Sheu Kadiri Rahamon

Clarifying antipsychotic effects on kynurenine-pathway metabolites may improve understanding of their role in major mental illnesses. Therefore, this study aimed to assess plasma quinolinic and kynurenic acid levels in patients with major mental illnesses. 85 adults comprising 55 treatment-experienced patients with major mental illnesses; schizophrenia, bipolar and depression, and 30 controls were enrolled into this study. The plasma levels of quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid were determined using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Plasma quinolinic acid level was significantly lower in patients with major mental illnesses (14.52 (7.16-48.24) mg/mL) compared with the controls (157.79 (68.64-464.05) mg/mL). In contrast, plasma kynurenic acid level was higher in patients with major mental illnesses (243.96 (210.65-283.05) μmol/L) compared with the controls (215.36 (185.67-243.65) μmol/L). After stratification into groups, patients with schizophrenia (22.86 (7.62-53.14) mg/mL), bipolar (15.34 (8.37-48.21) mg/mL) and depression (6.18 (2.66-43.05) mg/mL) had significantly lower quinolinic acid levels compared with the controls (157.79 (68.64-464.05) mg/mL). However, kynurenic acid levels were only significantly elevated in patients with schizophrenia (247.0 (208.34-290.22 μmol/L) and bipolar (243.20 (212.85-291.12) μmol/L) compared with the controls (215.36 (185.67-243.65) μmol/L). The plasma levels of quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid did not differ significantly among patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Treated patients with major mental illnesses exhibited a kynurenine metabolite profile indicative of reduced neurotoxicity and enhanced neuroprotection. These metabolites may serve as potential biomarkers for monitoring treatment effects Received: 27.12.2025 | Revised: 16.04.2026 | Accepted: 26.05.2026

Background: HIV/AIDS remains a global health crisis marked by profound regional disparities. Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) bears the greatest burden but has achieved partial progress in reducing its impact. Within the region, however, heterogeneous patterns of progress and setbacks persist, underscoring ongoing challenges in epidemic control and suggesting potential misalignment in the focus of current interventions. Methods: We analysed HIV/AIDS disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) from 2016 to 2021, disaggregated at subregional and local levels across continents using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates. This high‐resolution analytical approach enabled the identification of nuanced temporal trends and geographic hotspots requiring urgent intervention, with particular emphasis on SSA. Findings: Southern SSA recorded a 20.8% decline in DALY rates, from 18 280 to 14 470 per 100 000 population, while eastern, western and central SSA each achieved reductions exceeding 27%. Despite these gains, some areas maintained alarmingly high burdens, including Lesotho (26 516), eastern Cape, South Africa (25 004), Eswatini (22 944) and Homa Bay, Kenya (21 747). Outside Africa, the Caribbean achieved a 29% decline, whereas North America and Europe registered more modest improvements. In Asia, several Indian states recorded up to 27% reductions, contrasted by increases in parts of Pakistan, Mongolia, China and Yemen. Interpretation: Marked regional contrasts highlight the need to reframe HIV/AIDS control strategies at the subregional level. Despite setbacks linked to the COVID‐19 pandemic, targeted, data‐driven interventions in persistent high‐burden areas remain essential to sustain progress and accelerate the global HIV/AIDS response. Yet, just as encouraging transitions are beginning to take hold across several parts of SSA, the continent is now confronted—suddenly and unprepared—for a renewed challenge: a decline in HIV/AIDS funding.

Background Substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to be a public health challenge of significant importance. The immunomodulatory effects of substances of abuse have been extensively studied but there is a dearth of information on their effects on plasma interleukin-40 (IL-40) level, a biomarker of B cell activity, and its consequent effects on plasma total IgA level in patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Therefore, the plasma levels of IL-40 and total IgA in SUD patients were determined in this study. Methods Ninety adults comprising 50 SUD patients and 40 controls were enrolled into this case-control study. The SUD patients were stratified into groups based on the number of substances they abuse and plasma levels of IL-40 and IgA were determined using ELISA. Results Marijuana was the most abused substance (68.0%) and majority of the SUD patients (64.0%) were polydrug users. The median plasma IL-40 level was significantly lower in SUD patients compared with the controls. Similarly, the median plasma total IgA level was significantly lower in SUD patients compared with the controls. However, there were no significant differences in the plasma levels of IL-40 and IgA in SUD patients who abuse single substance, two substances, and three or more substances. The plasma IL-40 level had significant positive correlation with IgA in SUD patients. Conclusion Substance use disorder is associated with impaired humoral immune function, but the dysregulation appears not to be influenced by poly-drug use. Studies evaluating the mechanisms underlying humoral immune impairment in patients with substance use disorder and its potential clinical implications are suggested.

