Introduction: Free radicals are capable of inducing oxidative damage, which causes various human ... more Introduction: Free radicals are capable of inducing oxidative damage, which causes various human diseases. However, antioxidants reduce the risk of diseases related to reactive oxygen species. Medicinal plants such as Achyranthes aspera leaves, Satureja punctata aerial parts, Aloe pulcherrima gel, Gomphocarpus fruticosus leaves and Commiphora myrrha resins were claimed to treat various ailments including urolithiasis in Ethiopia. Objectives: This study was intended to determine phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of the aforementioned plants. Materials and Methods: Plants were collected and the aqueous crude extracts were prepared. Phytochemicals were screened qualitatively and DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay was measured at 517nm using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed statistically using one-way ANOVA, Dunnett's comparison test of the Graph Pad Prism version 6. Results: The plant extracts exhibited various phytochemicals such as phenols, flavonoids and tannins, while these were absent in C. myrrha. Steroids and terpenoides were absent in A. pulcherrima and G. fruticosus extracts, respectively. DPPH scavenging capacities of S. punctata, G. fruticosus, A. pulcherrima and A. aspera aqueous extracts were 92.3%, 81.6%, 72.3% and 54.9%, respectively compared to control (Ascorbic acid) showed 87.6%, 94.5%, 92.3% and 95.6%, respectively at inhibitory concentrations of 0.20 mg/ml, 0.78 mg/ ml, 3.13 mg/ml and 12.5 mg/ml, respectively. The IC 50 antioxidant values of S. punctata, A. pulcherrima, G. fruticosus, and A. aspera extracts were 0.01 ±0.003 mg/ml, 0.42 ±0.047 mg/ml, 1.64 ±0.147 mg/ml, and 13.51 ±1.08 mg/ml, respectively compared to Ascorbic acid (0.03 ±0.007 mg/ml). Conclusion: The phytoconstituents in S. punctata aqueous extract has the best capability to scavenge DPPH free radicals. Future characterizations of compounds responsible for the antioxidant activities will be required.
Background Globally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with m... more Background Globally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with many diagnostic uncertainties. Access to affordable and rapid diagnostics remained a major challenge for many developing countries which bear the greatest burden of TB delaying the initiation time to treatment. Objective This study aimed to assess the GeneXpert MTBRIF assay probe utility for the detection of pulmonary TB and Rifampicin-resistant TB cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed from October 2019 to July 2020 in Saint Peter TB Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia. This study enrolled 216 clinically suspected new presumptive pulmonary TB cases confirmed by GeneXpert MTB/ RIF Assay. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were captured using a structured tool. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2019, checked for inconsistency, cleaned promptly, and exported to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, N.Y: IBM Corp, the USA for analysis. Descriptive analysis and binary and multivariate logistics regression were performed and all statistical significance was determined at a 95% confidence level. Results The majority of the study participants, 55.1% [119/216] were males aged 6-80 years. The prevalence of RR MTB was 11.11% [24/216]. A higher proportion of RR TB was found in
Initiatives to eradicate malaria have a good impact on P. falciparum malaria worldwide. P. vivax,... more Initiatives to eradicate malaria have a good impact on P. falciparum malaria worldwide. P. vivax, however, still presents significant difficulties. This is due to its unique biological traits, which, in comparison to P. falciparum, pose serious challenges for malaria elimination approaches. P. vivax's numerous distinctive characteristics and its ability to live for weeks to years in liver cells in its hypnozoite form, which may elude the human immune system and blood-stage therapy and offer protection during mosquito-free seasons. Many malaria patients are not fully treated because of contraindications to primaquine use in pregnant and nursing women and are still vulnerable to P. vivax relapses, although there are medications that could radical cure P. vivax. Additionally, due to CYP2D6's highly variable genetic polymorphism, the pharmacokinetics of primaquine may be impacted. Due to their inability to metabolize PQ, some CYP2D6 polymorphism alleles can cause patients to not...
BackgroundConventional wisdom wrongly holds that the microbiological ofM. tuberculosiscomplex in ... more BackgroundConventional wisdom wrongly holds that the microbiological ofM. tuberculosiscomplex in clinical specimens via culture and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing allows people to be correctly diagnosed and ensures an effective treatment regimen to be selected. This study was aimed to characterize first-and second-line anti-tuberculosis drug resistance profiles among new pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia.MethodsA prospective cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2019 and June 2021 among bacteriologically confirmed new presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis cases. GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay was utilized for initial testing and early detection of rifampicin resistance. Mycobacterial culture and drug susceptibility testing were performed against FOUR first-line and ELEVEN second-line anti-TB drugs using BD BACTEC™ MGIT™ 960 automated liquid culture system.ResultsA total of 156M. tuberculosiscomplex isolates were successfully recovere...
BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M... more BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) as compared to the general population. The number of homeless individuals has been increasing in Addis Ababa City during the last three decades due to the migration of rural inhabitants to the City for better living conditions. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and evaluate associated risk factors in homeless individuals in Addis Ababa City.MethodsA total of 5,600 homeless individuals were screened for PTB symptoms using WHO guideline between February 2019 and December 2020. Sputum samples were cultured from individuals with symptoms of PTB for mycobacterial isolation. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PTB.ResultsThe prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed cases was 1.1% (59/5,600) or 10.54 per 1000 population. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that being homel...
