African health sciences
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
A retrospective descriptive investigation of adult patients receiving third-line antiretroviral therapy in the North West province, South Africa.
Greater access and prolonged exposure to ART may inevitably lead to more treatment failure and increase the need for third-line ART (TLART) in a resource-limited setting. ⋯ This study support the need for earlier resistance testing. It firstly reported on time duration post diagnosis on various ART regimens and secondly resistance patterns of adults before TLART was initiated in these districts.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Elabela levels in patients with type 2 diabetes: can it be a marker for diabetic nephropathy?
Elabela (ELA) is a hormone that is secreted at high levels in the kidneys of a healthy adult. This study aims to investigate whether serum ELA levels of patients with Type 2 Diabetes vary with the severity of renal damage. ⋯ The fact that ELA levels are higher in healthy individuals compared to diabetic patients without microalbuminuria, and higher in diabetic patients without microalbuminuria compared to patients with advanced albuminuria and kidney damage, suggests that the ELA level can be an important clinical prognostic variable and even a promising agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy patients.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Effect of levetiracetam drug on antioxidant and liver enzymes in epileptic patients: case-control study.
There is a limited amount of data regarding levetiracetam (LEV), an antiepileptic drug. ⋯ The results of our study indicated that LEV increased liver enzymes Also, treatment with this drug did not improve oxidative stress, but this could be due to the different in the dietary antioxidant intake. Routine screening of the liver and antioxidant enzymes in patients with chronic use of LEV is recommended.
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African health sciences · Jun 2020
Pulmonary functions of commercial tricyclists (Keke Napep riders) in Enugu State, Nigeria.
Tricyclists are continuously exposed to vehicle emissions and other environmental pollutants, due to the nature of their job and vehicle design, which may be hazardous to health. However, there is paucity of data on the pulmonary functions of commercial tricyclists in Nigeria, which should have provided insight into any relevant health concerns in this population, hence this study. ⋯ Decreased pulmonary function values of commercial tricyclists in this study is suggestive of their predisposition to occupation-related pulmonary disorders, particularly the restrictive patterns.