Very low sensitivity of wet mount microscopy compared to PCR against culture in the diagnosis of vaginal trichomoniasis in Uganda: a cross sectional study.

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) causes the Trichomoniasis Syndrome composed of vaginitis in women, urethritis in men and tube infection in both sexes. This infection is strongly associated with premature rupture of membranes, preterm delivery, low birth weight, promoting HIV sexual transmission and infertility. Prevention of these complications requires accurate early detection and effective treatment of infected individuals.

Routine versus clinically driven laboratory monitoring of HIV antiretroviral therapy in Africa (DART): a randomised non-inferiority trial.

Background: HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) is often managed without routine laboratory monitoring in Africa; however, the effect of this approach is unknown. This trial investigated whether routine toxicity and efficacy monitoring of HIV-infected patients receiving ART had an important long-term effect on clinical outcomes in Africa.

Methods: In this open, non-inferiority trial in three centres in Uganda and one in Zimbabwe, 3321 symptomatic, ART-naive, HIV-infected adults with CD4 counts less than 200 cells per microL starting ART were randomly assigned to laboratory and clinical monitoring (LCM; n=1659) or clinically driven monitoring (CDM; n=1662) by a computer-generated list.

T-lymphocyte subsets in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) is a common clinical problem in Africa. To determine if there is a defect of immune regulation in patients with IDC, the percentage of total T-cells (OKT3 positive), helper/inducer cells (OKT4 positive) and suppressor/cytotoxic cells (OKT8 positive) were measured using monoclonal antibodies in 20 patients with IDC and in 20 age-matched normal control subjects. The percentage of helper/inducer cells was significantly higher in the IDC patients (45 +/- 2% mean +/- standard error) than in the normal subjects (33 +/- 2%) and 8 of the 20 IDC patients had a helper/suppressor cell ratio (OKT4/OKT8) higher than the normal range.

Left ventricular function in severe pure mitral stenosis as seen at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

Twenty-one consecutive Black African patients with severe pure mitral stenosis were evaluated hemodynamically. It was found that advanced mitral stenosis presents itself in Kenya at a very young age (22.9 +/- 9.

Electrocardiographic patterns in normal healthy Zambians.

Although abnormalities in the electrocardiograms have been described amongst peoples of the Negroid race, there does not appear to be a clear classification of these abnormalities. An attempt has been made to classify these abnormalities in a study amongst indigenous Zambians. There was no correlation between the electrolyte profile of the subjects under study and the electrocardiographic abnormalities could be a feature of individuals living in the tropics and subtropical areas.

The cardiomyopathy associated with methylsalicylate.

Dogs challenged with toxic doses of methylsalicylate developed acute myocardiopathy. Metabolic manifestations of uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by methylsalicylate (MS) were observed. Oxygen consumption increased two-fold.