Traditionally, patient travel history has been used to distinguish imported from autochthonous ma... more Traditionally, patient travel history has been used to distinguish imported from autochthonous malaria cases, but the dormant liver stages of Plasmodium vivax confound this approach. Molecular tools offer an alternative method to identify, and map imported cases. Using machine learning approaches incorporating hierarchical fixation index and decision tree analyses applied to 799 P. vivax genomes from 21 countries, we identified 33-SNP, 50-SNP and 55-SNP barcodes (GEO33, GEO50 and GEO55), with high capacity to predict the infection’s country of origin. The Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) for an existing, commonly applied 38-SNP barcode (BR38) exceeded 0.80 in 62% countries. The GEO panels outperformed BR38, with median MCCs > 0.80 in 90% countries at GEO33, and 95% at GEO50 and GEO55. An online, open-access, likelihood-based classifier framework was established to support data analysis (vivaxGEN-geo). The SNP selection and classifier methods can be readily amended for other...
BackgroundGlobally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with ma... more BackgroundGlobally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with many diagnostic uncertainties. Access to affordable and rapid diagnostics remained a major challenge for many developing countries which bear the greatest burden of TB delaying the initiation time to treatment.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the GeneXpert MTB RIF assay probe utility for the detection of pulmonary TB and Rifampicin-resistant TB cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed from October 2019 to July 2020 in Saint Peter TB Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia. This study enrolled 216 clinically suspected new presumptive pulmonary TB cases confirmed by GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were captured using a structured tool. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2019, checked for inconsistency, cleaned promptly, and exported to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, ...
Laboratory identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species is not regularly performed... more Laboratory identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species is not regularly performed while, they have a public health importance with a prevalence of more than 5% among pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to identify the NTM species and their clinical significance among PTB patients. A retrospective study was conducted at the Ethiopian Public Health Institution’s (EPHI’s) national TB referral laboratory. Stored NTM isolates were genotyped using GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS kit (Hain Life science, Germany). Data pertinent to the study was extracted from the EPHI’s database and patients’ medical records. Between January 2 & December 28 of 2017, a total of 3,834 samples were processed from 698 TB patients of whom 50% were female. Among 3,317 samples with mycobacterial culture results 7.3% were NTM and majority of them were identified from smear negative TB patients. M. simiae was the /predominant NTM among the genotyped isolates. All ...
Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have expanded diagnostic service to remote endem... more Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have expanded diagnostic service to remote endemic communities in Ethiopia, where 70% of malaria services per annum are reliant on them. However, diagnostic strategies are threatened by Plasmodium falciparum parasites with deletions of the histidine-rich protein 2 and/or 3 (pfhrp2/3) genes. Studies have reported pfhrp2/3 gene deletion prevalence in Ethiopia that exceeds the WHO recommended threshold to switch to non-HRP2 targeted RDTs for detection of P. falciparum. Therefore, RDTs that target alternative antigens, such as P. falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH) are increasingly in programmatic use. Methods Malaria suspected patients visiting health facilities of Amhara, Tigray, Gambella, and Oromia regions of Ethiopia were screened by community health workers using Carestart Pf/Pv (HRP2/Pv-LDH) and SD-Bioline Pf (HRP2 for Pf/LDH for Pf) RDTs. Dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected from selected patients for molecular and s...
This report describes the MalariaGEN Pv4 dataset, a new release of curated genome variation data ... more This report describes the MalariaGEN Pv4 dataset, a new release of curated genome variation data on 1,895 samples of Plasmodium vivax collected at 88 worldwide locations between 2001 and 2017. It includes 1,370 new samples contributed by MalariaGEN and VivaxGEN partner studies in addition to previously published samples from these and other sources. We provide genotype calls at over 4.5 million variable positions including over 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as short indels and tandem duplications. This enlarged dataset highlights major compartments of parasite population structure, with clear differentiation between Africa, Latin America, Oceania, Western Asia and different parts of Southeast Asia. Each sample has been classified for drug resistance to sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine and mefloquine based on known markers at the dhfr, dhps and mdr1 loci. The prevalence of all of these resistance markers was much higher in Southeast Asia and Oceania than elsewhe...
Vernonia leopoldi (Sch. Bip. ex Walp.) Vatke (Asteraceae) is one of the widely used anti-cancer t... more Vernonia leopoldi (Sch. Bip. ex Walp.) Vatke (Asteraceae) is one of the widely used anti-cancer traditional medicinal plants in Ethiopia, despite the lack of data to support its therapeutic efficacy. Here we describe the isolation of compounds from the plant and the investigation of their cytotoxicity and other bioactivities. We identified the novel sesquiterpene lactone (SL) 11ß,13-dihydrovernodalol along with the three other SLs (vernomenin, vernolepin, and 11ß,13-dihydrovernodalin) and three flavonoids (apigenin, eriodyctiol, and luteolin) isolated from this plant for the first time. The structures of all the compounds were established based on extensive analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data and confirmed by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We then studied the biological activities of the SLs and found that all were cytotoxic at low μM ranges against MCF-7 and JIMT-1 breast cancer cells as well as against the normal-like MCF-10A breast epithelial cells evaluated in a spectrophotometric assay. All the SLs significantly reduced JIMT-1 cell migration after 72 h of treatment with 2 μM concentrations in a wound healing assay. Treatment with all SLs reduced the aldehyde dehydrogenase expressing cancer stem cell sub-population of the JIMT-1 cells significantly, evaluated by flow cytometry. Only 11ß,13-dihydrovernodalin resulted in a significant inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α-induced translocation of nuclear factor κB to the cell nucleus. In addition, we show that the reporter fluorophore nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) can successfully be conjugated with an SL and that this SL-NBD conjugate is taken up efficiently in JIMT-1 cells. Therefore, the overall bioactivities of the SL compounds and specifically their effects against the stemness of breast cancer cells make them prime candidates for further in-depth investigation.
