Molecular detection of human papillomavirus from abnormal cervical cytology of women attending a tertiary health facility in Ido-ekiti, southwest Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated as one of the principal causes of cervical cancer, which is the second highest cause of cancer deaths among Nigerian women. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at determining the presence of HPV DNA in abnormal cervical cytology of a group of women who were screened using Papanicolaou staining technique. METHODOLOGY: A total of 200 women attending the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, were screened by means of conventional Pap smear screening, while positive samples underwent molecular analyses by means of DNA isolation techniques and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULT: Results revealed that 14 (7%) of the subjects were positive for abnormal cytology. Abnormalities found among the subjects included: low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), which constituted 50% of the total abnormal smears, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), which were 28.6% and 21.4%, respectively. Molecular analyses showed that all the samples from abnormal cervical cytology subjected to HPV DNA extraction and gene amplification contained HPV DNA. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of HPV DNA in abnormal cytology gives credence to the fact that the presence of HPV is a critical indicator of the development of cervical cancer. Thus more effort should be put into vaccine production and distribution in order to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in Nigeria.

Antimalarial Activity of Cocos nucifera Husk Fibre: Further Studies.

In this study, the antimalarial and toxicity potentials of husk fibre extracts of five Nigerian varieties of Cocos nucifera were evaluated in vitro. The only active extract fraction, West African Tall (WAT) ethyl acetate extract fraction, was then evaluated for its phytochemical constituents, antimalarial and toxicity potentials at varying doses (31.25-500 mg/kg body weight) using various organ function indices. The results revealed that WAT ethyl acetate extract fraction (WATEAEF) contained alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids and was active against Plasmodium falciparum W2 strain maintained in continuous culture, with a selectivity index of 30.3. The same extract fraction was active in vivo against Plasmodium berghei NK65, causing more than 50% reduction in parasitaemia on days 4 and 6 after inoculation at various doses administered. WATEAEF did not significantly alter (P > 0.05) function indices of the liver and cardiovascular system at all doses administered but significantly increased (P < 0.05) plasma creatinine concentration at 250 and 500 mg/Kg body weight compared to controls. The results of this study suggest that WATEAEF possesses antimalarial activity and may not adversely affect normal liver function nor predispose subjects to cardiovascular diseases but may impair normal kidney function at higher doses. Further studies are underway to isolate the active principles.

Prevalence and risk factors of cervical cancer among women in an urban community of Kwara State, north central Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide with a high incidence in under-developed countries and Nigeria is one of these countries. This study aimed at screening for cervical cancer using Papanicolaou smear and to identify risk factors for cervical cancer among women in Olufadi community, Kwara State, North-central Nigeria. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving the screening of women aged 25-64 years for cervical cancer using Papanicolaou smear. Respondents were selected through systematic random sampling of households. Interviewer- administered questionnaire and clinical report form were also used to collect data. In addition, Pap smear samples were taken. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 15. RESULTS: Only 10 (5.0%) respondents had positive cytology result, while the rest were normal. Of the 10 positive cytology results, 1 (10.0%) was high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) while the remaining 9 (90.0%) were low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) which corresponds to 0.5% and 4.5% of the total respondents respectively. Risk factors for cervical cancer identified included coitarche, tobacco smoking, number of sexual partners and family history of cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study attest to the increasing burden of cervical cancer. The high number of positive results obtained from the study coupled with the presence of risk factors was an indication of how useful regular screening will be in the early detection of cervical cancer.