ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Haemoglobinopathies are diseases of global importance and the countries with high disease burdens have inaccurate national data on the incidence of the various haemoglobin (Hb) phenotypes. OBJECTIVE: To review the Hb phenotype distribution, the referral identity of patients, and the clinical reasons for phenotyping. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study conducted at a private diagnostic laboratory in Lagos, South-West, Nigeria. The anonymous results of Hb phenotypes of the patients determined using gel electrophoresis were retrieved from the laboratory information system (LIS). RESULTS: There were 942 patients: 519(55.1%) males and 423(44.9%) females with median ages 30yrs (11months-89yrs) vs 27yrs (9months-89yrs), p=0.0018. The phenotypes were HbAA, 592(63.2%); HbAS(26.4%); HbSS(7.1%); HbAC(2.1%), HbSC(0.7%) and HbCC(0.4%). Of the total, 757(80.4%) were referred by health care providers and 185(19.6%) were selfreferred, and there was no association between gender and referral identity of patients. However, there were more males [353(46.6%)] with clinical reasons for referrals than females [94(12.4%)], p<0.0001, and annual check was the commonest reason for Hb phenotyping. CONCLUSION: Most patients were referred for Hb phenotyping and an annual health check is the commonest reason for phenotype requests. This emphasizes the need for policies to support national Hb phenotype/genotype screening programmes to aid the early detection of sickle cell disease.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Sickle Cell , Hemoglobin, Sickle , Adult , Female , Hemoglobins/analysis , Humans , Male , Nigeria/epidemiology , Phenotype , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Inflammation processes are implicated in many degenerative diseases. Piper guineense, a West African spice belonging to the Piperaceae family has been reported to contain anti-inflammatory agents. AIM OF STUDY: This study determined the modulatory effects of methanolic extracts of Piper guineense leaves and seeds on egg albumin-induced inflammation in rats. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Inflammation in the hind paw was induced by injecting 0.1ml egg albumin subcutaneously. Treatments including diclofenac were given orally. Rectal temperature and paw size were monitored hourly for the first 3 h' post-induction of inflammation and then at the 6th and 24th hour. Serum levels of CRP, MDA, LDH and GGT activities were determined at these hours. RESULTS: Results showed that egg albumin-induced inflammation caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in paw size and rectal temperature. It further showed that treatment with the leaves and seed extracts reversed the effect of inflammation on serum levels of CRP and MDA, and on LDH and GGT activities similar to diclofenac in rats. CONCLUSION: Extracts of the Piper guineense seed and leaves have potentials of being used as an anti-inflammatory agent but further studies need to be done to determine their toxicity and effects on immunological markers of inflammation.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Inflammation/prevention & control , Piper , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Leaves , Seeds , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification , Carrier Proteins/blood , Disease Models, Animal , Inflammation/blood , Inflammation/chemically induced , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/blood , Male , Malondialdehyde/blood , Ovalbumin , Piper/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Rats , Seeds/chemistry , gamma-Glutamyltransferase/bloodABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Saccular abdominal aortic aneurysms (SAAA) are rare types of abdominal aortic aneurysm. It has a higher risk of rupture, hence must be repaired at smaller diameter. Mortality from rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is high and has been reported to be about 90%. CASE PRESENTATION: This is the case of a 37-year-old woman with chronic waist pain and abdominal discomfort. Clinical examinations revealed a pulsating abdominal mass. Doppler ultrasound and abdominopelvic contrast enhanced CT scan showed multiple saccular aneurysms of the infrarenal abdominal aorta. This patient had no identified predisposing factor. She was being worked up for surgery, but eventually died of rupture, the most dreaded complication 3 days prior to surgical repair. CONCLUSION: The risk factors for rupture found in this patient were the size and type (saccular) of the aneurysm, intraluminal thrombus in addition to the multiplicity of the aneurysm as well as their adjacent positions; that probably led to arterial wall stress.