Background Misuse of long-lasting insecticidal nets together with resistance of vectors to most o... more Background Misuse of long-lasting insecticidal nets together with resistance of vectors to most of the insecticides for indoor residual spraying and impregnated nets threaten malaria vector control interventions, requiring search for alternative control methods. Reports have shown that Anopheles mosquitoes die when they feed on endectocidal drugs used to treat humans and animals. A study was designed to investigate the efficacy of LongRange™ (eprinomectin 5%) on laboratory reared Anopheles arabiensis fed on treated calves. Methods Anopheles arabiensis from insectary colony was fed on three calves treated with therapeutic dose of LongRange™ eprinomectin (1 ml/50 kg) and on non-treated three other calves as control arm. For the feeding, mosquitoes were placed in paper cups covered with nylon cloth mesh and then allowed to feed on the necks of calves. Subsequently, mosquito survival, fecundity, egg hatchability, larval development and adult emergence were recorded. Data were entered an...
Background Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence of stone diseases (urolithiasis ... more Background Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence of stone diseases (urolithiasis and cholelithiasis) worldwide. However, studies that evaluate the occurrence of stone diseases in Ethiopia are scarce. The objective of this study was to determine trends in the incidence of stone diseases, and the associated comorbidities in Ethiopia during the last 13 years. Methods Thirteen years retrospective data were collected from medical records (Log Books and Electronic Databases) at St. Paulos Tertiary Referral Hospital, September 2005/2006 to 2017/2018. A total of 32,370 surgically treated patients were included in the study. Open surgical treatments related to stone diseases were identified via a thorough review of patient medical records. Data were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 6 Software. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Stone diseases were found in 4044 (12.5%) patients. Of which, the prevalence of urolithiasis was 2.3%, whereas gallston...
Background: It is estimated that over a third of the world population is infected by malaria and ... more Background: It is estimated that over a third of the world population is infected by malaria and helminthiases mainly among communities with high poverty indices. The distribution of these parasitic infections overlaps in many epidemiological settings and have varying outcomes in the host. In this paper we report the prevalence of malaria and intestinal helminthiases coinfections among malaria suspected patients and the association of helminthiases with the occurrence of malaria and its outcomes in Wondo Genet, southern Ethiopia. Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted from December 2009 to July 2010 in Kella, Aruma and Busa Health Centers in Wondo Genet, a total of 427 consenting febrile patients were screened for malaria and intestinal helminths infections. Malaria parasite detection and quantification were done using Giemsa stained thick and thin blood films. Helminth infections were screened and quantified by Kato-Katz thick smear method. Haemoglobin level was assessed using haemocue machine (HemoCue HB 201 +). Difference in proportions and means were tested by Student's t test and ANOVA while logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between variables. Results: Of the total examined, 196 (45.90%) were positive for at least one helminth infection while 276 (64.64%) were positive for malaria. The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax infections were 47.31 and 16.62%, respectively. The most common helminth parasites detected were Ascaris lumbricoides (33.96%), Trichuris trichiura (21.55%), Schistosoma mansoni (13.35%), and hookworms (6.79%). The overall malaria-helminthiases coinfection was 33.96%. The prevalence of anaemia was 43.12%. Helminthiases coinfection showed a positive correlation with the occurrence of malaria (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.44-3.28; P < 0.001). Schistosoma mansoni coinfection was associated with the increased risk of developing malaria associated anaemia (OR = 14.4, 95% CI: 1.37-150.80; P = 0.026). Conclusion: Malaria and helminth coinfections are important causes of morbidities among the population in Wondo Genet necessitating integrated control measures. Nevertheless, further detailed studies on the consequences and pathogenesis of these coinfections are needed to institute sound control and intervention measures.
Objective: Despite a high public health burden of malaria in endemic regions of Ethiopia, there a... more Objective: Despite a high public health burden of malaria in endemic regions of Ethiopia, there are limitations on the availability of data concerning public awareness about the disease and its preventive measures. The present study aimed in producing base line data on the community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards malaria transmission and its preventive measures in Woreta town, northwest Ethiopia. A community based two-stage random cluster study was conducted from May to July 2013. Household heads were interviewed to assess their awareness about malaria and its control measures. Results: About 78.5% (113/144) of the respondents rated bite of infected mosquito as a way of malaria transmission. The majority of participants, 126 (87.5%) stated one or more symptoms of malaria. About 95.8% (138/144) of the respondents indicated that malaria is preventable and curable disease. Only about 25% (36/144) of the study participants practiced frequent and proper use of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs). Draining logged water was a highly rated, 83 (57.6%), practice of environmental management of malaria.
