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Red blood cells frrom individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are more susceptible with in vivo oxidative damage than are RBC from normal individuals. RBC oxidative damage in SCD is due to the inherent instabilty of hemoglobin S (HBS) as well as the impaired anti-oxidant defense system. The ability of the methanolic extract of S birrea to reduce the level of oxidative stress were eveluated in vitro. The results obtained shown that, the root methanolic extract significantly (p>0.05) decrease in the methamoglobin level at 0.8g/ml from 15.00±0.21% to 7.0±0.26%, while the stem bark significantly(p>0.05) decrease the level of methamoglobin concentration from 15.00±0.1% to 2.96±0.37%, at concentration of 0.8g/ml. The leaves extract gave a significant decrease in methamoglobin concentration from 15.00±0.1% to 3.63±0.05%. The findings suggest that different parts of S birrea possess antioxidant capacity by reducing the methamoglobin concentration to justify its uses in tradtional medicine againts sickle cell diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 40-year-old female pregnant farmer with primary liver cell carcinoma in which the mother had a spontaneous vaginal delivery of a live baby and both mother and baby were alive 6 months postpartum. The patient was managed with analgesia and nutritional advice and was also adequately counseled. It recommends abdominal sonography, magnetic resonance imaging together with evaluation for maternal serum alpha fetoprotein and amniotic fluid alpha fetoprotein.

Objectives: During infancy and early childhood, the spleen commonly enlarges in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA), and it thereafter undergoes progressive atrophy due to repeated episodes of vaso-occlusion and infarction, leading to autosplenectomy in adult life. However, this may not always be the case as some studies have reported splenomegaly persisting into adult life. This study aims to determine and review the prevalence of autosplenectomy by abdominal ultrasonography in sickle cell anemic patients in Zaria, Nigeria. Methods: An ex-post-facto cross study of 74 subjects was carried out between May to July in 2010. Hematological parameters were determined by an analyzer while B mode Ultrasonography was used to determine the craniocaudal length of the spleen, if visualized. Results: The mean age of the sickle cell subjects was 23.2 ±5.3 years, while that of the controls was 22.7±12.4 years. Of the 74 sickle cell subjects, 55.4% were females; while of the 20 controls, 50% were females. Forty one subjects (55.4%) had autosplenectomy and a significant difference existed in the mean splenic size compared with the control (p<0.0001). Only 3 (4.05%) subjects had splenomegaly, while 23 (31%) had a shrunken spleen. Conclusion: Anatomical autosplenectomy is not an uncommon finding in SCA patients. This may be related to inadequate clinical care due to the lack of good health education, ignorance, poverty, and poor standard of care, as well as the lack of newer therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure red cell Aplasia (PRCA) is a transfusion dependent condition characterised by anaemia, reticulocytopaenia and a paucity of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow. Records of patients with PRCA seen in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospitals between 1991 and 2001 were reviewed and the outcome of their management was assessed. Fifty per cent of the ten patients had high dose methyl Prednisolone (HDMP) therapy. Seven patients recovered, 2 died and one was lost to follow up. All patients had red cell concentrate transfusion.