Department of Biomedical & Forensic Sciences

Use of proscribed chloroquine is associated with an increased risk ofpfcrtT76 mutation in some parts of Ghana

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Use of proscribed chloroquine is associated with an increased risk ofpfcrtT76 mutation in some parts of Ghana Asare, Kwame K; Boampong, Johnson N; Ameyaw, Elvis O; Sehgal, Rakesh; Quashi, Neils B Background: After years of disuse of chloroquine (CQ) as first-line anti-malarial drug in Ghana, reports from molecular studies conducted in parts of the country indicate varying prevalence of 76 mutation in the pfcrtgene. This situation has several health implications, one being that mutations that confer resistance to CQ have been reported to show substantial cross-resistance to other anti-malarial drugs. It is important to identify some of the factors contributing to the continuous presence of CQ resistance markers in the country. This study determined the prevalence of 76 mutations in pfcrtgene of Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected from selected areas of the Central region of Ghana and correlated with the level of CQ use in these areas. Methods: Plasmodium falciparum DNA was extracted from collected blood-blot filter paper samples in the study sites. The prevalence of 76 point mutation in pfcrtgene was assessed using nested PCR followed by RFLP. CQ from pharmacy and chemical shops was obtained using mystery buying method. he extent of CQ use by the participants was determined by measuring the level of the drug in their urine samples using the Saker-Solomon method. Results: Of the 214 P. falciparum isolates analyzed, 71.9% were found to have 76 mutation of pfcrtgene. The study revealed that 14.49% of community pharmacies and chemical shops had stocks of CQ for sale while 16.9% of the participants had CQ in their urine samples. here is five times more risks of becoming infected with CQ resistant strain for staying in an area where CQ is stocked for sale [RR = 0.20, p < 0.0001] and thirteen times more risks of having CQ-resistant mutant from those who still use CQ than non-users [OR = 0.08, p < 0.0001]. Conclusion: This study has shown that high variation in the prevalence of 76 mutations of P. falciparum is linked with the level of CQ stocking and usage within study area 8p:, ill.

The prevalence of α-thalassemia and its relation to plasmodium falciparum infection in patients presenting to clinics in two distinct ecological zones in Ghana

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The prevalence of α-thalassemia and its relation to plasmodium falciparum infection in patients presenting to clinics in two distinct ecological zones in Ghana Ghartey-Kwansah, George; Boampong, Johnson N.; Aboagye, Benjamin; Afoakwah, Richmond; Ameyaw, Elvis O.; Quashie, Neils B. Thalassemia and sickle cell disease constitute the most monogenic hemoglobin (Hb) disorders worldwide. Clinical symptoms of a+ -thalassemia (a+ -thal) are related to inadequate Hb production and accumulation of b- and/org-globin subunits. he association of thalassemia with malaria remains contentious, though from its distribution it appears to have offered some protection against the disease. Data on the prevalence of thalassemia in Ghana and its link with malaria is scanty and restricted. It was an objective of this cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of thalassemia in areas representing two of Ghana’s distinct ecological zones. The relationship between thalassemia and Plasmodium falciparium (P. falciparum) infection was also ascertained. Overall, 277 patients presenting to health facilities in the study areas were recruited to participate. ests were carried out to determine the presence of a+-thal, sickle cell and malaria parasites in the blood samples of participants. The outcome of this study showed ana +-thal frequency of 19.9% for heterozygotes ( a/aa) and 6.8% for homozygotes (a/a). Plasmodium falciparum was detected in 17.7% of the overall study population and 14.9% in those with a + -thal. No association was observed between those with a + -thal and the study sites (p40.05). A test of the Hardy-Weinberg law yielded no significant difference (p50.001). Findings from this study suggest a modest distribution of a+ -thal in Ghana with no bias to the ecological zones. Although the prevalence and parasite density were relatively low in those with the disorder, no association was found between them 8p:, ill.

