Ethnic variation in the HER-2 codon 655 genetic polymorphism previously associated with breast cancer

HER-2, a protooncogene located on chromosome 17q21, encodes a transmembrane glycoprotein (p185) with tyrosine kinase activity. Alterations of the HER-2 gene have been implicated in the carcinogenesis and prognosis of breast cancer and other solid tumors. It is also a cancer-therapeutic target for antibody-based therapy against the HER-2 protein. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at codon 655, resulting in a G-to-A transition (Ile655Val) in the transmembrane domain-coding region of this gene has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, particularly among younger women. To understand the importance of this finding throughout the world, we evaluated this polymorphism in Ghanaian, Kenyan, Sudanese, Caucasian, African–American, Saudi, and Filipino subjects using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The frequency of the Val allele, which is associated with increased breast cancer risk, was highly variable between populations (0%–24%). Continental African populations had a lower frequency of the Val allele than did Saudi, Chinese, Filipino, Caucasian, and African–American subjects. The data suggest that this SNP has variable frequency in different ethnic groups. The findings in this study correspond with the lower incidence and lower risk of breast cancer in African women compared with Caucasian and African–American women. Received: December 13, 2001 / Accepted: January 16, 2002     

Differences in COVID-19 Preventive Behavior and Food Insecurity by HIV Status in Nigeria

AIDS and Behavior - The aim of the study was to assess if there were significant differences in the adoption of COVID-19 risk preventive behaviors and experience of food insecurity by people living...     

Burden and pattern of micro vascular complications in type 2 diabetes in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus (DM) afflicts at least 5 million people in Nigeria, with more than 80% having type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Microvascular complications increase both morbidity and mortality inpatients with T2DM. The aims of this study were to report the burden of various microvascular complications in T2DM and to identify various factors associated with these complications in patients with T2DM attending the diabetes outpatients'' clinic.

Methods

Ninety (90) patients with T2DM who have attended diabetes clinic for at least 3 months were recruited for this study. Detailed history, physical examination and biochemical analysis was done in each of the patients. All patients underwent a detailed standard evaluation to detect diabetic retinopathy (fundoscopy), neuropathy (10g monofilament and/or diabetes neuropathy scores), and nephropathy (microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria, serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate).

Results

There was high prevalence of microvascular complications among patients with T2DM. Almost half of patients with T2DM had some form of microvascular complications; diabetic neuropathy being the commonest (69.6%),followed by nephropathy (54.5%) and retinopathy (48.9%). The factors associated with developing these complications were increasing age, duration of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia for nephropathy and neuropathy.

Conclusion

There is a high burden of microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. Age, male gender, hypertension, glycaemic control, BMI and duration of diabetes, and glycaemic control were factors associated with microvasular complications.     

Family structure,socioeconomic position and utilization of oral health services among Nigerian senior secondary school pupils

Objective: To test the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP), family composition, number of siblings, and birth position in the family, and the utilization of oral health services by senior secondary school pupils in Ile‐Ife, Nigeria. Methods: A cross‐sectional study design included senior secondary school pupils in the Central Local Government Area of Ile‐Ife during 2007/2008. Sample size calculation was performed and 1,200 pupils were invited to participate. A multistage, stratified sampling technique was used. Data collection included a self‐administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: The response rate was 76 percent (n = 1043). The mean age was 15.8 (standard deviation = 1.9) and 49 percent were males. Only 22.5 percent of pupils had ever visited a dentist in their lives. Results from multivariate analyses showed that pupils attending free schools, those paying 1 to 10,000 naira (equivalent to US$ 63.31) and 10,000 to 19,000 naira (equivalent to US$ 120.29) were respectively 1.93, 1.87, and 2.74 times less likely to have attended a dentist in the past than pupils in more expensive schools. Pupils living with single mothers or without a parent were unlikely to have visited the dentist. Number of siblings and birth position in the family were not associated with utilization of oral health services. Conclusions: Adolescents from families with a low SEP growing up without their parents may need extra incentives to visit dentist.     

Oral health-care workers and HIV infection control practices in Nigeria

The first case of HIV infection was reported in Nigeria in 1986. Since then, the prevalence has risen from less than 0.1% in 1987 to 5.8% in 2002, and an estimated 3.6 million Nigerians now live with HIV/AIDS. More than 40 oral manifestations of HIV infection have been recorded and between 70% and 90% of persons with HIV infection will have at least one oral manifestation at sometime during the course of their disease. Oral health-care workers (OHCWS) are expected to play active roles in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. In this study, a one-day workshop was organized for 64 oral health workers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, focusing on the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, the oral manifestations, control and prevention of HIV in a dental environment, oral care of the infected patient and the ethical, legal and social aspects of HIV/AIDS. Participants' knowledge and practices of infection control were assessed with an infection control checklist administered pre- and post-workshop. Sixty (90.8%) respondents believed that HIV/AIDS was not yet a problem in Nigeria, and 58 (90.6%) believed that drugs have been developed which can cure HIV infection and AIDS. The men complied more with waste disposal regulations than women (P = 0.010). Twenty-nine of 58 (50.0%) did not discard gloves which were torn, cut or punctured. Seven (12.1%) did not change gloves between patients' treatment. Conscious efforts should be made to train OHCWS on all aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention and care. It must never be assumed that adequate information will be acquired through tangential sources.     