Traditional medicine is widely practiced in Ethiopia. Here we investigate the toxicity of extract... more Traditional medicine is widely practiced in Ethiopia. Here we investigate the toxicity of extracts of seven medicinal plants traditionally used to treat breast cancer in Ethiopia. These plants, Sideroxylon oxyacanthum, Zanthoxylum chalybeum, Clematis simensis, Clematis longicauda, Dovyalis abyssinica, Vernonia leopoldi, and Clerodendrum myricoides, were selected based on recommendations by traditional healers and on the frequency of use. After harvesting the plant material, the water content was determined and the powder was subjected to methanol extraction resulting in crude extracts which were tested for cytotoxicity in dose response assay. Then the methanol extract of the most toxic plants was subjected to further solvent-solvent fractionation to gain petroleum ether, hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water fractions and these were also tested for cytotoxicity in dose response assays. Extracts of Z. chalybeum and C. myricoides were not toxic. The crude extracts of S. oxyacanthum, C. simensis, and D. abyssinica showed cytotoxicity with half maximal inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) below 1 μg/ml in the human breast cancer cell lines JIMT-1, MCF-7, and HCC1937. The ethyl acetate fraction of V. leopoldi was the most cytotoxic fraction of all fractions tested with an IC50 of 0.87 μg/ml in JIMT-1 cells. The aqueous fraction of S. oxyacanthum and the chloroform fraction of C. simensis were also cytotoxic. In conclusion, our data show a wide difference in in vitro toxicity of medicinal plants used to treat breast cancer patients, which may guide the use of traditional medicine and the choice of plants for isolation of new compounds for cancer treatment.
Neisseria meningitidis infections in sub-Saharan Africa usually present with distinct symptoms of... more Neisseria meningitidis infections in sub-Saharan Africa usually present with distinct symptoms of meningitis but very rarely as fulminant septicemia when reaching hospitals. In Europe, development of persistent meningococcal shock and multiple organ failure occurs in up to 30% of patients and is associated with a bacterial load of >106/ml plasma or serum. We have prospectively studied 27 Ethiopian patients with meningococcal infection as diagnosed and quantified with real-time PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. All presented with symptoms of meningitis and none with fulminant septicemia. The median N. meningitidis copy number (NmDNA) in serum was < 3.5 × 103/ml, never exceeded 1.8 × 105/ml, and was always 10–1000 times higher in CSF than in serum. The levels of LPS in CSF as determined by the limulus amebocyte lysate assay were positively correlated to NmDNA copy number ( r = 0.45, P = 0.030), levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist, ( r = 0.46, P = 0.017), and matrix ...
Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes, 1990
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primer pairs in the gag, pol, and env regions, was use... more The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primer pairs in the gag, pol, and env regions, was used in a comparative study of HIV-1 DNA in peripheral mononuclear blood cells from HIV-1-seropositive individuals in Ethiopia and Sweden. Although all Swedish samples were positive by PCR, the reactivity was more pronounced in samples from late stages than in those from early stages of infection. Six of nine Ethiopian samples from HIV-1-seropositive patients were positive by PCR, but the reactions were much weaker than those observed for Swedish samples, and in most cases seen with one primer pair only. These results suggest that the burden of HIV-1 DNA in peripheral mononuclear blood cells increases with advancing disease. PCR using primer pairs designed to detect HIV-1 infection in Europe and North America is not always suitable for the detection of HIV-1 infection in Ethiopia. The differences in PCR reactivity could possibly be a consequence of differences regarding host responses to th...
Crude and column chromatographic fractions of methanol leaf extract of Jatropha curcas were teste... more Crude and column chromatographic fractions of methanol leaf extract of Jatropha curcas were tested for their larvicidal activities against laboratory reared late third instar larvae of Anopheles arabiensis. Crude methanol leaf extract of J .curcas had similar larvicidal activity to 0.5 ppm Temephos (positive control) at test concentrations ranging from 125-1000 ppm while column chromatographic fractions (F 1 and F 2) of the crude methanol leaf extract of J.curcas showed similar larvicidal activities to 0.5 ppm Temephos at 62.5 and 125 ppm test concentrations. Column chromatographic fraction three (F 3) showed similar larvicidal activity to 0.5 ppm Temephos at 125 ppm test concentration. The LC 50 and LC 90 values of crude methanol leaf extract of J.curcas were found to be 92.09 and 241.09 ppm, respectively. Toxic activities of column chromatographic fraction one (F 1) (LC 50 =28.65 ppm; LC 90 = 49.20 ppm) were nearly equal to that of column chromatographic fraction two [F 2 ] (LC 50 = 30.40 ppm; LC 90 = 49.80 ppm). Least toxicity on the test larvae was observed by column chromatographic fraction three [F 3 ] (LC 50 = 80.70 ppm; LC 90 = 123.70 ppm). Thus, the larvicidal activity of crude methanol leaf extract was not due to the synergistic effects of its fractions. Further studies are recommended to identify larvicidal active ingredients from the active column chromatographic fractions of crude methanol leaf extract of J. curcas.
