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HIV and tuberculosis (TB) are risk factors for non-communicable chronic lung disease (CLD). Despite the high prevalence of these infections in West Africa, there are no studies that compare CLD between people with HIV and HIV-negative populations in this setting. This study sought to quantify the contribution of HIV and TB infection in addition to conventional CLD risk factors, such as tobacco and biofuel exposure, to CLD in urban West Africa.A multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted in three community clinics in Lagos, Nigeria between 2018 and 2019.Spirometry, questionnaires and clinical records were used to estimate prevalence of CLD and association with risk factors.In total, 148 HIV-negative individuals and 170 HIV-positive individuals completed the study. Current cigarette (11 of 318, 3.5%) and lifetime domestic biofuel (6 of 318, 1.8%) exposures were low. Airway obstruction (33 of 170, 19.4% vs. 12 of 148, 8.1%, P = 0.004) and CLD (73 of 170, 42.9% vs. 34 of 148, 23%, P 0.0001) were more prevalent in people with HIV compared with the HIV-negative group. HIV infection [odds ratio 2.35 (1.33, 4.17), P = 0.003] and history of TB [odds ratio 2.09 (1.04, 4.20), P = 0.038] were independently associated with increased risk of CLD.HIV and TB far outweigh conventional risk factors, including tobacco and domestic biofuel exposure, as drivers of non-communicable CLD in urban West Africa. Current global policy for CLD may have limited impact on CLD in this setting. Enhanced prevention, diagnosis and management strategies for incident HIV and TB infections are likely to have a significant impact on long-term lung health in sub-Saharan Africa.

High blood pressure (BP) is more prevalent and contributes to more severe manifestations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in African Americans than in any other United States ethnic group. Several small African-ancestry (AA) BP genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been published, but their findings have failed to replicate to date. We report on a large AA BP GWAS meta-analysis that includes 29,378 individuals from 19 discovery cohorts and subsequent replication in additional samples of AA (n = 10,386), European ancestry (EA) (n = 69,395), and East Asian ancestry (n = 19,601). Five loci (EVX1-HOXA, ULK4, RSPO3, PLEKHG1, and SOX6) reached genome-wide significance (p < 1.0 × 10(-8)) for either systolic or diastolic BP in a transethnic meta-analysis after correction for multiple testing. Three of these BP loci (EVX1-HOXA, RSPO3, and PLEKHG1) lack previous associations with BP. We also identified one independent signal in a known BP locus (SOX6) and provide evidence for fine mapping in four additional validated BP loci. We also demonstrate that validated EA BP GWAS loci, considered jointly, show significant effects in AA samples. Consequently, these findings suggest that BP loci might have universal effects across studied populations, demonstrating that multiethnic samples are an essential component in identifying, fine mapping, and understanding their trait variability.

To determine the bacterial agents involved in urinary tract infections in pregnant women and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Ibadan, Nigeria.All consenting subjects who attended antenatal clinics of the University College Hospital and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1 April 2007 and 30 March 2009 were interviewed to obtain demographic and pregnancy health data. Mid-stream urine samples obtained were processed by standard methods. Confirmed bacterial isolates were tested against seven antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique.Of the 473 specimens processed, 136 (28.8%) were positive for microscopy, 118 (25.0%) were culture positive, while 18 (3.8%) were microscopy positive but negative for culture. More than 90% of the bacterial isolates were Gram-negative bacilli, of which approximately 80% were members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Klebsiella oxytoca accounted for 45 (38.1%) of the causative agents identified, followed by Escherichia coli (31.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.3%) and Proteus mirabilis (6.8%). Candida albicans accounted for three (2.6%) of the isolates. Ten isolates (22.2%) of K. oxytoca were resistant to cefuroxime while three (6.7%) were resistant to ofloxacin. The only Gram-positive bacterium isolated, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, accounted for four (4.3%) of all pathogens, of which three (75.0%) were susceptible to nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin, cefuroxime and the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination.In conclusion, the incidence of culture-positive urinary tract infection in pregnancy is common in Ibadan. More studies are needed to evaluate the susceptibility profile of uropathogens to commonly used antibiotics in our environment.

Management of patients with renal failure remains a major problem in poor-resource nations. Cutaneous manifestations in this group of patients are varied and remain helpful in differentiating acute from chronic renal failure (CRF). We studied the prevalence and pattern of skin disorders in patients with CRF at The University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, during the period between May 2006 and February 2007. Relevant information was collected with the aid of a questionnaire. The patients were then examined for skin disorders. One hundred and twenty patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited into the study. The mean age of the CRF patients was 43.12 ± 15.38 years, while that of the control subjects was 43.13 ± 15.38 years. Seventy-six of the 120 patients (63.3%) were on chronic hemodialysis while 44 (36.5%) were on conservative management. A total of 107 patients (89.1%) had at least one skin problem. The skin disorders seen include xerosis in 72 (60%), pruritus in 32 (26.7%), hyper-pigmentation, icthyosis and pityriasis versicolor in nine patients each (7.5%), either singly or in combination. Pallor of the skin was seen in three of the patients (2.5%), while uremic frost was seen in one (0.8%). Nail changes were seen in 48 patients (40%). We conclude that xerosis, pruritus, pigmentary and nail changes were the most common skin disorders in patients with CRF in our environment.

This study aims to determine the influence of previous abortions and new paternity on the risk of hypertension in a cohort of nulliparous women.A prospective cohort study was conducted with development of hypertension in pregnancy as outcome variable. Explanatory variables were previous abortions and paternity. Univariate analysis was by t-test, χ(2) test and Fisher's exact test where applicable. Logistic regression was utilized for multivariate analysis. Stata was utilized for all the analyses. The level of statistical significance was set as P0.05.Same paternity abortions reduced the risk of hypertension (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.31-0.73). Previous abortions did not reduce the odds of hypertension in pregnancy (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.83-1.88). Rural dwelling reduced the odds of developing hypertension in pregnancy (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.42-0.70).The result of this study supports the immunological theory of the etiology of hypertension in pregnancy.