African health sciences
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African health sciences · Jun 2018
Child sexual abuse and disclosure in South Western Nigeria: a community based study.
The true burden of child sexual abuse in Nigeria is not known as most reports are institutional based. This study was designed to determine population level data on the burden and pattern of child sexual abuse among adolescents in South Western Nigeria. ⋯ CSA is common in the community, with perpetrators majorly persons known to the adolescents. A large number of cases are not reported. Efforts should be made to educate children and their parents on various ways to reduce child sexual abuse and its consequences.
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The thyroid gland and hormonal regulation are among the most important systems to be investigated in pre-term infants. This study sought to investigate thyroid hormone levels of healthy and unhealthy pre-term infants. ⋯ Pre-term infants, especially those having problems, have significant hypothyroxinemia that may require thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
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African health sciences · Jun 2018
Biochemical markers as diagnostic/prognostic indicators for ischemic disease.
The use of a biomarker was extremely useful in clinical emergencies such as stroke to aid in triage and early management of cases. The diagnostic accuracy of laboratory biomarkers is run to approve the identification of easy, cheap and fast tests associated with cerebral ischemia and intracranial hemorrhage. The present study was designed to screen serum enolase activity, activities of CK-BB, LDH and lipid profile in patients with ischemic or related diseases as good diagnostic/ prognostic indicator for ischemic diseases. ⋯ Serum enolase can be considered as a more sensitive and specific marker and used as a sensitive diagnostic or prognostic marker for ischemic related diseases.
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African health sciences · Jun 2018
Diagnostic utility of, and influence of tobacco usage and genetic predisposition on, immunoglobulin A, rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide auto-antibodies in South African rheumatoid arthritis patients.
The immunoglobulin A isotypes of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) are associated with disease severity and progression in Caucasian rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, as well as with genetic predisposition and tobacco use. ⋯ Although lacking in serodiagnostic superiority over cRF and ACPA-IgG, inclusion of RF-IgA and ACPA-IgA in autoantibody panels may provide insights into disease pathogenesis, interactions between tobacco usage and HLA genotype in the production of potentially disease-triggering ACPA-IgA antibodies.