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Papers by Hannah Omunakwe

Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metasta... more Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metastasis and atherosclerosis by the use of adhesion molecules.sP-Selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that promotes platelet-tumor cell interactions, venous thromboembolism and tumor metastasis. High plasma levels independently predict venous thrombosis in cancer patients and are known to play a major role in tumor metastasis. No study has determined the levels and associations of sP-selectin in prostate cancer patients in Africa. Objectives: To evaluate sP-selectin levels in prostate cancer patients and assess the associations with increased values. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 88 histologically diagnosed prostate cancer patients, reviewed their case notes for duration of presentingsymptoms, PSA at diagnosis, evidence of metastatic disease and history of comorbid states. Also, 40 healthy male controls were enrolled. Full blood count was done using EDTA samples and citrated samples for sP-selectin determination using ELISA for both groups of subjects. Results: We found significantly reduced haemoglobin in cases than controls (10.79 ± 2.20 vs 13.59 ± 2.20g/dl; p= 0.001), sP-selectin was significantly higher in cases (57.86 ± 69.92vs 25.83 ± 9.72 ng/l; p =0.01). Twenty four patients (27.3%) had sP-selectin levels >53.1ng/ml (mean 114.3 ± 171.1ng/mL). sP-selectin was significantly higher in patients whose BMI was > 25g/m 2 (p=0.03), those with 2 or more co-morbidities (p=0.02) and more so in patients with diabetes mellitus (p=0.009). sP-selectin was increased in metastatic cancer patients, although not significantly. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that there is increased platelet activation in prostate cancer patients as measured by sP-selectin, indicating a significant cardiovascular risk in these patients. Platelet activation was significantly associated with higher BMI and presence of co-morbidities. The ability of sPselectin to predict metastasis and risk of VTE in this environment needs to be elucidated in studies with larger cohorts.

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health, 2021

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency, however, there is s... more Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency, however, there is still limited data on the length of infectiveness of the disease especially in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to ascertain the duration of viral shedding in patients testing positive for COVID-19 to deduce the appropriate time to discharge SAR-CoV2 Positive patients from follow-up by the healthcare team in our setting.

Methods: In this retrospective study, time to a negative test result in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA was evaluated in a cohort of 490 patients who tested positive at the Satellite Molecular Laboratory of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt.

Results: The mean age of the 490 patients was 39.8 ± 13.9. There were 379 (77.3%) males and 111 (22.7%) females. The mean duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was approximately 15±2 days. When comparing patients who were tested twice with those who were tested more than two times, a significant difference between mean time to a negative result and the number of tests done was identified (t= P-Value = <0.001).

Conclusions: Findings from this study show that the average time of transition from a positive to negative PCR test result was approximately 15 days, regardless of the gender. This can provide an estimated duration of hospital stay among COVID-19 patients to prevent unnecessary healthcare costs and minimize re-infection.

Archives of Current Research International, 2021

Aim: There is paucity of literature on the prevalence of neonatal anaemia globally thus aim of th... more Aim: There is paucity of literature on the prevalence of neonatal anaemia globally thus aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, determine the associations and the clinical outcome of neonates with anaemia. Study Design: This was a descriptive prospective cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out among neonates admitted in the Special Care Baby Unit of Rivers State University Teaching Hospital over one year. Methodology: A convenient sampling size of 402 neonates who met the inclusion criteria were consecutively recruited. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: Of 402 neonates assessed, 106(26.4%) had anaemia with PCV less than 42%. Anaemia was observed more in males 56(52.8%), neonates delivered via Caesarean section 74(69.8%) and at gestational age less than 37 weeks 53(50%). Mild anaemia was observed mostly, 66(62.3%). Common pregnancy complications of mothers with anaemic babies were prolonged rupture of membranes 17(35.4%) an...

