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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa with high morbidity and mortality. Vertical transmission is a significant contributor of new cases. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV infection, to assess the immune competence of Hepatitis B (HB) viral infected pregnant women using lymphocyte transformation. It was a cross sectional comparative observational study. Simple random sampling technique was applied. One hundred HB infected pregnant women and one hundred controls were recruited. Data were analysed using SPSS (version 23) software. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results recorded showed a prevalence of 6.6%. The percentage lymphocyte transformation was significantly lower (p < 0.05) for HBV infected subjects compared with control. The rate of lymphocyte transformation with Phytohaemagglutinin was significantly lower (p < 0.05) when compared with Concanavalin A. Conclusively HB infection affects the adaptive immune response. Pregnant women should be screened for Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) during routine Antenatal clinic and Concanavalin A based drugs should be recommended for HB infected pregnant women.

The present study was designed to evaluate the hormonal changes in menstrual cycle of premenopausal women infected with pulmonary tuberculosis in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi.A prospective study involving sixty-seven (67) female participants within the child-bearing age were randomly recruited and grouped based on their tuberculosis status as: Symptomatic TB infected females (n=20), Symptomatic TB infected females on ATT (n=20) and Control females (n=27). After due consent, a detailed medical history was obtained and routine investigations of pulmonary tuberculosis and confirmation using Ziehl Neelsen and sputum culture techniques for AFB and chest x-ray were done. Blood samples collected from the participants were used for hormonal assay using immunoenzymometric method.The results showed that the serum levels of FSH and LH (IU/ml) were significantly higher while progesterone and estradiol were significantly lower in Symptomatic TB females compared to Symptomatic TB females on ATT at follicular and luteal phases of menstrual cycle (P0.05). The serum levels of FSH and LH were significantly reduced in Symptomatic TB females on ATT while progesterone and estradiol were significantly increased at follicular and luteal phases of menstrual cycle (P0.05). FSH was significantly higher at follicular phase while estradiol was significantly higher at luteal phase of menstrual cycle in Symptomatic TB females on ATT.Tuberculosis induced hypogonadism in affected women which seemed to be reversed on treatment. Routine investigation for Tuberculosis should be done for women presenting with infertility, since early treatment can reverse the abnormality.

In the recent years, male infertility and sub-fertility have increased, which is attributable to many factors. Some trace elements such as zinc and selenium have been shown to play a role in reproduction. The study was designed to determine the serum levels of zinc, selenium and testosterone in infertile males attending fertility clinic in Nnewi. We investigated fifty apparently infertile males (subjects) and twenty apparently healthy fertile males (controls) between the ages of twenty five and fifty five years. The serum levels of zinc and selenium were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer while the serum level of testosterone was determined using Enzyme Immunoassay techniques. The results showed that there were significant differences in the mean serum zinc, selenium and testosterone when compared between the two groups. The results also showed a strong positive correlation between serum levels of zinc and selenium, a negative correlation between serum levels of testosterone and zinc, and a strong positive correlation between serum testosterone and selenium in the infertile males. We therefore conclude that there is a relationship between the serum levels of zinc, selenium and testosterone in infertile males and that these parameters be considered when investigating cases of infertility in males.

The prevalence of trypanosomiasis was studied in cattle, being a major source of animal protein in Nigeria, thus, a very likely means of spread of Human African Trypanosomosis (HAT).Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to diagnose bovine trypanosomiasis in 264 samples collected from adult cattle of mixed breeds, age and sex, in Anambra and Imo states, Nigeria.Out of 264 samples analysed, 21 (7.96%) were seropositive for Trypanosoma congolense while 20 (7.58%) were seropositive for T. vivax and 8 (3.03%) were seropositive for T. brucei infections in both the states.The predominant species was found to be T. congolense. Mixed infection of three species, T. vivax, T. congolense and T. brucei was found to dominate other mixed infections in both the states. ELISA detected the infection of the three species of trypanosomes in the same group of animals. The usefulness of antigen capture ELISA in the diagnosis of human or animal trypanosomiasis was established, and the possibility of the spread of HAT caused by T. brucei gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense through cattle was expressed.

The present study was designed to determine possible contributory impact of malaria infection on some biochemical markers in subjects with HIV co-infection in order to know if they are adverse or protective.Participants were recruited at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing Unit, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria and grouped into: (i) Malaria and HIV co-infection group (n = 45); and (ii) HIV infected group without concurrent malaria infection (n = 57). Standard laboratory methods were used for the HIV and Plasmodium falciparum antigen screening, malaria parasite density, CD4+ T-cell count, packed cell volume, white blood cell count, serum iron and albumin concentrations.The results showed that serum iron and albumin were significantly reduced and raised respectively in 'Malaria-HIV co-infection group' compared with 'HIV infection group' (p0.05 and p0.05). A positive association was observed between age and serum iron concentration in malaria and HIV co-infected group (r = 0.580; p0.05) while negative associations were observed between PCV and serum iron (r = - 0.388; p0.05) and between CD4+ T-cells and serum iron concentration (r = -0.362; p0.05) in malaria and HIV co-infected group. The CD4+ T-cell count, WBC count, PCV were not significantly different between the Malaria-HIV co-infection group and HIV infection group.In the present study serum iron and albumin concentrations were the most sensitive indicators that showed the contributory impact of malaria infection on biochemical index in HIV co-infected subjects. The findings suggest that at the defined stage of HIV infection in the present study, malaria co-infection may moderate the impact of HIV infection on iron metabolism and hepatic synthesis of albumin.

