Abstract Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the infiltration of the liver cells with fat of up to at least 5% and above. It is the type of fatty infiltration that is, not associated with alcohol intake, and is the “hepatic expression” of a metabolic syndrome that affects a wide spectrum of people. It is now a disease entity in today’s society, as it is fast becoming an emerging public health problem in the medical community. This is a result of the changing life patterns in society. The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular anomalies as depicted by changes in the vascular walls of blood vessels has been linked with NAFLD. Objective: To determine the association between NAFLD and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) among adult Nigerians. Subjects and Methods: This was a case–control study involving 181 apparently healthy subjects with NAFLD and an equal number of apparently normal subjects without NAFLD matched for age and gender. The CIMT was assessed in both groups. This makes for a total number of 362 subjects. They were recruited from ABUTH’s staff members and students and the General Out-patient/Family Medicine Clinic of ABUTH, Zaria. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of ABUTH, and all patients signed informed consent prior to their enrollment. Results: A total of 362 subjects were involved in the study. Both the NAFLD patients and control populations had 98 (54.1%) females and 83 (45.9%) males each, with the age range of both between 20 and 70 years of age. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs comparison test showed no significant difference in the ages of the two study groups. The development of NAFLD had significant association with age, subject’s occupation and area of residence, while there was no significant Association of development of NAFLD with sex, marital status and educational attainment. Also, there was statistically significant increase in CIMT in subjects with NAFLD when compared with the control group ( P ≤ 0.0001). The values suggested a steady increase with progression from mild, moderate to severe NAFLD. Conclusion: Our study showed a statistically significant increase of association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and CIMT when compared with the control group in our environment.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Complications of the disease are associated with the host’s inflammatory response. The study aimed to determine the plasma level of interleukin-6 as a biomarker of inflammation among adult patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Zaria. Method This was a cross-sectional study. Blood samples were taken from 30 treatment-naïve (TN), 30 treatment-experienced (TE), and 30 healthy controls (HC). Results The means and standard deviations of interleukin-6 plasma levels for tuberculosis treatment naive, treatment experience and apparently healthy control are 64.4 ± 19.4, 57.9 ± 21.4, and 49.9 ± 7.7 pg/L, respectively. This study found upregulated plasma levels of interleukin-6 among treatment naive compared to treatment experience but the statistically not significant and significantly upregulated level of interleukin 6 among treatment naïve compared to apparently healthy control (p = 0.006). There was a downregulated level of interleukin-6 among HC compared to TN and TE but statistically not significant. Conclusion The role of interleukin-6 as a surrogate biomarker for the management of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis is promising but requires further study.

With a global prevalence of 3.9% and a staggering 292 million individuals affected globally, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection stands out as a prominent global public health problem. In locations with elevated prevalence rates, blood transfusions and related products emerge as significant vectors of HBV transmission stressing its importance as a potential complication in such environments. This is a hospital-based cross-sectional study that engaged 71 HBV positive potential blood donor samples attending the blood donor bay of ABUTH-Zaria. The aim of this study is to determine the HBV viral load using RT-PCR among HBV-infected individuals and the corresponding serological markers (HBsAg, HBeAg, HBsAb, HBeAb, HBcAb) profile of potential blood donors using lateral flow chromatographic immunoassay technique. Data generated were analyzed using GraphPad prism version 6.01. Statistical significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05. HBsAg was identified in all 71 cases (100%), HBeAg in 5 samples (7.04%), anti-HBs in 1 sample (1.41%), anti-HBe in 62 samples (87.32%), and anti-HBc in all 71 samples (100%). Participants within the 28-37 age group demonstrated the highest prevalence of both HBsAg and anti-HBc markers, comprising 27 (38%) each of the total. Participants aged 28-37 years also demonstrated the highest prevalence of anti-HBe. There was also an observed majority of male participants among HBV-infected individuals in our study. Predominantly, the participants in this study showed HBsAg-positive status in 71 cases (100%) (X2=127.305; p<0.0001); HBeAg-negative status in 66 cases (92.96%) (X2=113.932; p<0.0001); HBeAb-positive status in 62 cases (87.3%) (X2=104.736; p<0.0001); and HBV DNA levels <2000 IU/mL. These parameters collectively depict an inactive carrier phase (immune-control stage) of the disease among the study participants. This study reveals an inactive carrier phase of the disease in 7.04% of the participants, emphasizing chronic hepatitis B's prevalence that require antiviral treatment to prevent disease progression. Additionally, HBV serological indicators (excluding HBsAb) are more common in younger adults, highlighting the need for enhanced injection safety, vaccination protocols, and viral load testing in healthcare centers to prevent unnecessary antiretroviral therapies and ensure effective healthcare delivery to eliminate HBV infection.

