Clinical Utility of Procalcitonin and C-Reactive Protein in the Management of Neonatal Sepsis in a Resource-Limited Nigerian Hospital.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is an invasive infection of the bloodstream in neonates and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among them.

Aim: To investigate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the management of neonatal sepsis.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective case-control study over one-year period using convenience sampling.

Relationship between Serum Uric Acid and Hypertension among Secondary School Adolescents in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Background: With the seemingly increasing trend of childhood hypertension, high serum uric acid (SUA) levels might be an indicator of essential hypertension among adolescents.

Objective: To determine the SUA levels of hypertensive students and randomly selected controls and find the association, if any, between SUA level and blood pressure (BP) among secondary school students in Ido-Osi Local Government Area (LGA).

Methodology: The study was a nested case-control study conducted among selected secondary school students in IdoOsi LGA from June 2017 to March 2018.

Evaluation of Primary School Health Environment in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Background: School environment entails the sum total of the physical, biological, social, and emotional environment within which members of the school community operate. It is essential to make the school environment healthy to promote and protect the health of school pupils as well as their safety. This study aimed at finding the level of implementation of a Healthy School Environment (HSE) in Ido/Osi Local Government Area (LGA) of Ekiti State.

Data-driven malaria prevalence prediction in large densely populated urban holoendemic sub-Saharan West Africa.

Over 200 million malaria cases globally lead to half-million deaths annually. The development of malaria prevalence prediction systems to support malaria care pathways has been hindered by lack of data, a tendency towards universal "monolithic" models (one-size-fits-all-regions) and a focus on long lead time predictions. Current systems do not provide short-term local predictions at an accuracy suitable for deployment in clinical practice.

Assessment of PMTCT Success Rates Based on Antiretroviral Interventions and Feeding Options: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: The success of any prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program is assessed by the proportion of HIV-exposed infants that sero-convert at the end of all risk exposures. Although adopting the best feeding option for HIV-exposed infants is one of the factors that impact PMTCT outcomes, there is limited data on the assessment of PMTCT success rates based on antiretroviral interventions and feeding options. This study assesses the success rate of PMTCT service based on antiretroviral interventions and feeding options.

Affinity proteomics reveals elevated muscle proteins in plasma of children with cerebral malaria.

Systemic inflammation and sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes are central processes in the pathophysiology of severe Plasmodium falciparum childhood malaria. However, it is still not understood why some children are more at risks to develop malaria complications than others. To identify human proteins in plasma related to childhood malaria syndromes, multiplex antibody suspension bead arrays were employed.

Circulatory hepcidin is associated with the anti-inflammatory response but not with iron or anemic status in childhood malaria.

Cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) are the most serious life-threatening clinical syndromes of Plasmodium falciparum infection in childhood. Therefore, it is important to understand the pathology underlying the development of CM and SMA as opposed to uncomplicated malaria (UM). Increased levels of hepcidin have been associated with UM, but its level and role in severe malarial disease remains to be investigated.

Severe childhood malaria syndromes defined by plasma proteome profiles.

Background: Cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) are the most serious life-threatening clinical syndromes of Plasmodium falciparum infection in childhood. Therefore it is important to understand the pathology underlying the development of CM and SMA, as opposed to uncomplicated malaria (UM). Different host responses to infection are likely to be reflected in plasma proteome-patterns that associate with clinical status and therefore provide indicators of the pathogenesis of these syndromes.

Haemoglobinuria among children with severe malaria attending tertiary care in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Haemoglobinuria is one of the manifestations of severe malaria and results from severe intravascular haemolysis. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency has been implicated in its aetiology. Haemoglobinuria may be associated with severe anaemia and, less frequently, acute renal failure.