Introduction: Free radicals are capable of inducing oxidative damage, which causes various human ... more Introduction: Free radicals are capable of inducing oxidative damage, which causes various human diseases. However, antioxidants reduce the risk of diseases related to reactive oxygen species. Medicinal plants such as Achyranthes aspera leaves, Satureja punctata aerial parts, Aloe pulcherrima gel, Gomphocarpus fruticosus leaves and Commiphora myrrha resins were claimed to treat various ailments including urolithiasis in Ethiopia. Objectives: This study was intended to determine phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of the aforementioned plants. Materials and Methods: Plants were collected and the aqueous crude extracts were prepared. Phytochemicals were screened qualitatively and DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay was measured at 517nm using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed statistically using one-way ANOVA, Dunnett's comparison test of the Graph Pad Prism version 6. Results: The plant extracts exhibited various phytochemicals such as phenols, flavonoids and tannins, while these were absent in C. myrrha. Steroids and terpenoides were absent in A. pulcherrima and G. fruticosus extracts, respectively. DPPH scavenging capacities of S. punctata, G. fruticosus, A. pulcherrima and A. aspera aqueous extracts were 92.3%, 81.6%, 72.3% and 54.9%, respectively compared to control (Ascorbic acid) showed 87.6%, 94.5%, 92.3% and 95.6%, respectively at inhibitory concentrations of 0.20 mg/ml, 0.78 mg/ ml, 3.13 mg/ml and 12.5 mg/ml, respectively. The IC 50 antioxidant values of S. punctata, A. pulcherrima, G. fruticosus, and A. aspera extracts were 0.01 ±0.003 mg/ml, 0.42 ±0.047 mg/ml, 1.64 ±0.147 mg/ml, and 13.51 ±1.08 mg/ml, respectively compared to Ascorbic acid (0.03 ±0.007 mg/ml). Conclusion: The phytoconstituents in S. punctata aqueous extract has the best capability to scavenge DPPH free radicals. Future characterizations of compounds responsible for the antioxidant activities will be required.
Background Globally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with m... more Background Globally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with many diagnostic uncertainties. Access to affordable and rapid diagnostics remained a major challenge for many developing countries which bear the greatest burden of TB delaying the initiation time to treatment. Objective This study aimed to assess the GeneXpert MTBRIF assay probe utility for the detection of pulmonary TB and Rifampicin-resistant TB cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed from October 2019 to July 2020 in Saint Peter TB Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia. This study enrolled 216 clinically suspected new presumptive pulmonary TB cases confirmed by GeneXpert MTB/ RIF Assay. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were captured using a structured tool. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2019, checked for inconsistency, cleaned promptly, and exported to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, N.Y: IBM Corp, the USA for analysis. Descriptive analysis and binary and multivariate logistics regression were performed and all statistical significance was determined at a 95% confidence level. Results The majority of the study participants, 55.1% [119/216] were males aged 6-80 years. The prevalence of RR MTB was 11.11% [24/216]. A higher proportion of RR TB was found in
Initiatives to eradicate malaria have a good impact on P. falciparum malaria worldwide. P. vivax,... more Initiatives to eradicate malaria have a good impact on P. falciparum malaria worldwide. P. vivax, however, still presents significant difficulties. This is due to its unique biological traits, which, in comparison to P. falciparum, pose serious challenges for malaria elimination approaches. P. vivax's numerous distinctive characteristics and its ability to live for weeks to years in liver cells in its hypnozoite form, which may elude the human immune system and blood-stage therapy and offer protection during mosquito-free seasons. Many malaria patients are not fully treated because of contraindications to primaquine use in pregnant and nursing women and are still vulnerable to P. vivax relapses, although there are medications that could radical cure P. vivax. Additionally, due to CYP2D6's highly variable genetic polymorphism, the pharmacokinetics of primaquine may be impacted. Due to their inability to metabolize PQ, some CYP2D6 polymorphism alleles can cause patients to not...
BackgroundConventional wisdom wrongly holds that the microbiological ofM. tuberculosiscomplex in ... more BackgroundConventional wisdom wrongly holds that the microbiological ofM. tuberculosiscomplex in clinical specimens via culture and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing allows people to be correctly diagnosed and ensures an effective treatment regimen to be selected. This study was aimed to characterize first-and second-line anti-tuberculosis drug resistance profiles among new pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia.MethodsA prospective cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2019 and June 2021 among bacteriologically confirmed new presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis cases. GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay was utilized for initial testing and early detection of rifampicin resistance. Mycobacterial culture and drug susceptibility testing were performed against FOUR first-line and ELEVEN second-line anti-TB drugs using BD BACTEC™ MGIT™ 960 automated liquid culture system.ResultsA total of 156M. tuberculosiscomplex isolates were successfully recovere...
BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M... more BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) as compared to the general population. The number of homeless individuals has been increasing in Addis Ababa City during the last three decades due to the migration of rural inhabitants to the City for better living conditions. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and evaluate associated risk factors in homeless individuals in Addis Ababa City.MethodsA total of 5,600 homeless individuals were screened for PTB symptoms using WHO guideline between February 2019 and December 2020. Sputum samples were cultured from individuals with symptoms of PTB for mycobacterial isolation. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PTB.ResultsThe prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed cases was 1.1% (59/5,600) or 10.54 per 1000 population. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that being homel...
