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Introduction. Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been the biomarker of choice for screening and diagnosis of prostate cancer. However, inefficiencies exist with its diagnostic capabilities. This study thus evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of urinary PCA3 as an alternative biomarker for prostate cancer in the Ghanaian population. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Urology Department of the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana. A total of 237 participants aged 40 years and above with any form of suspected prostate disorder were recruited into the study after written informed consent was obtained. Total serum PSA levels was measured using the electrochemiluminescence method and transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic core needle biopsies were obtained from each study participant. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracies of serum PSA, DRE, and PCA3 as diagnostic tools for prostate cancer. These three diagnostic tools were also evaluated in various combinations to ascertain the combinations with the best diagnostic accuracy. Results. Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 26.6% of the participants. Benign prostate hyperplasia and prostatitis were diagnosed in 48.5% and 24.9% participants, respectively. DRE had a sensitivity of 93.7% and a specificity of 12.1%. PSA had a sensitivity of 92.1% and a specificity of 16.1%. PCA3 had a sensitivity of 57.1% and a specificity of 85.6% and showed a better accuracy ( AUC = 83.0 ) compared to PSA ( AUC = 60.0 ) and DRE ( AUC = 65.0 ) as individual diagnostic tools. The combination of DRE+PCA3 score had the best diagnostic accuracy ( AUC = 0.80 ) with a sensitivity and specificity of 60.3% and 80.5%, respectively. Conclusion. The urinary PCA3 assay showed a better diagnostic performance compared to serum PSA and DRE. PCA3 as a stand-alone and in combination with DRE could be a suitable complimentary marker in diagnosis and management of prostate cancer.

Background: SLC10A1 gene codes NTCP, a receptor through which the hepatitis B virus (HBV) gets access into hepatocytes - a stage of the viral cycle necessary for replication. Polymorphism variants of SLC10A1 play roles in HBV infection, viral clearance, treatment outcome, and complications, in diverse ethnic groups and countries. However, no such study has been conducted in the Ghanaian population, a country with HBV endemicity. Therefore, an exploratory study was conducted to investigate the presence of three (3) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SLC10A1 gene (rs2296651, rs61745930, and rs4646287) and assessed the risk of HBV infection among the Ghanaian population. Method: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to determine the presence of the SNPs among 292 participants comprising 146 HBV infected persons as case-subjects and 146 HBV non-infected persons as control-subjects. Results: The minor allele frequency (T) of rs2296651 was present in a significantly high proportion of cases compared with the control group (11.6% vs. 3.1%, p 0.05). Polymorphisms in SLC10A1, however, did not show any significant association with HBV infectivity (p >0.05). Conclusion: The study highlights some polymorphism proof that variants rs2296651, rs61745930, and rs4646287 exist in HBV-infected individuals in Ghana. Although variant rs2296651 was found to be associated with HBV infection, this association warrants more studies. Polymorphisms in SLC10A1 were not associated with HBV infectivity among the Ghanaian population. Further investigation is warranted to assess the offensive role of the relationship between rs2296651 and HBV infectivity.

Additional file 1: Table S1. PCR primers and their characteristics restriction enzymes. Table S1 shows the primers spanning each of the SNP variants (rs2296651, rs61745930, and rs4646287) were designed using the NCBI Primer-BLAST software. Table S2. Hematological profile of the study participants. Table S2 shows the measured hematological parameters among cases and control subjects. Table S3. Antigens and host antibodies profiling of HBV positive cases. Table S3 shows the re-categorised into HBeAg positive (active) and HBeAg negative (inactive) based on HBV antigen/antibody profiling.

