Long non-coding RNA as potential diagnostic markers for acute myeloid leukemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is aggressive type of hematological malignancy. Its poses challenges in early diagnosis, necessitating the identification of an effective biomarker. This study aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) in the diagnosis of AML through a meta-analysis. The study is registered on the PROSPERO website with the number 493518. METHOD: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Hinari, and the Scopus databases to identify relevant studies. We pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the summary receiver operating characteristics (ROC) using Stata 14.1 software. Heterogeneity between studies was determined through the I2 statistic and Cochran-Q test. A random effect model was chosen due to significant heterogeneity among included studies. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed to assess the potential source of heterogeneity. Furthermore, potential publication bias was estimated using Deek's funnel plot asymmetry test. RESULTS: A total of 14 articles covering 19 studies were included in this meta-analysis comprising 1588 AML patients and 529 healthy participants. The overall pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR, and the area under the summary ROC curve were 0.85 (95% CI = 0.78-0.91), 0.82 (95% CI = 0.72-0.89), 4.7 (95% CI = 2.9-7.4), 0.18 (95% CI = 0.12-0.28), 26 (95% CI = 12-53), and 0.90 (95% CI = 0.87-0.93), respectively. Moreover, lncRNAs from non-bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) had superior diagnostic value with pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.93, 0.82, and 0.95, respectively. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that circulating lncRNAs can serve as potential diagnostic markers for AML. High accuracy of diagnosis was observed in non-BMMC lncRNAs, given cutoff value, and the GADPH internal reference gene used. However, further studies with large sample size are required to confirm our results.

Determining the rate and reasons for specimen rejection among specimens referred for HIV viral load determination through referral linkage to Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, north-central, Ethiopia,2023: Retrospective study.

Background: The preanalytical phase encompasses the time between the clinician's test order to the sample being ready for analysis. Of all errors during the laboratory diagnostic process,70 % appeared in the pre-analytical phase. In clinical laboratories, it is crucial to ensure proper specimen collection and handling, which is essential to guarantee quality assessment, monitoring process standardization, improving performance, and ensuring patient safety. Despite this importance, no study has been conducted in the study area to investigate the rate and reasons for human immunodeficiency virus viral load sample rejection. Objective: To determine the rate of human immunodeficiency virus viral load sample rejection (number of preanalytical errors) documented during the preanalytical phase and articulate possible causes for specimen rejection. Material and methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from January 1st to January 31, 2023. During the study period, 5950 samples were extracted from the human immunodeficiency virus viral load laboratory sample tracking log books, which were sent to the hospital for viral load testing between August 2021 to November 2022. The collected data were cleaned and entered into EPI data version 4.6 before transferred it to STATA version 14.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, and cross-tabulations were used to summarize the findings. Results: The study found that improper sample handling was common during the preanalytical phase. According to the current study, 3.6 % of the sample was rejected at pre analytical stage. The most common reasons for specimen rejection were using inappropriate containers (64.0 %) uncentrifuged specimens (20.4 %); hemolyzed specimens (7.0 %); insufficient specimen volume (6.2 %); clotted specimens (1.9 %); and specimen labeling problems (0.5 %). Conclusion: This study found that the most common preanalytical error was using an inappropriate sample collection container, followed by uncentrifuged samples, Therefore, it is recommended that mentorship programs be developed to educate staff on the preanalytical phase of laboratory testing, specifically on sample collection, storage, and transportation for HIV viral load testing. Additionally, the quality management system of laboratory processes should be strengthened to ensure accuracy and minimize errors.