Sub-Saharan African Journal of Medicine, 2016

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is relatively prevalent in Nigeria and it is associated wit... more Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is relatively prevalent in Nigeria and it is associated with obstetric complications, especially in unsupervised pregnancies. This study was to determine the prevalence of SCD among pregnant women seen in an antenatal clinic in a tertiary health center in South-South Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a 10-year retrospective study of all registered pregnant women seen at the antenatal clinic of Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) (2004-2013). Sociodemographic data and hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis were obtained using questionnaires and alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoretic machines (Helena), respectively. Data were analyzed using Epi-info version 7.02 by the WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, and CDC, USA. Results: A total of 35,976 pregnant women were seen at the antenatal clinic of BMSH within the study period, out of which 28,815 (80.09%) were Hb AA, 7,109 (19.77%) were Hb AS, and 52 (0.14%) were SS. The average gestational ag...

British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2017

Annals of African Medicine, 2021

Background: Hydroxyurea (HU) is an hemoglobin F inducing agent used in the treatment of sickle ce... more Background: Hydroxyurea (HU) is an hemoglobin F inducing agent used in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the perception of HU by people living with SCD. Materials and Methods: A pretested questionnaire was self-administered to known cases of SCD attending pediatrics and adult hematology clinics in three participating centers. Mothers of children <18 years responded on their behalf. Results: There were 101 responders, 49 (48.5%) males and 52 (51.5%) females, of which 24 (23.8%) were children <18 years and 77 (76.2%) were adults. The majority (n = 73, 72.3%) knew their phenotype. Up to 63 (62.4%) had crises in the past 3 months. Only 35 (34.7%) had heard of HU, many through their doctor (n = 16, 45.7%), 8 (22.9%) through online resources, and 7 (20%) from friends. Only 12 (11.9%) had been exposed to HU therapy, of which 5 (41.7%) had discontinued therapy mostly due to side effects (n = 2, 40%). The seven patients (58.3%) on co...

Background: The Scourge of HIV is still severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has the highest bur... more Background: The Scourge of HIV is still severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has the highest burden. Mother to Child Transmission is an important source of this disease. The WHO Option B plus strategy for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV has been adopted in many communities including ours, we undertook this study to assess the efficacy of this programme in our setting.Methods: A retrospective review of laboratory requests and results for Early Infant diagnosis at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital PCR laboratory was done. Patients samples were delivered as DBS and tested with RT-PCR technology using Cobas Taqman version 1.5 (Roche Molecular Systems, Branchburg, NJ, USA)Results: Two hundred and three HIV-Exposed Infants (HEI) were tested in the period, 98(48.3%) of them were tested by the 2nd month of life, 158(78.3%) of them had received some form of ART after birth. Majority of the mothers 112(70.4%) were receiving ART for the first time in the index pregna...

African Health Sciences

Introduction: Comprehension of blood component therapy (BCT) has profound impact on transfusion o... more Introduction: Comprehension of blood component therapy (BCT) has profound impact on transfusion outcomes. Varia- tions from the standards in practices of BCT may jeopardize patient care. Aim: To assess the understanding and implementation of BCT by physicians. Methods: The study was carried out at two tertiary health care centres. It was a descriptive cross- sectional study using a self-administered, questionnaire comprising of 30 questions. Result: A total of 265 physicians responded from various clinical specialties. Physicians studied showed remarkable knowl- edge (98%) of BCT. Nevertheless, 92.8% of the respondents' were inclined to prescribing whole blood and the common- est reason given was ready availability at the blood bank. More than half of the respondents' have prescribed BCT with sedimented red cells and platelet concentrates being the most frequently prescribed blood components. Non-availability of blood components and cost implications were some of the identif...

Journal of Global Infectious Diseases

Anemia in pregnancy is quite common in the developing world and is defined as hemoglobin <11 g... more Anemia in pregnancy is quite common in the developing world and is defined as hemoglobin <11 g/dl in the first and third trimesters;[6] however, some women may be anemic before conception. Many antenatal services screen women for hepatitis B and also evaluate the packed cell volume at initiation of antenatal care; because of this important finding in this our study, it would be necessary to assess pregnant women with hepatitis B infection who present with anemia for the possibility of chronic liver disease by carrying out other investigations to rule out gastrointestinal bleeding, coagulopathy, and depletion of iron stores. Iron deficiency with or without anemia is associated with many symptoms and complications that have a significant and negative impact on patients with chronic liver disease. It can cause increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, impaired cognition, and decreased quality of life.[7] However, a study done to assess HBsAg and hematological changes in pregnant women showed HBsAg prevalence of 16.5%, but the red cell count and indices were not significantly affected in the positive women.[8]

International Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases

The burden of cancer is gradually increasing in developing countries in Africa. This has accounte... more The burden of cancer is gradually increasing in developing countries in Africa. This has accounted for significant rates of morbidity and mortality. The development of thrombosis in cancer patients impacts significantly on the outcome of care. Cancer-associated thrombosis may occur due to the stage of cancer, its organ site, treatment modality among other reasons. Some reports of studies of the management of patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) from African centers have identified malignancy as a significant risk factor for DVT. However, there are no reported studies in cancer patient groups to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and efficacy of prophylactic measures in Africa. This review focuses on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk indicators, and reports of thrombosis affecting cancer patients in Africa. The aim is to increase awareness and draw the attention of clinicians and oncologist in cancer management in Africa to the need for a robust multicenter research, establishing evidence-based interventions, and guidelines for improved patient outcome.

Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia... more Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia is a known association of cancer patients. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for anaemia in prostate cancer (CaP) patients in Nigeria. Method: A prospective study of prostate cancer patients and matched healthy controls, clinical data were obtained and samples were taken for Haemoglobin estimation. Data analysed using EPI Info, version 6.0 . Result: A total of 128 men were recruited for the study, 88 men with histologically proven prostate cancer and 40 otherwise healthy male controls. The mean haemoglobin for the cancer patients’ population was 10.79 ± 2.20g/dl and 13.59± 2.02g/dl in controls (p=0.001). Thirty four patients (38.64%) had anaemia. There was a statistically significant reduction in the haemoglobin levels of the patients with metastasis, compared with those with localized disease, (p=0.001). Increased number of co-morbidities in the patients significantly a...

Blood

Background: Anemia in any phase of pregnancy is associated with much morbidity and risk of mortal... more Background: Anemia in any phase of pregnancy is associated with much morbidity and risk of mortality to the mother and the fetus, it is a global health concern and is quite prevalent in Africa. About 58% of pregnant women in Nigeria are said to be anemic and earlier reports from this study site showed that 69.6% of women initiating antenatal care were anemic, it was commoner in women of teen-age and the hematocrit was lower as the gestational age at booking increased. Methods: We assessed 464 consenting consecutive pregnant women who presented to our labour ward between November 2017 and July 2018 to know their age, booking status, haematocrit at late pregnancy and followed on to know the mode of delivery as well as the occurrence of postpartum bleeding. The data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Results: A total of 462 consenting women were included in the study, majority of study participants were between the age of 26-35 years 299 (64.7%)...

Blood

Background Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is one of the commonly diagnosed leukaemias and has be... more Background Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is one of the commonly diagnosed leukaemias and has been extensively studied, making it the first malignancy to have a constant identified mutation present which is relevant for diagnosis. CML is also a model for targeted therapy in the treatment of cancer. Before the development of molecular techniques in diagnosis of CML, the clinical and laboratory parameters which included spleen size, total white blood cell (WBC) count, peripheral and bone marrow smears were essential in making a diagnosis of CML. In a developing country with less availability of molecular techniques of diagnosis, these parameters are still invaluable. Here we present an eight year retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed with CML in our center, which is a tertiary referral center in the Niger-Delta zone of Nigeria. Methods We carried out a retrospective study of all CML cases who presented to the department of hematology at the University of Port Harcourt Te...