The neuropathological process responsible for neurocognitive disorders in people living with HIV (PLHIV) on long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not well elucidated. Presently, there is a dearth of information on the roles of altered immune response in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. To investigate the interplay between immune response alteration and neuropathological mechanisms underlying neurocognitive disorders in PLHIV on long-term ART, neurocognition, phagocytic activity and plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and nitric oxide (NO) were determined in PLHIV on long-term ART. Eighty eight adults comprising 48 PLHIV on long-term ART and 40 controls, were enrolled into this case-control study. Neurocognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) while the plasma levels of TRAIL and nitric oxide were determined using ELISA and spectrophotometric method respectively. Phagocytic activity was determined using the neutrophil Nitroblue Tetrazolium (NBT) Reduction Test. The plasma TRAIL level and phagocytic activity were significantly lower while the plasma level of NO was significantly higher in PLHIV compared with the controls. However, the mean MMSE score was similar in PLHIV and controls. There were no significant differences in the mean TRAIL levels, phagocytic activity, NO and MMSE score in PLHIV who have been on ART for less than 10 years compared with patients who have been on ART for 10 years or more. Phagocytic activity and plasma levels of TRAIL and NO are altered in PLHIV on long-term ART. However, these alterations appear not to be forerunners to neurocognitive impairment in Nigerians living with HIV on longterm ART.

Cognition, plasma brain derived neurotrophic (BDNF) levels and indices of inflammation were determined in 88 adults sub-divided into 4 groups; Group I (30–39 years), Group II (40–49 years), Group III (50–59 years) and Group IV (≥ 60 years) using standard procedures. There was a significant progressive reduction in cognitive score and plasma BDNF levels as the decades of life increased. The neurocognitive scores were significantly higher in Groups I, II and III than in Group IV. Similarly, the median plasma BDNF level was significantly higher in Group I than in Groups III and IV. Regression analysis revealed that age was negatively related to cognition (R² = 0.522, p = 0.000) and BDNF levels (R² = 0.095, p = 0.003). Plasma BDNF levels and cognitive scores progressively decrease with increasing age hence, plasma BDNF levels could predict susceptibility to neurocognitive dysfunction as aging progresses.

Background: The clinical importance of early identification of potential predictors of cardiovascular events in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) cannot be overemphasized. This study aimed to determine the plasma levels of Castelli risk indices (CRI) and selected cellular inflammatory markers in women with GDM.Methods: A total of 40 pregnant women, consisting of 11 women with GDM and 29 women without GDM, were randomly enrolled into this case-control study using the convenient sampling method. Venous blood samples were taken. The plasma lipid profiles were determined using the spectrophotometric methods. White blood cell differential was counted using a microscope. Plasma levels of CRI-I, CRI-II, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were calculated using the appropriate formula. Student’s t-test, Mann Whitney U, Chi-square, and Spearman’s rho correlations were used for statistical analysis. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The CRI-I [6.58(6.06–7.60) vs 3.42(2.83–3.89)], CRI-II [4.59(4.17–5.28 vs 1.82(1.36–2.16)) and NLR (3.72±0.52 vs 2.63±0.61) were significantly higher in women with GDM. Likewise, the mean age (34.18±3.49), gestational weight (92.82±11.23), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (98.45±6.24), total cholesterol (TC) (310.92(290.81–360.78)), triglyceride (TG) (232.86(221.28–256.00), LDL-C (214.85(206.24–239.80), and neutrophil count (76.36±2.58) were significantly higher in women with GDM (p<0.05). In contrast, HDL-C (45.56(44.90–51.34), lymphocytes (20.82±2.14), and monocytes counts (2.73±1.10) were significantly lower in women with GDM. However, there was no difference in the MLR between the two groups.Conclusion: The CRI-I, CRI-II, and NLR are significantly elevated in women with GDM. Dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation are associated with GDM, which are forerunners of cardiovascular diseases.

