Paediatric HIV: Correlation between Serum Zinc Levels and CD4 Percentage on Asymptomatic Nigerian Children Living with HIV.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between their serum zinc levels and the CD4% in a cohort children living with HIV. METHODS: One hundred asymptomatic, anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) naïve children living with HIV (participants) aged 5-60 months who were enrolled into the Paediatric HIV clinic of The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital were recruited in the study over a 10-month period. Blood samples were collected in the morning from non-fasting participants and serum zinc levels were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The CD4% was ascertained using the CD4% easy count kit on the Partec® Cyflow Counter machine. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19. RESULT: The median (IQR) serum zinc level for the participants was 55.5 µg/dl (49.75) while their median (IQR) CD4% was 27.79% (18.67). Males had a median (IQR) CD4% of 24.29% (19.10) which was significantly lower than those of females [32% (20.59) (p = 0.047)]. No significant relationship was found between CD4% and zinc levels among the subjects (r = -0.061, p = 0.557). CONCLUSION: Serum zinc levels of asymptomatic ART naïve children living with HIV have no relationship with their CD4%.

Workplace bullying among Nigerian artisans in building and construction industry.

ABSTRACT: Bullying is a growing problem in the workplace. This study investigated the bullying experience of building and construction industry artisans.We employed a cross-sectional analytic design to study 240 artisans in respect of workplace bullying (WPB) experience using a self-report questionnaire. Percentage, mean and standard deviation were used for data analysis and interpretation.According to the study, a significant percentage (96.1%) of the artisans perceived themselves as victims of WPB within the past 6 months and these experiences also occurred once or more times weekly.WPB is a considerable problem among building and construction industry artisans in Nigeria. Further studies that can influence the construction industry to create valuable programs to minimize bullying among artisans are required.

Serum Zinc Levels in Apparently Healthy Children in Nigeria: Are They Acceptable.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the importance of zinc in the human body, there is paucity of data on the zinc status of Nigerian children. The aim of this study was to determine the serum zinc levels of children attending the pediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in South East Nigeria and to assess their need for routine zinc supplementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred children aged 5-60 months were recruited consecutively from the pediatric outpatient clinic. Their socioeconomic class (SEC) was assessed using the tool developed by Oyedeji. Physical examination was carried out to exclude malnutrition and/or liver disease. Samples were collected in the morning from nonfasting subjects and were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Serum zinc deficiency was defined as zinc level <80 µg/dl. RESULTS: The overall median (range) serum zinc level was 83.3ug/dl (60-105 µg/dl) while the median (mean rank) serum zinc levels among male and female subjects were 83.4 µg/dl and 84.2ug/dl, respectively (U = 1071.00; P = 0.228). A total of 26 (26%) apparently healthy children had low serum zinc levels. There was no association between gender and serum zinc levels (χ2 = 2.163; P = 0.141). A significant positive but weak relationship was found between SEC and zinc levels (r = 0.208, P = 0.038) but not between serum zinc levels and age of the children (r = 0.185, P = 0.065). CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of Under-5s could have low serum zinc levels. Routine zinc supplementation may be necessary among this age group in Nigeria.

Protein kinase C-zeta inhibition exerts cardioprotective effects in ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ischemia followed by reperfusion (I/R) in the presence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) results in marked cardiac contractile dysfunction. A cell-permeable PKC-zeta peptide inhibitor was used to test the hypothesis that PKC-zeta inhibition could attenuate PMN-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction by suppression of superoxide production from PMNs and increase nitric oxide (NO) release from vascular endothelium. The effects of the PKC-zeta peptide inhibitor were examined in isolated ischemic (20 min) and reperfused (45 min) rat hearts reperfused with PMNs. The PKC-zeta inhibitor (2.5 or 5 microM, n = 6) significantly attenuated PMN-induced cardiac dysfunction compared with I/R hearts (n = 6) receiving PMNs alone in left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and the maximal rate of LVDP (+dP/dt(max)) cardiac function indexes (P < 0.01), and these cardioprotective effects were blocked by the NO synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (50 microM). Furthermore, the PKC-zeta inhibitor significantly increased endothelial NO release 47 +/- 2% (2.5 microM, P < 0.05) and 54 +/- 5% (5 microM, P < 0.01) over basal values from the rat aorta and significantly inhibited superoxide release from phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-stimulated rat PMNs by 33 +/- 12% (2.5 microM) and 40 +/- 8% (5 microM) (P < 0.01). The PKC-zeta inhibitor significantly attenuated PMN infiltration into the myocardium by 46-48 +/- 4% (P < 0.01) at 2.5 and 5 microM, respectively. In conclusion, these results suggest that the PKC-zeta peptide inhibitor attenuates PMN-induced post-I/R cardiac contractile dysfunction by increasing endothelial NO release and by inhibiting superoxide release from PMNs thereby attenuating PMN infiltration into I/R myocardium.