Search

Slums are a wide range of low-income settlements with poor living conditions. The quality of the dwellings varies from simple shacks to permanent structures, while access to water, electricity, sanitation and other basic services and infrastructure tends to be limited. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) exist in slums as the inhabitants adopt an urbanised lifestyle which places them at high risk. Lack of knowledge about the complications of NCDs and how to control them contributes to a large percentage of undetected and untreated cases. Therefore, our recently concluded study aimed to reduce the prevalence of NCDs by promoting a healthy lifestyle in three Nigerian urban slums using a community-engaged research approach. We decided to adopt this approach since community-engaged research takes place in real-world conditions, thus increasing the applicability of findings to practical applications that improve human health. Literature has shown that meaningful community involvement can improve the research process itself, as well as the ultimate findings. Research questions about health issues that concern the community are developed, and people are more likely to give their support when they understand the purpose of the research, and how the results may positively affect them. Thus, this helps when recruiting participants. In addition, research questions help to identify the health risks that are revealed through people's participation, and helps with the development of appropriate ways to protect participants in this regard. Research questions also assist with improving study and instrument design by producing user-friendly, culturally sensitive, accurate and valid practices and measures. Furthermore, community involvement in analysis and interpretation can provide an important explanation of the results, and provide ideas that the researchers had not even considered. A community-engaged research approach provides an opportunity for greater trust and respect to be built between academic researchers and communities. This can lead to future research collaborations, as well as an improvement in community health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 186 Helicobacter pylori isolates and 532 gastric biopsies recovered from 532 patients with varying degrees of gastroduodenal pathology are subjected to in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing using the disc-diffusion method, Etest (MIC breakpoints) and molecular testing using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the isolates studied, antibiotic resistance was as follows: piperacillin (72%), amoxicillin (66%), erythromycin (78%), tetracycline (100%) and metronidazole (95%). All isolates were sensitive to ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. None of the 245 amplicons (positive for H. pylori) from the biopsies were digested with the Bbs1 and Bsal restriction enzyme used in the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique, showing sensitivity to clarithromycin. However, a 238 bp fragment from H. pylori chromosomal DNA (corresponding to the quinolone resistance determining region [QRDR]) of the gyrA gene was amplified successfully. Twelve (4.9%) of the 245 strains studied had the described mutation at position 91, from asparagine (Asn) to glycine (Gly). The study showed that all the H. pylori strains were sensitive to clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin. It also highlighted PCR as a potential tool for faster diagnosis and determination of antibiotic susceptibility (within 24 h) of H. pylori from biopsies and/or isolates recovered from peptic ulcer and gastritis patients.

Aim: To comparatively evaluate PCR and other diagnostic methods (the rapid urease test and / or culture) in order to determine which of the three PCR methods (ureA, glmM and 26-kDa, SSA gene) was most appropriate in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori ) infection and also to evaluate the detection of a putative virulence marker of H pylori, the cagA gene, by PCR in biopsy specimens., Methods: One hundred and eighty-nine biopsy specimens were collected from 63 patients (three biopsies each) undergoing upper gastroduodenal endoscopy for various dyspeptic symptoms. The PCR methods used to detect H pylori DNA directly from biopsies were the glmM, 26-kDa, ureA and then cagA was used to compare the culture technique and CLO for urease with the culture technique being used as the gold standard., Results: Thirty-five percent of the biopsies were positive for H pylori DNA using the 3 PCR methods, while 68% of these were positive for the cagA gene. Twenty-four percent of the biopsies were negative for H pylori DNA in all PCR methods screened. The remaining 41% were either positive for ureA gene only, glmM only, 26-kDa only, or ureA + glmM, ureA + 26-kDa, glmM + 26-kDa. Out of the 35% positive biopsies, 41% and 82% were positive by culture and CLO respectively, while all negative biopsies were also negative by culture and cagA. Cag A+ infection was also predominantly found in H pylori DNA of the biopsies irrespective of the clinical diagnosis., Conclusion: This method is useful for correctly identifying infections caused by H pylori and can be easily applied in our laboratory for diagnostic purposes.