Liver cancer is the most common cancer among males in Africa. The disease has a poor prognosis and its treatment is associated with toxicity and resistance. For this reason, numerous herbal combinations are being subjected to anticancer screening to circumvent the shortcomings of the conventional anticancer drugs. In the current study, the in vivo anti-cancer effects of the chloroform root extract of the herb, Clausena excavata Burm were investigated. Liver cancer was induced in mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) followed by oral administration of the promoter of carcinogenesis, 2-aminoacetyl fluorine that was mixed with the mice feed. The cytotoxicity of the root extract of C. excavata on liver cancer cells was investigated using liver enzyme, histology, DNA fragmentation and caspases assays. Real time qPCR was conducted to evaluate the effect of the extract on apoptotic genes. The findings revealed that the extract of C. excavata significantly decreased the progression of hepatocarcinogenesis and the toxicity-induced production of the liver enzymes, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. The histological analyses of the liver tissues revealed evidence of apoptotic cell death. The extract also provoked significant ( p < .05) expressions of caspase 9 protein and gene as well as other apoptotic genes (P53, P27, Apaf-1, cytochrome C, bax and bid). Therefore, we postulate that the chloroform root extract of C. excavata induces apoptosis of liver cancer in mice. Keywords , , apoptosis , caspase 9 , hepatocellularcarcinoma , qPCR

Liver cancer is the most common cancer among males in Africa. The disease has a poor prognosis and its treatment is associated with toxicity and resistance. For this reason, numerous herbal combinations are being subjected to anticancer screening to circumvent the shortcomings of the conventional anticancer drugs. In the current study, the in vivo anti-cancer effects of the chloroform root extract of the herb, Clausena excavata Burm were investigated. Liver cancer was induced in mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) followed by oral administration of the promoter of carcinogenesis, 2-aminoacetyl fluorine that was mixed with the mice feed. The cytotoxicity of the root extract of C. excavata on liver cancer cells was investigated using liver enzyme, histology, DNA fragmentation and caspases assays. Real time qPCR was conducted to evaluate the effect of the extract on apoptotic genes. The findings revealed that the extract of C. excavata significantly decreased the progression of hepatocarcinogenesis and the toxicity-induced production of the liver enzymes, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. The histological analyses of the liver tissues revealed evidence of apoptotic cell death. The extract also provoked significant ( p < .05) expressions of caspase 9 protein and gene as well as other apoptotic genes (P53, P27, Apaf-1, cytochrome C, bax and bid). Therefore, we postulate that the chloroform root extract of C. excavata induces apoptosis of liver cancer in mice.

Background: The recent guidelines for HIV treatment initiation in Nigeria do not depend on CD4 cell count or plasma viral load however, assessment of the baseline immunologic and virologic markers could indicate prognosis and transmission index. This study was aimed to estimate CD4 cells and plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load among antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naive populations in three HIV treatment centres in Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional hospital-based study of 50 adult ART-naive patients. Whole blood and plasma samples were estimated for CD4 cells and HIV RNA-1 plasma viral load respectively. Results: The median age of the study participants was 35 years and 64% were female. The median CD4 cell count was 176 cell/μl while the median HIV viral load was 158391 copies/mL. There was a significant moderately strong, negative Spearman correlation between HIV-1 plasma viral load and CD4 cell count (r = −0.5007, P = 0.0002). Female recorded relatively higher CD4 cell count and lower plasma viral load. Six percent (6%) of the ART-naïve patients had undetectable viral load. Conclusion: This study indicates the baseline plasma viral load and CD4 cell count which can affect prognosis, disease progression and transmission. The drug-naïve participants reported with undetectable plasma RNA could be ‘elite’ controllers.