Hotspot areas of risky sexual behaviour and associated factors in Ethiopia: Further spatial and mixed effect analysis of Ethiopian demographic health survey.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual behaviour needs to take a central position in the heart of public health policy makers and researchers. This is important in view of its association with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including HIV. Though the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is declining in Ethiopia, the country is still one of the hardest hit in the continent of Africa. Hence, this study was aimed at identifying hot spot areas and associated factors of risky sexual behavior (RSB). This would be vital for more targeted interventions which can produce a sexually healthy community in Ethiopia. METHODS: In this study, a cross-sectional survey study design was employed. A further analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data was done on a total weighted sample of 10,518 women and men age 15-49 years. ArcGIS version 10.7 and Kuldorff's SaTScan version 9.6 software were used for spatial analysis. Global Moran's I statistic was employed to test the spatial autocorrelation, and Getis-Ord Gi* as well as Bernoulli-based purely spatial scan statistics were used to detect significant spatial clusters of RSB. Mixed effect multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify predictors and variables with a p-value ≤0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULT: The study subjects who had RSB were found to account about 10.2% (95% CI: 9.64%, 10.81%) of the population, and spatial clustering of RSB was observed (Moran's I = 0.82, p-value = 0.001). Significant hot spot areas of RSB were observed in Gambela, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The primary and secondary SaTScan clusters were detected in Addis Ababa (RR = 3.26, LLR = 111.59, P<0.01), and almost the entire Gambela (RR = 2.95, LLR = 56.45, P<0.01) respectively. Age, literacy level, smoking status, ever heard of HIV/AIDS, residence and region were found to be significant predictors of RSB. CONCLUSION: In this study, spatial clustering of risky sexual behaviour was observed in Ethiopia, and hot spot clusters were detected in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Gambela regions. Therefore, interventions which can mitigate RSB should be designed and implemented in the identified hot spot areas of Ethiopia. Interventions targeting the identified factors could be helpful in controlling the problem.

The Role of Extracorporeal Photopheresis in the Management of Graft Versus Host Disease: Narrative Review.

Hematopoietic stem cell donation is a method used to treat both blood-related and non-blood-related malignancies. Graft-versus-host disease is a potentially life-threatening complication that can occur following a stem cell transplant from a donor. This happens after the transplanted grafts attack the recipient's body as foreign cells, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Clinically, this condition can be classified as acute or chronic based on onset and pathophysiology. This review aims to provide an overview of recent studies on extracorporeal photopheresis as a treatment strategy option for graft-versus-host-diseased patients. It will explain how it treats graft-versus-host disease, summarize its promising effects, and provide future recommendations for its use in treating this illness. Extracorporeal photopheresis is used to treat graft-versus-host disease by collecting and separating white blood cells from the patient. This blood is fractionated into different parts, and white blood cells undergo treatment with 8-methoxy psoralen, a photoactivable drug, before exposure to ultraviolet light A. Lastly, the cells that have been treated are reinfused into the recipient's body. It prompts the programmed cell death of lymphocytes and the engulfment of cellular debris by host antigen-presenting, leading to a subsequent rise in T regulatory cells. However, more experimental and randomized controlled studies are required to identify the best patient selection requirements, environments, and treatment regimens for graft-versus-host disease.

The frequency of ABO and Rhesus(D) blood group antigens among blood transfused patients in Northern Ethiopia, 2023: Retrospective study.

Background: Data about the distribution of ABO and RhD blood groups is important for effective blood utilization, which is maintained by identifying the most clinically required blood type. However, there is a scarcity of data in Ethiopia about the distribution of ABO and RhD blood groups among blood-transfused patients, particularly in the study area. Objective: To determine the frequency of ABO and RhD blood groups among blood transfused patients at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northern Ethiopia, 2023. Method: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted from September 1 to September 30, 2022, to determine the frequency of ABO and RhD blood groups among blood-transfused patients at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. The study was conducted on data from blood-transfused patients from October 2019 to June 2022. A total of 3762 blood transfused patients' data was collected from the blood transfusion log book records. The data were coded, entered, and cleaned using Epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed for descriptive statistics using Stata version 14.0. Result: A total of 3762 blood-transfused patients were included in the study. Of those, females made up 57.3 % (2156/3762). Of 3762 blood transfused patients, the majority (33.9 %, 1277/3762) had ABO blood group B, and 81.3 % (3060/3762) of the blood transfused patients were RhD-positive. Eight thousand three hundred fifteen units of whole blood were transfused to 3762 patients, with a mean of 2.2 units of blood transfused per patient. Furthermore, the majority of the study participants 42.82 %, (1611/3762) were given two units of blood, and 8.77 % (330/3762) were given four units of blood. Conclusion: Most of the study participants had B and RhD-positive blood groups. The majority of the blood transfused patients were females. Most of the blood was transfused in the medical ward, and whole blood was transfused for all patients.

