Iron Status of Pregnant Women in Rural and Urban Communities of Cross River State, South-South Nigeria.

Anaemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem in Nigeria. Iron deficiency is one of the major causes of anaemia in pregnancy.  Inadequate iron intake during pregnancy can be dangerous to both baby and mother.

Origin and expansion of haplogroup H, the dominant human mitochondrial DNA lineage in West Eurasia: the Near Eastern and Caucasian perspective.

More than a third of the European pool of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is fragmented into a number of subclades of haplogroup (hg) H, the most frequent hg throughout western Eurasia. Although there has been considerable recent progress in studying mitochondrial genome variation in Europe at the complete sequence resolution, little data of comparable resolution is so far available for regions like the Caucasus and the Near and Middle East-areas where most of European genetic lineages, including hg H, have likely emerged. This gap in our knowledge causes a serious hindrance for progress in understanding the demographic prehistory of Europe and western Eurasia in general.

Ethiopian mitochondrial DNA heritage: tracking gene flow across and around the gate of tears.

Approximately 10 miles separate the Horn of Africa from the Arabian Peninsula at Bab-el-Mandeb (the Gate of Tears). Both historic and archaeological evidence indicate tight cultural connections, over millennia, between these two regions. High-resolution phylogenetic analysis of 270 Ethiopian and 115 Yemeni mitochondrial DNAs was performed in a worldwide context, to explore gene flow across the Red and Arabian Seas.

Disuniting uniformity: a pied cladistic canvas of mtDNA haplogroup H in Eurasia.

It has been often stated that the overall pattern of human maternal lineages in Europe is largely uniform. Yet this uniformity may also result from an insufficient depth and width of the phylogenetic analysis, in particular of the predominant western Eurasian haplogroup (Hg) H that comprises nearly a half of the European mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) pool. Making use of the coding sequence information from 267 mtDNA Hg H sequences, we have analyzed 830 mtDNA genomes, from 11 European, Near and Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Altaian populations.

Origin and diffusion of mtDNA haplogroup X.

A maximum parsimony tree of 21 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences belonging to haplogroup X and the survey of the haplogroup-associated polymorphisms in 13,589 mtDNAs from Eurasia and Africa revealed that haplogroup X is subdivided into two major branches, here defined as "X1" and "X2." The first is restricted to the populations of North and East Africa and the Near East, whereas X2 encompasses all X mtDNAs from Europe, western and Central Asia, Siberia, and the great majority of the Near East, as well as some North African samples. Subhaplogroup X1 diversity indicates an early coalescence time, whereas X2 has apparently undergone a more recent population expansion in Eurasia, most likely around or after the last glacial maximum.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) mutations and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase promoter polymorphism among G6PD deficient Kuwaitis.

Screening of 1,080 Kuwaiti male blood donors for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency revealed this condition in 70 (6.5%) individuals. Mutation analysis of all 70 G6PD deficient samples performed by PCR/RFLP and direct sequencing identified the 563C-->T (Mediterranean) in 72.

The genetic heritage of the earliest settlers persists both in Indian tribal and caste populations.

Two tribal groups from southern India--the Chenchus and Koyas--were analyzed for variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the Y chromosome, and one autosomal locus and were compared with six caste groups from different parts of India, as well as with western and central Asians. In mtDNA phylogenetic analyses, the Chenchus and Koyas coalesce at Indian-specific branches of haplogroups M and N that cover populations of different social rank from all over the subcontinent. Coalescence times suggest early late Pleistocene settlement of southern Asia and suggest that there has not been total replacement of these settlers by later migrations.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon.

A total of 3,501 male subjects from six Arab countries living in Kuwait were investigated for quantitative and phenotypic distribution of red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). The ethnic origins of those investigated were Kuwait, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The distribution of G6PD deficiency among the different ethnic groups varied widely, ranging from 1.

Increased platelet factor 3 activity in Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Platelet count and platelet factor 3 (pf 3) availability were determined in twenty five febrile subjects with no parasitologic Plasmodium falciparum malaria and in thirty eight febrile subjects with parasitologic malaria. Eighteen age and sex matched afebrile subjects without parasitologic malaria served as controls. Platelet counts were significantly lower in the malaria patients (p < 0.

Frequency of MNSs blood groups in south eastern Nigeria.

A total of 614 inhabitants of Calabar, south eastern Nigeria were tested with anti-M, anti-N and anti-S sera to determine the frequency of MNSs blood groups in that population. The results showed that neither ABO blood group nor sex has influence on the occurrence of MNSs blood groups in the population. It was also observed that whereas S antigen was more frequently associated with M antigen, s associated more frequently with N antigen.

Haemoglobin C gene in south eastern Nigeria.

Haemoglobin C (Hb C) is very rare in eastern Nigeria (east of River Niger). Isolated cases have been reported. The incidence is however as high as 6% in western Nigeria.

Blood donation and patterns of use in southeastern Nigeria.

