BACKGROUND Vascular α2B-adrenoreceptors have the potential to increase blood pressure by mediating vasoconstriction. A nine-nucleotide deletion in the receptor enhances vasoconstriction and exacerbates hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine the association between insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the α2B-adrenoceptor and hypertension with and without diabetes. METHODS Th...

TB) is still a major problem globally Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis and especially in Africa. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to TB in the past and studies have found vitamin D deficiency to be common among Ugandan TB patients. The functional activity of vitamin D is dependent on the genotype of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphic genes. Recent findings have indicated that VD...

The Amazon region is considered to be a high endemic area for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infections, Rondônia state having the highest prevalence. The aim of this study was to identify molecular genotypes and mutations in the S gene region of HBV viral genomes from 20 patients using a DNA microarray. Results: Serological tests showed that 88% of patients were HBeAg negative, 82% had anti-HBe antib...

BACKGROUND African Americans with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C attain a sustained virologic response (SVR) at only approximately one-half the rate of whites after peginterferon and ribavirin treatment. The serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] has recently been established as a predictor of treatment response. Therefore, the low serum concentrations of 25(OH)D found among Afric...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus is hyperendemic in Sudan. Our aim was to molecularly characterize hepatitis B virus from Sudanese individuals, with and without liver disease, because genotypes play an important role in clinical manifestation and treatment management. METHODS Ninety-nine patients - 30 asymptomatic, 42 cirrhotic, 15 with hepatocellular carcinoma, 7 with acute hepatitis and 5 with ...

The insertion/deletion polymorphism in the gene for the regulator of vascular tone, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), is the prototype of a genetic influence on physical fitness and this involves an influence on capillary supply lines and dependent aerobic metabolism in skeletal muscle. The respective interaction of ACE-I/D genotype and training status on local metabolic and angiogenic react...

BACKGROUND It remains unclear whether genetic factors may explain the reported variation in the levels of biochemical markers of chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorders (CKD- MBD) across ethnic groups. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms on secondary hyperparathyroidism and its association with vitamin D levels in bla...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has eight genotypes which have distinct geographical distributions. Studies comparing differences in the clinical outcomes of infections caused by strains with genotype-related variations in the HBV genome have largely compared genotypes B and C and genotypes A and D but not all four genotypes. The present study included 196 HBV-infected patients attending an infectious ...

objective(s): candidiasis infection caused by candida albicans has been known as a major problem in patients with immune disorders. the objective of this study was to genotype the c. albicans isolates obtained from oral cavity of patients with positive human immunodeficiency virus (hiv+) with or/and without oropharyngeal candidiasis (opc). materials and methods:a total of 100 c. albicans isolat...

Aim: A recently discovered DNA virus (SEN virus) has been assumed to be responsible for posttransfusion hepatitis in humans. Phylogenetic analysis of the SEN virus (SEN-V) has revealed the existence of 8 different genotypes (A-H). SEN-V genotype-H (SENV-H) and SEN-V genotype-D (SENV-D) have been described as most closely associated with post-transfusion hepatitis. So far, it is unclear whether ...