International Research Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

The “Type of Article” of this paper is “Letter to the Editor”. This paper discuses about: “Case of Eosinophilic Ascites Secondary Surgical Sponge”. No formal abstract is available. Readers are requested to read the full article.

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, prevalence and associated risk factors of viral hepatitis among migrant female head porters (Kayayei) in La-Nkwantanang Madina municipality of the Greater Accra region, Ghana.

Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at three market centers [Atima, La-Nkwantanang and Madina markets] within the La-Nkwantanang Madina municipality of the Greater Accra region, Ghana.

Methodology: A total of 125 kayayei residing and working in La-Nkwantanang Madina municipality were included at the time of the study. A semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions were adopted to collect demographic and knowledge data while blood samples were drawn from each participant for hepatitis B and C assays.

Results: Results from the study shows, prevalence of hepatitis B was 7.2% and that for hepatitis C was 6.4% respectively. One (0.8%) person was co-infected with hepatitis B and C virus. Majority (73.6%) of kayayei had no knowledge on viral hepatitis and its spread with risk factors associated with hepatitis virus were; unprotected sexual intercourse (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.032-8.288) and multiple sexual partners (OR = 5.23, 95% CI = 1.302-21.02).

Conclusion: Viral hepatitis infection is common among kayayei and the level of knowledge of this disease is low. The study recommends; regular sensitization on adolescent and reproduction health among these vulnerable group and educational programs on negative the effects of child labour extended to parents in northern Ghana to discourage their daughters from migrating to the cities for head porterage but rather stay in school. Again, future research prospects can look at prevalence of comorbidity of HIV and Hepatitis as well as human papillomaviruses (HPVs) among these vulnerable group.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of Hypoestes rosea in acetaminophen-induced toxicity in albino rats.

Study Design:  This study is a case-controlled interventional study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Experimental Animal Unit of the Department of Human Physiology, University of Port- Harcourt, between June 2018 and December, 2019.

Methodology: A total of 112 adult apparently healthy albino rats weighing (180-220 g) were used for this study, the rats were divided into six experimental groups of extract control (EC), negative control (NC), positive control (PC), aqueous extract of Hypoestes rosea (AEHr) 100 mg/kg body weight (b w), AEHr 200 mg/kg b w., and AEHr 300 mg/kg b w. groups each of six rats. The study groups comprised of two treatment phases each, (Pre-treatment and Post-treatment phases), duration of treatment (Acute and Sub-chronic) with six experimental groups in each of the phases.   At the end of the study period, blood sample were taken through jugular vein under chloroform anaesthesia in a desiccator for liver function parameters Total Bilirubin (TB), Conjugated Bilirubin (CB), Aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), Alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 5’-Nucleotidase (5’NT), Lactose Dehydrogenase (LDH), Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT), Total Protein (TP), Albumin (ALB) analyses using auto analyzer and AST/ALT was calculated. Liver of rats were also harvested for histology study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23 and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Results showed that acetaminophen induced toxicity in albino rats caused hepatotoxicity as evidenced by significant elevation of TB, CB and liver enzymes with a significantly reduced TP and ALB levels (p<0.05) in the PC group when compared with other experimental groups. However, various concentrations of aqueous extract of Hypoestes rosea in a dose dependent pattern at the different treatment phases at acute and sub-chronic period was able to restore the damage caused by acetaminophen induction to normal. This was also confirmed by the histology study of the experimental group.

Conclusion: In conclusion, acetaminophen induced toxicity caused hepatotoxicity that may lead to liver damage and consumption of AEHr by albino rats helped protect acetaminophen toxicity and possible damage to the liver. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that Hypoestes rosea have hepato-protective properties in albino rats and should be subjected to more advanced studies, particularly in humans.

Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the patterns of hepatitis B virus infection serologic markers among blood donors at a tertiary healthcare Facility in Central Nigeria

Study Design: The study was a cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Keffi, Nasarawa State, between January and October, 2018.

Methodology: Blood sample (3 ml) was collected from each of the 400 consenting blood donors at Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State and their socio-demographic information obtained using structured questionnaires. The sera were screened for HBV infection serologic markers (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb and HBcAb) using HBV-5 rapid panel test kit (CTK Biotech. Inc. San Diego, USA). Data collected were analysed using Smith’s Statistical Package (version 2.8, California, USA) and P value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Majority of the 400 blood donors screened were males (391/400) and aged 25-34 years (203/400). Of these, 31(7.8%) were positive for HBsAg, 113(28.3%) for HBsAb, 11(2.8%) for HBeAg, 18(4.5%) for HBeAb and 78(19.5%) for HBcAb. Analysi;s of these sero-markers indicated that 1.5% of the donors had chronic infection with high viral replication, 1.2% had acute infection with high viral replication, 4.5% were carriers with low viral replication, 0.7% had occult infection, 0.5% were recently vaccinated, 15.5% were immuned due to successful vaccination, 12.8% were immuned as a result of natural previous exposure to the virus while 63.3% were not exposed to the virus. Age and gender were not associated with HBV infection in this study (P > 0.05). However there was statistically significant difference between age and gender with rate of HBcAb (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: We confirmed the presence occult HBV infection among prospective blood donors in the study area. Hence, HBV profiling for routine screening of blood donors should be made mandatory to avoid transfusion-associated hepatitis B virus infection.

Aims: This study was conducted to detect and type hepatitis B virus circulating among prospective blood donors at a tertiary healthcare Facility in Central Nigeria

Study Design: The study was a cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Keffi, Nasarawa State, between January and October, 2018.

Methodology: Blood sample (3 ml) was collected from each of the 400 consenting blood donors at Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State and their socio-demographic information obtained using structured questionnaires. The sera were screened for HBV infection serologic markers (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb and HBcAb) using HBV-5 rapid panel test kit (CTK Biotech. Inc. San Diego, USA). All samples positive for HBsAg, HBeAg and those negative for HBsAg but positive for HBcAb were genotyped by PCR using type-specific primers. Data collected were analysed using Smith’s Statistical Package (version 2.8, California, USA) and P value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Of the 400 blood donors screened, 31(7.8%) were positive for HBsAg, 113(28.3%) for HBsAb, 11(2.8%) for HBeAg, 18(4.5%) for HBeAb and 78(19.5%) for HBcAb. A total of 34 samples (HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative but HBcAb-positive) were genotyped and of these, 32 (94.1%) had HBV-DNA bands while the remaining 2(5.9%) samples were not-typable. Furthermore, Of the 32 HBV-DNA-positive samples successfully genotyped, 17(53%) had single HBV genotype infection while the remaining 15 (46.8%) had mixed HBV genotype infection. In relation to frequency of occurrence, single HBV/E genotype was predominant (37.5%), followed HBV/F (9.4%) and HBV/A (6.3%). Meanwhile, double mixed-infection of HBV genotypes B/E had the highest rate (18.8%), followed by B/D (12.5%) and A/B (3.1%). Finally, triple infections with both A/B/D and A/B/E genotypes occurred at the same rate of 6.3%

Conclusion: This study reported the circulation of HBV genotypes A, B, D, E and F in the study population with predominance of genotype E and a novel appearance of genotype F in Nigeria. These findings are of public health significance particularly in antiviral therapy.