ABSTRACT
Aims: To determine the effect of CD4 count (a glycoprotein found on the surface of immune cells such as T helper cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells) on the Candida species associated with Oropharyngeal candidiasis among HIV suspected patients. Place and Duration of the Study: State Hospital Ijebu Ode Ogun State Nigeria between February 2010 to August 2011. Methodology: Outpatients attending State Hospital Ijebu Ode were screened for HIV infection using Determine kits, Stat-pak kits and Unigold test kits. Western blot was used to confirm HIV infection and to determine the predominance of HIV specific glycoproteins in HIV seropositive patients. A total of 350 samples of sputum and blood from the HIV seropositive individuals while 300 samples from the HIV seronegative individuals. Sputum samples were cultured on sabouraud dextrose agar, and the isolates were Gram stained while the yeast-like fungi were subjected to germ tube test. CD4 count in blood samples was determined using flow cytometry. Results: HIV prevalence in females was 70.6% and in males was 29.4%. From three hundred and fifty patients suspected as HIV positive, seventy three had oral candidiasis (20.9%) while 277 (79.1%) were candidiasis negative. Higher oral candidiasis occurred in females (22.7%) than in males (16.5%). Candida alblicans was found to have higher occurrence of 86% among other Candida species. There is no significant association between the occurrence of oral candidiasis and the age of HIV subjects. There was higher occurrence of cases of immune depression (<350 CD4 count) in HIV seropositive (56.3%) than in HIV seronegative (0%) subjects. Candida infections occur when CD4 count was 200-500 cell/μl and usually represent the first indication of immune suppression. Decrease in CD4 count led to increase in occurrence of Candida species. The lowest number of Candida species was recorded when CD4 count was above 300 and Candida alblicans is the most predominant species isolated in this study. Conclusion: The result of this study shows that HIV infection led to decrease in CD4 count which in turn promotes candidiasis.
ABSTRACT
Members of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known probiotics and have been reported to have antimicrobial properties. Although various researchers have documented the isolation of these bacteria from fruits and vegetables; studies on LAB associated with lettuce; cucumber and cabbage are limited and non-existing in Nigeria. This study was designed to assess lettuce; cucumber and cabbage as potential sources of LAB and investigate the actions of their bacterial cell supernatants (BCS) on some pathogenic bacteria. Using standard microbiological methods; isolated LAB were identified to species level with API 50 CH kits (Biomerieux; France). Cell free supernatants (CFS) from de Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) broth cultures of the LAB strains were used to challenge Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853; Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212; Escherichia coli ATCC 12900 and Proteus penneri ATCC 13315 by agar well diffusion method. The control consisted of the sterile MRS broth subjected to the same growth conditions as LAB broth cultures. A total of four lactic acid bacteria were isolated as follows: Pediococcus pentosaceus 2 from cucumber; Lactobacillus cellobiosus from cabbage; Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus plantarum 1 from lettuce. Pediococcus pentosaceus 2 and L. salivarius showed inhibitory effects on all the standard strains tested while L. plantarum 1 showed no inhibitory activity against E. faecalis and E. coli. Lactobacillus cellobiosus showed inhibition against all except P. penneri. Although; the molecular characterisation and probiotic potentials of these LAB strains are being investigated in an on-going study; we presumed these vegetables are prospective sources of the bacteria in Nigeria and therefore the need to extensively investigate the vegetables and other related vegetables becomes imperative