Background: Antisperm antibodies (ASA) have been implicated in some male with infertility especially those in which a definite cause could not be found. Also, some studies have attributed a causal relationship to the presence of antisperm antibodies and male infertility. Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of serum antisperm antibodies in men with infertility seen in two Hospitals in Zaria, Nigeria Materials and Methods: A total of 91 infertile men and 45 fertile men (as controls) were enrolled and follow up for 5 months. Blood samples and semen were collected, processed and analysed for serum IgA and IgG ASA using ELISA kits. Results: The study revealed the sero-prevalence of antisperm antibodies among infertile men in Zaria to be 57.1%, which varied significantly with that of the fertile male (11.1%). The prevalence of IgA and IgG antisperm antibodies were significantly higher in infertile male compared to fertile male (27.5% vs 4.4% for IgA ASA; 53.8% vs 8.9% for IgG ASA). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that IgA and IgG ASA are associated with male infertility in Zaria and as such screening for serum antisperm antibodies in the evaluation of men infertility is recommended in our environment.

Introduction Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is the most common form of tuberculosis. In Nigeria, PTB is diagnosed by sputum smear microscopy. The problems associated with the diagnosis of PTB using sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli and culture has provided an urgent need to assess the utility of serological tools as an adjunctive diagnostic tool in presumptive PTB cases. This study is aimed at testing the diagnostic utility of a specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) serological assay in the diagnosis of PTB. Patients and methods A utility study was conducted on 184 participants of which 92 were smear-positive PTB cases and 92 were healthy controls at the TB and Leprosy Centre and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria. Data were collected on age and sex, and both PTB patients and controls were screened for anti-TB IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Results The mean age of the participants was 35, and the male-female ratio was 1 : 4. Twenty-one (5.7%) of the PTB patients tested positive for IgG antibodies, and 11 (1.3%) of the controls were positive. The sensitivity of the IgG antibody assay was 18.4%, with the specificity being 92.3%, while the predictive values were 70.8 and 53.1% for positive and negative results, respectively. Conclusion The IgG antibody assay is poorly sensitive; serology may not have a role in the diagnosis of PTB in resource-limited settings, but the much higher specificity suggests that it may be useful as an adjunctive diagnostic tool, or for monitoring of patients on treatment for PTB.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Programs that appropriate antibiotic use such as antimicrobial stewardship, is a global health strategy adopted by the World Health Organization to contain threats posed by AMR. Unfortunately, many LMICs are at best left behind in the process of developing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). We highlighted the roles of the clinical microbiology laboratory in antimicrobial stewardship and challenges associated with the program in LMICs. We further suggested ways forward in the adoption and implementation of existing programs in resource-limited settings. There is generally nonexistent or at best, fewer ASP in the LMICs. More efforts need to be channeled toward fighting the AMR scourge, primarily by adopting ASP while utilizing the little resources available.

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused global health concerns in the various strata of health-care authorities. The detection of the etiologic agent, SARS-CoV-2 became essential for case identification and prevention of transmission. In this review, literature was retrieved and sifted from different search engines. We highlighted some mainstream pointers vis-a -vis preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical phases of laboratory detection of SARS-CoV-2 using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The quantitative RT-PCR is considered as the gold standard for establishing the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, laboratories must pay attention to all the testing phases from sample collection to final release of results in order to avoid false-negative or false-positive results. It is also necessary to understand possible challenges and conduct risk assessment before the commencement of testing in the designated laboratory.

The incidence and case-fatality rates (CFRs) of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the etiological agent for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), have been rising unabated. Even though the entire world has been implementing infection prevention and control measures, the pandemic continues to spread. It has been widely accepted that preventive vaccination strategies are the public health measures for countering this pandemic. This study critically reviews the latest scientific advancement in genomics, replication pattern, pathogenesis, and immunopathology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and how these concepts could be used in the development of vaccines. We also offer a detailed discussion on the anticipated potency, efficacy, safety, and pharmaco-economic issues that are and will be associated with candidate COVID-19 vaccines.

