀ value of 86µg/ml. The extract exhibited a concentration-dependent ferric ion-reducing power, although this was significantly lower relative to that of the ascorbic acid (p < 0.05). The total phenolic content was 212.5 ± 0.002 mg/g, while the nitric oxide-scavenging ability was 64.33 ± 0.2% after 150 min. The capacity of the extract to inhibit lipid peroxidation in frozen heart muscle slices was significantly higher than that of vitamin C (p < 0 .05), but comparable to vitamins C and E in frozen testes and kidney slices.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the root extract of D. tripetala is rich in antioxidants which can be applied to meat preservation during refrigerated storage.     

Prevalence of Hypertension among Urban Slum Dwellers in Lagos, Nigeria

Urban slum dwellers are not only prone to develop communicable diseases but also to non-communicable disease (NCDs). The extent and magnitude of NCDs among slum dwellers is largely unknown in Nigeria. A total of 964 adults aged 20–81 years (male 330 and female 634) residing in the urban slum of Ajegunle in Lagos State, Nigeria were studied to determine the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 38.2 %. Of the 368 respondents identified as having hypertension, only 50 (5.2 %) respondents were previously aware of their diagnosis. Of the 50 known hypertensive patients, 48(96 %) had poor control of their high blood pressure. The socio-demographic factors significantly associated with hypertension status were age, sex, education, religion, BMI, and marital status. The study concludes a high prevalence of hypertension among urban slums dwellers in Lagos. The need for government to develop policies for the control of hypertension, improve access to early diagnosis and provide an enabling socioeconomic environment while promoting healthy living.     

Characterization of a myosin-like antigen from Onchocerca volvulus

Recombinant cDNAs expressing an immunodominant antigen (Onchoag-1) of Onchocerca volvulus were identified by immunoscreening a cDNA expression library. The Onchoag-1 cDNAs are derived from an 8-kb mRNA that codes for a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 200 kDa. Indirect immunofluorescence using antisera against a recombinant fusion protein showed that Onchoag-1 is located in the muscle tissues of adult O. volvulus. The 2-kb sequence of one of the cDNAs contains a single open translation reading frame that encodes a protein with sequence similarities to Caenorhabditis elegans myosin heavy chain. Analysis of the 3′ region of Onchoag-1 chromosomal gene reveals that it is frequently interrupted by short introns that follow the GT/AG rule at their splice sites. Studies on this myofibrillar antigen should contribute to our understanding of muscle function in O. volvulus as well as provide useful insight to the genesis of the immunopathological damage that is often associated with allergic reactions (the Mazzotti reactions) in onchocerciasis patients, following the administration of a chemotherapeutic agent such as diethylcarbamazine.     

Human infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-specific type 1 and 2 cytokine responses ex vivo during primary RSV infection

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the most common respiratory viral infection resulting in hospitalizations in infants worldwide. Illness severity is likely multifactorial; however, unlike other viral infections, both type 1 and type 2 cytokine responses have been implicated in severe disease. METHODS: We measured RSV-specific cytokine responses ex vivo during primary RSV infection in the blood of 18 infants with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed RSV infection. To focus on primary RSV infection, subjects were all<9 months old. RSV-specific cytokine responses were measured at 3 time points during acute primary RSV infection and at 1 memory time point 3-6 months later. RESULTS: RSV-specific interferon (IFN)- gamma responses were detected in 10 of 18 of infants. Infants with mild disease had higher RSV-specific IFN- gamma memory responses than did those with moderate or severe disease. No consistent correlations between RSV-specific IFN- gamma responses and corticosteroid administration were observed. RSV-specific interleukin (IL)-4 or IL-5 responses to primary RSV infection were detectable in 5 of 18 and 8 of 15 infants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: During primary RSV infection, many infants demonstrated RSV-specific IFN- gamma responses. The strongest IL-4 and IL-5 responses were detected in 3 infants with severe disease, suggesting that type 2 responses may contribute to the pathogenesis of severe disease.     

One-year health-related quality of life outcomes in weight loss trial participants: comparison of three measures

Background  

The literature on changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in weight loss studies is inconsistent, and few studies use more than one type of measure. The purpose of the current study was to compare one-year changes in HRQOL as a function of weight change using three different measures: a weight-related measure (Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite [IWQOL-Lite)]) and two generic measures (SF-36; EQ-5D).