Publications by authors named "Zvenyika A Gomo"

HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are associated with changes in plasma levels of lipoproteins, thus posing the risk of cardiovascular complications in infected individuals. The alteration in plasma lipoprotein levels results from dysregulation of inflammation-modulating cytokines that control lipid metabolism. Little is understood regarding the relationship between the cytokines and serum lipid levels, which have been reported to be altered in adults receiving ART.

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Background: Laboratory reference ranges used for clinical care and clinical trials in various laboratories in Zimbabwe were derived from textbooks and research studies conducted more than ten years ago. Periodic verification of these ranges is essential to track changes over time. The purpose of this study was to establish hematology and chemistry laboratory reference ranges using more rigorous methods.

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HIV infection, together with ART, is associated with changes in biochemical, metabolic parameters and lipid profiles. The aim of this study was to compare changes in lipid profiles among HIV positive outpatients over nine months. 171 patients were investigated, 79% were ART experienced, and 82% of ART experienced patients were on NVP/EFV first line at baseline, but some patients changed ART groups over follow-up and classification was based on intent to treat.

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Background: Reference intervals are used as an aid in the interpretation of laboratory results. Most developing countries do not have reference intervals specific to adolescents. This study was aimed at establishing hematological and biochemical reference intervals for adolescents aged ≥ 12 years to < 18 years.

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Background: Increasing numbers of HIV-infected patients in sub-Saharan Africa are exposed to antiretroviral therapy (ART), but there are few data on lipid changes on first-line ART, and even fewer on second-line.

Methods: DART was a randomized trial comparing monitoring strategies in Ugandan/Zimbabwean adults initiating first-line ART and switching to second-line at clinical/immunological failure. We evaluated fasting lipid profiles at second-line initiation and ≥48 weeks subsequently in stored samples from Zimbabwean patients switching before 18 September 2006.

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Article Synopsis
  • Most pediatric lipodystrophy research has focused on higher-income countries, while most HIV-infected children are in sub-Saharan Africa, where studies mainly look at stavudine treatments.
  • A study in Uganda/Zimbabwe analyzed body measurements and lipid profiles in children three years after starting antiretroviral therapy, comparing effects of long-term zidovudine versus short-term or no zidovudine.
  • Results showed that long-term zidovudine did not significantly affect body size but was linked to lower lipid levels and a higher chance of abnormal HDL cholesterol, with very few cases of clinical fat wasting or accumulation.
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In the setting of high dietary, several studies have provided evidence for a strong effect of both high dietary iron and an unidentified genetic locus on iron stores in Africans. To investigate whether these effects are discernible in the setting of low dietary iron, serum ferritin concentrations were measured in 194 Zimbabwean men >30 years of age and 299 postmenopausal women who consumed a non-iron-fortified diet and who did not drink iron-rich traditional beer or other alcoholic beverages. Comparisons were made with non-alcohol drinking African-Americans studied in the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III) who consume an iron-fortified diet.

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In laboratory medicine an observed value of a biological analyte may be compared with previously observed values from an appropriate reference population. A reference range for serum transferrin receptor concentration has not been established for Zimbabwean children. We prospectively studied 208 children aged 3-60 months who were residents of Harare, a non-malaria and non-hookworm endemic area, and who attended a well-child clinic.

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Background: Clinical studies have shown that degree of erythropoiesis, the hypoxic response, and iron status each independently influences transferrin receptor concentration, but there is conflicting information regarding the effect of inflammation on transferrin receptor expression.

Subjects And Methods: Levels of hemoglobin, reticulocytes, serum ferritin, transferrin receptors and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and neutrophils) were determined in 208 Zimbabwean children
Results: In linear regression models among 147 children with ferritin >10 ng/mL that adjusted for erythropoiesis with log(10) reticulocyte count, the hypoxic response with hemoglobin concentration and iron status with log(10) ferritin concentration, positive correlations were found between log(10) transferrin receptor concentration and log(10) C-reactive protein concentration (P=0.

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Background: Iron deficiency is common in African children, but genetic variations affecting susceptibility have not been identified. The Q248H mutation in ferroportin, a cellular iron exporter regulated by iron status and inflammation, may be associated with high iron stores in African adults.

Objective: The study examined the prevalence of iron deficiency in African children in an area where malaria transmission is low to absent and investigated whether ferroportin Q248H provides protection from iron deficiency.

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Iron status in man is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. The molecular variation of haptoglobin is one of the genetic factors influencing iron status in Caucasians. Differences in iron metabolism between blacks and whites have been reported.

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Background: Transferrin is the major iron binding protein in human plasma. In black persons, the transferrin CD phenotype has been associated with alterations in certain markers of iron status.

Objective: We studied vitamin C status in a Zimbabwean population according to transferrin phenotype because vitamin C metabolism is influenced by iron-driven oxidative stress.

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