African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
The use of antenatal corticosteroids in preterm labour for the prevention of perinatal mortality in hospitals in Tanzania.
Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are given to pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery to hasten the maturation of the lungs, lowering the risk of newborn respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and perinatal mortality. ⋯ ACS significantly reduced the risk of perinatal mortality and RDS among preterm infants exposed to ACS in utero and delivered by women in preterm labour. The use of ACS should be encouraged in low-resource settings where preterm birth is prevalent to improve perinatal outcomes.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Effects of SNPs on TNF-α and IL-10 cytokine expression in TB and HIV patients in the Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
The impact of Tuberculosis (TB) places an immense burden on the health care system. Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a significant risk factor in the development and progression of TB disease. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Tumour Necrotic Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) may play a major role in the disease mechanism and understanding these mechanisms might prove to be a useful diagnostic tool in evaluating the immune regulation and progression of the disease. ⋯ Our data showed that the gene variants were not associated with circulating plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-10 in our study population. A pro-inflammatory environment was found in the TB and TB-HIV groups, which is suggesting of bacterial clearance, while an anti-inflammatory environment was found in the HIV group, which suggests the suppression of viral replication.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Deodorant use and related adverse effects: A cross-sectional survey among Palestinian students.
Deodorants are widely used to mask unpleasant body odors. They are reported to cause some adverse effects depending on the form and ingredients. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of deodorant use and related adverse effects among Palestinian students. ⋯ Deodorants were widely used by Palestinian students with reported adverse effects, but these side effects rarely prompted the participants to seek medical advice.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Attitude to cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus testing experience in self-sampled Nigerian women.
Cervical cancer is a disease of major public health significance which can be prevented by adequate screening. ⋯ There is need for more education to improve the level of awareness and uptake of hr-HPV testing for cervical cancer in Lagos. Health care providers are not offering cervical cancer screening enough and this needs to be explored more in future studies.