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PURPOSE Prostate cancer (CaP) incidence and mortality rate are increasing in Africa. Some have linked oxidative stress with the pathogenesis of cancer. This study assessed the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), total plasma peroxide (TPP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in Nigerian patients with CaP. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred twenty patients with CaP and 100 apparently healthy controls were consecutively recruited into this case-control study. The patients with CaP were divided into treatment-naïve and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)–treated groups. Anthropometric indices were measured, and MDA, NO, TAC, and TPP were assayed by colorimetric methods. The t test and analysis of variance were used in analysis of data; statistical significance was set at P < .05, and 95% CIs were reported. RESULTS The patients with CaP had significantly higher waist-hip ratios and NO ( P = .0001), TPP ( P = .001), oxidative stress index (OSI; P = .003), and MDA values ( P = .002) than controls. The treatment-naive patients with CaP had significantly higher waist-hip ratios ( P = .011) and TPP ( P = .013), MDA ( P = .011), and NO values ( P = .0001) and lower TAC values ( P = .013) compared with the controls. The ADT-treated patients had higher waist-hip ratios ( P = .0001) and TPP ( P = .005), OSI ( P = .005), MDA ( P = .011), and NO values ( P = .0001) than the controls. However, the treatment-naive patients had significantly higher NO values ( P = .05) only compared with the ADT-treated patients. There was a significantly positive correlation between MDA and duration of treatment ( r = 0.280, P = .018) in ADT-treated patients with CaP. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that patients with CaP have higher levels of TPP, MDA, and NO and lower levels of TAC compared with men without CaP. In addition, even in patients with CaP undergoing treatment, TPP and MDA levels remained high.

Purpose Cardiovascular disease risk factors have been associated with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in white and Hispanic populations. It is therefore relevant to determine if there exists a relationship between these parameters in the African population. Patients and Methods The design of the study was cross sectional. Prostate-specific antigen concentration, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, glucose level, and insulin level were determined in 153 patients with prostate cancer and 80 controls. The patients with prostate cancer were divided into subgroups of treatment-naïve patients and those receiving ADT. Results Mean total cholesterol ( P = .010), LDL cholesterol ( P = .021), BMI ( P = .001), and waist circumference ( P = .029) values were significantly higher in patients treated with ADT when compared with treatment-naïve patients. In patients treated with ADT for up to 1 year, only mean BMI was significantly higher than in treatment-naïve patients, whereas those treated with ADT for more than 1 year had significantly higher mean BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol values when compared with treatment-naïve patients. There were no significant differences in insulin or glucose levels. Those undergoing hormone manipulation after orchiectomy had fewer cardiovascular risk factors compared with those undergoing hormone manipulation alone. Conclusion This study shows that ADT results in elevated total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, BMI, and waist circumference values, all of which are risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Screening for cardiovascular risk factors should be included in treatment plans for patients with prostate cancer.

Background: Collection of data concerning men's health generally and urological health particularly has always had its challenges, especially in the African setting. Some of the difficulties stem from cultural factors that consider sensitive topics pertaining to men's health as taboo. Aim: To determine how to overcome barriers in conducting a transatlantic prostate cancer familial study in Africans. Methods: After the first phase of the TRANSATLANTIC PROSTATE CANCER FAMILIAL PROJECT STUDY, a survey was carried out among the data collectors and principal investigators using Qualtrix software to collect qualitative feedback on the study. The data from the survey was analyzed using SPSS version 18. Results: Presently, 625 people are enrolled for the study and more are waiting to be recruited in the next phase. About 73% of the participants requested a home or office visit rather than visit a data collection center. On the average, the questionnaire required an average of two hours of personal interview rather than the one hour that had been envisaged. However the participants declared that participant incentives were well worth it. 80% of the participants had no preference for interviewer gender. 80% of the interviewers agreed that answers to questions about participants' sexuality were most difficult to obtain but with an in-depth explanation of the importance of the study and assurance of privacy, the answers were obtained. About 46% of the participants requested that their results be typed and given to them personally, 21% requested results be sent as to them as text messages while 26% requested general results of the study be made available to them in form of booklets, flyers and orally in town hall meetings. Conclusion: The TRANSATLANTIC PROSTATE CANCER FAMILIAL PROJECT STUDY survey questionnaire is a very workable tool that has a high acceptance rate among participants. The best practice for engaging the community for research include community mobilization through sensitization visits and one-on-one talks, use of community 'gatekeepers', introduction by relatives, assurance of privacy of health data obtained, the use of incentives and a promise to give feedback on the results of the study both on a personal and community level.