Arthropods are considered vectors, which are responsible for the transmission and expansion of tropical viral diseases. Because of their umbiquitous nature, migration potential, in addition to international travel, arthropod-borne viral infections now assume global distribution. In the present globalized world with overflowing travels and trades, human health has been increasingly threatened due to incidences of emerging or/and reemerging arboviral diseases. The most important sources of novel human pathogens are farm mammals and poultry and, to some extent, wild animals and arthropods. It is estimated that zoonosis constitutes about 60% of the "known" and up to 75% of the "emerging" new human infections. A disproportionate number of such pathogens are viruses, suggesting their potential to evolve and adapt in humans more rapidly than other infectious microbes. The best examples are the yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic disease, which continue to cause outbreaks, epidemics, and occasional pandemics across the globe. The most recent addition to the list includes the identification of Zika virus in some countries in the Americas. The key to understand the emergence/reemergence of viruses is to know the intricate "host–pathogen–environment" relationship in microbe evolution. The underappreciated aspect of growing human populations, global climate and land-use changes, and the introduction of anthropophilic vectors is the selective pressure on hosts and pathogen reservoirs. Limited knowledge of such zoonosis and the diversity of these pathogens in their known nonhuman reservoirs exist. There is very little information on some of the domestic animals hosting a few dozen virus species in circulation and is further compounded by insufficient data on wild mammals that harbor over 5000 virus species. Despite extraordinary scientific and technological advancement during the last decade, reemerging viral diseases continue to kill about 2 million people yearly. The unpredictable nature of reemergent viral infections and the rare occasions of outbreaks with a small number of confirmed cases severely hamper the control and preventive measures. In spite of substantial efforts on global public health and economy, and growing understanding of pathogens biology and etiology, the emergence of novel pandemic viruses remains inherently inconclusive.

Nigeria was ranked second highest country with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden worldwide. HIV-1 subtypes and circulating recombinant forms genetic variability affect the protease and reverse transcriptase genes which code for viral enzymes and are the main targets for antiretroviral drugs. Therefore, this study was aimed at reviewing and pooling such HIV-1 subtypes in Nigeria to represent the collective prevalence of each subtype. Studies of HIV-1 subtypes in Nigeria published from 2002 to 2017 were retrieved and synthesised from different sources electronically. Sixteen studies were included for random effect meta-analysis for various subtypes in each study. The pooled prevalence was charted in forest plot and effect estimates from individual studies against some measure of study size or precision were presented in funnel plots. The pooled prevalence of Subtype G, CRF02_AG, CRF06_cpx, Subtype A and Subtype C were 38.27% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 21.27%- 55.98%), 37.81% (95% CI: 20.37%- 55.25%), 6.6% (95% CI: 7.10%-7.10%), 14.05% (95% CI: 9.06% - 19.04%) and 2.80% (95% CI: 2.70%- 8.30%) respectively. This study suggests HIV-1 subtypes G, CRF02_AG and A are the most prevalent in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND:An estimated 75% of Nigerians are at risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) exposure. In an attempt to reduce the menace, the assessment of risk factors associated with HBV infection and general perception of infected individuals is a step in that direction.AIM OF THE STUDY:This study, therefore, identified exposure to risk factors and general perceptions associated with HBV infection in infected individuals in Zaria, Nigeria.METHODOLOGY:Four milliliters of blood were collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid container from each of 165 HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive participants recruited purposively from the gastroenterology clinic of ABUTH Zaria from May to August 2017. Plasma was separated and used to screen for HBsAg with Fastep® rapid strip. Epi Info® questionnaire database was used to collate data on sociodemographics, risk factors, and perception indices. GraphPad Prism 6 was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS:The median interquartile range age of the participants was 31.0 (25.5-39.0) years with 107 (64.8%) male participants. Sharing hair clippers, commercial pedicure, and body piercing among others were some of the risks that the study participants reported to be exposed to. One-quarter of health workers involved in the study had needlestick injury. Less than half of the study participants (47.7%) knew of hepatitis B before testing HBsAg seropositive. Knowledge of the HBV vaccine before testing and adherence was generally poor (38.6% and 44.6%, respectively). There was a significant linear relationship between the level of education and knowledge of hepatitis B.CONCLUSION:Considering the myriads of already established risks of HBV seen in Zaria, massive enlightenment campaigns need to be embarked on continuously through all available media, including social media.

