American Journal of Medical and Biological Research

There are very few published manuscripts on coronary heart disease (CHD) from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Zimbabwe. In fact the few published papers on the subject suggest that CHD is rare in SSA and in Zimbabwean individuals both before HIV and in the era of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy (ART). However a look at recent literature and data from publications by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care point towards an epidemiological transition, as CHD is now one of the top causes of death in Zimbabwe. This may be due to the fact that CHD is a complex inflammatory disease involving smoking, obesity, diabetes, atherogenic lipid levels, cytokines and other inflammatory markers such as C reactive protein (CRP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and many of these factors have consistently been linked to changing lifestyle as populations move into urban settings. On the other hand, atherogenic lipids and elevated inflammatory markers are more common in HIV infected individuals due to the virus and ART. Hence it is likely that the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and CHD will increase over time as a result of both urbanization in the general population and a high HIV disease burden in Zimbabwe, pointing towards a collision of HIV and CHD in future.

American Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2016, 4(2), 26-32. DOI: 10.12691/ajmbr-4-2-3
Pub. Date: July 12, 2016

Full-Text PDF

26656 Views5457 Downloads

Plasma Cytokine Profiles as Predictive Biomarkers of HIV and Aids Progression among HIV Patients Attending Nakuru Provincial General Hospital, Kenya

by Jane Nyambura Mugwe, Michael M. Gicheru and Joseph Mwatha

Original Research

Introduction: Cytokines are produced by many cell types, mostly cells of the immune system, and act on diverse targets, often the white blood cells. They play a central role in the pathogenesis of many diseases including Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Syndrome (AIDS). They reflect the local or systemic inflammatory setting, and could serve as predictive biomarkers in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease progression. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify cytokines measureable in blood plasma in recently diagnosed HIV individuals before the commencement of antiretroviral therapy. Study Population: Eighty individuals, both males and females, were recruited for this study that comprised of forty newly diagnosed with HIV-1; twenty HIV negative individuals; and twenty HIV positive individuals currently on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Method: Cytokines were measured using multiplex cytokine immunoassay. Five types of cytokines were detected. Data analyses were performed using Graph Pad Prism 6. Independent sample T tests were used to compare the cytokine means while Spearman Rank tests were used to test for correlations. Statistical analysis were done using SPSS version 17. Results: The study showed significantly (p=<0.001) higher levels of IL-12p70, TNF, IL-10, IL-6 and IL-1β among the newly diagnosed HIV patients compared to those on highly antiretroviral therapy and HIV negative patients. Conclusion: Identification of plasma cytokines could be useful predictive biomarkers of HIV disease progression.

American Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2016, 4(2), 20-25. DOI: 10.12691/ajmbr-4-2-2
Pub. Date: May 26, 2016

Full-Text PDF

14501 Views4255 Downloads10 Likes

Characterization of Pollen Specific Proteins SF3 and SF21 from Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) for the Allergenicity Potential

by Ezekiel Amri

Original Research

Pollen from different type of plants carry different proteins that are more likely to become allergenic than others. In this study pollen specific proteins SF3 and SF21 from Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) were in-silico characterized for allergenicity potential. Bioinformatics allergen prediction tools were employed for prediction of SF3 and SF21 as candidate allergens. The phylogenetic relationship between the pollen specific proteins and protein allergens of Asteraceae family was also analyzed to unveil their similarity. The results by Bepipred Linear Epitope prediction demonstrated a good number of epitopes in pollen specific protein SF3 and SF21 signifying that both are potential allergens. However, further analysis through ConSurf revealed the presence of allergen-specific patches with remarkably higher proportion of surface-exposed hydrophobic residue in SF3 than SF21. Further prediction by AlgPred and ProAp methods with Support Vector Machines (SVMs) revealed that only SF3 contained IgE epitope thus confirming it as a potential allergen. The phylogenetic analysis revealed a close identity of SF3 with the major allergen of Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen, Amb a 3. The study has demonstrated high allergenic activity of SF3 protein with shared similarity with the pollen protein allergens of Asteraceae family. This study forms a basis in predicting cross-reactivity of pollen specific proteins, designing of therapeutic procedures and evaluating the allergenic potential of novel proteins.

American Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2016, 4(2), 13-19. DOI: 10.12691/ajmbr-4-2-1
Pub. Date: April 08, 2016

Full-Text PDF

12683 Views4760 Downloads2 Likes