Serum concentrations of IL-16 and its genetic polymorphism rs4778889 affect the susceptibility and severity of endometriosis in Nigerian women.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is the presence of active ectopic endometrial glands and stroma at other sites outside the uterine cavity. It is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain which is sometimes debilitating, and inflammation is one of the known triggers of endometriosis. Interleukins 6 and 16 (IL-6 and IL-16) are proinflammatory cytokines which play essential roles in inflammatory diseases. We therefore investigated the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of interleukins 6 and 16, and the development of endometriosis in Nigerian women. METHOD: One hundred and thirty (130) consenting women were consecutively enrolled, sixty-five (65) of whom had endometriosis and 65 age-matched women as reference group, surgically confirmed as not having endometriosis. Spectrophotometric determination of serum concentrations of Interleukins 6 and 16 was carried out and the genotyping of IL-6 (rs1800795) and IL-16 (rs4778889, rs11556218, rs4072111) genes were performed using TaqMan assays. RESULTS: Serum IL-16 concentration was significantly higher in women with severe chronic pelvic pain compared to those with mild pain (p = 0.023). The C allele of rs4778889 was associated with endometriosis (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.08 - 3.02, p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: Serum IL-16 and IL-16 rs4778889 may be important markers for endometriosis in Nigerian, and by extension, African women. Multicentre African studies would clarify this.

Genetic polymorphisms of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) associated with endometriosis in Nigerian women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if genetic polymorphism of VEGF is associated with the development of endometriosis in Nigerian women. STUDY DESIGN: Case control study of 100 women (50 healthy controls and 50 with endometriosis). Serum VEGF concentration of participants were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Genomic DNAs were isolated from peripheral blood samples and quantified by nanodrop spectrophotometer one. Single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping was carried out by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 32.96 ± 6.91 years for control and 32.04 ± 7.56 years for cases. VEGF levels in case and control groups were not statistically different (82.68 pg/ml [69.11-121.11 pg/ml] vs. 82.81 pg/ml [72.90-113.82 pg/ml] respectively; p = 0.967). All four genotypes examined were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Minor allele frequency of - 460T > C, - 1154G > A, + 936C > T and + 2578C > A were 24%, 8%, 6% and 10% in the control and 19%, 9%, 5% and 14% in endometriosis patients. However, allele and genotype distributions of - 460T > C, - 1154G > A, + 936C > T and + 2578C > A VEGF polymorphisms in endometriosis patients and control were not significantly different (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our preliminary findings revealed no association between endometriosis and - 460T > C, - 1154G > A, + 936C > T and + 2578C > A of VEGF genes among Nigerian women.

Characterization of novel bacteriocin PB2 and comprehensive detection of the pediocin gene ped-A1 from Pediococcus pentosaceus PB2 strain isolated from a sorghum-based fermented beverage in Nigeria.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been known to possess bacteriocidal activity resulting from ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocin. This study focused on the characterization of the bactericidal activity of bacteriocin PB2 and comprehensive detection of the pediocin ped-A1 from Pediococcus pentosaceus obtained from fermented sorghum beverage, Pito, in Nigeria against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313. Bacteriocin PB2 was purified in a 2-step purification using 80% NH4 (SO4)2, and Carboxymethyl-Sephadex G-50 column chromatography to achieve a 12.62% purification fold. The physicochemical properties of purified bacteriocin were characterized being treated at different temperatures (20 - 120 °C), pH (2.0 - 10.0), with different detergents and enzymes (sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) urea, ox-gall, and proteinase K and RNase A), organic solvents (ethanol, phenol, acetone, chloroform and isoamyl alcohol), and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation (2-12 h) respectively. The molecular weight of the bacteriocin PB2 was determined to be 4.87 kDa. The antibacterial activity of bacteriocin PB2 was optimum at 40 °C and pH 5.0. The bacteriocin PB2 lost its activity on treatment with proteinase K and exposure to UV radiation (after 6 h) but was observed to have stable activity in the presence of organic solvents. Also, P. pentosaceus PB2 harbored two plasmids, 0.9 and 1.2 kb which when cured resulted in the loss of the antimicrobial activity. The mRNA transcript for pedA was detected in P. pentosaceus PB2, but not in the cured derivative, confirming the expression of the plasmid ped-A1 gene in PB2. This study validates our previous study that the PB2 strain of Pediococcus pentosaceus isolated from fermented sorghum, Pito, may be used as a probiotic toward clinically important enteropathogenic bacteria. This peptide is a potential agent for use as an alternative antibacterial agent for the treatment of drug-resistant strains of bacterial infection.

