Nigella sativa had been documented to possess many therapeutic functions in medicine but the least expected is sero-reversion in HIV infection which is very rare despite extensive therapy with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). This case presentation is to highlight the complete recovery and sero-reversion of adult HIV patient after treatment with Nigella sativa concoction for the period of six months. The patient presented to the herbal therapist with history of chronic fever, diarrhoea, weight loss and multiple papular pruritic lesions of 3 months duration. Examination revealed moderate weight loss, and the laboratory tests of ELISA (Genscreen) and western blot (new blot 1 & 2) confirmed sero-positivity to HIV infection with pre-treatment viral (HIV-RNA) load and CD4 count of 27,000 copies/ml and CD4 count of 250 cells/ mm 3 respectively. The patient was commenced on Nigella sativa concoction 10mls twice daily for 6 months.. He was contacted daily to monitor side-effects and drug efficacy. Fever, diarrhoea and multiple pruritic lesions disappeared on 5th, 7th and 20th day respectively on Nigella sativa therapy. The CD4 count decreased to 160 cells/ mm 3 despite significant reduction in viral load (≤1000 copies/ml) on 30th day on N. sativa. Repeated EIA and Western blot tests on 187th day on Nigella sativa therapy was sero-negative. The post therapy CD4 count was 650cells/ mm 3 with undetectable viral (HIV-RNA) load. Several repeats of the HIV tests remained seronegative, aviraemia and normal CD4 count since 24 months without herbal therapy. This case report reflects the fact that there are possible therapeutic agents in Nigella sativa that may effectively control HIV infection.

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Introduction. Reports have shown that there is a rise in beta-2-microglobulin (β2M) concentration in patients with HIV infection and that the degree of elevation correlates well with the extent of disease burden and could be an independent prognostic marker for death. However, there is the dearth of information on the interplay between alteration in haematological profile, a common cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV, and β2M. Aim. Changes in selected haematological parameters and β2M in Nigerian HIV patients stratified based on CD4+ T-cells counts were thus assessed in this study. Material and methods. Forty-eight asymptomatic, drug naive HIV patients were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total and differential white blood cell count, platelet count and CD4+ T-cells count were determined using standard methods while serum levels of β2M were determined using ELISA. Thereafter, the patients were stratified into three groups based on the CD4+ T-cells count. Results. Hb and lymphocyte counts increased with increasing CD4+ T-cells count. In contrast, neutrophils percentage, MCV and MCH reduced with increasing CD4+ T-cells count. The mean lymphocytes percentage was significantly higher while the mean neutrophils percentage was significantly lower in patients with CD4+ T-cells count of 500–800 cells/μl compared with the patients with CD4+ T-cells count <200 cells/μl. Similarly, the mean MCV was significantly lower in patients with CD4+ T-cells count of 500–800 cells/μl compared with patients with CD4+ T-cells count of 200–499 cells/μl and patients with CD4+ T-cells count <200 cells/μl. β2M had significant positive correlation with WBC and neutrophils percentage but had a significant negative correlation with lymphocytes percentage and MCH in patients with CD4+ T-cells count <200 cells/μl. However, β2M had significant positive correlation with PCV, Hb, monocytes and morphology in patients with CD4+ T-cells count of 500–800 cells/μl. Conclusion. It could be concluded from this study that HIV infection is associated with alteration in haematological profile and the alteration is CD4+ T-cells count-dependent. Also, elevation in β2M concentration appears to be a marker of lymphopaenia in patients with low CD4+ T-cells count.

Background and Objectives: The need for additional markers for differential diagnosis of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and drug sensitive M.tb have been raised by previous studies. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-á) produced by monocyte/macrophage, neutrophilic and lymphocytic linkage plays a central role in effective immunity to many disease conditions including M.tb. Since M.tb either preferential inhabits or transits cells producing TNF-á, it is therefore diagnostically useful to measure the levels of TNF-á in the both mononuclear cell lysate and serum of drug sensitive TB (DS-TB) patients and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients compared with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Chemical Pathology and Immunology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Medical Out-Patients' Department and Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Center, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. TB patients were selected by Consultant Chest physician after detailed laboratory and clinical procedures. The levels of mononuclear cell lysate- and serum- TNF-á were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Serum and lysate TNF-á levels were significantly elevated in DS-TB patients (p <0.05) and MDR-TB patients (p < 0.05) compared with the control. But serum and lysate TNF-á levels were not significantly different in DS-TB patients compared with MDR-TB patients (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Serum level of TNF-á or lysate TNF-á does not differentiate DS-TB patients from MDR- TB patients and the use of antagonist of TNF-á be handled with caution in TB patients.

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