Introduction: Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen characterized by a limited polymorphism. The expression of HLA-G at immune privileged sites an...Introduction: Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen characterized by a limited polymorphism. The expression of HLA-G at immune privileged sites and its ability to inhibit the effectors functions of immune cells has set HLA-G as a molecule of immune tolerance. This expression pattern is unique among HLA genes and suggests that HLA-G may be involved in interactions that are critical in establishing and/or maintaining pregnancy. Methods: Soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels were measured using a BioVendor sHLA-G ELISA kit following the manufacturer’s protocol. The study participants include women undergoing spontaneous abortion, non-pregnant women, males and an archive sample of women who had normal vaginal deliveries without any complications and any history of malaria infection from gestation to delivery. Results: Soluble HLA-G levels were higher among women undergoing spontaneous abortion as compared to women who had normal vaginal delivery and non-pregnant women. Soluble HLA-G levels were also higher in second trimester as compared to first trimester in both women who had spontaneous abortions and women who had normal delivery. Conclusion: Although sHLA-G levels were higher among women undergoing spontaneous abortion as compared to non-pregnant women and women who had normal delivery, this may be playing a role in the maintenance of maternal immune tolerance to fetal antigen, since plasma sHLA-G levels increased with increasing trimester in both women who had normal delivery and women undergoing spontaneous abortion.展开更多
Background: To contribute to a fuller appreciation of Ghana’s HIV epidemic, this paper presents various profiles of the Ghanaian HIV-affected household. To comprehensively tackle the HIV epidemic in Ghana, the profil...Background: To contribute to a fuller appreciation of Ghana’s HIV epidemic, this paper presents various profiles of the Ghanaian HIV-affected household. To comprehensively tackle the HIV epidemic in Ghana, the profiles would provide stakeholders with ready information for policy formulation. Methods: We used data from a nationally representative survey that measured livelihood activities, household asset wealth, household composition, health, and nutrition variables of 1745 HIV-affected households. From these emerged various profiles. Results: About 50% of the households are headed by females. Households headed by men have an average size of three members, compared to two for female-headed households. There are far more AIDS widows than widowers. The annual death rate among the surveyed households was about 1000 per 100,000-households. Relatively more deaths occurred in male-headed households. Two-thirds of the households were asset poor. Various coping strategies were instituted by the households in reaction to threat of food insecurity. The national prevalence of chronic energy deficiency is 16%. Conclusions: Our data show that age of household head, hosting of a chronically ill member, and average size of household differed by sex of household head. The annual death rate of 1000 per 100,000 households is very high.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen characterized by a limited polymorphism. The expression of HLA-G at immune privileged sites and its ability to inhibit the effectors functions of immune cells has set HLA-G as a molecule of immune tolerance. This expression pattern is unique among HLA genes and suggests that HLA-G may be involved in interactions that are critical in establishing and/or maintaining pregnancy. Methods: Soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels were measured using a BioVendor sHLA-G ELISA kit following the manufacturer’s protocol. The study participants include women undergoing spontaneous abortion, non-pregnant women, males and an archive sample of women who had normal vaginal deliveries without any complications and any history of malaria infection from gestation to delivery. Results: Soluble HLA-G levels were higher among women undergoing spontaneous abortion as compared to women who had normal vaginal delivery and non-pregnant women. Soluble HLA-G levels were also higher in second trimester as compared to first trimester in both women who had spontaneous abortions and women who had normal delivery. Conclusion: Although sHLA-G levels were higher among women undergoing spontaneous abortion as compared to non-pregnant women and women who had normal delivery, this may be playing a role in the maintenance of maternal immune tolerance to fetal antigen, since plasma sHLA-G levels increased with increasing trimester in both women who had normal delivery and women undergoing spontaneous abortion.
文摘Background: To contribute to a fuller appreciation of Ghana’s HIV epidemic, this paper presents various profiles of the Ghanaian HIV-affected household. To comprehensively tackle the HIV epidemic in Ghana, the profiles would provide stakeholders with ready information for policy formulation. Methods: We used data from a nationally representative survey that measured livelihood activities, household asset wealth, household composition, health, and nutrition variables of 1745 HIV-affected households. From these emerged various profiles. Results: About 50% of the households are headed by females. Households headed by men have an average size of three members, compared to two for female-headed households. There are far more AIDS widows than widowers. The annual death rate among the surveyed households was about 1000 per 100,000-households. Relatively more deaths occurred in male-headed households. Two-thirds of the households were asset poor. Various coping strategies were instituted by the households in reaction to threat of food insecurity. The national prevalence of chronic energy deficiency is 16%. Conclusions: Our data show that age of household head, hosting of a chronically ill member, and average size of household differed by sex of household head. The annual death rate of 1000 per 100,000 households is very high.
