ABSTRACT
Background:Three different artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) namely; artesunate-amodiaquine, artemether-lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (being the latest to be introduced) are concurrently being used forthe treatment of falciparummalaria in Ghana. This study assessed patients’ experience, perceptions and willingness to use dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, brand name duo-cotecxin as an alternative first line ACT for the treatment of falciparummalaria in Northern Ghana.Methods:This was a qualitative study using phenomenology approach where sixty in-depth interviews were conducted with two groups; thirty patients who were given duo-cotecxin, one group and thirty interviews with patients who were given other ACTs (artesunate-amodiaquine, artemether-lumefantrine) as another group. The interviews were conducted between August and November, 2015 Purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants. The interviews were transcribed andcoded into themes using QSR NVivo 11 software for thematic content analysis.Results:All patients who used duo-cotecxin reported that the drug was very good in treating uncomplicated malaria compared to other ACTs they had used in the past. Some of the patients who used other ACTs could not complete their doses because of the side effects. However, none of the patients who used duo-cotecxin reported side effects. The findings revealed high acceptance and preference to use duo-cotecxin to treat uncomplicated malaria compared with other ACTs. All the participants were also willing to recommend duo-cotexcin to their relatives and friends to use. Conclusions: Duo-cotecxin as an alternative first line ACT for treatment of uncomplicated malaria is highly accepted, preferred and there was willingness to use it compared with other first line recommended ACTs.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: In the context of malaria and inflammation, the utility of ferritin and soluble transferring receptor (sTfR), as indicators of iron status may be compromised. In this study, we evaluated the effects of correcting for malaria and inflammation on the prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) as estimated by a) ferritin and b) sTfR. Methods: The analyses used baseline data from 1085 children, 4-8 y, who participated in a carotenoid biofortified maize flour trial in rural Zambia. For each biomarker, we compared the prevalence of ID with the prevalence corrected for a) CRP and AGP only; and b) CRP, AGP and concurrent malaria. Inflammation was defined as CRP>5mg/L and/or AGP>1g/L. Malaria was defined by microscopy. Children were first stratified into groups defined by inflammation and malaria status. Correction factors were then generated by dividing the group geometric means by that of the reference group (those free of both malaria and inflammation). Correction factors were applied to each individual concentration to generated corrected concentrations. Results: For ferritin, the unadjusted prevalence of ID (WHO age-specific cut-offs) increased from 7.3% to 9.5% (p<0.01) and 10.3 %( p<0.01), respectively, after correcting for CRP/AGP only, and CRP, AGP and concurrent malaria combined. For sTfR, the unadjusted ID prevalence (cutoff >8.3 mg/l) decreased from 28% to 21% (p<0.01) after correcting CRP/AGP only, and 19% (p<0.01) after correcting for CRP, AGP and concurrent malaria. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to account for both malaria and inflammation when interpreting ferritin and sTfr concentrations in malaria endemic regions.
ABSTRACT
A number of crude extracts from folk medicinal plants were screened for cytotoxicity against the human T-cell leukemia cell line. Fixed aliquots from a quantified cell suspension were incubated for three days in the presence of a control and several different concentrations of the given plant extract
Subject(s)
Humans , Azadirachta , Leukemia, T-Cell , Plants, Medicinal , Trinidad and TobagoABSTRACT
Bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanol extracts of the aerial parts of Psychotria uliginosa Sw yielded four known bioactive compounds: benz[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione and 1-hydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-3-one and blumenol A, which are chemically related to S-(+)-dehydrovomifoliol a known inhibitor of the germination of lettuce seeds. Evaluation of the basic components obtained from the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Psychotria bahiensis DC. yielded five bioactive indole monoterpenoid alkaloids which are known to display various levels of antiplasmodial and antitumor activity: 5 alpha-carboxystrictosidine, angustine, strictosamide and (E) and (Z)-vallesiachotamine; and the novel epimers bahienoside A and B which are currently being investigated for biological activity. The structures were determined by means of 1D and 2D NMR techniques
Subject(s)
Plant Extracts , Plants, Medicinal , Trinidad and TobagoABSTRACT
Se analizan los resultados de la reconstrucción plástica de la válvula mitral en forma aislada (Grupo 1; n: 68) o combinada con otros procedimientos quirúrgicos (Grupo 2; n: 67) en 135 pacientes. En el 97 por ciento de los casos se efectuó anuloplastia sin anillos protésicos y en la mayoría con pericardio autólogo. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue del 4 por ciento en el Grupo 1 y del 12 por ciento en el Grupo 2. La probabilidad de permanecer libre de reoperación a 1,3 y 5 años es de 96 por ciento, 94 por ciento y 86 por ciento respectivamente; la probabilidad de sobrevida a 1, 3 y 5 años es de 91 por ciento, 89 por ciento y 89 por ciento respectivamente en el Grupo 1 y 86 por ciento, 70 por ciento y 62 por ciento respectivamente en el Grupo 2. La reparación mitral es posible sin la utilización de anillos protésicos, con buenos resultados inmediatos y a mediano plazo