Obesity and hypertension are public health problems associated with cardiovascular events worldwide. Bus drivers, whose lifestyle is primarily sedentary and characterized by poor eating habits are at increased risk. This study determined the prevalence and lifestyle-related risk factors of obesity and hypertension among Inter-Regional Metromass Bus Drivers (IRMBDs) in Ghana. This cross-sectional study recruited 527 professional drivers from Metromass Bus stations in Accra and Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Structured questionnaires were administered to obtain socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics from all participants. Anthropometric measurements including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and blood pressure (BP) were determined. The prevalence of unrecognized hypertension was 38.7%. The prevalence of obesity using BMI, WC, and WHR as obesity indices were 19.0%, 19.9%, and 19.4%, respectively. Use of sleep inhibitors, long-duration sitting and eating late at night were independent risk factors for obesity, regardless of the obesity index used (p < 0.05). Physical inactivity, high caloric intake and eating at stressful periods were independent risk factors for obesity based on WC and WHR measurements (p < 0.05). Ageing, smoking history, alcoholic beverage intake, sleep inhibitor drug use, high calorie intake, long-duration sitting, eating late and under stressful conditions were independent risk factors for hypertension (p < 0.05). There is a high prevalence of unrecognized hypertension and obesity among IRMBDs which were associated with individual lifestyle and behaviours. Increased awareness through educational and screening programs will trigger lifestyle modifications that will reduce cardio-metabolic disease onset and offer clues for better disease predictive, preventive and personalized medicine., Biological sciences; Biochemistry; Molecular biology; Health sciences; Clinical research; Public health; Obesity; Unrecognized hypertension; Lifestyle-related factors; Inter-regional; Bus drivers; Ghana-Africa

Sexual dysfunction (SD) has long been known to affect a significant number of people worldwide with serious implications and limitations on sexual expression and fulfillment. This may affect the sexual quality of life (SQoL) of individuals and their partners. A cross-sectional study was conducted among diabetic patients and their partners who visited the Tema General Hospital. A total of 130 and 116 diabetic males and females and their partners were interviewed. Male and female diabetic participants and partners were evaluated using the Golombuk Rust Inventory for Sexual Satisfaction-Male (GRISS-M)/SQoL-M and GRISS-Female/SQoL-F, respectively. For the diabetic males, the mean age and duration of diabetes (DOD) was 63.04±10.85 and 8.38±6.53 years, respectively, and that of the diabetic females was 56.98±9.42 and 6.11±5.31 years, respectively. Diabetic male participants with SD were significantly older and had a longer duration of diabetes. The mean SQoL and SQoL-Partner (SQoL-P) recorded for the diabetic males and their partners was 42.29±30.88 and 52.86±15.26, respectively. The mean SQoL and SQoL-P recorded for the diabetic females and their partners was 57.73±14.91 and 64.97±19.68, respectively. Diabetic males who had impotence had female partners with significantly lower SQoL-P scores, and similar results were recorded for those who had premature ejaculation, nonsensuality, avoidance and dissatisfaction problems. Female diabetics who had nonsensuality, avoidance and infrequency had male partners who recorded significantly lower SQoL-P scores. Female diabetics with higher perceptions of what an adequate intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) should be had male partners with significantly lower SQoL-P scores. Ageing and DOD are more likely to affect the sexual functioning of diabetic males than females. SD in diabetics with problems of impotence/vaginismus, premature ejaculation/anorgasmia, nonsensuality and avoidance has an adverse effect on the SQoL-P of their partners. Male partners of diabetic females who have a higher perception of IELT had a reduced SQoL. Ageing and longer DOD in diabetics are associated with a reduced SQoL-P of their partners.

Background: Some evidence has shown that the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire and erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with testosterone levels whilst higher levels of testosterone have been reported to increase the frequency of intercourse. Available evidence points towards an etiologic role for hypogonadism in the causation of diabetes, metabolic syndrome (Mets) and sexual dysfunction (SD) even though the exact pathophysiological linkage is yet to be fully elucidated. This study therefore sought to evaluate the impact of testosterone as well as its bioactive components on both the MetS and SD. Method: Diabetic men engaged in a stable heterosexual relationship for at least 2 years were recruited for this study. Participants were at least 18 years and provided an informed and signed consent to partake in this study. Fasting blood samples were taken from the participants for biochemical and hormonal assay. The participants were then evaluated using the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction for males (GRISS-M). Metabolic syndrome was assessed using the NCEP-ATP III, IDF and WHO criteria. All data analyses were performed using the SPSS software, version 11.0 systat, Inc. Germany and GraphPad Prism, version 5.0, San Diego California, USA. Results: The mean total, free and bioavailable testosterone as well as SHBG recorded among the participants was 7.10 ± 1.23 ng/ml, 0.10 ± 0.01 ng/ml, 7.01 ± 1.41 ng/ml and 4.33 ± 1.12 nmol/l respectively. Subjects with the MetS showed significantly lower SHBG levels in comparison with subjects without the MetS. Participants with raised triglyceride levels showed significantly lower levels of total, free and bioavailable testosterone when compared to participant without raised triglycerides. Participants with problems of avoidance and infrequency of sexual activity showed significantly lower levels of total, free and bioavailable testosterone when compared to participants without avoidance or infrequency problems. The +SD/+MetS group recorded the lowest SHBG levels. Conclusion: Testosterone and its bioactive components are associated with male libido as well as the metabolic syndrome. Low levels of free and bioavailable testosterone are true determinants of the MetS in men.