Traditionally, patient travel history has been used to distinguish imported from autochthonous ma... more Traditionally, patient travel history has been used to distinguish imported from autochthonous malaria cases, but the dormant liver stages of Plasmodium vivax confound this approach. Molecular tools offer an alternative method to identify, and map imported cases. Using machine learning approaches incorporating hierarchical fixation index and decision tree analyses applied to 799 P. vivax genomes from 21 countries, we identified 33-SNP, 50-SNP and 55-SNP barcodes (GEO33, GEO50 and GEO55), with high capacity to predict the infection’s country of origin. The Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) for an existing, commonly applied 38-SNP barcode (BR38) exceeded 0.80 in 62% countries. The GEO panels outperformed BR38, with median MCCs > 0.80 in 90% countries at GEO33, and 95% at GEO50 and GEO55. An online, open-access, likelihood-based classifier framework was established to support data analysis (vivaxGEN-geo). The SNP selection and classifier methods can be readily amended for other...
BackgroundGlobally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with ma... more BackgroundGlobally, TB is the leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality with many diagnostic uncertainties. Access to affordable and rapid diagnostics remained a major challenge for many developing countries which bear the greatest burden of TB delaying the initiation time to treatment.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the GeneXpert MTB RIF assay probe utility for the detection of pulmonary TB and Rifampicin-resistant TB cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed from October 2019 to July 2020 in Saint Peter TB Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia. This study enrolled 216 clinically suspected new presumptive pulmonary TB cases confirmed by GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were captured using a structured tool. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2019, checked for inconsistency, cleaned promptly, and exported to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, ...
Laboratory identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species is not regularly performed... more Laboratory identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species is not regularly performed while, they have a public health importance with a prevalence of more than 5% among pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to identify the NTM species and their clinical significance among PTB patients. A retrospective study was conducted at the Ethiopian Public Health Institution’s (EPHI’s) national TB referral laboratory. Stored NTM isolates were genotyped using GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS kit (Hain Life science, Germany). Data pertinent to the study was extracted from the EPHI’s database and patients’ medical records. Between January 2 & December 28 of 2017, a total of 3,834 samples were processed from 698 TB patients of whom 50% were female. Among 3,317 samples with mycobacterial culture results 7.3% were NTM and majority of them were identified from smear negative TB patients. M. simiae was the /predominant NTM among the genotyped isolates. All ...
Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have expanded diagnostic service to remote endem... more Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have expanded diagnostic service to remote endemic communities in Ethiopia, where 70% of malaria services per annum are reliant on them. However, diagnostic strategies are threatened by Plasmodium falciparum parasites with deletions of the histidine-rich protein 2 and/or 3 (pfhrp2/3) genes. Studies have reported pfhrp2/3 gene deletion prevalence in Ethiopia that exceeds the WHO recommended threshold to switch to non-HRP2 targeted RDTs for detection of P. falciparum. Therefore, RDTs that target alternative antigens, such as P. falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH) are increasingly in programmatic use. Methods Malaria suspected patients visiting health facilities of Amhara, Tigray, Gambella, and Oromia regions of Ethiopia were screened by community health workers using Carestart Pf/Pv (HRP2/Pv-LDH) and SD-Bioline Pf (HRP2 for Pf/LDH for Pf) RDTs. Dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected from selected patients for molecular and s...
This report describes the MalariaGEN Pv4 dataset, a new release of curated genome variation data ... more This report describes the MalariaGEN Pv4 dataset, a new release of curated genome variation data on 1,895 samples of Plasmodium vivax collected at 88 worldwide locations between 2001 and 2017. It includes 1,370 new samples contributed by MalariaGEN and VivaxGEN partner studies in addition to previously published samples from these and other sources. We provide genotype calls at over 4.5 million variable positions including over 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as short indels and tandem duplications. This enlarged dataset highlights major compartments of parasite population structure, with clear differentiation between Africa, Latin America, Oceania, Western Asia and different parts of Southeast Asia. Each sample has been classified for drug resistance to sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine and mefloquine based on known markers at the dhfr, dhps and mdr1 loci. The prevalence of all of these resistance markers was much higher in Southeast Asia and Oceania than elsewhe...
Vernonia leopoldi (Sch. Bip. ex Walp.) Vatke (Asteraceae) is one of the widely used anti-cancer t... more Vernonia leopoldi (Sch. Bip. ex Walp.) Vatke (Asteraceae) is one of the widely used anti-cancer traditional medicinal plants in Ethiopia, despite the lack of data to support its therapeutic efficacy. Here we describe the isolation of compounds from the plant and the investigation of their cytotoxicity and other bioactivities. We identified the novel sesquiterpene lactone (SL) 11ß,13-dihydrovernodalol along with the three other SLs (vernomenin, vernolepin, and 11ß,13-dihydrovernodalin) and three flavonoids (apigenin, eriodyctiol, and luteolin) isolated from this plant for the first time. The structures of all the compounds were established based on extensive analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data and confirmed by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We then studied the biological activities of the SLs and found that all were cytotoxic at low μM ranges against MCF-7 and JIMT-1 breast cancer cells as well as against the normal-like MCF-10A breast epithelial cells evaluated in a spectrophotometric assay. All the SLs significantly reduced JIMT-1 cell migration after 72 h of treatment with 2 μM concentrations in a wound healing assay. Treatment with all SLs reduced the aldehyde dehydrogenase expressing cancer stem cell sub-population of the JIMT-1 cells significantly, evaluated by flow cytometry. Only 11ß,13-dihydrovernodalin resulted in a significant inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α-induced translocation of nuclear factor κB to the cell nucleus. In addition, we show that the reporter fluorophore nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) can successfully be conjugated with an SL and that this SL-NBD conjugate is taken up efficiently in JIMT-1 cells. Therefore, the overall bioactivities of the SL compounds and specifically their effects against the stemness of breast cancer cells make them prime candidates for further in-depth investigation.