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences, 2016

Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metasta... more Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metastasis and atherosclerosis by the use of adhesion molecules.sP-Selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that promotes platelet-tumor cell interactions, venous thromboembolism and tumor metastasis. High plasma levels independently predict venous thrombosis in cancer patients and are known to play a major role in tumor metastasis. No study has determined the levels and associations of sP-selectin in prostate cancer patients in Africa. Objectives: To evaluate sP-selectin levels in prostate cancer patients and assess the associations with increased values. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 88 histologically diagnosed prostate cancer patients, reviewed their case notes for duration of presentingsymptoms, PSA at diagnosis, evidence of metastatic disease and history of comorbid states. Also, 40 healthy male controls were enrolled. Full blood count was done using EDTA samples and citrated samples for sP-selectin determination using ELISA for both groups of subjects. Results: We found significantly reduced haemoglobin in cases than controls (10.79 ± 2.20 vs 13.59 ± 2.20g/dl; p= 0.001), sP-selectin was significantly higher in cases (57.86 ± 69.92vs 25.83 ± 9.72 ng/l; p =0.01). Twenty four patients (27.3%) had sP-selectin levels >53.1ng/ml (mean 114.3 ± 171.1ng/mL). sP-selectin was significantly higher in patients whose BMI was > 25g/m 2 (p=0.03), those with 2 or more co-morbidities (p=0.02) and more so in patients with diabetes mellitus (p=0.009). sP-selectin was increased in metastatic cancer patients, although not significantly. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that there is increased platelet activation in prostate cancer patients as measured by sP-selectin, indicating a significant cardiovascular risk in these patients. Platelet activation was significantly associated with higher BMI and presence of co-morbidities. The ability of sPselectin to predict metastasis and risk of VTE in this environment needs to be elucidated in studies with larger cohorts.

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2016

African Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2015

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences

ABSTRACT

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences

Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia... more Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia is a known association of cancer patients. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for anaemia in prostate cancer (CaP) patients in Nigeria. Method: A prospective study of prostate cancer patients and matched healthy controls, clinical data were obtained and samples were taken for Haemoglobin estimation. Data analysed using EPI Info, version 6.0 . Result: A total of 128 men were recruited for the study, 88 men with histologically proven prostate cancer and 40 otherwise healthy male controls. The mean haemoglobin for the cancer patients’ population was 10.79 ± 2.20g/dl and 13.59± 2.02g/dl in controls (p=0.001). Thirty four patients (38.64%) had anaemia. There was a statistically significant reduction in the haemoglobin levels of the patients with metastasis, compared with those with localized disease, (p=0.001). Increased number of co-morbidities in the patients significantly a...

Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metasta... more Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metastasis and atherosclerosis by the use of adhesion molecules.sP-Selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that promotes platelet-tumor cell interactions, venous thromboembolism and tumor metastasis. High plasma levels independently predict venous thrombosis in cancer patients and are known to play a major role in tumor metastasis. No study has determined the levels and associations of sP-selectin in prostate cancer patients in Africa. Objectives: To evaluate sP-selectin levels in prostate cancer patients and assess the associations with increased values. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 88 histologically diagnosed prostate cancer patients, reviewed their case notes for duration of presentingsymptoms, PSA at diagnosis, evidence of metastatic disease and history of comorbid states. Also, 40 healthy male controls were enrolled. Full blood count was done using EDTA samples and citrated samples for sP-selectin determination using ELISA for both groups of subjects. Results: We found significantly reduced haemoglobin in cases than controls (10.79 ± 2.20 vs 13.59 ± 2.20g/dl; p= 0.001), sP-selectin was significantly higher in cases (57.86 ± 69.92vs 25.83 ± 9.72 ng/l; p =0.01). Twenty four patients (27.3%) had sP-selectin levels >53.1ng/ml (mean 114.3 ± 171.1ng/mL). sP-selectin was significantly higher in patients whose BMI was > 25g/m 2 (p=0.03), those with 2 or more co-morbidities (p=0.02) and more so in patients with diabetes mellitus (p=0.009). sP-selectin was increased in metastatic cancer patients, although not significantly. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that there is increased platelet activation in prostate cancer patients as measured by sP-selectin, indicating a significant cardiovascular risk in these patients. Platelet activation was significantly associated with higher BMI and presence of co-morbidities. The ability of sPselectin to predict metastasis and risk of VTE in this environment needs to be elucidated in studies with larger cohorts.

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health, 2021

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency, however, there is s... more Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency, however, there is still limited data on the length of infectiveness of the disease especially in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to ascertain the duration of viral shedding in patients testing positive for COVID-19 to deduce the appropriate time to discharge SAR-CoV2 Positive patients from follow-up by the healthcare team in our setting.

