Intestinal parasite infections and associated factors among inmates of Arba Minch prison, southern Ethiopia: cross sectional study

Background

Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the parasitic infections affecting people living in prison. Helminths and intestinal protozoan infections are the most common parasitic infection that may cause serious life-threatening diseases in inmates living in developing countries. This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) among inmates living in Arba Minch prison, southern Ethiopia.

Methods

Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted on Arba Minch inmates, southern Ethiopian. Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather the data of socio-demographic characteristics, hygiene status of the prisoners, sanitation condition of the prison, and associated factors for IPIs by face to face interview. Direct wet-mount examination and formol-ether sedimentation techniques were used to examine intestinal parasitic infection from stool specimens. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to see the association between different variables and the IPI. Odds ratio with 95% CI was computed to determine the presence association and strength of the associated factors.

Result

A total of 320 prisoners were participated in this study. Of these, 154(48.1%) of them were infected with one or more intestinal parasites. Eight different intestinal parasites species were identified and Giardia lamblia was the predominant parasite. Among infected inmates, nearly one out of four of them had multiple parasitic infections dominated by Giardia lamblia and E. histolytica/dispar co-infection. Sleeping in group [AOR = 1.9; 95% CI: (1.0–3.8)], married prisoners [AOR = 1.8; 95% CI: (1.1–2.9)], and hand washing habits after handling soil [AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: (1.0–5.6)] were independently associated with IPI.

Conclusion

High prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was detected in Arba Minch inmates, southern Ethiopian. Absence of hand washing, marital status, and way of sleeping were the factors associated with the IPI. Implementation of mass drug administration, education on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and periodic screening of intestinal parasitic infection is very important to reduce the high prevalence IPIs in prison.

Lipid-based nutrient supplements do not affect efavirenz but lower plasma nevirapine concentrations in Ethiopian adult HIV patients

OBJECTIVES

Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) are increasingly used in HIV programmes in resource-limited settings. However, the possible effects of LNSs on the plasma concentrations of antiretroviral drugs have not been assessed. Here, we aimed to assess the effects of LNSs on plasma efavirenz and nevirapine trough concentrations in Ethiopian adult HIV-infected patients.

METHODS

The effects of LNSs were studied in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a randomized trial. Patients with body mass index (BMI) > 17 kg/m(2) (n = 282) received daily supplementation of an LNS containing whey (LNS/w), an LNS containing soy (LNS/s) or no LNS. Trough plasma concentrations of efavirenz and nevirapine were measured at 1 and 2 months. Genotyping for 516 G>T and 983 T>C polymorphisms of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 locus was performed. Multilevel linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the associations between LNS and plasma efavirenz and nevirapine concentrations.

RESULTS

In patients with BMI > 17 kg/m(2), nevirapine concentrations were lower in the LNS/w and LNS/s groups by a median of -2.3 μg/mL [interquartile range (IQR) -3.9; -0.9 μg/mL; P = 0.002] and -2.1 μg/mL (IQR -3.9; -0.9 μg/mL; P = 0.01), respectively, compared with the group not receiving supplements. There were no differences between groups with respect to efavirenz plasma concentrations. The CYP2B6 516 G>T polymorphism was associated with a 5 μg/mL higher plasma efavirenz concentration compared with the wild type (P < 0.0001), while it was not associated with plasma nevirapine concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

Intake of an LNS was associated with lower plasma nevirapine trough concentrations, indicating possible drug-LNS interactions. The clinical relevance of such reductions in nevirapine exposure is not clear. Plasma efavirenz concentration was not affected by the LNS.

Overexpression of malate dehydrogenase in transgenic alfalfa enhances organic acid synthesis and confers tolerance to aluminum

Al toxicity is a severe impediment to production of many crops in acid soil. Toxicity can be reduced through lime application to raise soil pH, however this amendment does not remedy subsoil acidity, and liming may not always be practical or cost-effective. Addition of organic acids to plant nutrient solutions alleviates phytotoxic Al effects, presumably by chelating Al and rendering it less toxic. In an effort to increase organic acid secretion and thereby enhance Al tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), we produced transgenic plants using nodule-enhanced forms of malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase cDNAs under the control of the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. We report that a 1.6-fold increase in malate dehydrogenase enzyme specific activity in root tips of selected transgenic alfalfa led to a 4.2-fold increase in root concentration as well as a 7.1-fold increase in root exudation of citrate, oxalate, malate, succinate, and acetate compared with untransformed control alfalfa plants. Overexpression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase enzyme specific activity in transgenic alfalfa did not result in increased root exudation of organic acids. The degree of Al tolerance by transformed plants in hydroponic solutions and in naturally acid soil corresponded with their patterns of organic acid exudation and supports the concept that enhancing organic acid synthesis in plants may be an effective strategy to cope with soil acidity and Al toxicity.

Overexpression of malate dehydrogenase in transgenic alfalfa enhances organic acid synthesis and confers tolerance to aluminum

Al toxicity is a severe impediment to production of many crops in acid soil. Toxicity can be reduced through lime application to raise soil pH, however this amendment does not remedy subsoil acidity, and liming may not always be practical or cost-effective. Addition of organic acids to plant nutrient solutions alleviates phytotoxic Al effects, presumably by chelating Al and rendering it less toxic. In an effort to increase organic acid secretion and thereby enhance Al tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), we produced transgenic plants using nodule-enhanced forms of malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase cDNAs under the control of the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. We report that a 1.6-fold increase in malate dehydrogenase enzyme specific activity in root tips of selected transgenic alfalfa led to a 4.2-fold increase in root concentration as well as a 7.1-fold increase in root exudation of citrate, oxalate, malate, succinate, and acetate compared with untransformed control alfalfa plants. Overexpression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase enzyme specific activity in transgenic alfalfa did not result in increased root exudation of organic acids. The degree of Al tolerance by transformed plants in hydroponic solutions and in naturally acid soil corresponded with their patterns of organic acid exudation and supports the concept that enhancing organic acid synthesis in plants may be an effective strategy to cope with soil acidity and Al toxicity.

Group-specific differentiation of Rhizobium from clover species by PCR amplification of 23S rDNA sequences

Two 20-bp primers that provide group-specific detection of Rhizobium spp. by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been used to differentiate strains that belong to different effectiveness groups within the Rhizobium-Trifolium cross-inoculation group. The target for DNA amplification was a 370-bp fragment of the 23S rDNA region. Analysis of additional root-nodule forming, as well as root-associated bacterial species by PCR-primer assay revealed that variability within this 20-bp segment of the 23S rDNA region may be widespread and provide an effective identification tool. Our data suggest that strains of Rhizobium isolated from the perennial clover Trifolium semipilosum may be phylogenetically more closely related to Rhizobium etli.

Comparison of partial 23S rDNA sequences from Rhizobium species

A hypervariable region of Rhizobium 23S rDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic relationships of several strains were determined by comparing nucleotide sequences of the amplified product. Variation in the 23S rDNA nucleotide sequences was consistent with phylogenetic relationships determined by host nodulation specificity and (or) 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Six strains representing three Rhizobium species (R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii, R. meliloti, and R. etli), and two strains each of Bradyrhizobium and Agrobacterium were clustered into five rDNA groups. Unique features identified by secondary structure analysis of the 23S rRNA sequenced region were consistent with the hypothesis that 23S rDNA could be used to design species- or strain-specific Rhizobium probes.