Parkinson's disease in Africa: A systematic review of epidemiologic and genetic studies.

Parkinson's disease (PD) occurs worldwide, but little is known about PD in Africa. We systematically reviewed publications on PD in Africa, with emphasis on epidemiologic and genetic studies. Articles published between 1944 and December 2004 were identified using several strategies. The studies emanated from 13 African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Zimbabwe, and South Africa). The publications fell into four categories: clinical series (n = 17), prevalence studies (n = 7), incidence studies (n = 1), and genetic studies (n = 3). The clinical series documented the occurrence of PD in Africa and described its clinical characteristics. The prevalence studies suggested some intracontinental geographic variation in PD prevalence. Overall, the prevalence figures and the incidence rates of PD in Africa appeared lower than those reported for European and North American populations. Few genetic studies of PD have been reported from Africa, and none in blacks. There are no case-control or cohort studies of PD reported from Africa. This review provides a summary of PD research in Africa over the past 60 years and highlights the information gaps and potential areas for future research.     

The serological relationship between Escherichia coli O157 and Yersinia enterocolitica O9 using sera from patients with brucellosis.

Sera from ten patients with positive brucella serology were used to investigate antibody cross-reactions between the O-antigens of Escherichia coli O157 and Yersinia enterocolitica O9. SDS-PAGE profiles of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), purified from strains of E. coli O157 and Y. enterocolitica O9, were reacted with sera by immunoblotting. All ten sera contained antibodies which bound to the LPS of E. coli O157, and five of these sera also contained antibodies which bound to the LPS of Y. enterocolitica O9. Absorption studies using these five cross-reacting sera indicated the existence of at least three epitopes exposed on the O-antigens of E. coli O157 and Y. enterocolitica O9. One antigen binding site appeared to be exposed on the LPS of both organisms, while one epitope was exposed on the LPS of E. coli O157 only, and another on the LPS of Y. enterocolitica O9 only.     

Evaluation of registration methods used in frameless stereotactic surgery for the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine

Computer-assisted pedicle screw insertion is feasible but has proved to be problematic. The purpose of this study was to detail the accuracy of registration techniques and pedicle screw insertion using a frameless stereotactic system. Two registration techniques were evaluated on a model spine. The frameless stereotactic system was then used to insert 26 pedicle and 8 lateral mass screws in human cadavers. For posterior vertebral elements, trajectory accuracy was 2.5 +/- 1.0 mm between T12 and L5 and 2.2 +/- 0.9 mm between C2 and T1. Registration of the anterior elements, however, was less accurate. Despite this flaw, all screws were inserted without penetrating the cortex. Screw trajectory was accurate to 2 degrees. The main limitation of frameless stereotactic surgery in the spine stems from the fact that only the posterior vertebral elements are used during registration. Despite this flaw, the system placed all screws correctly. Given these limitations, we believe that this system is most useful for locating the screw insertion point and providing a trajectory in the pedicle.     

Plasma magnesium in adult Nigerian patients with epilepsy

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between plasma magnesium levels and epilepsy. The study was carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Plasma magnesium was estimated using the calmigite dye colorimetric method in 45 adults with epilepsy and 35 healthy controls. Plasma concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and albumin were also estimated. The mean plasma magnesium in the patients was 0.98 mm0l/L (0.05) while that in the controls was 1.15 mmol/L (0.28). The mean plasma magnesium in the epileptics was significantly lower than that obtained in the controls (p < 0.001). Age of onset of seizures, seizure frequency and duration of treatment did not influence the plasma magnesium levels. Low plasma magnesium is associated with epilepsy, further studies may determine the influence of anti-epileptic drug therapy on plasma magnesium levels. Keywords: magnesium, seizures, Nigeria.     

Analysis of Nigerians with Apparently Sporadic Parkinson Disease for Mutations in LRRK2, PRKN and ATXN3

Several genetic variations have been associated with Parkinson disease in different populations over the past few years. Although a considerable number of worldwide populations have been screened for these variants, results from Sub-Saharan populations are very scarce in the literature. In the present report we have screened a cohort of Parkinson disease patients (n=57) and healthy controls (n=51) from Nigeria for mutations in the genes PRKN, LRRK2 and ATXN3. No pathogenic mutations were found in any of the genes. Hence, common pathogenic mutations in these genes, observed in several different populations, are not a frequent cause of Parkinson disease in Nigeria.