Correlates of ART attrition among adults under antiretroviral therapy in Southern Ethiopia, retrospective cohort study.

High attrition rates from ART are the primary contributors to morbidity, death, hospitalisation, rising transmission rates, treatment failure, rising burden of opportunistic infections (OIs), and the evolution of HIV-virus resistance (HIVDR). In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than two-thirds of ART patients will not receive continuous care. There is little information about the correlates that contribute to attrition from ART services among ART patients in Southern Ethiopia. Hence, this study aims to identify correlates of attrition from antiretroviral therapy services for adults under antiretroviral therapy at Otona Teaching and Referral Hospital, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia. From 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017, a retrospective cohort analysis was performed. The pre-determined 328 medical records were chosen using a simple random sampling technique using computer-generated random numbers. Epi Info version 3.5.3 was used to enter and clean the data, which were then exported to STATA version 11 for analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model, both bivariate and multivariable, was used. Variables with p-values less than 0.25 in bivariate analysis were considered candidates for multivariable analysis, and variables with p-values less than 0.05 were deemed statistically important in multivariable analysis. The intensity of the correlation and statistical significance were determined using the CHR, AHR, and 95 per cent confidence intervals. The magnitude of attrition from ART service was 21.60% (95% CI: 17.10, 26.10). The distance between home and hospital is more than five kilometres (AHR:3.84;95% CI: 1.99,7.38), no registered phone number (AHR:2.47;95%CI:1.32,4.09), have not taken isoniazid prophylaxis (AHR:2.23;95%CI:1.30,4.09), alcohol consumption (AHR: 1.77; 95% CI:1.01, 3.12), and had no caregiver (AHR: 2.11; 95% CI:1.23, 3.60) were statistically significant in the Cox proportional hazard model. Distance between home and hospital, phone number registration on follow-up chart, having a history of alcohol consumption, isoniazid prophylaxis provision, and having family support were independent correlates of attrition from antiretroviral treatment services.

Trend, determinants, and future prospect of child marriage in the Amhara region, Ethiopia: a multivariate decomposition analysis.

Background: Child marriage is a harmful traditional practice, which compromises children of their childhood and threatens their lives and health. In Ethiopia, 58% of women and 9% of men get married before the age of 18 years. Surprisingly, parents in the Amhara region make marriage promises of their children before they are even born, which will hinder the region from attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of ending child marriage. Thus, this study aimed to assess the trends, determinants, and future prospects of child marriage in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted using four consecutive nationally representative Ethiopian demographic and health surveys (2000-2016). A logit-based multivariate decomposition analysis for a non-linear response model was fitted to identify factors that contributed to the change in child marriage over time. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. The child marriage practice in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted using different forecasting features of Excel. Results: The trend of child marriage over the study period (2000-2016) decreased from 79.9% (76.7, 82.8) to 42.9% (39.1, 46.9), with an annual average reduction rate of 2.9%. Approximately 35.2% of the decline resulted from an increase in the proportion of women who attained secondary and above-secondary education over the two surveys. A decrease in the proportion of rural women and a change in the behavior of educated and media-exposed women also contributed significantly to the decline in child marriage. The prevalence of child marriage in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted to be 10.1% or 8.8%. Conclusion: Though there has been a significant decline in child marriage in the Amhara region over the past 16 years, the proportion is still high, and the region is not going to eliminate it by 2030. Education, residence, and media exposure were all factors associated with the observed change in child marriage in this study. Therefore, additional efforts will be required if child marriage is to be eliminated by 2030, and investing more in education and media access will hasten the region's progress in this direction.

