Use of a zona laser treatment system in assisted hatching: optimal laser utilization parameters.

Objective: This study aimed to establish the benefit of laser micromanipulation of the zona pellucida as a method of assisted hatching and to determine the optimal technical settings.

Design: Prospective pilot study.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Introducing HIV/AIDS to South African health sciences students.

Given the burden of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, there is a need to introduce students to the issues health professionals face about the disease. We developed an introductory peer-led workshop on HIV/AIDS for first year students covering a range of biomedical and social issues. To evaluate the workshops, volunteer students were randomly allocated to participate in one of the workshops or not.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: anthropometric and oral health status.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the anthropometric measures and oral health status of children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and compare them to matched controls. The sample of 90 cases (children diagnosed with FAS) and 90 controls were matched for age, gender, and social class. The mean age of the cases was 8.

Effect of a fortified maize-meal porridge on anemia, micronutrient status, and motor development of infants.

Background: Maize-meal porridge is used for infant feeding in many African countries, including South Africa. A low-cost, finely milled, maize-meal porridge was fortified with beta-carotene, iron, and zinc (100% of recommended dietary allowance), as well as ascorbic acid, copper, selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, and vitamin E.

Objective: We assessed whether the fortified porridge could reduce anemia and improve the micronutrient status and motor development of infants.

Wheeze, asthma diagnosis and medication use: a national adult survey in a developing country.

Background: As relatively little is known about adult wheeze and asthma in developing countries, this study aimed to determine the predictors of wheeze, asthma diagnosis, and current treatment in a national survey of South African adults.

Methods: A stratified national probability sample of households was drawn and all adults (>14 years) in the selected households were interviewed. Outcomes of interest were recent wheeze, asthma diagnosis, and current use of asthma medication.

The prevalence of symptoms associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in randomly selected children from a high burden community.

Background: Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis is problematic and symptom based diagnostic approaches are often promoted in high burden settings. This study aimed (i) to document the prevalence of symptoms associated with tuberculosis among randomly selected children living in a high burden community, and (ii) to compare the prevalence of these symptoms in children without tuberculosis to those in children with newly diagnosed tuberculosis.

Methods: A cross sectional, community based survey was performed on a 15% random sample of residential addresses.

Development and evaluation of a new chest radiograph reading and recording system for epidemiological surveys of tuberculosis and lung disease.

Objective: The development and evaluation of a new chest radiograph reading and recording system (CRRS) for community surveys of tuberculosis (TB) and lung disease.

Design: An experienced pulmonologist read 2608 chest X-rays (CXRs) performed as part of a TB prevalence survey using the newly developed CRRS. The kappa (kappa) for inter-reader agreement was calculated after a second reader reported on a stratified random sample of 810 (31%) of the 2608 CXRs.

Effect of educational outreach to nurses on tuberculosis case detection and primary care of respiratory illness: pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To develop and implement an educational outreach programme for the integrated case management of priority respiratory diseases (practical approach to lung health in South Africa; PALSA) and to evaluate its effects on respiratory care and detection of tuberculosis among adults attending primary care clinics.

Design: Pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial, with clinics as the unit of randomisation.

Setting: 40 primary care clinics, staffed by nurse practitioners, in the Free State province, South Africa.

Cannabis and other drug use among trauma patients in three South African cities, 1999-2001.

Objective: To assess the extent of cannabis and other drug use among patients presenting with recent injuries at trauma units in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban from 1999 to 2001.

Design: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted during a 4-week period at each of the above sites in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The concept of an idealised week was used to render representative samples.

Inverse association between Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and atopic rhinitis in children.

Background: The association between Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and atopy remains controversial.

Aim: To investigate the association between MTB infection and atopic rhinitis in children living in a high TB incidence area.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study 418 children aged 6-14 years from an established epidemiological research-site in a poor urban community were invited to participate.

Association between smoking and tuberculosis infection: a population survey in a high tuberculosis incidence area.

Background: Associations between smoking and tuberculosis disease including death from tuberculosis have been reported, but there are few reports on the influence of smoking on the risk of developing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The aim of this study was to determine the association between smoking and M tuberculosis infection.

Methods: In a cross sectional population survey, data on smoking and tuberculin skin test (TST) results of 2401 adults aged > or =15 years were compared.

Targeting cannabinoid receptors to treat leukemia: role of cross-talk between extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced apoptosis of Jurkat cells.