Background: Diabetes is amongst the most researched diseases worldwide due to its debilitating effects on patients. Diabetics have a higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Evidence has linked erectile dysfunction severity to increased age, duration of diabetes, the metabolic syndrome and hypogonadism. However, the role of inflammatory markers in the pathogenesis of SD is still unclear. The contributions of hormonal parameters and adipokines to both macro and micro vascular complications are still poorly understood. This study was conducted to provide some evidence of an association between SD, the metabolic syndrome and inflammatory hormones. Method: A total of 130 diabetic males participated in this study. All participants were at least 18 years and were actively engaged in a stable heterosexual relationship for a minimum of two years before they were recruited for this study. The Diabetic men were evaluated using the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction for males (GRISS-M). The NCEP-ATP III, IDF and WHO criteria were used to assess the metabolic syndrome. Blood samples were taken for biochemical and hormonal assays. Results: Participants with raised Triglyceride levels showed significantly higher leptin levels for NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria. Participants with impotence showed significantly lower leptin/adiponectin ratio (p = 0.0184) whilst participant with non-sensuality showed significantly higher values of leptin/adiponectin ratio (p = 0.0103). A significantly higher levels of insulin (p = 0.0265) was recorded in participants with Dissatisfaction problems. Participants with Non communication problems showed significantly higher levels of insulin (p = 0.0419) and lower levels of adiponectin (p = 0.0438) whilst participants with infrequency showed significantly lower levels of adiponectin (p = 0.0042). Conclusion: The relative balance between pro inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators of endothelial dysfunction could possibly be essential for the progression of diabetes to SD and the MetS thus a longitudinal study which measures a range of both pro and anti-inflammatory hormones and adipokines as risk factors for SD and the MetS could potentially aid in improvements in assessing the risk of developing these conditions among diabetics.

Objective The association between unbalanced iron indices and the conditions of schizophrenia are not well understood. Liver dysfunction which has been linked to iron metabolism might be a contributing factor. This case–control study evaluated serum iron indices and liver function in treatment-naïve schizophrenia patients and those already on treatment at the Psychiatric Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi-Ghana. Results The mean age of the respondents was 39.6 ± 0.8 years. Increased levels of serum iron, TS, AST, ALT and AST:ALT ratio and lower levels of UIBC, TIBC, Transferrin, and log Ferritin:AST ratio levels were observed among the treatment-naïve group compared to the control. The treatment-naïve and treatment groups showed significantly higher serum AST:ALT ratio, and lower log10ferrtin:AST ratio than the healthy controls. There was a significant correlation between log10ferritin and AST, and log10ferritin and GGT in both treatments (r = 0.343; p = 0.003, and r = 0.502; p = 0.001 respectively) and treatment-naïve groups (r = 0.348; p = 0.002, and r = 0.614; p

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common gynecologic tumors and though mostly asymptomatic, they may present with heavy or abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain or pressure, subfertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss. Heavy bleeding is often a reason to prescribe iron supplements in a bid to maintain normal hemoglobin levels. These hematinics are also sometimes prescribed for several months prior to surgery even though menorrhagia may not be the complaint. These women tend to stay on these supplements for long periods of time often without any laboratory investigation follow ups. Therefore a possibility of them developing iron overload exists especially if bleeding is not the presenting complaint. The aim of the present study was to determine the hematological profile of women with fibroids in Ghana. Between May 2005 and March 2009, in a case-control study of premenopausal Ghanaian women aged 20–40 years at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,(KATH) Kumasi, the hematologic profile of women with fibroid in Ghana was studied. Two hundred women with confirmed uterine fibroids and two hundred women with non-observable fibroids as controls