Genomic, biochemical and microbial evaluation of probiotic potentials of bacterial isolates from fermented sorghum products.

Fermented products, including Ogi-baba and Pito, provide several health benefits, particularly when probiotics are used in the fermentation process. Probiotic microorganisms exert strain-specific health-promoting activities on humans and animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the probiotic potentials of Lactic-acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from indigenous fermented sorghum products (Ogi-baba and Pito). The LAB isolates were screened for potential probiotic properties by antagonistic activity against eight enteropathogenic clinical bacteria isolates (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Helicobacter pylori, Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Salmonella sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Listeria monocytogenes) as indicator organisms using the agar well diffusion technique. The organisms were also screened for acidity, bile tolerance, antibiotic susceptibility, production of lactic acid, diacetyl and hydrogen peroxide. ß-galactosidase assay was also done. Genomic DNA was extracted from the two selected LAB isolates; the 16S rRNA were amplified and sequenced. The sequence data were subjected to Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and molecular phylogenetic analyses to identify the isolates. The isolates were identified as strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus. The sequence data for these two isolates were submitted to the Genbank with accession numbers KP883298 and KP883297 respectively. The P. pentosaceus strain (PB2) strain exhibited ß-galactosidase activity as well as L. plantrum strain (OB6). The study revealed exceptional probiotic potentials of two LAB namely Lactobacillus plantarum strain (OB6) and Pediococcus pentosaceus strain (PB2) isolated from fermented sorghum products, Ogi-baba and Pito respectively. Hence, the two LAB strains may be potentially used as probiotic to prevent some enteropathogen-induced gastrointestinal disorders; reduce the incidence of respiratory tract infections and for the management of lactose in intolerance.

Haemoglobin oxygen saturation, leucocyte count and lactate dehydrogenase are predictors of elevated cerebral blood flow velocity in Nigerian children with sickle cell anaemia.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) scan, which measures blood flow velocity through the time-averaged mean of maximum velocities (TAMMVs) in the internal carotid arteries and middle cerebral arteries, is a useful screening tool for predicting stroke risk in children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). AIM: To investigate which clinical and laboratory indices predict abnormal TCD velocity in children with SCA. METHODS: Fifty-four SCA patients with normal TCD (TAMMV < 170 cm/s), classified as negative TCD (NTCD), and 93 patients with conditional and abnormal TCD velocities (TAMMV ≥ 170 cm/s) classified as positive TCD were recruited. The haemoglobin oxygen saturation, haematological variables, nitric oxide metabolites and lactate dehydrogenase activity of the patients were analysed. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age was 7.16 (3.84) years (range 2-16). The median SpO2 of the patients in the positive TCD group was significantly lower than that of the negative TCD group (p = 0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the MCV [odds ratio (OR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.22, p = 0.01)], MCH (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.02-1.77, p = 0.04), leucocyte count (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.07-1.49, p = 0.01) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level (OR 1.00, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, p = 0.01) were independent predictors of high cerebral blood flow velocities. CONCLUSIONS: These clinical and laboratory indices are characteristic of chronic hypoxia and severe anaemia and are predictors of abnormal cerebral blood flow velocity. They can be used to predict stroke risk in children with SCA when access to TCD screening is limited.