Habtamu Wondifraw Baynes

The role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) on the pancreatic β-cells and insulin action

ABSTRACT Polyunsaturated Fatty acids have multiple effects in peripheral tissues and pancreatic beta cell function. The n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty acids prevent and reverse high-fat-diet induced adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Insulin secretion is stimulated by glucose, amino acids, and glucagon- like peptide-1 in tissue containing high levels of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty acids than lower level of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty acids. Also, n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty acids led to decreased production of prostaglandin, which in turn contributed to the elevation of insulin secretion. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent cytokine-induced cell death in pancreatic islets. Supplementation of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty acids for human subjects prevent beta cell destruction and insulin resistance. It also enhances insulin secretion, reduction in lipid profiles and glucose concentration particularly in type II diabetes patients. Therefore there should be a focus on the treatment mechanism of insulin related obesity and diabetes by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Assessment of the effect of antiretroviral therapy on renal and liver functions among HIV-infected patients: a retrospective study

Background The emergence of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically improved quality of life in prolonging survival of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on treatment in developed as well as developing countries. However, the main shortcoming of HAART in long-term use is its potential to cause liver and kidney derangements that may be life threatening. The drugs are actively accumulated in the proximal renal tubule resulting in functional disturbance with mitochondrial injury being one of the most important targets recognized. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the adverse effects of HAART on kidney and liver functions among HIV-infected patients presenting to the University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia. Materials and methods An institution-based retrospective study was conducted from 2010 to 2015 on a subset of HIV-infected patients. Data were collected from the registration book of the University of Gondar Hospital antiretroviral clinic laboratory after checking the completeness of age, gender, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and alanine aminotransferase level. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and logistic regression were done to determine associations. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 275 study subjects were included in the study. Of these, 62.2% were females, and the overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) before and after treatment was 3.6% and 11.7%, respectively. A majority of the CKD patients were in stage 3 for patients after treatment. The overall prevalence of hepatotoxicity was 6.5% and 16.7% before and after treatment, respectively. A majority of the patients developed Grade 2 hepatotoxicity 66.7% and 65.2% before and after treatment, respectively. Binary and multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the female gender was a risk factor for CKD. Conclusion The prevalence of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity were high among patients who took HAART. Stage 3 nephrotoxicity and Grade 2 hepatotoxicity had the highest incidences of the total toxicities, and the female gender was a risk factor for nephrotoxicity. Further prospective studies are recommended to determine the effect of HAART and contributing factors.

Haematological and immunological reference intervals for adult population in the state of Amhara, Ethiopia

Reference intervals (RIs) currently being used in Ethiopia are derived from western populations. Thus, this study aimed to establish locally derived haematological and immunological RIs.

Reference intervals of routine clinical chemistry parameters among apparently healthy young adults in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Background Clinical laboratory reference intervals (RIs) are essential for clinical diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic monitoring. Locally established RIs are required to correctly interpret clinical laboratory results. In Ethiopia, clinical laboratory test results are interpreted based on RIs derived from a western population. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among blood donors in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia from March 2016 to May 2017. A total of 1,175 apparently healthy study participants were included in the study from four blood banks in the region. All clinical chemistry parameters were analyzed using Mindray BS-200E full automated clinical chemistry analyzer. The 95% RIs were estimated using reference limits at 2.5th percentile for the lower reference limit and 97.5th percentile for the upper reference limit. Kolmogorov–Sminorv and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to check data distribution normality and whether partitions were needed between variables, respectively. Results RIs established include: ALT 5.13–42.88 U/L for males and 4.3–37 U/L for females; AST 12.13–46.88 for males and 10–43.8 U/L for females; ALP 77.2–475.8 U/L for males and 89–381 U/L for females; amylase 29–309.8 U/L for males and 29–287.9 U/L for females; GGT 7–69.8 U/L for males and 6–39.1 U/L for females; total bilirubin 0.11–1.18 mg/dl for males and 0.08–0.91 mg/dl for females; creatinine 0.48–1.13 mg/dl for males and 0.47–1.09 mg/dl for females; total cholesterol 78.13–211.75 mg/dl for males and 83.6–202.7 mg/dl for females; total protein 5.7–9.7 g/dl for males and 5.6–9.47 for females; triglycerides 36–221.9 mg/dl for males and 35.3–201.5 mg/dl for females; urea 12–43 mg/dl for males and 10–38.7 mg/dl for females; and uric acid 2.7–6.9 mg/dl for males and 2.1–5.9 mg/dl for females. Conclusion This study has established RIs for routine clinical chemistry parameters. These RIs are important as they support the interpretation of clinical laboratory results for medical decision making and other health-related activities.