Introduction and aim. Reports have shown that there is alteration in haematological and inflammatory processes in patients with cervical cancer. However, there is the dearth of information on the pattern of alteration in Nigerian patients with cervical cancer at various stages of the disease. Therefore, haemocytometric profile and plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-12 were determined in Nigerian patients with cervical cancer at various stages of the disease. Material and methods. Eighty-nine adults consisting of 49 patients with cervical cancer and 40 apparently healthy controls were enrolled into this study. Haemocytometric profile was determined using automated haematology analyzer while the plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-12 were determined using ELISA. Results. Of the participants with cervical cancer, 6.12%, 24.49%, 53.06% and 16.33% were in stages I, II, III and IV respectively. The mean plasma IL-6 level was significantly higher in patients at stage IV of the cancer compared with those in stages I, II and III. No significant differences were observed in the mean plasma IL-12 level, and the haemocytometric profile when patients in different stages of the cancer were compared with one another. Plasma IL-6 had significant positive correlation with the lymphocytes count and cancer stage but had significant negative correlation with packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin and total white blood cells count (WBC) in patients with cervical cancer. Conclusion. Interleukin-6 appears to play an important role in the progression of cervical cancer and could be involved in cervical cancer-associated alteration in haemocytometric profile.

Background: Reports on the evaluation of immune responses to different COVID-19 vaccines are limited. Similarly, effects of age and gender have not been well explored as variables that could impact on the vaccine-induced antibody response. Therefore, seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies in vaccinated and vaccine naïve adult Nigerians was determined in this study. Methodology: A total of 141 adults were enrolled into this study. Presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Specific IgG and IgM antibodies were qualitatively detected using a Rapid Diagnostic Test kit. Results: Pre-vaccination, 77% of the study participants had never had PCR-confirmed COVID-19 test yet 66.7% of them were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Of 111 COVID-19 vaccinated participants, 69.2% and 73.8% of them had SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG post-first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine respectively. However, 23.1% and 21.4% of the participants who have had first and second doses respectively had no detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The proportion of participants with SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG was insignificantly higher in those between the ages of 18–40 years and 41–59 years compared with individuals aged ≥60 years. No significant association was observed between gender and seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Conclusion: There is high SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence among Nigerian adults who never had PCR-confirmed COVID-19. Also, there is the need for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies screening post vaccination as this could be essential in achieving herd immunity. Age and gender do not seem to have significant association with seropositivity.

Background Reports on the evaluation of immune responses to different COVID-19 vaccines are limited. Similarly, effects of age and gender have not been well explored as variables that could impact on the vaccine-induced antibody response. Therefore, seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies in vaccinated and vaccine naïve adult Nigerians was determined in this study. Methodology A total of 141 adults were enrolled into this study. Presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Specific IgG and IgM antibodies were qualitatively detected using a Rapid Diagnostic Test kit. Results Pre-vaccination, 77% of the study participants had never had PCR-confirmed COVID-19 test yet 66.7% of them were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Of 111 COVID-19 vaccinated participants, 69.2% and 73.8% of them had SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG post-first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine respectively. However, 23.1% and 21.4% of the participants who have had first and second doses respectively had no detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The proportion of participants with SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG was insignificantly higher in those between the ages of 18 – 40 years and 41 – 59 years compared with individuals aged ≥60 years. No significant association was observed between gender and seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Conclusion There is high SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence among Nigerian adults who never had PCR-confirmed COVID-19. Also, there is the need for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies screening post vaccination as this could be essential in achieving herd immunity. Age and gender do not seem to have significant association with seropositivity.

Background: Dichlorvos Organophosphate Pesticide (DOP) is an occupational and environmental toxicant which has been classified as highly hazardous and carcinogenic. DOP has been associated with a number of immunocompromised effects as it interferes and interacts with the specific immunological functions. However, there is lack of information on the effects of DOP on serum cytokine levels in DOP users, thus, selected pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were therefore measured in adult male farmer workers exposed to DOP. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty adult male Farm Workers (FW) consisting of 60 Pesticide Applicators (PA) and 60 farmers exposed to DOP for not less than ten years were randomly enrolled into this study. Sixty apparently healthy adult males without occupational exposure to DOP served as controls. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)] and anti-inflammatory cytokines [interleukins (IL)-4 and IL-10] were determined using ELISA. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Post-Hoc and Pearson correlation coefficient. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results: The serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 were significantly higher in FW compared with the controls while the serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 were significantly higher in PA compared with the farmers. IL-4 had significant positive correlation with IFN-ϒ in farm workers, PA and farmers exposed to DOP but IL-4 had significant positive correlation with TNF-α in farmers only. Conclusion: There is a balanced pro and anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion in farm workers with long term exposure to DOP which regulates the pathogenicity of DOP exposure.