Biological and haematological safety profile of oral amodiaquine and chloroquine in healthy volunteers with or without Plasmodium falciparum infection in northeast Tanzania.

Amodiaquine (AQ), an effective antimalarial drug for uncomplicated malaria, has been greatly restricted after cases of life-threatening agranulocytosis and hepatic toxicity during prophylactic use. We conducted a hospital based open-label randomised clinical trial in 40 indigenous semi-immune healthy adult male volunteers with and without malaria parasites. The objective was to collect data on biological and haematological safety, tolerability, and parasitological efficacy to serve as baseline in the evaluation of the effectiveness of AQ preventive intermittent treatment against malaria morbidity in infants.

Hospital-based safety and tolerability study to assess efficacy of oral doxycycline in the treatment of Wuchereria bancrofti infection in north-eastern Tanzania.

A hospital based open-label clinical trial of 19 apparently healthy adult males with microfilaraemia was conducted to assess safety, tolerability and efficacy of doxycycline on Wuchereria bancrofti. Study individuals were assigned 8 weeks treatment with doxycycline 200 mg daily. The results of different selected tests showed that, the haematological, hepatic, renal and clinical parameters pre-and post-drug administrations were within the normal range for all treated individuals.

Improved microscopy diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis using sodium hypochlorite concentration technique in Tanga, Tanzania.

Pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis commonly relies on the bacteriological examination of sputum. A cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out to compare on "on the spot" sputum staining using sodium hypochlorite (bleach method) and routine Ziel-Neelsen (ZN) staining technique. Study candidates included individual patients presenting with cough <3 weeks (Group I) and > or =3 weeks (Group II).

Implication of diethylcarbamazine induced morbidity and the role of cellular responses associated with bancroftian filariasis pathologies.

Pre and post-diethylcarbamazine treatment clinical expression, microfilaraemia prevalence and cellular responses were investigated in individuals in Tanga, Tanzania. Fifty-seven male individuals (aged = 15 years old) were identified for further studies on IL-4, IL-6, IL-8. IFN-gamma, IL-beta, TNF-alpha and nitric oxide in plasma and hydrocoele fluid.

Treatment of co-infection with bancroftian filariasis and onchocerciasis: a safety and efficacy study of albendazole with ivermectin compared to treatment of single infection with bancroftian filariasis.

BACKGROUND: In order to use a combination of ivermectin and albendazole for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis, it is important to assess the potential risk of increased adverse events in individuals infected with both lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. We compared the safety and efficacy of albendazole (400 mg) in combination with ivermectin (150 micrograms/kg), for the treatment of co-infections of Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus with single infection of W. bancrofti.

Expression of tissue factor, the clotting initiator, on macrophages in Plasmodium falciparum-infected placentas.

The expression of tissue factor (TF), the initiator of the clotting system, was investigated by immunohistochemical staining for its role in clotting mechanisms of Plasmodium falciparum-infected placenta. Most mononuclear cells in the intervillous space of infected placentas stained with an anti-TF monoclonal antibody (MAb) and were positive for antimacrophage MAb. The intervillous space of infected placentas had significant fibrin deposition.

Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in Plasmodium falciparum-infected placenta.

We investigated the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in malarial placenta and related histological changes. Thirty-two malarial and 40 control term placentae were collected at Tanga, Tanzania and examined histologically and immunohistochemically. Malaria infected placentae were further divided into acute (15) and chronic (17) cases according to the presence of malarial pigment.

Genital manifestations and reproductive health in female residents of a Wuchereria bancrofti-endemic area in Tanzania.

To assess the significance of lymphatic filariasis for the development of chronic genital manifestations and for reproductive health in women, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 2 villages in north-eastern Tanzania including interview and gynaecological examination of adult women, focusing primarily on reproductive history and genital health. In a population of 2165 residents, prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaraemia was 28%, and geometric mean intensity of microfilariae (mf) was 722 mf/mL. Leg lymphoedema (elephantiasis) was present in 4.