Search

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially life-threatening disease that primarily affects the lungs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) can also infect other body sites like the pleura, kidney, and skin, causing extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). The number of EPTB deaths can be reduced significantly if rapid and effective technologies such as Xpert Ultra are implemented for early diagnosis of this fatal disease. This study aimed to validate the GeneXpert utilising non-respiratory specimens for early EPTB detection at Lesotho's National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL). Methods: Although this was primarily an experimental study, it did incorporate data from the NTRL database. A variety of extrapulmonary clinical specimens were tested using the GeneXpert (index test) and culture (gold standard) for the presence of M. tuberculosis. All ages and sex were included. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used for statistical analysis. Results: From 2016 to 2019, a total of 176 specimens were tested for EPTB. Pleural fluid was the most routinely obtained specimen type, representing 39.2%, followed by 14.2% ascitic fluid, and 13.6% cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). From the specimens analysed, 34 were positive for EPTB and were detected using both GeneXpert and culture techniques. The GeneXpert's overall sensitivity was 92.3% and specificity was 87.1%. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that the GeneXpert can be trusted as a critical tool for the early detection of various forms of EPTB and early treatment initiation. The GeneXpert can be successfully used as an adjunct diagnostic tool at the NTRL in Lesotho. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Medicinal plants play an important role in our African communities for treatment and prevention of various diseases including cancer. This study was aimed on evaluating the cytotoxicity activities of Asparagus laricinus Burch. and Senecio asperulus DC., Main Methods: In vitro cytotoxicity screening was carried out using fluorescent cellular stains on human prostate cancer (PC3), human breast cancer (MCF-7) and the non-cancerous African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell lines. The cells were imaged with the ImageXpress Micro XLS Widefield fluorescent Microscope, and the acquired images were analysed using the MetaXpress software and the Multi-Wavelength cell scoring application module. Melphalan was used as a positive control in all experiments., Key Findings: Asparagus laricinus methanol and Senecio asperulus DC. dichloromethane extracts exhibited cytotoxicity activity against breast cancer cells with IC 50 values of 97.6 μg/mL and 69.15 μg/mL, respectively. Cell cycle analysis suggested that Asparagus laricinus methanol extract induced cell death selectively through apoptosis observed from Annexin V-FITC and PI stain. Cell cycle analysis also showed that Senecio asperulus DC. dichloromethane extracts induced breast cancer cells death through cell arrest at the synthesis phase and G2 phase. Senecio asperulus DC. dichloromethane extracts further showed cytotoxicity activity against prostate cancer cells with IC 50 values of 69.25 μg/mL due to cell arrest at the G2 and early mitotic (G2/M) phase., Significance: We, therefore, propose that the methanol extract of Asparagus laricinus is a suitable aspirant for future breast cancer chemotherapeutic drug, due to its selective cytotoxicity on cancer cells and not on non-cancerous cells.