About 25% of the world's adult population suffers from arterial hypertension with about 1.5 billion estimated to develop hypertension by 2025. Hypertensive patients have been reported to have a higher risk of developing diabetes and sexual dysfunction. Hypertension have been linked with lubricative and orgasmic difficulties in females, as wel as ED and vascular disease in men. Obesity has also been linked to ED in diabetic males as well as several aspects of female sexuality. Hypertension and obesity are closely related, each occurring in greater frequency with the other, it is only logical to think that comorbidities of obesity and hypertension could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and SD. This research looks at the relationship between hypertension and obesity comorbidities and its association with sexual function in type II diabetics. Diabetic patients who were at least 18 years old and were engaged in a stable heterosexual relationships for at least 1 year were recruited for this study. Participants were categorized into the -HYP/-OB, +HYP/-OB and the +HYP/+OB groups. Sexual function was assessed using the GRISS-M and GRIS-F for the diabetic males and females respectively. Early morning fasting blood samples was used in lipid profile as well as FBG assay. The Coronary risk was estimated as Total/HDL Cholesterol. Triglyceride levels and coronary risk were highest in the +HYP/+OBES group, followed by the +HYP/-OBES group, with the -HYP/-OBES group recording the lowest levels. PE and infrequency recorded the highest score among the +HYP/+OBES group with the +HYP/-OBES group recording the lowest scores. SQoL was highest amongst the -HYP/-OBES group, with the +HYP/+OBES group recording the lowest scores. Anorgasmia and avoidance increased along the shades of HYP/OBES groups. Comorbidities of hypertension and obesity increases the risk of coronary disease, affects some domains of sexual function and decreases the SQoL of diabetics.

Aims: The objective of the current study was to investigate potential demographic, lifestyle, and medical history risk factors for leiomyoma in a sample of Ghanaian women. Study Design: A case-control study was conducted among women who attended the Gynecology department of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana. Place and Duration of Study: The study took place between May 2005 and March 2009 at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi. Methodology: Premenopausal Ghanaian women aged 20-40 years were studied for the role of putative socio-demographic, lifestyle, and medical history risk factors in the development of leiomyoma. Two hundred women with confirmed uterine fibroids and two hundred women with no observable fibroids were recruited as controls for the study. Results: Family history (OR 2.21, 95% CI:2.21-5.9) and obesity (OR 3.60, 95% CI:1.747.47), nulliparity (OR6.5, 95%CI:4.18-10.0), age at first birth (OR 2.82, 95%CI:1.604.98), induced abortion (OR 3.33, 95%CI:1.11-9.99), and history of sexually transmitted Original Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 4(35): 5678-5688, 2014 5679 infections (OR 2.27, 95%CI:1.21-4.28), all greatly increased the risk of fibroids, not married (OR1.62, 95%CI:1.07-2.44), alcohol intake (OR1.69, 95%CI:1.13-2.53), and contraceptive use (OR1.66, 95%CI:1.11-2.46) also significantly increased the risk of fibroids. Conclusion: The results of this study describe the association of fibroids with specific lifestyle and medical history risk factors. The present study also revealed that past induced abortions is a significant risk factors for the development of leiomyoma among Ghanaian women.

Cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and dyslipidaemia have been commonly associated with hypertension. The clustering of such risk factors is termed the metabolic syndrome (i.e. Syndrome X). The syndrome has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease especially in the hypertensive. This study therefore sought to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its individual components in adult hypertensives. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hypertension Clinic of the Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi between April 2009 and November 2010. A total of 300 participants comprising 200 hypertensives and 100 normotensives were enrolled. The prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) among the hypertensive patients was significantly higher than the normotensive control (56.5% vrs 9.0%, 54.5% vrs 5.0% and 65.5% vrs 15.0%, p

We sought to establish the interplay of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and/or sexual dysfunction (SD) on hypogonadism. Sexual functioning was assessed using Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction in 274 consecutive diabetic men visiting the diabetic clinic of the Tema General Hospital between November 2010 and March 2011. MetS was assessed employing the criteria of World Health Organization, International Diabetic Federation and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III while testosterone levels were estimated. The mean ages and duration of diabetes from this study were 59.9±11.3 and 6.8±5.9 years, respectively. The prevalence of hypogonadism was 7.3%, with the -SD/+MetS subjects showing the highest prevalence of hypogonadism, irrespective of the criteria used. Additionally, subjects with MetS and its components had a significantly lower level of testosterone compared with those without MetS and its components. Using standard nine-point scale, it was observed that subjects who avoided sexual act had significantly (P=0.0410) lower testosterone values (5.8±2.3 ng ml

