Human immunodeficiency virus antibody in patients with cancer of the uterine cervix undergoing radiotherapy: clinical stages, histological grade and outcome of radiotherapy.

One hundred and twenty consecutive patients with cancer of the uterine cervix were screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity before and after radiotherapy. The severity of the disease in terms of clinical staging and histological grading of HIV seropositive women was compared with that of seronegative women. The result showed a prevalence rate of 4.2% for HIV seropositivity which was similar to the rate quoted for the general populace in Nigeria. The HIV seropositive women presented with more severe disease state than the HIV seronegative women. The mean duration of remission was significantly shorter in the HIV seropositive women following radiotherapy (18.36+/3.96 vs. 24.24+/-6.3 months). It was concluded that HIV infection increases the severity and progression of cancer of the cervix in Nigerians. Radiotherapy has no effect on the patients' seropositivity and possibly no effect on the virus. A more aggressive treatment of carcinoma of the cervix and closer follow-up of HIV seropositive patients following treatment are necessary.     

Urologic evaluation after closure of vesicovaginal fistulas

Eighteen patients at University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria, underwent urologic evaluation after repair of obstetrics-related vesicovaginal fistulas. This included a questionnaire, assessment of vaginal scarring, urodynamics and urethroscopy. Eight patients demonstrated stress urinary incontinence, with 4 revealing type III incontinence with either low maximum urethral closure pressure or open vesical neck on urethroscopy. This study documents some of the persistent problems that occur even after successful closure of vesicovaginal fistulas. Continued evaluation should lead to better surgical and medical techniques to diminish the incidence of continued bladder dysfunction after closure of fistulas.     

Evaluation of CYP2D6 phenotype in the Yoruba Nigerian population

Background: There is a lack of information on CYP2D6, a major metabolizing enzyme, in Africa ethnic nationalities. The objective was to determine CYP2D6 phenotype in Yoruba Nigerians using dextromethorphan (DEX).

Method: A total of 89 healthy volunteers received 30 mg of DEX orally followed by blood and urine sample collection at 3-hour and over 8 h post-dose, respectively. DEX and dextrorphan (DOR) concentrations were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The metabolic ratio (MR, DEX/DOR) were plotted for the phenotype determination.

Results: The log MR that separated poor (PMs) from normal metabolizers (NMs) was 0.28 and 0.75 for urine and plasma, respectively. Two subjects (2.3%) identified as PMs had a mean MR of 17 and 3.2 in plasma and urine, significantly higher than that of NMs (p < .0001). A positive correlation between urine and plasma MR was noted.

Conclusion: The prevalence of PMs in the Yoruba Nigerians was similar to that reported among blacks.     

Immunomodulatory activities of isolated compounds from the root-bark of Cussonia arborea

Context: Cussonia arborea Hochst. ex A. Rich (Araliaceae) is a folk medicine used to treat various diseases. However, there is no report of the root phytochemistry.

Objective: This study isolates and identifies the immunomodulatory compounds from root-bark of C. arborea.

Materials and methods: The methanol extract (18?g) was subjected to repeated column chromatography resulting in isolation of five compounds (1–5). Structure determination was achieved by analysis of their 1?D and 2?D NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The compounds (100–1.0?μg/mL) were examined immunomodulatory for effect on production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from whole blood phagocytes and on proliferation of T-cells. The compounds cytotoxicity (100–1.0?μg/mL) was evaluated on NIH-3T3 normal fibroblast cells.

Results: Three pentacyclic triterpenoids [3, 23-dihydroxy-12-oleanen-28-oic acid (1), 3β-hydroxylolean-12-en-28-oic (2) and 23-hydoxy-oxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (5)], two phytosterols: [stigmasterol (3)] and [3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl stigmasterol (4)] were all isolated from the methanol soluble extract. All the tested compounds (1–4) were found to be nontoxic on NIH-3T3 cells. Compound 1 and 2 moderately inhibited the production of ROS (IC₅₀?=?24.4?±?4.3 and 37.5?±?0.1?μg/mL, respectively) whereas compound 2 exhibited the highest inhibitory effect (IC₅₀?=?12.6?±?0.4?μg/mL) on proliferation of phytoheamagglutinin (PHA) activated T-cells.