Congenital anomalies and risk factors in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pooled prevalence and identify risk factors of congenital anomalies among neonates in Africa. METHODS: The pooled birth prevalence of congenital anomalies was the first outcome of this review, and the pooled measure of association between congenital anomalies and related risk factors in Africa was the second. We conducted a thorough search of the databases PubMed/ Medline, PubMed Central, Hinary, Google, Cochrane Library, African Journals Online, Web of Science and Google Scholar up to 31 January 2023. The JBI appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the studies. STATA V.17 was used for the analysis. The I2 test and Eggers and Beggs tests were used to measure study heterogeneity and publication bias respectively. The pooled prevalence of congenital anomalies was calculated using DerSimonian and Laird random-effect model. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and meta-regression were also performed. RESULT: This systematic review and meta-analysis includes 32 studies with a total of 626 983 participants. The pooled prevalence of congenital anomalies was 23.5 (95% CI 20 to 26.9) per 1000 newborns. Not taking folic acid (pooled OR=2.67; 95% CI (1.42 to 5.00)), history of maternal illness (pooled OR=2.44, 95% CI (1.2 to 4.94)), history of drug use (pooled OR=2.74, 95% CI (1.29 to 5.81)), maternal age (>35 years.) (Pooled OR=1.97, 95% CI (1.15 to 3.37)), drinking alcohol (pooled OR=3.15, 95% CI (1.4 to 7.04)), kchat chewing (pooled OR=3.34, 5% CI (1.68 to 6.65)) and urban residence (pooled OR=0.58, 95% CI (0.36 to 0.95)) were had significant association with congenital anomalies. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of congenital abnormalities in Africa was found to be substantial, with significant regional variation. Appropriate folate supplementation during pregnancy, proper management of maternal sickness, proper antenatal care, referring healthcare personnel before using drugs, avoiding alcohol intake and kchat chewing are all important in lowering the occurrence of congenital abnormalities among newborns in Africa.

Prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among adult asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. The pathophysiologic processes of asthma can disrupt iron homeostasis, resulting in anemia. However, the association between asthma and anemia among adult asthma patients remains limited. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anemia among adult asthmatic patients from May to August 2021. METHODS: An institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 291 asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia. A pre-tested structured questionnaire and checklist were used to collect sociodemographic and clinical data. A blood specimen was collected from asthmatic patients for a complete blood count analysis and morphology assessment. The data were entered into the Epi data software and exported to the statistical package for social science version 20 software for analysis. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare red blood cell parameters among groups with acute and chronic exacerbations. Binary logistic regression models were used to determine the factors associated with anemia. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: The overall prevalence of anemia in this study was 11% (95% CI: 7.2-14.8%). Acutely exacerbated asthmatic patients had significantly lower median values of red blood cell parameters such as red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and mean cell hemoglobin when compared to chronic exacerbations. In addition, using systemic corticosteroids (AOR = 4.07, 95% CI: 1.126-14.71, p = 0.032) and being hospitalized in the emergency department (AOR = 3.74, 95% CI: 1.26-11.07, p = 0.017) were found to be significantly associated with anemia. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that anemia was predominant in adult asthma patients. Red blood cell number, hemoglobin level, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin were significantly lower in acute asthma exacerbations. Therefore, appropriate intervention strategies should be undertaken to reduce the prevalence of anemia among adult asthma patients to reduce further complications and provide better monitoring of asthma patients.

Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome and Associated Factors Among Tuberculosis Patients Linked to Tuberculosis Treatment Clinics in Ethiopia, 2023: A Multi-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Tuberculosis is a communicable disease, mainly caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Globally, TB is the ninth leading cause of death, with developing countries bearing most of the burden. The discovery of chemotherapy lead to significant improvements in patient survival. Therefore, this study aimed to assess Tuberculosis treatment outcomes and associated factors in South Gondar Administrative Zone Governmental Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2023. Method and Materials: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted from July 1 to August 30, 2022, at South Gondar zone public hospitals. The data was entered into Epi-data version 4 and exported to STATA version 14. A binary and multivariable logistic regression was computed at a 95% confidence interval. Variables with a p-value less than 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were chosen for multivariable logistic regression analysis, and variables having a p-value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable analysis, were considered to have significant associations with the dependent variable. Results: The study included 400 tuberculosis patients, and the overall successful treatment outcome was 89.0% (95% Confidence Interval: 85.5-91.7). In this study, study participants who tested positive for HIV were approximately three times more likely to have unsuccessful treatment outcomes (Adjusted odds ratio = 3.07; 95% Confidence Interval = 1.49-6.16.5; P = 0.002) relative to HIV-negative patients. On the other hand, patients with sputum-positive were more likely to have a successful treatment rate (Adjusted odds ratio = 0.08; 95% Confidence Interval = 0.011-0.638, P = 0.002) relative to sputum-negative TB patients. Conclusion: The overall treatment success rate was 89.0%, which was lower than the global milestone target of > 90% set for 2025, and the prevalence of TB-HIV coinfection was 16.5%. In this study, HIV-positive was negatively associated with successful treatment outcomes, and sputum positive was independently associated with successful tuberculosis treatment outcomes.

Ferroptosis in diabetic nephropathy: Mechanisms and therapeutic implications.

Diabetic Nephropathy (DN), the most common complication in diabetes mellitus, has been affecting the lives of people diabetic for a long time. Numerous studies have demonstrated the unbreakable connection between ferroptosis and kidney cell damage. Ferroptosis is a type of iron-dependent, non-apoptotic, regulated cell death, characterized by the buildup of intracellular lipid peroxides to lethal levels. Although the role of programmed cell deaths like apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis in the pathogenesis of DN has been demonstrated, the implication of ferroptosis in DN was least interrogated. Hence, the main aim of this review was to discuss the current understanding of ferroptosis focusing on its potential mechanisms, its involvement in DN, and emerging therapeutic opportunities.

Prognostication of treatment non-compliance among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the course of their follow-up: a logistic regression-based machine learning algorithm.

Introduction: Drug compliance is the act of taking medication on schedule or taking medication as prescribed and obeying other medical instructions. It is the most crucial aspect in the treatment of chronic diseases particularly for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Drug non-compliance is the main reason for causing drug resistance and poor treatment outcomes. Hence, developing a risk prediction model by using early obtainable prognostic determinants of non-compliance is vital in averting the existing, unacceptably high level of poor treatment outcomes and reducing drug resistance among MDR-TB patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective follow-up study was conducted on a total of 517 MDR-TB patients in Northwest Ethiopia. A logistic regression-based machine learning algorithm was used to develop a risk score for the prediction of treatment non-compliance among MDR-TB patients in selected referral hospitals of Northwest Ethiopia. The data were incorporated in EpiData version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 16 and R version 4.0.5 software for analysis. A simplified risk prediction model was developed, and its performance was reported. It was also internally validated by using a bootstrapping method. Results: Educational status, registration group (previously treated/new), treatment support, model of care, and khat use were significant prognostic features of treatment non-compliance. The model has a discriminatory power of area under curve (AUC) = 0.79 with a 95% CI of 0.74-0.85 and a calibration test of p-value = 0.5. It was internally validated by using a bootstrapping method, and it has a relatively corrected discriminatory performance of AUC = 0.78 with a 95% CI of 0.73-0.86 and an optimism coefficient of 0.013. Conclusion: Educational status, registration group, treatment supporter, model of care, and khat use are important features that can predict treatment non-compliance of MDR-TB patients. The risk score developed has a satisfactory level of accuracy and good calibration. In addition, it is clinically interpretable and easy to use in clinical practice, because its features are easily ascertainable even at the initial stage of patient enrolment. Hence, it becomes important to reduce poor treatment outcomes and drug resistance.