Methods: In this retrospective study, time to a negative test result in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA was evaluated in a cohort of 490 patients who tested positive at the Satellite Molecular Laboratory of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt.

Results: The mean age of the 490 patients was 39.8 ± 13.9. There were 379 (77.3%) males and 111 (22.7%) females. The mean duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was approximately 15±2 days. When comparing patients who were tested twice with those who were tested more than two times, a significant difference between mean time to a negative result and the number of tests done was identified (t= P-Value = <0.001).

Conclusions: Findings from this study show that the average time of transition from a positive to negative PCR test result was approximately 15 days, regardless of the gender. This can provide an estimated duration of hospital stay among COVID-19 patients to prevent unnecessary healthcare costs and minimize re-infection.

Archives of Current Research International, 2021

Aim: There is paucity of literature on the prevalence of neonatal anaemia globally thus aim of th... more Aim: There is paucity of literature on the prevalence of neonatal anaemia globally thus aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, determine the associations and the clinical outcome of neonates with anaemia. Study Design: This was a descriptive prospective cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out among neonates admitted in the Special Care Baby Unit of Rivers State University Teaching Hospital over one year. Methodology: A convenient sampling size of 402 neonates who met the inclusion criteria were consecutively recruited. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: Of 402 neonates assessed, 106(26.4%) had anaemia with PCV less than 42%. Anaemia was observed more in males 56(52.8%), neonates delivered via Caesarean section 74(69.8%) and at gestational age less than 37 weeks 53(50%). Mild anaemia was observed mostly, 66(62.3%). Common pregnancy complications of mothers with anaemic babies were prolonged rupture of membranes 17(35.4%) an...

Sub-Saharan African Journal of Medicine, 2016

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is relatively prevalent in Nigeria and it is associated wit... more Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is relatively prevalent in Nigeria and it is associated with obstetric complications, especially in unsupervised pregnancies. This study was to determine the prevalence of SCD among pregnant women seen in an antenatal clinic in a tertiary health center in South-South Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a 10-year retrospective study of all registered pregnant women seen at the antenatal clinic of Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) (2004-2013). Sociodemographic data and hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis were obtained using questionnaires and alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoretic machines (Helena), respectively. Data were analyzed using Epi-info version 7.02 by the WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, and CDC, USA. Results: A total of 35,976 pregnant women were seen at the antenatal clinic of BMSH within the study period, out of which 28,815 (80.09%) were Hb AA, 7,109 (19.77%) were Hb AS, and 52 (0.14%) were SS. The average gestational ag...

British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2017

Annals of African Medicine, 2021

Background: Hydroxyurea (HU) is an hemoglobin F inducing agent used in the treatment of sickle ce... more Background: Hydroxyurea (HU) is an hemoglobin F inducing agent used in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the perception of HU by people living with SCD. Materials and Methods: A pretested questionnaire was self-administered to known cases of SCD attending pediatrics and adult hematology clinics in three participating centers. Mothers of children <18 years responded on their behalf. Results: There were 101 responders, 49 (48.5%) males and 52 (51.5%) females, of which 24 (23.8%) were children <18 years and 77 (76.2%) were adults. The majority (n = 73, 72.3%) knew their phenotype. Up to 63 (62.4%) had crises in the past 3 months. Only 35 (34.7%) had heard of HU, many through their doctor (n = 16, 45.7%), 8 (22.9%) through online resources, and 7 (20%) from friends. Only 12 (11.9%) had been exposed to HU therapy, of which 5 (41.7%) had discontinued therapy mostly due to side effects (n = 2, 40%). The seven patients (58.3%) on co...

Background: The Scourge of HIV is still severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has the highest bur... more Background: The Scourge of HIV is still severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has the highest burden. Mother to Child Transmission is an important source of this disease. The WHO Option B plus strategy for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV has been adopted in many communities including ours, we undertook this study to assess the efficacy of this programme in our setting.Methods: A retrospective review of laboratory requests and results for Early Infant diagnosis at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital PCR laboratory was done. Patients samples were delivered as DBS and tested with RT-PCR technology using Cobas Taqman version 1.5 (Roche Molecular Systems, Branchburg, NJ, USA)Results: Two hundred and three HIV-Exposed Infants (HEI) were tested in the period, 98(48.3%) of them were tested by the 2nd month of life, 158(78.3%) of them had received some form of ART after birth. Majority of the mothers 112(70.4%) were receiving ART for the first time in the index pregna...

