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ABSTRACT: Concentrations of serum folate, red cell folate and serum cobalamin were studied among 240 normal healthy Nigerian adolescents aged 12-17 years. Serum folate level was generally low with a mean of 2.8 nmol/l while red cell folate level was not low with a mean of 369 nmol/l. Mean serum cobalamin was 615 pmol/l. A negative significant correlation was observed between serum folate and red cell folate among the adolescents (r = 0.24). Another significant correlation was observed among the 14 year olds between red cell folate and serum cobalamin (r = 0.404). The folate parameters were significantly lower in the adolescents with HbAS genotype with mean serum folate of 2.2 nmol/l and red cell folate of 326 nmol/l but these differences were more marked among the girls. All the girls in the study had significantly higher serum cobalamin than the boys (p less than 0.001) but the advantage of this is not clear. These results suggest that serum cobalamin may be under some hormonal influences and the high values indicate that cobalamin may be involved in other metabolic functions from the puberty period.
Tropical and geographical medicine 10/1986; 38(3):259-64.
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East African medical journal 10/1984; 61(9):696-701.
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ABSTRACT: The activities of serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferases were measured in protein energy malnutrition (PEM). These enzyme activities were both increased in PEM and fell as recovery was established. There was a marked reduction in the serum albumin level, and an inverse relationship was observed between the serum albumin levels and the enzyme activities. The relationship is discussed in the light of the hepatocellular damage of PEM. The assay of these enzyme activities along with estimation of serum albumin in PEM will prove very useful in the diagnosis of the liver damage that may occur in PEM before clinical manifestations are established.
Enzyme 02/1982; 28(4):300-4.
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ABSTRACT: This report describes the results of a vitamin B12 study among ninety normal healthy school children using commercial radioisotopic dilution assay kits. Values obtained in this study are higher than those obtained in previous study by the microbiological assay using L. leichmannii as the test organism. These high values render the commercial kit unsuitable in its present form in the diagnostic process of liver and related diseases where serum vitamin B12 are significantly elevated. Some dilution of the serum will be essential if the commercial kits are to prove useful among populations with normal high vitamin B12 concentrations.
Acta vitaminologica et enzymologica 02/1981; 3(1):27-30.
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Journal of the Nigeria Medical Association 10/1978; 8(5):399-400.
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ABSTRACT: Blood phenylalanine levels were determined by the Guthrie microbiological inhibition technique in 138 mentally retarded, and in 88 randomly selected normal (control) Nigerian children. All the control subjects and 137 of the 138 mentally retarded children had negative Guthrie tests (6 mg/100 ml or less). In a majority of the children, the blood phenylalanine levels were 2 mg/100 ml or less. One mentally retarded child had moderately elevated blood phenylalanine level which was however much lower than the levels associated with classical phenylketonuria. The findings in the present study is in agreement with previously reported rarity of phenylketonuria in American negroes. An extensive survey of tropical Africa for phenylketonuria is, however, still desirable because regional and ethnic differences in the incidence of the disease may exist.
Tropical and geographical medicine 07/1976; 28(2):96-100.
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British medical journal 05/1976; 1(6014):880.
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ABSTRACT: Serum copper and zinc levels were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy in 48 hypertensive Nigerians and in 37 normotensive controls. Serum copper and total cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the hypertensive patients, but their serum zinc levels did not differ from those of the controls.
Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 02/1976; 53(1):134-5. · 4.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Sixteen normal adult Nigerians (10 males and 6 females) were randomly selected for an intravenous tolbutamide test. The mean fall of blood sugar at 30 minutes corresponded closely to values observed in the Caucasians; however, there was a delay in the return of blood sugar to fasting level even at 240 minutes following tolbutamide administration. In spite of the low individual blood sugar levels attained during the study, no associated symptoms were observed. The possible contributory role of the counter-regulatory mechanisms in explaining the differences in the response to tolbutamide between the Nigerian and the Caucasian is discussed.
West African journal of pharmacology and drug research 07/1975; 2(1):5-9.
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Ghana medical journal 01/1974; 12(4):360-5.
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ABSTRACT: Thyroid function was assessed in ninety children with homozygous sickle-cell disease (haemoglobin genotype SS) in forty-five children with heterozygous sickle-cell trait (AS) and in 162 control children with haemoglobin genotype AA. Serum levels of thyroxine, the in vitro triiodothyronine resin uptake and the calculated index of 'free thyroxine' were not significantly different in the three groups. The distribution of individual thyrotropin (TSH) values showed that only 11% of the HbSS subjects had values below the 95% confidence limits for the HbAA controls. However, the mean level of TSH was significantly lower in the HbSS than the other two groups of children.
African journal of medicine and medical sciences 15(1-2):25-8.