Background Misuse of long-lasting insecticidal nets together with resistance of vectors to most o... more Background Misuse of long-lasting insecticidal nets together with resistance of vectors to most of the insecticides for indoor residual spraying and impregnated nets threaten malaria vector control interventions, requiring search for alternative control methods. Reports have shown that Anopheles mosquitoes die when they feed on endectocidal drugs used to treat humans and animals. A study was designed to investigate the efficacy of LongRange™ (eprinomectin 5%) on laboratory reared Anopheles arabiensis fed on treated calves. Methods Anopheles arabiensis from insectary colony was fed on three calves treated with therapeutic dose of LongRange™ eprinomectin (1 ml/50 kg) and on non-treated three other calves as control arm. For the feeding, mosquitoes were placed in paper cups covered with nylon cloth mesh and then allowed to feed on the necks of calves. Subsequently, mosquito survival, fecundity, egg hatchability, larval development and adult emergence were recorded. Data were entered an...
Background Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence of stone diseases (urolithiasis ... more Background Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence of stone diseases (urolithiasis and cholelithiasis) worldwide. However, studies that evaluate the occurrence of stone diseases in Ethiopia are scarce. The objective of this study was to determine trends in the incidence of stone diseases, and the associated comorbidities in Ethiopia during the last 13 years. Methods Thirteen years retrospective data were collected from medical records (Log Books and Electronic Databases) at St. Paulos Tertiary Referral Hospital, September 2005/2006 to 2017/2018. A total of 32,370 surgically treated patients were included in the study. Open surgical treatments related to stone diseases were identified via a thorough review of patient medical records. Data were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 6 Software. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Stone diseases were found in 4044 (12.5%) patients. Of which, the prevalence of urolithiasis was 2.3%, whereas gallston...
Background: It is estimated that over a third of the world population is infected by malaria and ... more Background: It is estimated that over a third of the world population is infected by malaria and helminthiases mainly among communities with high poverty indices. The distribution of these parasitic infections overlaps in many epidemiological settings and have varying outcomes in the host. In this paper we report the prevalence of malaria and intestinal helminthiases coinfections among malaria suspected patients and the association of helminthiases with the occurrence of malaria and its outcomes in Wondo Genet, southern Ethiopia. Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted from December 2009 to July 2010 in Kella, Aruma and Busa Health Centers in Wondo Genet, a total of 427 consenting febrile patients were screened for malaria and intestinal helminths infections. Malaria parasite detection and quantification were done using Giemsa stained thick and thin blood films. Helminth infections were screened and quantified by Kato-Katz thick smear method. Haemoglobin level was assessed using haemocue machine (HemoCue HB 201 +). Difference in proportions and means were tested by Student's t test and ANOVA while logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between variables. Results: Of the total examined, 196 (45.90%) were positive for at least one helminth infection while 276 (64.64%) were positive for malaria. The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax infections were 47.31 and 16.62%, respectively. The most common helminth parasites detected were Ascaris lumbricoides (33.96%), Trichuris trichiura (21.55%), Schistosoma mansoni (13.35%), and hookworms (6.79%). The overall malaria-helminthiases coinfection was 33.96%. The prevalence of anaemia was 43.12%. Helminthiases coinfection showed a positive correlation with the occurrence of malaria (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.44-3.28; P < 0.001). Schistosoma mansoni coinfection was associated with the increased risk of developing malaria associated anaemia (OR = 14.4, 95% CI: 1.37-150.80; P = 0.026). Conclusion: Malaria and helminth coinfections are important causes of morbidities among the population in Wondo Genet necessitating integrated control measures. Nevertheless, further detailed studies on the consequences and pathogenesis of these coinfections are needed to institute sound control and intervention measures.
Objective: Despite a high public health burden of malaria in endemic regions of Ethiopia, there a... more Objective: Despite a high public health burden of malaria in endemic regions of Ethiopia, there are limitations on the availability of data concerning public awareness about the disease and its preventive measures. The present study aimed in producing base line data on the community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards malaria transmission and its preventive measures in Woreta town, northwest Ethiopia. A community based two-stage random cluster study was conducted from May to July 2013. Household heads were interviewed to assess their awareness about malaria and its control measures. Results: About 78.5% (113/144) of the respondents rated bite of infected mosquito as a way of malaria transmission. The majority of participants, 126 (87.5%) stated one or more symptoms of malaria. About 95.8% (138/144) of the respondents indicated that malaria is preventable and curable disease. Only about 25% (36/144) of the study participants practiced frequent and proper use of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs). Draining logged water was a highly rated, 83 (57.6%), practice of environmental management of malaria.
