Background: The hepatitis C Virus (HCV) has become an important cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer worldwide. Blood transfusion is one of the important modes of transmission. There is need to study the prevalence among those at risk such as sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients. Such information will broaden knowledge of the problem among SCA patients transfused with blood in this part of the country.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of HCV antibodies among children with SCA transfused with blood in Enugu, compared with their non transfused counterparts as well as the roles of blood transfusion and traditional surgery in the prevalence ofHCV infection.
Methodology: The study was conducted among 269 children with SCA attending the paediatrics sickle cell clinic at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, with 136 transfused SCA patients as subjects and 133 age and sex matched non-transfused SCA who served as controls.
Results: The results showed an HCV antibody prevalence of 6.6% among the transfused and 5.3% among the non-transfused (controls) SCA patients (P = 0.610). There was positive association between number of transfusions and HCV seropositiviy, such that those who had received 4 or more units ofblood had a prevalence rate of more than 50% (P = 0.001). The influence of scarifications on the prevalence of antibodies to HCV (antiHCV) for the non transfused (controls) was statistically significant (P = 0.001).
Conclusion: HCV infection is not uncommon in children with SCA. The prevalence of HCV infection in transfused SCA patients is not significantly higher than their age/sex matched controls.
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Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
January 2025
Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Naples, Italy.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease, usually with onset during childhood, characterized by elevated blood LDL cholesterol levels and potentially associated with severe cardiovascular complications. Concerning mutated genes in FH, such as , a small subset of FH patients presents a homozygous genotype, resulting in homozygous FH (HoFH) disease with a generally aggressive phenotype. Besides statins, ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors, lomitapide (an anti-ApoB therapy) was also approved in 2012-2013 as an adjunctive treatment for HoFH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Pediatr
January 2025
The Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO) - Tanzania, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Background: Depression commonly arises among adolescents who have experienced long-standing psychosocial difficulties, especially those facing chronic illnesses such as sickle cell anemia (SCA). SCA is a global health concern, and Tanzania is one of the countries with a high incidence, estimated at 8,000-11,000 births per year. This study aims to assess the magnitude and factors associated with depression among adolescents with SCA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Department of Integrated Medical Care, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-096 Bialystok, Poland.
: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a severe medical condition involving the cessation of the heart's mechanical activity. Following the chain of survival, which includes early recognition and calling for help, early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation, and post-resuscitation care, offers the greatest chances of saving a person who has experienced SCA. The aim of this study was to analyze cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and assess the actions taken by bystanders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy.
: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect on choroidal parameters of drug withdrawal in patients taking α1 adrenergic receptor antagonist (ARA) inhibitors. : In total, 32 eyes of 32 patients under alpha-lytic therapy, and 32 eyes of 32 control subjects, both scheduled for cataract surgery in the fellow eye, were included. EDI-OCT was performed in all patients and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), luminal choroidal area (LCA), stromal choroidal area (SCA), total choroidal area (TCA), and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) during the preoperative visit were compared with data approximately 1 month after alpha-lytic withdrawal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCirc Cardiovasc Imaging
January 2025
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (L.C., S.D., D.B., J.J.T., Q.F., L.T., A.H.R., R.J., S.H., H.H.H., Z.H.T., N.B.S., F.N.D.).
Background: A subset of patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP), a highly heritable condition, experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) or sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the inheritance of phenotypic imaging features of arrhythmic MVP remains unknown.
Methods: We recruited 23 MVP probands, including 9 with SCA/SCD and 14 with frequent/complex ventricular ectopy.
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