A retrospective study of donor blood availability and patterns of use from 1984 through 1988 was conducted in a 400-bed university teaching hospital in Nigeria by extraction of data from the master registers for blood donors and recipients. Blood transfusion requests, number of persons who underwent phlebotomy, number of crossmatches performed, and blood use increased each year during the period of study. Average wastage rate and crossmatch-to-transfusion ratio were 3.

New trends in chloroquine efficacy in the treatment of malaria: chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in Anambra and Benue States of Nigeria.

Increasing malaria treatment failures with chloroquine (C25) and reports of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum (CRPF) led to the field survey of two sites (Agbani and Jato-Aka) both in Primary Health Zone A, using WHO--in vivo seven-day test, modified to 14-day follow-up period. Of the 922 children studied, high transmission rates of 40 pc and 59.2 pc were found in Agbani and Jato-Aka respectively.

Depressed erythropoietic activity of Nigerian pregnant women.

Reticulocytes production index was determined in 63 pregnant women and in 96 patients. The results show that 86% of the pregnant women, who were registering their pregnancy for the first time, were anaemic. There was significant reticulocytopenia in all the anaemic pregnant women and in the patients.

Correlation between in vivo and in vitro response of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in Calabar, south-eastern Nigeria.

Since chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (CRPF) has emerged in Nigeria, we monitored the susceptibility of the parasite strain to a standard chloroquine (C25) dose in our Children's Emergency Unit. Chloroquine (CQ) is the drug of choice for malaria chemotherapy in Nigeria. The WHO 7-day in vivo evaluation and Rieckmann's microtitre technique (in vitro test) were used.

Depressed erythropoietic activity in Nigerian pregnant women.

Reticulocytes production index was determined in 63 pregnant women and in 96 patients. The results show that 86% of the pregnant women, who were registering their pregnancy for the first time, were anaemic. There was significant reticulocytopenia in all the anaemic pregnant women and in the patients.

Malaria and its treatment in rural villages of Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria.

We examined the malaria situation among 489 children under 5 years of age in the rural villages of Aboh Mbaise, Nigeria, using a combination of a standard questionnaire technique and laboratory diagnosis to confirm clinical observations. The results show a high prevalence rate of 52.8% for Plasmodium falciparum in this area.

Iron stores of Nigerian blood donors as assessed by serum ferritin concentration.

Haematological indices and parameters of iron status were obtained from 29 normal male subjects and from 32 male blood donors. Percentage saturation of transferrin with iron and the usual erythrocyte parameters of iron status were similar in both group of subjects. The mean ferritin concentration was 64.

Prevalence and titre of ABO haemolysin antibodies in pregnant Nigerian women.

The prevalence and titre of anti-A and anti-B haemolysin antibodies was determined in pregnant and non-pregnant women in a Nigerian community. The results show that alpha haemolysin occurs less frequently than beta-haemolysin in both pregnant and non-pregnant subjects. However, the prevalence of alpha haemolysin was significantly higher in pregnant subjects than in the non-pregnant ones.

Efficacies of chloroquine and pyrimethamine-sulphadoxine in a Nigerian population with chloroquine resistant P. falciparum malaria.

A modification of the standard World Health Organisation 7--day in vivo test was used to assess the parasitologic and, to limited extent, the clinical response of children less than 5 years of age to defined oral dosages of chloroquine and pyrimethamine-sulphadoxine during the 14 days following the initiation of treatment. The study took place in Jato-Aka, a rural community in Benue State of Nigeria. 471 children were screened and 271 (59%) of these had plasmodium parasites thus showing a high transmission rate at a time of the year with scarce rainfall.

Mitotic inhibitors arrest the growth of Plasmodium falciparum.

We report that the mitotic inhibitor, vinblastine (VLB), is highly toxic to the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. In cultures in vitro growth is inhibited by 50% at a VLB level of about 28 nM, and totally abolished at a level of 100 nM. By tests on synchronized cultures we have found that the effect of VLB takes place at the trophozoite stage.

Adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum to glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient host red cells by production of parasite-encoded enzyme.

There is impressive evidence from geographical data, studies in the field and in vitro culture work that genetically determined deficiency of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) confers relative protection against the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. G6PD is encoded by an X-chromosome-linked gene, and protection phenomenon is manifested in heterozygous females who are genetic mosaics but, surprisingly, not in hemizygous males with complete deficiency. We have shown previously that the parasite, when passaged serially through G6PD-deficient red cells, undergoes adaptive changes that gradually improve its ability to multiply in these deficient cells.

Evaluation of serum ferritin levels and other hematological parameters in a Nigerian population.

Hematological parameters, including serum ferritin, were estimated in a healthy Nigerian population and in patients with other clinical conditions. The hematological values fell within the reported range for healthy populations in other parts of the world. The mean serum ferritin value in the male population was 72.

Imbalance in X-chromosome expression: evidence for a human X-linked gene affecting growth of hemopoietic cells.

In each of six family members who were heterozygous at the X-linked locus for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, only one or the other of the two alleles at that locus was almost exclusively expressed. The data are consistent with evidence that X-chromosome inactivation is a random process that may be followed by selection for one of the two resulting cell types on the basis of an unknown gene, which is located on the X chromosome and which can affect the rate of proliferation of hemopoietic cells in humans.