The hydroxyl moiety on carbon one (C1) in the monoterpene nucleus of thymol is indispensable for anti-bacterial effect of thymol

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The hydroxyl moiety on carbon one (C1) in the monoterpene nucleus of thymol is indispensable for anti-bacterial effect of thymol Boye, Alex; Addo, Justice Kwaku; Acheampong, Desmond Omane; Thomford, Ama Kyeraa; Asante, Emmanuel; Amoaning, Regina Elorm; Kuma, Dominic Nkwantabisa Background: Thymol, a natural monoterpene phenol is not only relevant clinically as an anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent but also holds the prospect as a natural template for pharmaceutical semi synthesis of therapeutic agents. It is a major component of essential oils from many plants. Evidence abound linking overall bioactivity of thymol to its monoterpene nucleus, specifically, the hydroxyl (-OH) substituent on carbon number one (C1) on the monoterpene nucleus. Other studies have posited that the overall bioactivity of thymol is not substantially altered by chemical modification of - OH on the C1 of the monoterpene nucleus. In view of this, it is still unclear as to whether removal or modifcation of the –OH on C1 of the monoterpene nucleus relates generally or context-dependently to bioactivity of thymol. Objective: The present study investigated anti-bacterial effects of ester-and-ether substituted derivatives of thymol on S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Materials and methods: twelve ester-and-ether substituted derivatives of thymol (6TM1s and 6TM2s) were synthesized and characterized by using HPLC, Mass spectrometry, and IR techniques. Anti-bacterial activity of the 12 thymol derivatives was evaluated using broth macrodilution and turbidimetric methods against pure clinical isolates (S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli). Standard anti-biotics used were Thymol Streptomycin and fucloxacillin, while DMSO was used as vehicle for thymol derivatives. MIC and MBC were determined. Results: Thymol produced broad-spectrum growth inhibition on all isolates. At equimolar concentrations, thymol and reference drugs produced concentration-dependent growth inhibition against the isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) compared to DMSO. Although the growth inhibitory effects of the ester-and-ether derivatives of thymol was signifcant (P 0.05) compared to DMSO, it was however insignificant (P 0.05) compared to thymol and reference antibiotics. Comparatively, at equimolar concentrations, ester-substituted derivatives of thymol, particularly the branched chain derivative (TM1C) produced more effective growth inhibition on the isolates than the ether-substituted derivatives of thymol. Thymol was twice as potent (MIC and MBC, 500 μg/ml) than both ester-and-ether substituted derivatives of thymol (MIC and MBC, >1000 μg/ml) on all the three clinical isolates. Increase in side chain bulkiness of –OH moiety on the monoterpene nucleus of thymol decreased growth inhibition on isolates. Conclusion: Thymol has demonstrated broad-spectrum anti-bacterial effects attributable to the hydroxyl moiety on C1 of the monoterpene nucleus. Structural modification of the hydroxyl moiety on C1 of the monoterpene nucleus of thymol with either ether-or-ester substitutions yielded no significant anti-bacterial effects 11p:, ill.

The expression of toll-like receptor 8 and its relationship with VEGF and bcl-2 in cervical cancer

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT

The expression of toll-like receptor 8 and its relationship with VEGF and bcl-2 in cervical cancer Zhang, Yun; Yang, Heng; Barnie, Prince Amoah; Yang, Peifang; Su, Zhaoliang; Chen, Jianguo; Jiao, Zhijun; Lu, Liwei; Wang, Shengjun; Xu, Huaxi BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide, often associated with the infection of human papillomavirus(HPV). Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8),a pattern recognition receptor,is involved in viral nucleic acid sensing. Recently TLR8 has been shown to be expressed in cancer cells, and it has been suggested that it may help cancer cell growth and tumor development. The objective of this study is to investigate the expression of TLR8 expression and its relationship with Bcl-2 and VEGF in cervical cancer cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL: The mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2, VEGF and TLR-7,-8,-9 innewly diagnosed cervical cancer patients were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qRTPCR).Epifluorescence microscope was used to determine the presence of TLR8 protein in Hela cells. The cell cycle and apoptos is were analyzed by flow cytometer, and the cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Our data showed the increased mRNA levels of TLR8 in human cervical cancer samples as well as in HeLa cells, a cell line derived from a human cervical cancer. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the expression levels of TLR8 and Bcl-2 and VEGFin cervical cancer patients. When Hela cells were treated with TLR8 agonist CL075,the percentage of cells in G2/M +S was remarkably increased, accompanied by increased COX-2, BCL-2 and VEGF mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The mRNA expression level of TLR8 in the patients with cervical cancer and Hela cells were up-regulated, it consistent with the increased expression of VEGF and Bcl-2. The results suggest that TLR8 may be an interesting therapeutic target in cervical cancer 6p:, ill.