Assessment of biochemical liver function tests in relation to age among steady state sickle cell anemia patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Multiorgan failure including liver dysfunction is a common finding in sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients, the cause of which is multifactorial with advancing age said to be a major determinant. There is a paucity of data on liver function among SCA patients in relation to age in northern Nigerian hospitals, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. This study was to assess the biochemical liver function tests (LFTs) as they relate to age among SCA patients in steady state, with a view to improving the overall monitoring of these patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out in ABUTH, Zaria, Northern Nigeria. LFTs were carried out in 100 SCA and 100 apparently healthy participants (controls). The SCA group was made up of fifty adults and fifty children diagnosed of SCA, whereas the control group was made up of fifty adults and fifty children who were apparently healthy and had hemoglobin AA. Paired two-tailed Student's t-test for matched samples and Pearson's linear correlation statistical methods were employed for the data analysis using Microsoft Office Excel 2007. A P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The serum concentrations of total bilirubin (TB), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and AST/ALT ratio were significantly higher in SCA patients compared to the controls (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.05, P = 0.05 and P = 0.001, respectively). Serum total protein (TP) and ALB were significantly lower (P = 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) in SCA patients compared with the controls. The levels of TB, ALT, AST, ALP, and AST/ALT were significantly lower in SCA adults compared to SCA children, whereas TP and ALB were higher in SCA adults compared to the SCA children. There were significant negative correlations between age and each of TB, ALT, AST, ALP, and AST/ALT, and significant positive correlations between age and each of TP and ALB in SCA patients. CONCLUSION: There are mild LFTs derangements in SCA patients even in steady state with the extent of the abnormalities decreasing with advancing age of the patients.

Biochemical features of hepatic dysfunction in Nigerians with sickle cell anaemia.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to document the biochemical manifestations of liver dysfunction in Nigerians with sickle cell anaemia with the aim of alerting physicians on the need to consider these changes in the overall management of the disease condition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum total proteins, albumin, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels were estimated in 150 patients with sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) and 100 control (HbAA) subjects. RESULTS: The serum total proteins and albumin levels were found to fall within the reference intervals in both the HbSSpatients and the controls. However, the mean bilirubin (total and conjugated) levels and the activities of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the HbSSpatients than the control subjects. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated elevated levels of serum bilirubin, ALP, ALT and AST in patients with sickle cell anaemia.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

OBJECTIVE: To study the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B viral (HBV), infection among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano metropolis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: This is a retrospective study in which patients tested for hepatitis B virus using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a marker were reviewed over 3 years. A total of 6,395 patients comprising of 4,040 males and 2,355 females including adults and children were tested for HBsAg from January 2004 to December 2006. Over this period, 1509 sera were tested in 2004, 2,322 in 2005 and 2,564 in 2006. RESULTS: Among the 6,395 patients, 703 (11.4%) comprising of 240 (10.2%) females and 490 (12.1%) males were positive for HBsAg. The highest prevalence was seen at the extremes of life in which 19.4% and 16.9% were seen among patients below 10 years and above 50 years respectively. The yearly trend of HBV surface antigenemia was 220 (14.6%) in 2004, 235 (10.1%) in 2005 and 275 (10.7%) in 2006. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the prevalence of HBsAg among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano is high and highest prevalence is seen at the extremes of life.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus infection has become a global public health problem. In Nigeria, several studies from different parts of the country have confirmed the endemicity of the infection. This study seeks examine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B viral infection among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano metropolis. METHOD: This is a retrospective study in which patients tested for hepatitis B virus using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a marker were reviewed over 3 years. A total of 6,395 patients comprising of 4,040 males and 2,355 females including adults and children were tested for HBsAg from January 2004 to December 2006. Over this period, 1,509 sera were tested in 2004, 2,322 in 2005 and 2,564 in 2006. RESULTS: Among the 6,395 patients, 703 (11.4%) comprising of 240 (10.2%) females and 490 (12.1%) males were positive for HBsAg. The highest prevalence was seen at the extremes of life in which 19.4% and 16.9% were seen among patients below 10 years and above 50 years respectively. The yearly trend of HBV surface antigenemia was 220 (14.6%) in 2004, 235 (10.1%) in 2005 and 275 (10.7%) in 2006. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the prevalence of HBsAg among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano is high and highest prevalence is seen at the extremes of life.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen among Patients Attending Aminu Kano

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection has become a global public health problem. In Nigeria; several studies from different parts of the country have confirmed the endemicity of the infection. This study seeks examine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B viral infection among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano metropolis. Method: This is a retrospective study in which patients tested for hepatitis B virus using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a marker were reviewed over 3 years. A total of 6;395 patients comprising of 4;040 males and 2;355 females including adults and children were tested for HBsAg from January 2004 to December 2006. Over this period; 1;509 sera were tested in 2004; 2;322 in 2005 and 2;564 in 2006. Results: Among the 6;395 patients; 703(11.4) comprising of 240 (10.2) females and 490 (12.1) males were positive for HBsAg. The highest prevalence was seen at the extremes of life in which 19.4and 16.9were seen among patients below 10years and above 50 years respectively. The yearly trend of HBV surface antigenemia was 220 (14.6) in 2004; 235 (10.1) in 2005 and 275 (10.7) in 2006. Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of HBsAg among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital; Kano is high and highest prevalence is seen at the extremes of life

Serum fructosamine in the assessment of glycaemic status in patients with sickle cell anaemia.

AIM: To assess the usefulness of fructosamine in evaluating the glycaemic status in patients with sickle cell anaemia. METHOD: Serum fructosamine, glucose, albumin and bilirubin were measured in one hundred and fifty patients with sickle cell anaemia (HbSS), fifty poorly controlled diabetics and one hundred healthy control subjects. Fructosamine was assayed using the method of Johnson et al. RESULTS: None of the HbSS patients had hyperglycaemia. Serum fructosamine was significantly higher in the poorly controlled Diabetics compared to the HbSS patients and the Controls. The mean serum albumin levels were within the laboratory's reference interval in the three groups of subjects studied. There was no significant correlation between fructosamine and normal serum albumin in the three groups of subjects. Moderately raised serum bilirubin concentrations in the HbSS patients did not cause any significant interference in the assay of fructosamine in the patients. CONCLUSION: Serum fructosamine could be reliably employed as a measure of glycaemic status of patients with sickle cell anaemia with moderate hyperbilirubinaemia.

Serum lipids in women on oral contraceptives in Zaria-Nigeria.

AIM: To compare the serum lipid levels of women on two different types of oral contraceptives, norethindrone 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.035 mg and norgesterol 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.03 mg. METHOD: Serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were estimated in two groups (A&B) of women. Group A were 35 women who had been on norethindrone 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.035 mg for over one year, while the group B were 35 women on norgesterol 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.03 mg for three months. Thirty five healthy, age- matched women not on oral contraceptive agent were used as controls. RESULTS: Significantly higher levels of serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were found in the group A women compared to the group B women. The mean HDL-cholesterol level was significantly higher in the group B women in the 2nd and 3rd months of therapy than in the controls. The LDL-cholesterol levels were statistically similar in the two groups of contraceptive users and the controls. The results obtained were within the reference interval established in our laboratory. CONCLUSION: The oral contraceptive containing norgesterol 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.03 mg was found to be better as it increased the levels of HDL-cholesterol more than the other lipids. It is not known if this finding will persist on long-term use of the oral contraceptive.