BackgroundAsthma and allergic diseases have increased in the developed countries. It is important to determine whether the same trends are occurring in the developing countries in Africa. We aimed to determine the time trend in the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) and atopic sensitisation over a ten-year period in Ghanaian schoolchildren.Methods and FindingsTwo surveys conducted using the same methodology ten years apart (1993 and 2003) among schoolchildren aged 9–16 years attending urban rich (UR), urban poor (UP), and rural (R) schools. Exercise provocation consisted of free running for six minutes. Children were skin tested to mite, cat, and dog allergen. 1,095 children were exercised in 1993 and 1,848 in 2003; 916 were skin tested in 1993 and 1,861 in 2003. The prevalence of EIB increased from 3.1% (95% CI 2.2%–4.3%) to 5.2% (4.3%–6.3%); absolute percentage increase 2.1% (95% CI 0.6%–3.5%, p < 0.01); among UR, UP, and R children EIB had approximately doubled from 4.2%, 1.4%, and 2.2% to 8.3%, 3.0% and 3.9% respectively. The prevalence of sensitisation had also doubled from 10.6%, 4.7%, and 4.4% to 20.2%, 10.3%, and 9.9% (UR, UP, and R respectively). Mite sensitisation remained unchanged (5.6% versus 6.4%), but sensitisation to cat and dog increased considerably from 0.7% and 0.3% to 4.6% and 3.1%, respectively. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, sensitisation (odds ratio [OR] 1.77, 95% CI 1.12–2.81), age (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79–0.98), school (the risk being was significantly lower in UP and R schools: OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.23–0.68 and OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34–0.86, respectively) and year of the study (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.13–2.66) remained significant and independent associates of EIB.ConclusionsThe prevalence of both EIB and sensitisation has approximately doubled over the ten-year period amongst 9- to 16-year-old Ghanaian children irrespective of location, with both EIB and atopy being more common among the UR than the UP and R children.

Nitric oxide is an important host defence molecule as well as being a mediator in many pathophysiological processes. To investigate its role in severe malaria, we measured plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations in 70 children with malaria (54 with severe malaria) and 48 control subjects (33 with medical conditions and 15 surgical patients). We related these measurements to plasma lactate concentrations, an established marker of disease severity in malaria. Plasma lactate levels were significantly elevated in patients with deep coma (P = 0.0007) and those with a fatal outcome, but mean nitrogen oxide concentrations were not significantly different in the 2 outcome categories and were not related to depth of coma (P > 0.5). In patients whose cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was examined, lactate concentrations were elevated in fatal cases (geometric mean 8.2 mmol/L, n = 5) compared with survivors (3.4 mmol/L, n = 13; P = 0.032); corresponding CSF nitrogen oxide concentrations were 10.7 microM in fatal cases compared with 12.5 microM in survivors (P = 0.5). Plasma nitrogen oxide concentrations were negatively correlated with admission parasitaemia (r = -0.41, n = 70; P < 0.0001). In our population, elevations of plasma lactate, but not nitrite or nitrate, reflected disease severity in malaria.

OBJECTIVES: Although rubella serosusceptibility among women of reproductive age in West Africa ranges from 10% to 30%, congenital rubella syndrome has not been reported. In Ghana, rubella immunization and serologic testing are unavailable. Our objectives were to identify congenital rubella syndrome cases, ascertain rubella antibody seroprevalence during pregnancy, and recommend strategies for congenital rubella syndrome surveillance. METHODS: Congenital rubella syndrome cases were identified through prospective surveillance and retrospective surveys of hospital records. A rubella serosurvey of pregnant urban and rural women was performed. RESULTS: Eighteen infants born within a 5-month period met the congenital rubella syndrome case definitions, coinciding with a 9-fold increase in presentation of infantile congenital cataract. The congenital rubella syndrome rate for this otherwise unrecorded rubella epidemic was conservatively estimated to be 0.8 per 1000 live births. A postepidemic rubella immunity rate of 92.6% was documented among 405 pregnant women; susceptibility was significantly associated with younger age (P = .000) and ethnicity (northern tribes, P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: Congenital rubella syndrome occurs in Ghana but is not reported. Information about congenital rubella syndrome and rubella in sub-Saharan Africa is needed to evaluate inclusion of rubella vaccine in proposed measles control campaigns.

Children with severe malaria often present with lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia. Although both complications independently predict mortality, mechanisms underlying their development are poorly understood. To study these metabolic derangements we sequentially allocated 21 children with falciparum malaria and capillary lactate concentrations of 5 mmol/L or more to receive either quinine or artesunate as antimalarial therapy, and dichloroacetate or saline placebo for lactic acidosis. We then administered a primed infusion (90 min) of L-[3-13C1]sodium lactate and D-[6,6-D2]glucose to determine the kinetics of these substrates. The mean (SD) glucose disposal rate in all patients was 56 (16) micromol/kg x min, and the geometric mean (range) lactate disposal rate was 100 (66-177) micromol/kg x min. Glucose and lactate disposal rates were positively correlated (r = 0.62; P = 0.005). Artesunate was associated with faster parasite clearance, lower insulin/glucose ratios, and higher glucose disposal rates than quinine. Lactate disposal was positively correlated with plasma lactate concentrations (r = 0.66; P = 0.002) and time to recovery from coma (r = 0.82; P < 0.001; n = 15). Basal lactate disposal rates increased with dichloroacetate treatment. Elevated glucose turnover in severe malaria mainly results from enhanced anaerobic glycolysis. Quinine differs from artesunate in its effects on glucose kinetics. Increased lactate production is the most important determinant of lactic acidosis.

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