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Background:Uterine fibroids are the most common benign, monoclonal tumours affecting women of reproductive age.Aim:This study investigated the association between interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin(ADP) and lipid indices in women with uterine fibroids.Subjects and Methods:Sixty (60) participants were recruited for this study. They comprised thirty (30) subjects who had ultrasonographic evidence of uterine fibroids and thirty (30) subjects who hadno ultrasonographic evidence of uterine fibroids. Subjects were recruited from the Gynaecology out-patient clinic of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Anthropometric measurements were performed using standard method. About 5mL of venous blood was collected from each study participant and was dispensed into a plain bottle. Serum was obtained after clotting and centrifugation and was aliquoted into a small vial which was stored at -20°C until time of analysis. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin (ADP), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colorimetric method as appropriate. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) was estimated using Friedewald’s equation. Data analysis was done using Student’s t-test for comparison of variables and Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between variables. P–value less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results:Women with uterine fibroids had significantly elevated body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) when compared with the controls (P<0.05). The mean values of TC, TG, LDL and IL-6 were significantly elevated in women with uterine fibroids when compared with the control subjects (P<0.05). Women with uterine fibroids had significantly reduced levels of ADP when compared with controls (P<0.05) and there was no significant difference in the levels of HDL when both case and control subjects were compared (P>0.05). Interleukin-6 had a significant positive correlation with BMI, WC, WHR, TC, TG and LDL. Interleukin-6 also had a significant negative correlation with HDL and ADP.Conclusion:This study demonstrated a significant direct relationship between IL-6 anddyslipidemia in women with uterine fibroids. Also, we observed a noteworthy inverse relationship between IL-6 and adiponectin in women with uterine leiomyomas, thus emphasizing the low grade chronic inflammatory state, associated with uterine leiomyomas
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Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem and account for a substantial proportion of liver diseases worldwide. Aim:The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of Hepatitis B and C virus infection among undergraduate students of Babcock University. Methodology: The blood samples of 200 participants (96 males and 104 females) were randomly collected and screened using rapid serological methods. HBV markers were determined using a HBV 5 in 1 Panel cassette (Innovita Biological Technology Co., Ltd., China); while antibody to HCVOriginal Research Article was detected using anti-HCV test strip (Blue Cross Bio-Medical Co., Ltd., China). The demographic and clinical information of the participants were collected using structured questionnaires. Results: Out of the 200 participants screened, 3 (1.5%) were positive for HBsAg, 10 (5.0%) were positive for HBsAb, 3 (1.5%) were positive for HBcAb, 2 (1.0%) were positive for HBeAb and none (0%) was positive for HBeAg. 2 (2.1%) of the 96 males screened were positive for HBsAg, while only one (1%) out of the 104 females screened was positive for HBsAg. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the number of male and female students positive for HBsAg. On the basis of age distribution, data show that 3 (2.7%) out of the 110 students that were 16-20 years old were positive for HBsAg, while students in the other age groups were negative for HBsAg. Risk factors associated with infection include: tattooing, history of blood transfusion and shared sharp objects. Interestingly, zero prevalence rate (0%) of HCV mono-infection, as well as HBV/HCV co-infection was recorded in this current study. Conclusion: The outcome of this study showed that a low prevalence rate of HBV mono-infection exists among undergraduate students of Babcock University, therefore the on-going public health campaign programme against Hepatitis B and C should be sustained
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Objective/background: Despite several studies on health system delay [HSD] among tuberculosis [TB] patients in Nigeria, no study has compared HSD in private and public health facilities. This study assessed the determinants of HSD in public and private health facilities offering the directly observed treatment, short course [DOTS]
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 470 new smear-positive TB patients aged 14 years and older were consecutively recruited between October 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, from 34 [23 public and 11 private] DOTS facilities that offered treatment and microscopy services. Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression were used to assess the determinants of HSD
Results: The median HSD was longer at public DOTS facilities [14 days; interquartile range [IQR] 10-21 days] than private DOTS facilities [12.5 days; IQR 10.0-14.0 days, p = .002]
Age and human immunodeficiency virus status were determinants of HSD at the public DOTS facilities, whereas sex and income were determinants of HSD at the private DOTS facilities. TB patients who first visited a nonhospital facility were over four times more likely [odds ratio 4.12; 95% confidence interval 2.25-7.54] to have prolonged HSD than those who first visited the government hospital when they first developed the symptoms of TB after controlling for other factors in the model
Conclusion: Determinants of HSD at the public and private DOTS facilities vary. Strategies to reduce HSD at both public and private DOTS facilities in Lagos State, Nigeria, are urgently needed