Peripheral blood eosinophilia in adult asthmatic patients and its association with the severity of asthma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a diverse disease with various etiologic bases. Severe asthma can be associated with increased mortality, hospitalization, and decreased quality of life for asthma patients. High blood eosinophil counts were associated with severe asthma, but recent studies have failed to confirm this as a marker of severe asthma among adult asthma patients. As a result, the purpose of this study was to determine the association between the severity of asthma and high blood eosinophil count. METHODOLOGY: A simple random sampling technique was used to select 291 asthmatic patients for an institution-based cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics were collected by using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Four milliliters of venous blood were collected from asthmatic patients for complete blood count and peripheral morphology assessment. The eosinophil count was analyzed by the Unicel DxH 800 (Beckman Coulter, Ireland) analyzer. A statistical package for social science version 20 (SPSS) software was used to analyze the data. The non-parametric (Mann-Whitney U) test was used to compare the eosinophil count with different background variables. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the factors associated with eosinophilia. A p-value less than 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression analysis was considered statistically significant. RESULT: In this study, the overall magnitude of eosinophilia was 19.6% (95% CI = 14.8-24.1). Being admitted to the emergency department (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.09-0.69, p = 0.007) and being female (AOR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26-0.9, p = 0.025) were shown to have a statistically significant association with eosinophilia. Moreover, the absolute eosinophil count was significantly higher among asthmatic patients infected with intestinal parasitic infection (p < 0.045). CONCLUSION: Being female and admission to the emergency department were negatively associated with eosinophilia. Lack of eosinophilia can be related to the low-T2 asthma phenotype. The absolute eosinophil counts were higher among intestinal parasite-infected patients. Therefore, different biomarkers will be considered for the proper diagnosis and management of adult asthma patients.

Knowledge and attitude towards Covid-19 vaccine in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The biggest threat to the effectiveness of vaccination initiatives is a lack of information about and trust in immunization. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of knowledge of and positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine in Ethiopia. PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and the Ethiopian University online library were searched. To look for heterogeneity, I2 values were computed and an overall estimated analysis was carried out. Although 2108 research articles were retrieved, only 12 studies with a total of 5,472 participants met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled estimates of participants with good knowledge of and positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine were found to be 65.06% (95% CI: 56.69-73.44%; I2 = 82.3%) and 60.15% (95% CI: 45.56-74.74%; I2 = 89.4%), respectively, revealing that there is a gap in knowledge of and positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine in Ethiopia. A holistic and multi-sectoral partnership is necessary for a successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Association of ABO and Rhesus Blood Types with Transfusion-Transmitted Infections (TTIs) Among Apparently Healthy Blood Donors at Bahir Dar Blood Bank, Bahir Dar, North West, Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Besides their clinical significance in blood transfusion medicine, ABO and Rh blood group antigens were found to be associated with many non-infectious and infectious diseases. This investigation aimed to assess the association of ABO and Rh blood group antigens with transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs). Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional retrospective investigation was conducted on 27,027 blood donors at Bahir Dar blood bank, from March 24/2019 to October 21/2021. The blood sample was collected from each blood donor and tested for TTI markers (HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis), with ELISA, and ABO and Rh blood grouping was performed. Descriptive analysis was done for sociodemographic data, and a chi-square test was used to show the association between the ABO and Rh blood groups with TTI markers, and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: From 27,027 study participants, 18,911 (70%) were males, with a mean age of 25.2 years, and 49.4% of the blood donors were students. The overall TTI prevalence was 5.43%, of which 2.8% was HBV, 1.5% was syphilis, 0.8% was HIV, and 0.3% was HCV. Blood group O (41.4%) was the most common blood group followed by, A (29.6%), B (23.6%), and AB (5.4%). Ninety-one point seven percent of the blood donors were Rh (D) positive. All TTI markers (HBV: p = 0.62, HIV: p = 0.77, HCV: p = 0.52, and syphilis: p = 0. 0.94) showed no significant association with ABO blood group. Rh blood type also showed no association with all TTI markers. Conclusion: The prevalence of TTI markers was not significantly associated with ABO and Rh blood groups.