Traditional medicine is widely practiced in Ethiopia. Here we investigate the toxicity of extract... more Traditional medicine is widely practiced in Ethiopia. Here we investigate the toxicity of extracts of seven medicinal plants traditionally used to treat breast cancer in Ethiopia. These plants, Sideroxylon oxyacanthum, Zanthoxylum chalybeum, Clematis simensis, Clematis longicauda, Dovyalis abyssinica, Vernonia leopoldi, and Clerodendrum myricoides, were selected based on recommendations by traditional healers and on the frequency of use. After harvesting the plant material, the water content was determined and the powder was subjected to methanol extraction resulting in crude extracts which were tested for cytotoxicity in dose response assay. Then the methanol extract of the most toxic plants was subjected to further solvent-solvent fractionation to gain petroleum ether, hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water fractions and these were also tested for cytotoxicity in dose response assays. Extracts of Z. chalybeum and C. myricoides were not toxic. The crude extracts of S. oxyacanthum, C. simensis, and D. abyssinica showed cytotoxicity with half maximal inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) below 1 μg/ml in the human breast cancer cell lines JIMT-1, MCF-7, and HCC1937. The ethyl acetate fraction of V. leopoldi was the most cytotoxic fraction of all fractions tested with an IC50 of 0.87 μg/ml in JIMT-1 cells. The aqueous fraction of S. oxyacanthum and the chloroform fraction of C. simensis were also cytotoxic. In conclusion, our data show a wide difference in in vitro toxicity of medicinal plants used to treat breast cancer patients, which may guide the use of traditional medicine and the choice of plants for isolation of new compounds for cancer treatment.
Neisseria meningitidis infections in sub-Saharan Africa usually present with distinct symptoms of... more Neisseria meningitidis infections in sub-Saharan Africa usually present with distinct symptoms of meningitis but very rarely as fulminant septicemia when reaching hospitals. In Europe, development of persistent meningococcal shock and multiple organ failure occurs in up to 30% of patients and is associated with a bacterial load of >106/ml plasma or serum. We have prospectively studied 27 Ethiopian patients with meningococcal infection as diagnosed and quantified with real-time PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. All presented with symptoms of meningitis and none with fulminant septicemia. The median N. meningitidis copy number (NmDNA) in serum was < 3.5 × 103/ml, never exceeded 1.8 × 105/ml, and was always 10–1000 times higher in CSF than in serum. The levels of LPS in CSF as determined by the limulus amebocyte lysate assay were positively correlated to NmDNA copy number ( r = 0.45, P = 0.030), levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist, ( r = 0.46, P = 0.017), and matrix ...
Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes, 1990
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primer pairs in the gag, pol, and env regions, was use... more The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primer pairs in the gag, pol, and env regions, was used in a comparative study of HIV-1 DNA in peripheral mononuclear blood cells from HIV-1-seropositive individuals in Ethiopia and Sweden. Although all Swedish samples were positive by PCR, the reactivity was more pronounced in samples from late stages than in those from early stages of infection. Six of nine Ethiopian samples from HIV-1-seropositive patients were positive by PCR, but the reactions were much weaker than those observed for Swedish samples, and in most cases seen with one primer pair only. These results suggest that the burden of HIV-1 DNA in peripheral mononuclear blood cells increases with advancing disease. PCR using primer pairs designed to detect HIV-1 infection in Europe and North America is not always suitable for the detection of HIV-1 infection in Ethiopia. The differences in PCR reactivity could possibly be a consequence of differences regarding host responses to th...
Crude and column chromatographic fractions of methanol leaf extract of Jatropha curcas were teste... more Crude and column chromatographic fractions of methanol leaf extract of Jatropha curcas were tested for their larvicidal activities against laboratory reared late third instar larvae of Anopheles arabiensis. Crude methanol leaf extract of J .curcas had similar larvicidal activity to 0.5 ppm Temephos (positive control) at test concentrations ranging from 125-1000 ppm while column chromatographic fractions (F 1 and F 2) of the crude methanol leaf extract of J.curcas showed similar larvicidal activities to 0.5 ppm Temephos at 62.5 and 125 ppm test concentrations. Column chromatographic fraction three (F 3) showed similar larvicidal activity to 0.5 ppm Temephos at 125 ppm test concentration. The LC 50 and LC 90 values of crude methanol leaf extract of J.curcas were found to be 92.09 and 241.09 ppm, respectively. Toxic activities of column chromatographic fraction one (F 1) (LC 50 =28.65 ppm; LC 90 = 49.20 ppm) were nearly equal to that of column chromatographic fraction two [F 2 ] (LC 50 = 30.40 ppm; LC 90 = 49.80 ppm). Least toxicity on the test larvae was observed by column chromatographic fraction three [F 3 ] (LC 50 = 80.70 ppm; LC 90 = 123.70 ppm). Thus, the larvicidal activity of crude methanol leaf extract was not due to the synergistic effects of its fractions. Further studies are recommended to identify larvicidal active ingredients from the active column chromatographic fractions of crude methanol leaf extract of J. curcas.
Uploads
Papers by Beyene Petros