African health sciences
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Association of hyperuricemia with metabolic syndrome among university workers: sex and occupational differences.
The relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hyperuricemia is not fully understood. ⋯ Male workers with hyperuricemia, especially those working in administration were at risk of metabolic syndrome. It is important to screen, prevent and treat metabolic syndrome in individuals diagnosed with hyperuricemia at the workplace.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
E-Selectin and markers of HIV disease severity, inflammation and coagulation in HIV-infected treatment-naïve individuals.
E-selectin has been shown to play a role in atherosclerosis and to be increased in HIV-infected individuals due to chronic immune activation. There is a paucity of studies on E-selectin in HIV-infected treatment-naïve individuals. ⋯ E-selectin was a poor marker in this setting. There was no correlation with any of the markers of disease severity, inflammation and coagulation. E-selectin is most likely raised in an acute inflammatory setting, rather than chronic stage of HIV-infection. We recommend that other markers be utilized to identify patients at increased risk of CVD; as these were significantly increased untreated in individuals.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Single tube allele specific PCR: a low cost technique for molecular screening of sickle cell anaemia in Nigeria.
Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a hereditary blood disorder caused by a single mutation in the haemoglobin gene. The disease burden of SCA is highest in Nigeria. The allele specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) method is applicable for the direct detection of known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). ⋯ This study validates ASPCR as an effective, low cost approach for the clinical screening of SCA in Nigeria. ASPCR is also applicable for other genetic diseases, paternity testing, and forensics where more expensive fluorescence-based approaches are not obtainable.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
GATA4 molecular screening and assessment of environmental risk factors in a Moroccan cohort with tetralogy of Fallot.
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect (CHD) with an incidence of 1/3600 live births. This disorder was associated with mutations in the transcription factors involved in cardiogenesis, like Nk2 homeobox5 (NKX2-5), GATA binding protein4 (GATA4) and T-BOX1 (TBX1). GATA4 contributes particularly to heart looping and differentiation of the second heart field. ⋯ The present study allowed, for the first time, the molecular and environmental characterisation of Moroccan TOF population. Our findings emphasise particularly the strong association of passive smoking with the emergence of tetralogy of Fallot.
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African health sciences · Dec 2018
Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) gene expression in a cohort of adult Egyptian patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive clonal disease, is genetically heterozygous. The prognostic role of expression of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP) gene, which behaves as a multidrug transporter, in adult AML is ambiguous. ⋯ The significance of BCRP gene expression and its function in AML is very complicated, therefore more standardized clinical studies are needed.