A number of biofortified crops have been generated through transgenic technologies including sorghum. A key step towards the release of genetically modified (GM) biofortified sorghum is its nutritional evaluation and risk assessment study. In this work, two genetically modified sorghum ABS188 and ABS203 were administered on mice to evaluate the effect of their consumption on liver and spleen. Following the molecular analysis of the two GM sorghum, the transgenes Zeamays Phytoene synthase gene (Zm-PSY1) and Pantoea ananatis Carotenoid Biosynthesis gene (PaCrT1) were confirmed in ABS 188 and ABS 203. There was a loss in weight of mice fed with ABS 188 and ABS 203 while weight gain was recorded in mice fed with local sorghum. In conclusion ABS 188 and ABS 203 are considered to be as safe and nutritious as local sorghum, with the advantage that the GM sorghum are biofortified with Vitamin A, Zinc and Iron.

A Key Step towards the Release of Genetically Modified (GM) Biofortified Sorghum is its Nutritional Evaluation and Risk Assessment Study. In this work, two genetically modified sorghum (ABS 188 and ABS 203) and local sorghum were subjected to proximate analysis, Amino acid determination, and mineral analysis. Results of proximate analysis revealed the presence of the following expressed as percentage (%) ABS 188 contains Crude fibre (1.89), Ash (1.87), Crude protein (9.00), Oil (1.36), Lignin (8.83) dry Matter (91.17) and Nitrogen free extract (77.05); ABS 203 contains crude fibre (1.60), Ash (0.95), Crude protein (4.94), Oil (2.56), Lignin (8.37) Dry Matter (91.63) and Nitrogen free extract (81.58); Local sorghum contains crude fibre (2.08), Ash (0.85), Crude protein (4.56), Oil (1.12), Lignin (8.28) Dry Matter (91.72) and Nitrogen free extract (83.11); respectively. ABS 203 has the highest amount of β – Carotene (0.83ug/100mg), followed by 0.57ug/100mg for ABS 188 and 0.42ug/100mg for local sorghum. Results also revealed that the food samples contain almost all the essential amino acids in varying concentration, with glutamic acid occurring highest in the GM sorghum ABS 188 and ABS 203 having the highest for Leucine (14.01g/100g). Zinc was present in trace amount in all the samples (0.0003 – 0.033 mg/kg). In conclusion, ABS 188 and ABS 203 are considered to be as nutritious as local sorghum, with the advantage that the GM sorghum are biofortified with Vitamin A, Zinc and Iron.

Introduction. T helper cells (Th)-1 and -2 cytokines homeostasis control or predict clinical outcome of infected persons, especially those with HIV/AIDS. This case-control study evaluated the leucocyte differentials, TNF-α, IL-2 and -10 levels, among HIV-infected persons with serological evidence of leishmaniasis attending the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Material and Methods. This study involved blood samples from 28 HIV-infectedwith Leishmania donovani rK39 and IgG positive (group 1), 30 age- and sex-matched HIV-infected individuals without Leishmania antibodies (group 2) and 30 apparently healthy persons without HIV and Leishmania antibodies (group 3). Full blood counts, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-10 levels were analysed using an automated haematology analyser and ELISA, respectively. Structured questionnaires were used to collate biochemical and clinical data from participants. Results. Ten (35.7%) participants in group 1 were on ART, 15 (50%) in group 2 were on ART, while group 3 were ART naïve. There were significantly higher values in basophil (4.4 ± 2.5%) and eosinophil counts (12.9 ± 3.8%) in HIV/Leishmania coinfected persons (p˂0.005), whereas other white cell subpopulations were significantly lower in the HIV/Leishmania coinfected participants (p˂0.05). There were significantly reduced CD4+ T cell counts (119 ± 26 vs 348 ± 63 vs 605 ± 116 cells/mm3), TNF-α (36.82 ± 8.21 vs 64.67 ± 12.54 vs 254.98 ± 65.59 pg/mL) and IL-2 levels (142.14 ± 20.91 vs 507.6 ± 84.42 vs 486.62 ± 167.87 pg/mL) among HIV/Leishmania coinfected participants compared to group 2 and group 3 participants, respectively. However, higher IL-10 levels (80.35 ± 14.57 pg/mL) were detected in HIV/Leishmania coinfected participants compared to the HIV mono-infected (62.2 ± 10.43 pg/mL) and apparently healthy persons (23.97 ± 4.88 pg/mL; p˂0.001). Conclusion. Eosinophil and basophil counts, and serum IL-10 level were high in HIV/Leishmania coinfected patients demonstrating parasite-induced hypersensitivity and immunosuppression.