Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health problem. Coinfection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) among TB patients has paved way for the resurgence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection as well as increased risk of hepatotoxicity during tuberculosis therapy. There is paucity of published data on HIV/HBV infection in TB patients in Nigeria. This was a baseline study carried out to determine coinfection of HIV and HBV in Tuberculosis confirmed patients attending a TB/Leprosy referral healthcare Centre in Central Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 400 confirmed TB patients and their sociodemograph information were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Samples were analyzed for anti-HIV and HbsAg using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (J. Mitra and Co. Pvt. Ltd, India and Shantha Biotechnics Ltd, India respectively). Data were analyzed using SSP version 2.80. P value = 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 400 patients, 68(17.0%) tested positive for HIV and 48(12.0%) for HBV while 6 (1.5%) had HIV/HBV coinfection. Gender, history of STI, history of HBV vaccine and educational status were associated risk factors for the viral infection. Age, history of blood transfusion and scarification mark did not show any statistically significant association to the viral infections. The prevalence rates of HIV and HBV recorded in this population is a cause for alarm. There is therefore a need to introduce the monitoring of TB patients for therapyrelated hepatotoxicity and performance of these viral infections.

Viral hepatitis is a serious public health problem affecting billions of people globally. There is dearth of published information on HBV and HCV infections among apparently healthy population in Central Nigeria. This pilot study was aimed at determining HBsAg and anti-HCV prevalence among apparently healthy population in Central Nigeria. After ethical clearance, blood samples were aseptically collected from 400 recruited apparently healthy persons who gave informed consent and interviewed orally. The samples were centrifuged and screened for HBsAg and anti-HCV using the immunochromatographic technique (One step strips, Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech Ltd, China). Chi square statistical test (Smith’s Statistical Package version 2.80, Claremont, California, USA) was carried out to determine possible association with risk factors studied. A general prevalence of infection with Hepatitis B and C viruses in the study population was 36 (9.0%). The prevalence of HBV infection was 5.5% while HCV infection was 3.5%. The viral infections did not show any statistically significant association with studied risk factors, although, there was arithmetic differences between the studied risk factors (p > 0.05). This study revealed an intermediate HBV prevalence and low prevalence of HCV in apparently healthy population at community level. Therefore, health awareness on the transmission of these viral agents should be an intervention strategy in the area.

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the rare cancers for which no significant improvements in diagnosis and therapy have been made in the last 30 years. Despite considerable progress the median survival of most patients is 5 to 6 months. Currently, 80% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma present with locally invasive and/or metastatic disease, resulting in a poor 5-year survival of <5%. Hence, less than 20% of patients with PDAC undergo potentially curative surgery, whereas the remaining patients, can only be offered palliative treatment. Only 15–20% of patients undergo resection. The development of a diagnostic tool for early detection of patients with this malignancy may significantly impact their prognosis. Pancreatic cancer has a strong correlation between tumor stage and prognosis. The size of the tumors is also important in a general sense, the smaller ones have metastases less frequently than the larger ones at the time of diagnosis and, therefore, are more likely to be cured by surgery. Therefore, it is evident that the earliest detection of cancers is one of the keys to reducing deaths from these diseases and this includes the cancer of the pancreas with its high mortality rates. However, effective early diagnosis remains difficult and depends mainly on imaging modalities and the development of screening methodologies with highly sensitive and specific biomarkers. This review summarizes recent advances in effective screening for early diagnosis of PDAC using novel molecular biomarkers discovered from various studies including protein biomarkers, mutant DNA templates identified in the circulation in blood samples (ctDNA), DNA promoter hypermethylation and measurement of microRNA as other possible noninvasive biomarker for early detection of Pancreatic Cancer. These data have high translational relevance and suggest that early detection is the key issue for improving the prognosis of this aggressive disease. Although many biomarkers for early detection of Pancreatic Cancer (PC) have been discovered through various methods, effective panels of noninvasive biomarkers for screening and early detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not available yet. The increased number of translational studies would be able to provide this remarkable diagnostic tool in a near future. Nevertheless, larger scale and rigorous validation is required before their application in the clinic.

Branchial cleft (cervical lymphoepithelial) cyst, is a congenital (present at birth) lesion due to fragmentary extinction of the branchial apparatus, and obviously different from branchial cleft sinus, fistula or cartilage. In an archtypical non-infected case, it is a smooth, non tender, round mass, a derivative of the second branchial apparatus, existing in the anterolateral neck along the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, deep alongside the internal jugular vein. Depending upon the arch of derivation the locus varies from anywhere in the external auditory canal to the clavicle and a connection with the pharynx in 95% of the cases. Third and fourth branchial cleft cysts (2-5%, the pyriform sinus fistulae) erroneously diagnosed as a bronchogenic cyst, are usually left sided, with neck infection and the treatment is ipsilateral thyroidectomy. The cysts enlarge evenly and are detected by the second/ third decade of life. Males are equally afflicted as females. Those appearing in childhood (20%) assume an acute and painful cystic enlargement; subsidiary to an upper respiratory infection .An infected cyst can advance to an abcess or burst to form a draining sinus tract. The size differs markedly with sufficient transillumination. When aspirated the contents are milky or purulent, if tenderly inflammed. A sinus tract or a blind pouch may be found. If the tract opens onto the surface of the skin, it is called a fistula, A true fistula, a communication between two epitheliazed surfaces, or the surface of the skin, may exist.

Crohn’s disease is said to be a disease entity without cure. The current antibiotic standard of care for the polymicrobial infection created by submucosal penetration by the gastrointestinal microbiota is discussed Submucosal fibrosis, strictures, intra-mural abscess formation, and loop-to-loop fistula are stigmata of failure to treat of the respective segments of anaerobic progression within its polymicrobial infection. In Crohn’s disease, the polymicrobial infection secondary to the loss of mucosal integrity requires comprehensive antibiotic therapy that spans the constituencies of the anaerobic progression.