Conclusions: The isolated compounds (1–5) are reported for the first time from this species. In addition, compound 2 with suppressive potential on production of intracellular ROS and proliferation of T-cells could be of immense value in control of autoimmune diseases as well as in immune compromised patients.     

Maternity care monitoring: a contrast at two levels of health care delivery in Ibadan, Nigeria

The obstetric performance of women delivering at two hospitals in Ibadan is compared in this study. The prevalence of high-risk pregnancies at the tertiary level hospital (University College Hospital) was higher than that of the secondary level hospital (Oluyoro Catholic Hospital). Consequently, the cesarean section rate of the UCH (21.8%) was higher than that at the OCH (2.3%). Similarly, the maternal mortality (3.5 per 1000) and perinatal mortality (60.2 per 1000) at the UCH were significantly higher than at the OCH, 2.0 per 1000 and 9.8 per 1000, respectively. The need for a national birth survey based on a representative sample of all the different types of health establishments in Nigeria was stressed.     

Spermatoprotective activity of the leaf extract of Psidium guajava Linn

BACKGROUND: The leaves of Psidium guajava Linn. (guava) contain several natural antioxidants. We therefore designed the present study to evaluate the effect of ethanol extract of guava leaves on gossypol-associated sperm toxicity in Wistar rats. METHODS: Animal groups 1, 2, and 3 (n=6 each) were treated orally with crude cottonseed oil to provide 14 mg/kg/d of free gossypol for 53 d. Besides, groups 1 and 2 rats were supplemented orally with 250 mg/kg/d and 500 mg/kg/d respectively of guava leaf extract (GLE) for the same period. Group 4 animals (control, n=6) received normal saline. RESULTS: No significant difference (P>0.05) occurred in the sperm count of group 1 rats compared to control. In animal group 2, significant increase (P<0.05) in sperm count occurred, as opposed to group 3 animals, where this parameter decreased significantly (P<0.05). Besides, mean values of 78 %, 82 %, 30 %, and 65 % respectively were obtained for sperm motility in animal groups 1, 2, 3, and 4. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that ethanol extract of guava leaves possesses beneficial effect on gossypol-associated sperm toxicity, and may therefore enhance male fertility, possibly owing to its rich constituents of natural antioxidants.     

Germline variants and somatic mutation signatures of breast cancer across populations of African and European ancestry in the US and Nigeria

Somatic mutation signatures may represent footprints of genetic and environmental exposures that cause different cancer. Few studies have comprehensively examined their association with germline variants, and none in an indigenous African population. SomaticSignatures was employed to extract mutation signatures based on whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing data from female patients with breast cancer (TCGA, training set, n = 1,011; Nigerian samples, validation set, n = 170), and to estimate contributions of signatures in each sample. Association between somatic signatures and common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or rare deleterious variants were examined using linear regression. Nine stable signatures were inferred, and four signatures (APOBEC C>T, APOBEC C>G, aging and homologous recombination deficiency) were highly similar to known COSMIC signatures and explained the majority (60–85%) of signature contributions. There were significant heritable components associated with APOBEC C>T signature (h² = 0.575, p = 0.010) and the combined APOBEC signatures (h² = 0.432, p = 0.042). In TCGA dataset, seven common SNPs within or near GNB5 were significantly associated with an increased proportion (beta = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.21–0.45) of APOBEC signature contribution at genome-wide significance, while rare germline mutations in MTCL1 was also significantly associated with a higher contribution of this signature (p = 6.1 × 10⁻⁶). This is the first study to identify associations between germline variants and mutational patterns in breast cancer across diverse populations and geography. The findings provide evidence to substantiate causal links between germline genetic risk variants and carcinogenesis.