African Health Sciences

Introduction: Comprehension of blood component therapy (BCT) has profound impact on transfusion o... more Introduction: Comprehension of blood component therapy (BCT) has profound impact on transfusion outcomes. Varia- tions from the standards in practices of BCT may jeopardize patient care. Aim: To assess the understanding and implementation of BCT by physicians. Methods: The study was carried out at two tertiary health care centres. It was a descriptive cross- sectional study using a self-administered, questionnaire comprising of 30 questions. Result: A total of 265 physicians responded from various clinical specialties. Physicians studied showed remarkable knowl- edge (98%) of BCT. Nevertheless, 92.8% of the respondents' were inclined to prescribing whole blood and the common- est reason given was ready availability at the blood bank. More than half of the respondents' have prescribed BCT with sedimented red cells and platelet concentrates being the most frequently prescribed blood components. Non-availability of blood components and cost implications were some of the identif...

Journal of Global Infectious Diseases

Anemia in pregnancy is quite common in the developing world and is defined as hemoglobin <11 g... more Anemia in pregnancy is quite common in the developing world and is defined as hemoglobin <11 g/dl in the first and third trimesters;[6] however, some women may be anemic before conception. Many antenatal services screen women for hepatitis B and also evaluate the packed cell volume at initiation of antenatal care; because of this important finding in this our study, it would be necessary to assess pregnant women with hepatitis B infection who present with anemia for the possibility of chronic liver disease by carrying out other investigations to rule out gastrointestinal bleeding, coagulopathy, and depletion of iron stores. Iron deficiency with or without anemia is associated with many symptoms and complications that have a significant and negative impact on patients with chronic liver disease. It can cause increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, impaired cognition, and decreased quality of life.[7] However, a study done to assess HBsAg and hematological changes in pregnant women showed HBsAg prevalence of 16.5%, but the red cell count and indices were not significantly affected in the positive women.[8]

International Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases

The burden of cancer is gradually increasing in developing countries in Africa. This has accounte... more The burden of cancer is gradually increasing in developing countries in Africa. This has accounted for significant rates of morbidity and mortality. The development of thrombosis in cancer patients impacts significantly on the outcome of care. Cancer-associated thrombosis may occur due to the stage of cancer, its organ site, treatment modality among other reasons. Some reports of studies of the management of patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) from African centers have identified malignancy as a significant risk factor for DVT. However, there are no reported studies in cancer patient groups to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and efficacy of prophylactic measures in Africa. This review focuses on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk indicators, and reports of thrombosis affecting cancer patients in Africa. The aim is to increase awareness and draw the attention of clinicians and oncologist in cancer management in Africa to the need for a robust multicenter research, establishing evidence-based interventions, and guidelines for improved patient outcome.

Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia... more Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia is a known association of cancer patients. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for anaemia in prostate cancer (CaP) patients in Nigeria. Method: A prospective study of prostate cancer patients and matched healthy controls, clinical data were obtained and samples were taken for Haemoglobin estimation. Data analysed using EPI Info, version 6.0 . Result: A total of 128 men were recruited for the study, 88 men with histologically proven prostate cancer and 40 otherwise healthy male controls. The mean haemoglobin for the cancer patients’ population was 10.79 ± 2.20g/dl and 13.59± 2.02g/dl in controls (p=0.001). Thirty four patients (38.64%) had anaemia. There was a statistically significant reduction in the haemoglobin levels of the patients with metastasis, compared with those with localized disease, (p=0.001). Increased number of co-morbidities in the patients significantly a...