Success with plasmapheresis treatment for recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in pediatric renal transplant recipients

FSGS recurs in approximately 30% of transplanted kidneys and may lead to graft loss. We retrospectively examined the efficacy of early and intensive PP without additional IS in pediatric kidney transplant patients with recurrent FSGS at our center. Seven of 24 patients (29%) had nephrotic proteinuria and histologic evidence of FSGS recurrence within 1–5 days post‐transplantation. PP was initiated early after transplantation and initially performed daily until sustained decline in proteinuria. PP frequency was then individually tapered according to proteinuria. Recurrent FSGS in all seven patients responded to a four‐ to 32‐wk course of PP. Two of seven patients had a second recurrence of FSGS, and both recurrences remitted after an additional 3–6 wk of PP. Median observation period was 4.5 yr (0.8–16.3 yr). Complete remission of recurrent FSGS has been sustained in all seven patients, and all patients have stable graft function with recent plasma creatinine <1.5 mg/dL in six of seven patients. Most recent urine protein/creatinine is 0.13–0.61 mg/mg in six of seven patients. One patient has heavy proteinuria secondary to chronic allograft nephropathy 16 yr post‐transplant. Intensive and prolonged PP, when initiated early in the post‐operative period, is effective in treating recurrent FSGS and preventing graft loss without the use of additional immunosuppressants.     

Seasonal ataxia: A case report of a disappearing disease

Introduction

Seasonal ataxia is a clinical syndrome of acute cerebellar ataxia which follows ingestion of roasted larvae of Anaphe venata Butler, an alternative protein source consumed in western Nigeria. It was first reported in the 1950s in western Nigeria when it caused a wave of epidemics. This is the first case report of this condition in the literature since 1993.

Case report

We present the case of a 35 year old woman from western Nigeria who was admitted in October 2012 with acute onset of gait instability and bilateral hand tremors, preceded by several episodes of vomiting. She had ingested a meal containing roasted larvae of the African silkworm, 2 hours before the onset of vomiting.

Conclusion

Seasonal ataxia is an important differential diagnosis of acute cerebellar ataxia among the indigenous ethnic population of western Nigeria.It is non-fatal and treatable, with complete resolution of symptoms usually following thiamine therapy.     

Green synthesis of ZnO coated hybrid biochar for the synchronous removal of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline in wastewater

Preparation of biochar from kaolinite and coconut husk (KCB) and further activated with HCl (KCB-A) and KOH (KCB-B) via a microwave technique for the remediation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET) from water was carried out. Characterization using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed the successful synthesis of functionalized biochars. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated the potential of the adsorbents for fast and efficient removal of CIP and TET from solution. The adsorption capacities were found to be 71, 140 and 229 mg g⁻¹ for CIP and 118, 117 and 232 mg g⁻¹ for TET removal on KCB, KCB-A and KCB-B, respectively. For KCB, KCB-B and KCB-B, CIP adsorption best followed the pseudo second order kinetic model (PSOM), pseudo first order kinetic model (PFOM) and intraparticle diffusion (IDP) respectively. TET adsorption followed PSOM for KCB, IPD for KCB-B and PFOM for KCB-A. CIP adsorption on KCB, KCB-A and KCB-B best fit the Temkin, Langmuir and Brouers–Sotolongo isotherms, respectively, and TET adsorption on KCB best fit Brouers–Sotolongo while KCB-A and KCB-B best fit Langmuir–Freundlich. Adsorption of both contaminants was thermodynamically feasible showing that these materials are excellent adsorbents for the treatment of pharmaceuticals in water.

Preparation of biochar from kaolinite and coconut husk (KCB) and further activated with HCl (KCB-A) and KOH (KCB-B) via a microwave technique for the remediation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET) from water was carried out.     

Evaluation of the anti-diabetic properties of Mucuna pruriens seed extract

ObjectiveTo explore the antidiabetic properties of Mucuna pruriens(M. pruriens).MethodsDiabetes was induced in Wistar rats by single intravenous injection of 120 mg/kg of alloxan monohydrate and different doses of the extract were administered to diabetic rats. The blood glucose level was determined using a glucometer and results were compared with normal and untreated diabetic rats. The acute toxicity was also determined in albino mice.ResultsResults showed that the administration of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 100 mg/kg of the crude ethanolic extract of M. pruriens seeds to alloxan-induced diabetic rats (plasma glucose > 450 mg/dL) resulted in 18.6%, 24.9%, 30.8%, 41.4%, 49.7%, 53.1% and 55.4% reduction, respectively in blood glucose level of the diabetic rats after 8h of treatment while the administration of glibenclamide (5 mg/kg/day) resulted in 59.7% reduction. Chronic administration of the extract resulted in a significant dose dependent reduction in the blood glucose level (P<0.001). It also showed that the antidiabetic activity of M. pruriens seeds resides in the methanolic and ethanolic fractions of the extract. Acute toxicity studies indicated that the extract was relatively safe at low doses, although some adverse reactions were observed at higher doses (8-32 mg/kg body weight), no death was recorded. Furthermore, oral administration of M. pruriens seed extract also significantly reduced the weight loss associated with diabetes.ConclusionsThe study clearly supports the traditional use of M. pruriens for the treatment of diabetes and indicates that the plant could be a good source of potent antidiabetic drug.