Targeting cannabinoid receptors has recently been shown to trigger apoptosis and offers a novel treatment modality against malignancies of the immune system. However, the precise mechanism of apoptosis in such cancers has not been previously addressed. In this study, we used human Jurkat leukemia cell lines with defects in intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways to elucidate the mechanism of apoptosis induced by Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Lay health worker intervention with choice of DOT superior to standard TB care for farm dwellers in South Africa: a cluster randomised control trial.

Setting: Farms in the Boland health district, Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of lay health workers (LHWs) on tuberculosis (TB) control among permanent farm workers and farm dwellers in an area with particularly high TB prevalence.

Design: Pragmatic, unblinded cluster randomised control trial.

A prospective feasibility study of bronchial thermoplasty in the human airway.

Background: Bronchial thermoplasty is a novel procedure being developed as a potential treatment for asthma. Experience with animal studies has enabled development of appropriate reliable equipment, definition of therapeutic parameters, and descriptions of tissue effects of treatment.

Study Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess the feasibility and general safety of the application of bronchial thermoplasty in the human airway, and to determine if the reduction in airway smooth muscle seen in animal studies could be replicated.

The association of prolonged breastfeeding and allergic disease in poor urban children.

The fact that breastfeeding may protect against allergic disease remains controversial, with hardly any reports from developing countries. This study investigated the association between allergic disease in children and prolonged breastfeeding. Data were collected from a 15% random sample of households from two poor suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa.

Proteinase 3 hydrolysis of peptides derived from human elastin exon 24.

In normal and pathological tissues, elastin-derived peptides proceed of elastin degradation by polymorphonuclear leukocyte proteases: elastase, cathepsin G and proteinase 3. They were demonstrated to have a chemotactic activity, to promote cell proliferation and protease release, . .

Beta-carotene-rich orange-fleshed sweet potato improves the vitamin A status of primary school children assessed with the modified-relative-dose-response test.

Background: Beta-carotene-rich orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is an excellent source of provitamin A. In many developing countries, sweet potato is a secondary staple food and may play a role in controlling vitamin A deficiency.

Objective: The objective was to determine the efficacy of daily consumption of boiled and mashed OFSP in improving the vitamin A status of primary school children.

Staff training and ambulatory tuberculosis treatment outcomes: a cluster randomized controlled trial in South Africa.

Objective: To assess whether adding a training intervention for clinic staff to the usual DOTS strategy (the internationally recommended control strategy for tuberculosis (TB)) would affect the outcomes of TB treatment in primary care clinics with treatment success rates below 70%.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted from July 1996 to July 2000 in nurse-managed ambulatory primary care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa. Clinics with successful TB treatment completion rates of less than 70% and annual adult pulmonary TB loads of more than 40 patients per year were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 12) or control (n = 12) groups.

Assays of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activities: a review.

Measurement of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity often remains a challenge, mainly in complex media. Two sets of methods are currently used. The first one measures the hydrolysis of natural protein substrates (labeled or not) and includes the popular zymography.

Psychological distress among women suffering from couple infertility in South Africa: a quantitative assessment.

Background: Infertility in Africa is commonly associated with negative psycho-social consequences. To date, most studies from African countries addressing these consequences have been qualitative in nature. The aim of this study was to assess psychological distress quantitatively among women suffering from couple infertility in an urban community in South Africa.

Efficacy of a foodlet-based multiple micronutrient supplement for preventing growth faltering, anemia, and micronutrient deficiency of infants: the four country IRIS trial pooled data analysis.

Diets of infants across the world are commonly deficient in multiple micronutrients during the period of growth faltering and dietary transition from milk to solid foods. A randomized placebo controlled trial was carried out in Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam, using a common protocol to investigate whether improving status for multiple micronutrients prevented growth faltering and anemia during infancy. The results of the pooled data analysis of the 4 countries for growth, anemia, and micronutrient status are reported.

Efficacy of albendazole against the whipworm trichuris trichiura--a randomised, controlled trial.

Objectives And Design: To test the efficacy of albendazole against the whipworm Trichuris trichiura for school-based deworming in the south-western Cape, South Africa. Children infected with Trichuris were randomised to 3 doses of albendazole (400, 800 or 1200 mg), each repeated 4 times. The boy/girl ratio was 1.