Head and neck cancers include carcinomas of the oral cavity, larynx, sinonasal tract and nasopharynx. Studies on molecular expression of prognostic tumour markers in Ghana are scarce. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression of p53, p16, EGFR, Cyclin-D1 and HER2 among patients with non-oropharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Tissue microarrays from 154 histologically confirmed non-oropharyngeal HNSCC at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from 2006-2014 were constructed using duplicate cores of representative and viable areas from tumours. Expression of EGFR, p53, p16, Cyclin-D1 and HER2 was evaluated using immunohistochemistry.For non-oropharyngeal HNSCC, majority of the cases (66.2%; 102/154) had stage IV disease. EGFR was the most expressed molecular marker (29.4%; 25/85) followed by p53 (24.0%; 29/121), p16 (18.3%; 23/126) and Cyclin-D1 (10.0%; 12/120). HER2 was not expressed in any of the cases. There was a significantly (p = 0.022) higher expression of Cyclin-D1 in tumours of the oral cavity (19.6%; 9/46) than in those of the larynx (4.7%; 2/43) and nose (3.2%; 1/31). Tumours in stages I-III were more frequently positive for p16 (28.6%; 12/42) than tumours in stage IV (13.1%; 11/84).Expression of p53, EGFR, p16 and Cyclin-D1 in non-oropharyngeal HNSCC in Ghana is largely similar to what has been reported in published studies from other countries.

The purpose of this study was to carry out a comparative study to investigate the effect of lipid profile, oestradiol and obesity on the risk of a woman developing breast cancer. This study was carried out at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Peace and Love Hospital, Oduom, Kumasi and Redeemed Clinic, Nima, Accra between May 2002 and March 2003. In this study, 200 consented women comprising 100 breast cancer patients (43 pre- and 57 post-menopausal) and 100 controls (45 pre- and 55 post-menopausal) with similar age range (25 to 80 years) were assessed for lipid profile, oestradiol and BMI. There was a significant increase in Body Mass Index (BMI) (p = 0.011), Total Cholesterol (TC) (p < 0.001), triglyceride (p = 0.026) and low density lipoprotein (LDL-cholesterol) (p = 0.001) of the breast cancer patients compared to the controls. With the exception of oestradiol (EST) that decreased, the lipid profile generally increased with age in both subjects and controls with the subjects having a much higher value than the corresponding control. There was also a significant positive correlation between BMI and TC (r2 = 0.022; p = 0.002) and also between BMI and LDL-cholesterol (r2 = 0.031; p = 0.0003). Apart from EST and LDL-cholesterol that were increased significantly only in the postmenopausal phase in comparison to the controls, BMI, TC and TG were increased in both pre-menopausal and post menopausal phases with HDL-cholesterol remaining unchanged. This study confirms the association between dyslipidaemia, BMI and increased breast cancer risk.

This study examined possible association of fasting glucose and lipid abnormalities in psychiatric patients on conventional antipsychotic medications. A total of 305 subjects were used for the study, comprising 203 clinically diagnosed psychiatric patients and 102 non-psychiatric subjects used as control at the psychiatric clinic at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Questionnaires were administered, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements undertaken. Fasting blood samples were taken for glucose and total cholesterol. The patients included those treated with conventional antipsychotic agents. It was noted, that there were higher rates of diabetes (22.17%) and lipid abnormalities (42.43%) with lower rate of hypertension (5.91%) and obesity (5.91%) across the sample as compared to control. This finding suggests that the high prevalence of diabetes and lipid abnormalities, in a young, psychiatrically ill population makes the case for aggressive screening.

