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Children especially in rural areas of Okada have high rates of intestinal parasitosis with a prevalence of 50%. Stool and blood sample were collected of 334 children which comprised of 152 females and 185 males. Intestinal parasitosis was confirmed by direct smear technique and formol-ether concentration method. Serum IgE level was estimated by ELISA method. It was revealed that children between the ages of 11 -15 years had the highest incidence of intestinal parasite in both sex (73.3% of the males and 62.5% of the females). About 2-fold elevation in serum IgE level was demonstrated. Intervention program including early introduction of health education to children is advocated and environmental sanitation should be encouraged.

Micronutrients and electrolytes deficiencies are prevalent among HIV-infected populations. The use of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on the other hand has been shown to increase the life expectancy of HIV infected individuals. The present study was designed to determine the effects of HAART on some serum micronutrients and electrolytes concentrations in HIV positive patients attending Emuoha General Hospital, Emuoha Local Government Area, River State, Southern Nigeria, six months post-therapy. A cohort of 163 patients comprising 111 HIV Positive subjects (25 males and 86 females) and 52 apparently healthy HIV negative controls (11 males and 41 females) were recruited for this study. HIV infection was detected using rapid tests Kits: Alere DetermineTM HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Rapid Tests Kits (Abbot Rapid Diagnostics, California, USA), Uni-GoldTM Recombigen® HIV-1/2 (Trinity Biotech Plc, Wicklow, Ireland) and Chembio HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK® Rapid Test Kit (Chembio Diagnostic systems, New York, USA). The serum micronutrients and electrolytes levels of the patients were analyzed at diagnosis and 6 months after initiation of HAART using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and ion selective electrode automation, respectively. The outcome of this study show that the mean±SD HAART serum Vitamin A (8.02±0.70µg/dl), Vitamin C (1.21±0.42mg/dl), Vitamin E (0.41±0.02mg/dl), Zinc (89.20±4.73µg/dl) and Selenium (44.42±5.23µg/dl) serum levels of the HIV positive Patients were lower than the controls (9.70±0.93µg/dl, 1.73±0.16mg/dl, 0.67±0.09mg/ dl, 98.48±3.34µg/dl and 55.17±6.02µg/dl, respectively), but significantly higher (P<0.05) than the mean±SD Pre-HAART values (6.32±1.11µg/dl, 0.75±0.09mg/dl, 0.35±0.04mg/dl, 76.20±9.16µg/dl and 23.30±5.91µg/dl, respectively). On the other hand, the mean ± SD serum copper levels of the HAART HIV-positive subjects (31.66±2.33µg/dl) were higher than the controls (26.43±3.34µg/dl), but significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the pre-HAART (35.12±2.82µg/dl). Furthermore, the results also show that the mean±SD HAART serum Potassium (3.92±0.43mmol/L) and Sodium (134.50±3.27mmol/L) serum levels of the HIV positive Patients were lower than the controls (4.07±0.57mmol/L and 137.46±3.35mmol/L, respectively), but significantly higher (P<0.05) than the mean±SD Pre-HAART values (3.29±0.33mmol/L and 132.61±2.46 mmol/L, respectively). Meanwhile, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the mean±SD Pre-HAART (98.92±5.65mmol/L) and HAART (99.59±6.53mmol/L) serum chloride levels of HIV-positive Patients and the Controls (100.42±6.28mmol/L). Also, there were no significant differences between the males and females in all the parameters measured, except for serum vitamin C and zinc levels. On one hand, while the HIV positive males' mean±SD HAART vitamin C serum level (1.46±0.36mg/dl) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of their female counterparts (1.14±0.41mg/dl), on the other hand, their mean±SD HAART serum zinc level (89.42±2.45µg/dl) was significantly lower than that of the female...

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Abstract:The present study was designed to determine the levels of C-reactive protein and creatine kinase-MM in Nigerian naïve (stage 2) HIV seropositive subjects co-infected with Plasmodium falciparum. A total of 204 subjects (aged between 18 and 45 years) were randomly studied. Among these were 74 naïve (stage 2) HIV seropositive subjects (confirmed by Western blot method), 70 naïve (stage 2) HIV seropositive subjects co-infected with P. falciparum (confirmed by Western blot and microscopic methods respectively) and 60 apparently healthy individuals (confirmed to be negative for Human immunodeficiency virus and P. falciparum by Western blot and microscopic methods respectively). Absolute lymphocyte counts was estimated using Sysmex® Automated Hematology Analyzer, whereas CD4 + cell count was estimated using Partec® Cyflow Counter. C-reactive protein and creatine kinase was estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. The creatine kinase-MM and C-reactive protein concentrations were significantly higher in HIV seropositive subjects coinfected with malaria when compared with the controls subjects (P = 0.000) respectively. Whereas the absolute lymphocyte counts and CD4 + T cell counts were significantly lower in HIV seropositive subjects co-infected with malaria when compared with the controls subjects (P = 0.000). The increased expression of C-reactive protein and creatine kinase-MM coupled with the decrease in absolute lymphocyte and CD4 + cell counts significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of HIV and P. falciparum infections.