Selected hematological abnormalities and their associated factors among asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lungs. Variation in whole blood cell lines is caused by the progression and severity of asthma. Common hematological abnormalities encountered during asthma include eosinophilia, neutrophilia, leukocytosis, and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The main aim of this study was to assess the selected hematological abnormalities and their associated factors among asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia from March to May 2021. METHODOLOGY: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 320 asthmatic patients in Northwest Ethiopia. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select study participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect data. Blood samples were collected from asthmatic patients for complete blood count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate determination. Hematological profiles were analyzed by Unicel DxH 800 (Beckman Coulter, Ireland). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was determined by using the Westergren method. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.0.4 and analyzed with a statistical package for social science version 20 software. The bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression models were used to assess the factors associated with hematological abnormalities. A p value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of neutrophilia, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, and basophilia was 35.3%, 20%, 11.9%, 10.3%, and 4.1%, respectively. Neutrophilia was associated with a lack of physical activity (AOR = 3.25; 95% CI 1.43-7.37) and a history of taking non-asthmatic drugs within the previous three months (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI 1.22-5.65). Being admitted to the emergency department (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI 0.11-5.67) was found to be associated with eosinophilia. In addition, being admitted to the emergency department (AOR = 5.44; 95%CI: 2.6-11.3) was associated with thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated the predominant prevalence of neutrophilia, followed by eosinophilia, among asthma patients. Therefore, hematological abnormalities should be taken into account for proper monitoring and management of asthmatic patients.

Prevalence, intensity of infection and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections among school children at Tachgayint woreda, Northcentral Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are one of the most common infections affecting underprivileged populations in low- and middle-income countries. Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm are the three main species that infect people. School children are the most vulnerable groups for STH infections due to their practice of walking and playing barefoot, poor personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation. However, evidence is limited in the study area. So, this study aimed to assess the current prevalence, infection intensity, and associated risk factors of STHs among school children in Tachgayint woreda, Northcentral Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among school children of Tachgayint woreda from February to May 2021. The study participants were chosen via systematic random sampling. Stool samples were collected from 325 children and examined using the Kato-Katz technique. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the potential associated factors for STHs. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to measure the magnitude of the association. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of STHs in this study was 36.0% (95% CI: 30.5-41.2%). Ascaris lumbricoides are the most prevalent species 89 (27.4%) followed by hookworm 14 (4.3%) and Trichuris trichiura 10 (3.1%). All of the infected school children had light-intensity of infections with the mean of eggs per gram (EPG) being 464.53. Lack of shoe wearing habit (AOR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.29-12.88) and having untrimmed fingernail (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.06-3.22) were identified as risk factors for STH infections. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-third of the school children were infected with at least one STH species and this indicates that STHs are still a health problem among school children in the study area. Therefore, periodic deworming, implementation of different prevention strategies, and health education programs should be regularly applied in the area.

Balantidium coli; Rare and Accidental Finding in the Urine of Pregnant Woman: Case Report.

Background: Balantidium coli is a ciliated protozoan parasite, which causes intestinal and extraintestinal infections in humans. It is transmitted feco-orally by ingesting infective cysts with food and water. Urinary balantidiasis may occur through contamination (direct spread from the anal area), secondarily to rectovaginal fistula and following immune suppression. Data about cases of urinary balantidiasis are rare in the world. Currently, there are no documented reports of urinary balantidiasis in Ethiopia. As our understanding, there are only eleven documented reports of urinary balantidiasis globally. However, cases of urinary balantidiasis among pregnant women have not been documented yet. The aim of this report is to alarm health professionals for considering the occurrence of such rare cases and conduct diagnosis. Case Presentation: A 24-year old pregnant woman was admitted due to severe preeclampsia and preterm delivery at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, gynecology ward. Her urine was presented to inpatient laboratory for routine urinalysis. We detected unusual and ciliated parasite from her urine sediment characterized by its active and rotary motility through its cilia and possessing macro- and micro-nuclei, several food vacuoles and ingested red blood cells inside the cytoplasm. Hematuria, many white blood cells and epithelial cells were also detected from the urine sediment, which suggests genito-urinary tract infection due to this parasite. This rare parasite finding was confirmed to be B. coli. Conclusion: The route of transmission and extraintestinal existence from this woman's urine was unclear. It might be due to feco-oral transmission and spread to the genitourinary tract through direct anal contact. Moreover, it might be associated with immune suppression as she is pregnant woman.