Background: Smoking is an extremely lethal act and is associated with many illnesses. Lately, major concerns that passive smokers face the same health risks if not higher as active smokers have been raised. Some studies have shown that active smoking is associated with low levels of vitamins and testosterone. Are these facts also valid in passive smokers? Aim: The aim of this research was to estimate the levels of cotinine, testosterone, follicle stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, vitamin E and catalase and compare these parameters in male active and passive smokers. Methods: Serum levels of cotinine, testosterone, FSH, LH, prolactin and vitamin E and catalase were estimated in 60 cigarette smokers, 60 passive smokers and 60 nonsmokers recruited from Calabar metropolis. The hormones were assayed using ELISA and vitamin E using HPLC. Sociodemographic and anthropometric indices were obtained and data analyzed using PAWstatistic 18. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Cotinine levels were significantly ( P = 0.0001) higher in active smokers than in passive smokers and controls. Vitamin E and testosterone was significantly lower in active ( P = 0.003 and P = 0.0001) and passive smokers ( P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0001) when compared with nonsmokers. The mean catalase level of active smokers only was significantly ( P = 0.043) lower than that of the controls. The FSH of the active smokers were significantly higher ( P = 0.034) than those of the controls while the passive smokers had the highest LH values ( P = 0.0001). However, there were no significant variations in the prolactin levels among the three groups. About 3% of the active smokers had testosterone levels less than 3 ng/mL (hypogonadic) but none of the passive smokers or controls had testosterone levels less than 3 ng/mL. Conclusion: Passive and active smoking depletes vitamins E and lowers testosterone levels. This may be a contributing factor to male infertility both groups of smokers.

Background: There is an increasing but controversial evidence that smoking is associated with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome has recently attracted much attention due to increasing knowledge of its relationship with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and other associated problems. Aim: This study assessed the biomarkers and frequency of metabolic syndrome as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) and the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) in adult male smokers. Methods: One hundred and forty one (141) apparently healthy male cigarette smokers and sixty (60) apparently healthy nonsmokers aged 18 to 45 years were recruited for the study. The smokers were subdivided into light (< 8 pack years), moderate (8-30 pack years) and heavy (> 30 pack years) smokers. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were estimated using colorimetric test methods while low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL-C) were calculated using the Friedewald's equation. Serum insulin was estimated using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Insulin resistance was calculated using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Data were analyzed using Student's t-test and analysis of variance; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The smokers had significantly higher diastolic BP ( P = 0.0001), TC ( P = 0.008) and LDL-C ( P = 0.0001) and significantly lower HDL-C ( P = 0.0001) compared with the controls. There were no significant differences in the other parameters. Fasting blood sugar was significantly higher in the light smokers ( P = 0.001) than in the moderate and heavy smokers whereas, serum TC and LDL-C levels were significantly higher in heavy smokers ( P = 0.001) than in the light and moderate smokers. There were no significant variations in the other parameters among the groups. The percentage of smokers with metabolic syndrome was significantly higher than nonsmokers using the IDF ( P = 0.022) and NCEP-ATP III ( P = 0.032) criteria with dyslipidaemia being the most prevalent metabolic abnormality. Conclusion: The unfavorable changes in the lipid profile and blood pressure observed in this study may predispose smokers to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and there is a higher frequency of metabolic syndrome among smokers in Calabar compared with the nonsmokers.