Blood

Background: Anemia in any phase of pregnancy is associated with much morbidity and risk of mortal... more Background: Anemia in any phase of pregnancy is associated with much morbidity and risk of mortality to the mother and the fetus, it is a global health concern and is quite prevalent in Africa. About 58% of pregnant women in Nigeria are said to be anemic and earlier reports from this study site showed that 69.6% of women initiating antenatal care were anemic, it was commoner in women of teen-age and the hematocrit was lower as the gestational age at booking increased. Methods: We assessed 464 consenting consecutive pregnant women who presented to our labour ward between November 2017 and July 2018 to know their age, booking status, haematocrit at late pregnancy and followed on to know the mode of delivery as well as the occurrence of postpartum bleeding. The data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Results: A total of 462 consenting women were included in the study, majority of study participants were between the age of 26-35 years 299 (64.7%)...

Blood

Background Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is one of the commonly diagnosed leukaemias and has be... more Background Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is one of the commonly diagnosed leukaemias and has been extensively studied, making it the first malignancy to have a constant identified mutation present which is relevant for diagnosis. CML is also a model for targeted therapy in the treatment of cancer. Before the development of molecular techniques in diagnosis of CML, the clinical and laboratory parameters which included spleen size, total white blood cell (WBC) count, peripheral and bone marrow smears were essential in making a diagnosis of CML. In a developing country with less availability of molecular techniques of diagnosis, these parameters are still invaluable. Here we present an eight year retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed with CML in our center, which is a tertiary referral center in the Niger-Delta zone of Nigeria. Methods We carried out a retrospective study of all CML cases who presented to the department of hematology at the University of Port Harcourt Te...

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences, 2016

Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metasta... more Background: Platelets are components of blood involved in processes such as inflammation, metastasis and atherosclerosis by the use of adhesion molecules.sP-Selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that promotes platelet-tumor cell interactions, venous thromboembolism and tumor metastasis. High plasma levels independently predict venous thrombosis in cancer patients and are known to play a major role in tumor metastasis. No study has determined the levels and associations of sP-selectin in prostate cancer patients in Africa. Objectives: To evaluate sP-selectin levels in prostate cancer patients and assess the associations with increased values. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 88 histologically diagnosed prostate cancer patients, reviewed their case notes for duration of presentingsymptoms, PSA at diagnosis, evidence of metastatic disease and history of comorbid states. Also, 40 healthy male controls were enrolled. Full blood count was done using EDTA samples and citrated samples for sP-selectin determination using ELISA for both groups of subjects. Results: We found significantly reduced haemoglobin in cases than controls (10.79 ± 2.20 vs 13.59 ± 2.20g/dl; p= 0.001), sP-selectin was significantly higher in cases (57.86 ± 69.92vs 25.83 ± 9.72 ng/l; p =0.01). Twenty four patients (27.3%) had sP-selectin levels >53.1ng/ml (mean 114.3 ± 171.1ng/mL). sP-selectin was significantly higher in patients whose BMI was > 25g/m 2 (p=0.03), those with 2 or more co-morbidities (p=0.02) and more so in patients with diabetes mellitus (p=0.009). sP-selectin was increased in metastatic cancer patients, although not significantly. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that there is increased platelet activation in prostate cancer patients as measured by sP-selectin, indicating a significant cardiovascular risk in these patients. Platelet activation was significantly associated with higher BMI and presence of co-morbidities. The ability of sPselectin to predict metastasis and risk of VTE in this environment needs to be elucidated in studies with larger cohorts.

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2016

African Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2015

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences

ABSTRACT

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences

Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia... more Background: Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality among African men. Anaemia is a known association of cancer patients. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for anaemia in prostate cancer (CaP) patients in Nigeria. Method: A prospective study of prostate cancer patients and matched healthy controls, clinical data were obtained and samples were taken for Haemoglobin estimation. Data analysed using EPI Info, version 6.0 . Result: A total of 128 men were recruited for the study, 88 men with histologically proven prostate cancer and 40 otherwise healthy male controls. The mean haemoglobin for the cancer patients’ population was 10.79 ± 2.20g/dl and 13.59± 2.02g/dl in controls (p=0.001). Thirty four patients (38.64%) had anaemia. There was a statistically significant reduction in the haemoglobin levels of the patients with metastasis, compared with those with localized disease, (p=0.001). Increased number of co-morbidities in the patients significantly a...