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Aim: To determine if there was any association between urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV infection among children in Ore Community, Southwestern Nigeria. Methodology: Urine samples were collected from 438 children and examined microscopically for ova of Schistosoma haematobium. A sample of 3 ml of blood was drawn from each participant for HIV test. Antibodies to HIV were determined using Determine HIV1/2 kit, Unigold kit and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The overall prevalence of S. haematobium infection was 30.1% while that of HIV infection was 0.9%. None of the 132 S. haematobium infected children had HIV infection while 1.3% of the 306 children negative for S. haematobium were positive for HIV test. Conclusion: This study did not identify an association between urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV infection among children in Ore, Southwestern Nigeria. Therefore, urogenital schistosomiasis may not play a significant role in the spread of HIV infection in a locality where HIV prevalence is low.
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Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is widely used in the treatment of Human ImmunodeficiencyVirus (HIV) infection but toxicity is widely reported amongst patients. Hepatotoxicity is commonly reported among HIV patients on treatment with HAART, but there is lack of consensus between authors on whether liver disease seen in these patients is as a result of HAART or HIV infection itself. This study examined the possible effect of HAART on activity of liver enzymes, bilirubin level and Cluster Differentiation of Antigen (CD4+) in HIV patients on drug treatment. Methods: Forty (40) HIV patients on HAART (Group 1), forty (40) treatment naïve HIV patients (Group 2) were recruited from the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN) Clinic, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo while forty (40) HIV negative subjects (group 3) served as control. Activities of Alanine aminotransferases (ALT), aspartate aminotransferases (AST) and bilirubin level were determined spectrophotometrically while CD4+ count was by flow cytometry. Results: Results from this study showed that mean activities of the enzymes ALT and AST were significantly different among the groups studied (p < 0.0001). Mean total bilirubin concentration highest in group 1, followed by group 2 and then group 3. When means of conjugated bilirubin fraction were compared in all the groups, significant difference in means was observed (p<0.0001). The mean CD4+ count was highest in group3, followed by group 1 and least in the HIV treatment naïve group (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The increases in ALT, AST, CB and TB seen in HIV patients on HAART treatments may be due to HIV infection and HAART treatments, which could be attributed to liver damage observed in these patients
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Aim: To examine whether or not non-secretion of ABH substances and non-tasting of PTC are risk factors exhibiting positive interactions for tuberculosis. Methodology: A total of 210 individuals comprising 110 tuberculosis patients (test group) and 100 apparently healthy subjects (control group) participated in this study. Secretors and non-secretors were determined among the study participants by haemagglutination inhibition test and Tasters and non-tasters were determined using phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste strips (0.0143 mg/strip). Results: Of the 110 tuberculosis patients, 65 (59.1%) and 45 (40.9%) were secretors and non-secretors respectively while 49 (44.5%) were tasters and 61 (55.5%) were non-tasters. Of the 100 control subjects, 78% and 22% were secretors and non-secretors respectively while 67% and 33% were tasters and non-tasters respectively. Non-secretors of ABH substances were significantly more associated with test patients than controls (χ2 = 8.62, df = 1, p = 0.002). Non-tasters of PTC were significantly more associated with test patients than controls (χ2=10.68, df=1, p=0.001). When combined, secretors and tasters were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (χ2=13.44, df=1, p<0.001) while non-secretors and non-tasters were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (χ2=9.77, df=1, p=0.002). Individuals who were both non-secretors and non-tasters were significantly associated with tuberculosis compared to those who were not (OR 3.5; 95% C.I 1.59-7.51). Conclusion: This study shows that there is a remarkable increased incidence of tuberculosis in individuals who are both unable to secrete ABH substances and taste PTC.