This study investigate the occurrence and the prevalence of autoantibodies and the metabolic characteristics of autoimmune and antibody-negative type 2, diabetes in recently diagnosed diabetes mellitus patients in Kumasi, Ghana. This study involved a total of 120 recently diagnosed (< 1 year) Ghanaian diabetes mellitus patients (17 insulin-requiring and 103 non insulin-requiring) and 60 controls. A standardized questionnaire was used. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were taken. Fasting glucose, lipid and lipoprotein concentrations were measured by enzymatic methods and HbA(1C) levels by agglutination test. Serum insulin level and autoantibodies (ICA, GAD ab and IAA) were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Out of the 17 insulin-requiring, six were positive for either GAD ab or ICA or both. Out of the 103 non insulin-requiring, 16.5% were positive for ICA and/or GAD ab and/or IAA. The prevalence of Latent Auto-immune Diabetes of Adults (LADA) in the non-insulin requiring and in the total diabetic patients, were 13.5 and 11.7%, respectively. The prevalence of autoimmune type 1 diabetes in the studied population was 7.5% and that of autoimmune diabetes in the total diabetic population was 19.2%. Autoimmune and autoantibody-negative type 2, diabetes did not differ (p = ns) in the mean values of clinical and metabolic parameters, except hypertension, central obesity and HbA(1C) values. Autoimmune diabetes occurs in recently diagnosed diabetic patients in Ghana at prevalence comparable to that in developed countries. Both ICA and GAD ab tests are required to identify autoimmune diabetes.

A continuing problem in the accurate measurement of glucose is its decline in concentration due to erythrocytic glycolysis after sampling, transport and processing. Eliminating this problem requires the use of an anti-glycolytic agent that can be added to the sampling tubes without altering cellular integrity while measuring blood glucose. This study was therefore conducted to compare fluorideoxalate and plain tube on glucose measurement at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. A total of 100 subjects were recruited from an adult population at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Six milliliters of venous blood sample was collected from each patient and 1ml each was dispensed into three separate fluoride-oxalate and plain tubes and were centrifuged at different time intervals to obtain plasma and serum respectively. 1%, 4% and 8% of the subjects presented with hypoglycaemia at immediate, after 1 hour and 2 hours fluoride-oxalate while that of plain tubes were 3%, 6% and 14% respectively. 58%, 53% and 49% of the subjects presented with hyperglycaemia at immediate, after 1 hour and 2 hours for fluoride-oxalate while that of plain tubes were 58%, 49% and 47%. Decrease in glucose concentration after 1 hour and 2 hours in fluoride-oxalate tubes were 6.5% and 13% respectively while those in plain tubes were 8.9% and 16.7%. Though, fluoride-oxalate does not completely inhibit erythrocytic glycolysis within two hours, its effect when left on the bench at different time intervals does not show a significant change in test results. Plain tubes however show significant change in test results at different time intervals since they do not contain any antiglycolytic agents needed to preserve blood glucose.Keywords: Glucose estimation, preservative, serum gel, glucose oxidase, Ghana

This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity and its associ-ation with type of school (private vs. public), parental education and other lifestyle factors among school-aged children (6–12 years) in the Tamale Metropolis. This cross-sectional school-based study was conducted from November 2012 to June 2013 in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Using multi-stage random sampling, 400 children aged 6-12 years were selected from 4 schools. Anthro-pometric measurements of age, height and weight were measured with appropriate tools. Cut-off points for BMI defining obese and overweight for gender and age were calculated in accordance with the CDC growth charts. Percentage body fat (%BF) of the studied children was also calculat-ed using appropriate formulas. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity were 9.8% and 7.5% respectively. Significantly, obese children were more likely to have parents who had attained high educational level compared to normal weight children (83.3% vs. 46.8%). As 76.7% of obese children went to school by means car/motor bike, 64.4% of normal weight children went to school by means of walking/riding a bicycle. A significant proportion of overweight and obese children compared to normal weight children played computer games, took food to school and ate food at the school’s canteen. The prevalence of overweight (15.0% vs. 4.5% p= 0.0006) and obesity (12.5% vs. 2.5%, p=0.0002) as determined by BMI was higher in children from the private schools than children from the public schools. By %BF more children in the private schools than in the public schools were obese (14.5% vs. 3.0%, p

Background: Antiretrovirals (ARVs) could lead to clinically significant nephrotoxicity and as such will require dose adjustments in the presence of renal insufficiency. Objective: To explore renal function estimating equations as alternatives for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measurement in a stable cohort of HIV-infected patients. Method: In estimating renal insufficiency in Ghanaian HIV-infected patients, GFR for 276 HAART-naive patients and 166 patients on HAART was estimated with the Cockcroft-Gault, 4v-MDRD and CKD-EPI estimating equations. Results: Females outnumbered males by 3 to 1 in the HAART-naive group and 4 to 1 in subjects on HAART. The prevalence of renal insufficiency calculated with the Cockcroft-Gault, 4v-MDRD and CKD-EPI equations was 8.7%, 9.1% and 8.7% in HAART-naive patients; 14.5%, 12.6% and 12.6% in patients on HAART; 7.7%, 11.5% and 11.5% in HAARTnaive males; 10.8%, 8.1% and 8.1% in males on HAART; 9.1%, 8.0% and 7.5% in HAART-naive females and 15.5%, 14.0% and 14.0% in females on HAART. The CKD-EPI equation yielded lower bias when compared to the Cockcroft-Gault and 4v-MDRD equations. Conclusion: Renal insufficiency is not uncommon among HIV infected Ghanaian patients. A significant proportion (10 to 11%) will require ARV dose adjustment at the time of initiating therapy or sometime during on-going therapy. Keywords: Antiretroviral, predictive equation, renal function, HIV, Ghana

