RESUMO
Background: This study sought to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels and acute respiratory infection (ARI) in under-five children in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) in Nigeria. Methodology: This study was conducted in NAUTH, Nigeria, in 2017, in 250 children with ARI, classified into those with acute upper respiratory infection (AURI) and those with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI). and 250 children without ARI, matched for age and gender. Sociodemographic data and serum vitamin D were obtained. The data were compared between the study and the control groups. The data were compared between those with AURI and those with ALRI. Results: The mean serum 25(OH)D of (52.2±25.6 ng/ml) in the study subjects was lower than the (57.0±23.9 ng/ml in the control group (t=2.20, p=0.03).The mean serum 25(OH)D levels in children with ALRI [39.8±23.8 ng/ml] was lower than in those with AURI [56.0±24.9ng/ml] (t= 14.83, p <0.001). In addition, the association between low levels of serum 25(OH)D and severity of ALRI was significant (x2 = 9.45, p = 0.002). Conclusion: In under-five children, serum vitamin D levels were low, and these low levels were associated more with ALRIs than AURIs in this study.
RESUMO
Background: Hypertension is a major healthcare problem in Nigeria with a probable prevalence of 36.6%. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global healthcare problem. The factors which influence hypertension in HIV subjects have not been completely identified. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and the factors which might influence hypertension in HAART-naïve HIV subjects. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study involving 393 treatment-naïve HIV subjects and 136 age and sex-matched HIV seronegative controls. Anthropometric and demographic data were obtained, blood pressure measurements and other relevant investigations were performed. Hypertension was defined here as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 90mmHg. Hypertension was compared between the HIV subjects and the non-HIV control. The association of the variables with hypertension in HIV subjects were determined. Results: The mean age of the HIV subjects was 39±11 years. Females were 282(72.0%) and males 110(28.0%). The prevalence of hypertension was 23.7% in HIV subjects and 31.6% in the non-HIV control. The prevalence of hypertension was 17.2% in HIV subjects with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) <1.0mg/dl and this was significantly lower than the prevalence of hypertension of 27.1% in those whose serum HDL was ≥ 1.0mg/dl. There was no significant association between hypertension and 24-hour urine osmolality (24HUOsm) (p=0.094), body mass index (BMI) (p=0.572), 24-hour urine protein (24HUP) (p=0.606), serum total cholesterol (p=0.628), serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (p=0.116), triglyceride (TG) (p=0.925), Systolic blood pressure had a significant correlation with serum HDL, (r=0.114, p=0.024). Similarly, CD4 cell count correlated significantly with DBP (r=0.123, p=0.012. Serum HDL (p=0.0.024) and CD4 cell count (p=0.012) predicted hypertension in HIV subjects. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension of 23.7% in HIV subjects was high in this study. Low CD4 cell count and low serum HDL were predictors of hypertension in HIV subjects.