The present study was designed to use the reproductive hormone profiles to identify and classify infertility amongst married Nigerian women. 125 married women aged 20-38years; requiring laboratory investigations for reproductive hormone profile in order to determine the cause of their respective infertility were used. Serum levels of FSH, LH and progesterone were determined by Radioimmunoassay and the serum level of prolactin was determined by immunoradiometric assay. The results showed that 53 subjects (42%) were confirmed to be ovulating while 72(58%) were confirmed as having endocrine problems as the cause of infertility. The mean serum progesterone levels were significantly reduced in subjects identified as anovulatory of ovarian and idiopathic causes compared with corresponding level in the ovulating subjects, p Keywords : Hormone, Infertility, Women. Journal of Biomedical Investigation Vol. 3 (1) 2005: pp. 26-30

The present study was conducted on the prevalence of malaria as co-infection amongst 'asymptomatic HIV' and 'symptomatic HIV' subjects to see if such prevalence deviated from that commonly reported in apparently health individuals in same locality.A prospective study that involved 196 participants grouped according to their HIV status as: 'asymptomatic HIV seropositive group' (n = 101); 'symptomatic HIV seropositive group' (n = 48) and 'control HIV-seronegative group (n = 47). Blood samples collected from the participants were used for double HIV screening by rapid immunoassay technique and immunochromatographic technique, and for the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria using rapid P. falciparum antigen detection method.The result showed that the prevalence of P. falciparum malaria as a co-infection amongst the asymptomatic HIV seropositive group was 12 (11.8%) and amongst the symptomatic HIV seropositive group was 16 (33.3%). However, the prevalence rate of P. falciparum malaria amongst the control HIV seronegative group was 5 (10.6%) and the combined burden of P. falciparum malaria amongst both groups of HIV seropositives was 28 (18.9%).The present study observed different prevalence rates of P. falciparum malaria amongst the three groups. The prevalence was tripled in symptomatic HIV seropositive group. This shows a clear departure from possible obtainable prevalence of malaria infection alone in this malaria endemic area. Due to the mortality rates associated with malaria infection in an endemic area, it may be necessary that routine malaria screening be adopted as part of the management policy to check the co-infection.

Considerations of both inter-pregnancy intervals and malaria parasitaemia may help in understanding some aspects of susceptibility and pregnancy outcomes in malaria endemic areas.Pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia were recruited and divided into groups based on their inter-pregnancy intervals and malaria specific-IgG, body mass index, and birth weights were studied in the groups.The results showed that the P. falciparum specific-IgG concentration (f=3.52, p0.02), malaria parasites density (f=6.44, p0.001) and birth weights (f=7.36, p0.001) were significantly different amongst the groups with varying inter-pregnancy intervals. In addition, different levels of associations between variables such as 'inter-pregnancy intervals vs P. falciparum specific-IgG concentration' (r = 0.23, p0.05); 'malaria parasites density vs birth weight' (r = -0.84, p0.01) was observed.This study suggests that inter-pregnancy intervals could be one of the factors influencing dynamic serum concentrations of P. falciparum specific-IgG while malaria parasitaemia could be one of the factors affecting birth weights. Hence, observance of inter-pregnancy intervals has its own implications in malaria endemic areas.

Two hundred and forty-six apparently healthy pregnant women aged 19-40 years, without symptoms were recruited (147 recruited during the dry season and 99 recruited during the rainy season) for the present study. Blood examinations for malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum specific-IgG concentration and serological reactivity with P. falciparum-histidine rich protein-2 (HRP-2) antigens were conducted on all the pregnant women during the dry and rainy seasons of the year. During the dry season, 109 (74%) of the recruited pregnant women without symptoms had P. falciparum parasitaemia, while 79 (80%) of the recruited pregnant women without symptoms had P. falciparum parasitaemia during the rainy season. However, the P. falciparum malaria parasites density was significantly raised during the dry season compared with that of in the rainy season (p0.05). Serological analysis with P. falciparum histidine rich protein-2 antigen (HRP-2) showed 108 (73%) and 71 (77%) of the pregnant women without symptoms as seropositive during the dry and rainy seasons respectively. The P. falciparum specific-IgG concentration was similar during both seasons in the HRP-2 seropositive pregnant women without symptoms (p0.05). The results showed no seasonal tide in the incidences of asymptomatic P. falciparum parasitaemia; however, the significantly raised parasitaemia during the dry season may suggest possible increased parasites tolerance. The P. falciparum specific-IgG concentration during both seasons may not be the primary effector mechanism offering tolerance in asymptomatic parasitaemia in pregnant women.

The prevalence of Rubella-IgG antibody was assessed in 152 Nigerian women consisting of 62 pregnant women. 82 non-pregnant women of childbearing age and 7 women who had suffered miscarriage. Rubella-IgG antibody was detected in sera of the female subjects by Immunocomb II Rubella IgG test kit (Orgenics, Israel) which is an indirect solid face Immunoassay (EIA). Rubella-IgG antibody was detected in 76% of pregnant women, 77% of non-pregnant women of childbearing age and 86% of women who had miscarriage. Similarly, the Rubella-IgG antibody titres of between 15 iu/ml and 120 iu/ml was encountered among the female subjects. Thus in general 77% of all the female subjects were positive for Rubella-IgG antibody while 23% had no detectable Rubella IgG antibody. There is need to protect this set of people considering the potential dangers of congenital anomalies associated with Rubella infection during pregnancy. The implications of the presence or absence of Rubella IgG antibody and titres are discussed.