Diabetes patients worldwide are at a high risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which affects their quality of life and increases the risk of early death. This study used the new kidney disease improving global outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines to establish the prevalence and also identify the factors associated with CKD among diabetes patients in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Two hundred (200) diabetes patients were randomly recruited from the diabetic clinic of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital from January to April 2014. Blood and urine samples were collected for the estimation of serum creatinine and urine protein, respectively. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation; the 2012 KDIGO guidelines was used to assess CKD. Based on these guidelines, 37% of our participants had CKD. Sixteen percent (16%) of the participants had Stage 1 CKD and 17% had an eGFR

This study sought to establish the prevalence of th e metabolic syndrome (MetS) among active sportsmen/sportswomen and sedentary workers in the Kumasi Metropolis using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), World Health Organization (WHO), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The study was conducted between March and April, 2010. One hundred and eighty six (186) participants were involved with eighty five (85) being active sportsmen /sportswomen as study control and one hundred and one (101) sedentary workers from the Kumasi metropolis as study subjects. The study participants were recruited from a population of yo ung and adult individuals between the ages of 19-82 years. The percentage prevalence of MetS was 1.6%, 7.4% and 14.4% when the WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively were applied on the total population. Generally, the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher among the sedentary group i.e. 3.5%, 14.0% and 26.7% for WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively as compared to the active population i.e. 0.0%, 2.0% and 3.9% for WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively. The prevalence of the MetS varied greatly between the a ctive and sedentary subjects depending on the criteria used. Central obesity appears to be th e key determinant of the prevalence of the MetS in Ghana. Preventive actions such as exercise, acti ve lifestyles and healthy eating habits have to be implemented to reduce the tendency to obesity and MetS in the Ghanaian populace.

This study was designed to investigate the prevalence and type of sexual dysfunction (SD) in healthy sexually active Ghanaian men of fertile age. Sexual functioning was determined in 300 healthy Ghanaian men with the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) questionnaire leaving in Kumasi metropolis, between December 2009 and April 2010. All men had a steady heterosexual relationship for at least 2 years before enrollment in the study. Of the 300 men selected, 255 (85%) completed the survey; the overall prevalence of SD in these subjects was 66%. The most prevalent areas of difficulty were infrequency (70.2%), premature ejaculation (64.7%), dissatisfaction with sexual acts (61.2%), impotency (59.6%), nonsensuality (59.2%), noncommunication (56.9%) and avoidance (49.0%). There were positive correlation between SD, impotence, dissatisfaction and age. The prevalence rate of SD in Ghanaian men is high and related to age.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence d iron deficiency among Ghanaian cbidren in different residential settings and to see whether 200n1g ferrous fumerate B.P. could correct iron deficiency anaemia in observed cases of iron deficiency. Design: Prospcctivc case-tinding study using an Iron-deficiency society questionnaire, laboratory data add general practice records. Crude prevalence was calcl~lated using the hospital's mid-year estimates. Setting: Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Rcgionof Ghana, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Kumasi, Ghana Subject: Rural-dwelling children entering as ou t-patienh, urban-dwelling children entering as controls and new-ly diagnosed iron-deficient children cntering as in-patients. hfuit~ outconic mearirres: Crudc prevalence rates (per quinquennia) for three grnups of children. Correctud deficiencies espresscd as percentage aftcr management. Age, haernoglobin, iron status, residential status, svmptoms at entry and after therapy. Results: Following u 30-day adminbtration d ferrous furnarvte, the mcan serum iron for the rural children increased significantly by 3.3 p o V l representing an improved iron status uf 20.09 I P