Sero-prevalence of human T-lymphotrophic virus 1/2 among HIV-1 infected individuals in Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: HTLV­1 or 2 co­infection in individuals infected with HIV­1 can lead to increased morbidity. The shared routes of transmission of HTLV with HIV­1 may increase the prevalence of HTLV among HIV­1 infected population and subsequently affect patient's management. Methods: Sera were collected from 144 HIV­1 infected individuals attending the highly active anti­retroviral therapy (HAART) clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital between the months of May and August 2016. Sera were tested for anti­HTLV IgM and IgG antibodies to HTLV­1&2 using the sandwich enzyme­linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Out of the 144 participants tested, 47 (32.6%) and 37 (25.7%) were positive for HTLV IgG and IgM respectively. Twenty­one participants (14.6%) had both IgG and IgM antibodies to HTLV­1&2. Ten individuals were anti­retroviral drug naïve out of which, four and six were positive to anti­HTLV IgG and IgM respectively. Conclusion: Findings from this study revealed that there is high sero­prevalence of HTLV IgG and IgM antibodies among HIV­1 sero­positive individuals in Ilorin. The high rate of co­infection supports routine screening for HTLV­1/2 co-infection among HIV­1 infected individuals in Ilorin, Nigeria so that the purpose of HAART treatment and monitoring of patients to prevent progression to AIDS will not be aborted

Compliance with diabetic retinopathy screening in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

There is little information on default rates and reasons for retinal screening in diabetes. We prospectively studied 179 type 2 diabetic patients referred for screening at a tertiary Nigerian medical centre. Defaulting occurred in 100 patients, i.e. over half (56%). Defaulting was associated with not having had a previous eye examination (p=0.027) and either a short (<1 year) or medium (6­10 year) duration of diabetes (p=0.001). Location of residence, level of education, diabetes treatment, age and gender did not correlate with screening compliance. We recommend that screening be carried out as soon as possible after diagnosis, which may improve future compliance

Infectious Agents and Cancer

The epidemiology of several types of cancers indicate the involvement of several transmissible agents in their development; and in most cases; these seem to be viruses. The classic examplesare Burkitt's lymphoma; nasopharyngeal carcinoma (EBV); hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV); and cervical carcinoma (HPV). Most of these cancers show substantial variations in their incidencein different parts of the world and in particular countries; they present significant health problems. Worldwide; infections account for up to 20of all cancers. Also; there is now ample evidence implicating infection with the Helicobacter pylori in the occurrence of gastric carcinoma and gastric lymphoma; and infection with Schistosoma haematobium in the occurrence of the squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.The impact of these infections on the burden of cancer worldwide is becoming increasingly evident because they are largely responsible for the cascade of opportunistic malignancies associated with AIDS. The burden is heaviest among populations in developing countries; reflecting the impact of very early infection with these agents on subsequent risk of cancer. There are currently no vaccines available to prevent these chronic infections; other than for HBV. As a result; changes in behaviour hold the most promise for prevention