Biochemical Profiles of Pregnant and Non-pregnant Women Attending at the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-sectional Study

Background Pregnancy is a natural physiological statement with hormonal and metabolic changes that helps the growth and survival of the fetus. However, biochemical profiles derangement may lead to pregnancy complications. Therefore, there is a need for determining biochemical profiles among pregnant women. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant and non-pregnant women at the University of Gondar Hospital, from February to April, 2015. Fasting blood sample was collected from 139 pregnant and 139 age matched non-pregnant women using systematic random sampling technique. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile were measured by A25 Biosytemchemistry analyzer using enzymatic calorimetric methods. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Level of significance between groups was analyzed using independent student t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result Pregnant women as compared to non-pregnant had significantly increased glucose (96.35±14.45 and 81.12±9.86 mg/dl), total cholesterol (211.9±40.88 and 172.40±29.64 mg/dl) [p<0.05], respectively. It had also significantly high triglycerides (190.81±81.04 and 107.43±45.80 mg/dl) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (116.03±37.26 and 86.12±27.29mg/dl) [p<05] in pregnant as compared to non-pregnant women. The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly lower in pregnant women (59.58±14.26) than control (63.63±11.4, P <0.05). Conclusion There were statistically significant increment in glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and decrement in high-density lipoprote in cholesterol levels among pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women have to be monitored closely for their biochemical profiles to avoid adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Errors in the total testing process in the clinical chemistry laboratory at the University of Gondar Hospital, northwest Ethiopia

Background Laboratory services have been described as the major processes contributing to safe patient care in the modern healthcare sector. However, occurrences of errors in the overall testing processes impair the clinical decision-making process. Such errors are supposed to be high in resource-poor countries, like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess errors in the total testing process in the Clinical Chemistry laboratory of the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Hospital from February to March 2016. All the required data were collected using established quality indicators. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Frequencies and cross-tabulations were used to summarize descriptive statistics. Results A total of 3259 samples and corresponding laboratory request forms were received for analysis. The analysis of the overall distribution of errors revealed that 89.6% were pre-analytical errors, 2.6% were analytical, and 7.7% were post-analytical errors. Of the pre-analytical errors, incomplete request form filling was the most frequent error observed, followed by sample rejection rate (3.8%). Analytical errors related to internal and external quality control exceeding the target range, (14.4%) and (51.4%) respectively, were reported. Excessive turnaround time and unreported critical value cases were the major defects in the post-analytical phase of quality assurance. Conclusion The present finding showed relatively high frequency of errors, which alarms the importance of quality indicators to assess errors in the total testing process. The University of Gondar Hospital laboratory should improve the quality of healthcare services based on these findings using laboratory standards.

Helicobacter pylori Infection and Its Risk Factors: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study in Resource-Limited Settings of Northwest Ethiopia

Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is implicated for the causation of gastrointestinal tract infections including gastric cancer. Although the infection is prevalent globally, the impact is immense in countries with poor environmental and socioeconomic status including Ethiopia. Epidemiological study on the magnitude of H. pylori and possible risk factors has priceless implication. Therefore, in this study, we determined the prevalence and risk factors of H. pylori infection in the resource-limited area of northwest Ethiopia. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on northwest Ethiopia among 201 systematically selected dyspeptic patients. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire, and stool and serum samples were collected and analyzed by SD BIOLINE H. pylori Ag and dBest H. pylori Disk tests, respectively. Chi-square test was performed to see association between variables, and binary and multinomial regression tests were performed to identify potential risk factors. P values <0.05 were taken statistically significant. Result Prevalence of H. pylori was found to be 71.1% (143/201) and 37.3% (75/201) using the dBest H. pylori Test Disk and SD BIOLINE H. pylori Ag test, respectively. H. pylori seropositivity, using dBest H. pylori Disk tests, is significantly associated in age groups <10 years (P=0.044) and married patients (P=0.016). In those patients with H. pylori (a positive result with either the Ab or Ag test), drinking water from well sources had 2.23 times risk of getting H. pylori infection (P=0.017), and drinking coffee (1.51 (0.79–2.96, P=0.025)) and chat chewing (1.78 (1.02–3.46, P=0.008) are the common risk factors. Conclusion The present study discovered considerable magnitude of H. pylori among the dyspeptic patients in the study area. H. pylori infection is frequent in individuals drinking water from well sources, and thus, poor sanitation and unhygienic water supply are contributing factors. Policies aiming at improving the socioeconomic status will reduce potential sources of infection, transmission, and ultimately the prevalence and incidence of H. pylori.

Glycemic control and its associated factors among diabetes mellitus patients at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mekelle-Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Diabetes is one of the largest health emergencies of the twenty-first century and it is increasing with alarming rate throughout the world. Glycemic Control in diabetes patients is an important issue in minimizing diabetes related complications and deaths. Institution based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April, 2017. Glycated Hemoglobin A1c and biochemical profiles were determined using Huma Meter A1c and ABX PENTRA 400 clinical chemistry analyzer. Independent t-test to compare groups, bivariate and multi variable logistic regression analysis were used. A P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significance. A total of 336 study participants were enrolled in this study. Overall, 208(61.9%) of the study participants had poor glycemic control. The poor glycemic control was significantly higher in glucometer non-users 120(71.4%) compared to glucometer users 88(52.4%) (P < 0.001). Income, the number of visits, high-triglyceride, high low-density lipoprotein and non-glucometer use were significantly associated with the poor glycemic control.