Summaryobjectives To determine the levels of resistance to first-line tuberculosis drugs in three cities in three geopolitical zones in Nigeria.methods A total of 527 smear-positive sputum samples from Abuja, Ibadan and Nnewi were cultured on BACTEC-MGIT 960. Drug susceptibility tests (DST) for streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol were performed on 428 culture-positive samples on BACTEC-MGIT960.results Eight per cent of the specimens cultured were multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with varying levels of resistance to individual and multiple first-line drugs. MDR was strongly associated with previous treatment: 5% of new and 19% of previously treated patients had MDR-TB (OR 4.1 (95% CI 1.9-8.8), P = 0.001) and with young adult age: 63% of patients with and 38% without MDR-TB were 25-34 years old (P = 0.01). HIV status was documented in 71%. There was no association between MDR-TB and HIV coinfection (P = 0.9) and gender (P > 0.2 for both).conclusions MDR-TB is an emerging problem in Nigeria. Developing good quality drug susceptibility test facilities, routine monitoring of drug susceptibility and improved health systems for the delivery of and adherence to first-and second-line treatment are imperative to solve this problem.keywords multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, urban cities, first-line TB drugs, newly diagnosed and previously treated TB, HIV

Summary Intrauterine infusion of 1 per cent oyster glycogen solution was used to induce acute endometritis in four genitally normal mares. Numbers of viable neutrophils recovered in uterine washings had increased by 1 h after infusion and remained elevated for at least 72 h. There was a significant correlation between numbers of viable neutrophils and total protein concentrations and between prostaglandin (PG)F and PGE2 concentrations in washings. There was also a significant relationship between concentrations of 15‐keto‐13, 14‐dihydro PGF2α in plasma and PGF in washings. Intrauterine concentrations of PGF were influenced by cycle stage and in turn the induced acute endometritis interfered with normal ovarian function. Mares with persistent endometritis had significantly higher concentrations of PGF and total protein and percentage of neutrophils and monuclear cells in washings than normal mares. White blood cells from mares were capable of producing PGF and PGE2in vitro.

No abstract

The bactericidal and phagocytic activities of blood neutrophils suspended in uterine washings and the mobilization of neutrophils into the uterine lumen were studied in ovariectomized mares receiving oestradiol benzoate (N = 4), progesterone (N = 4) or oily vehicle (N = 4). Uterine lavage was performed sequentially up to 144 h after induction of endometritis by intrauterine infusion of glycogen (1%). There was no significant difference between the 3 groups in speed of mobilization of neutrophils into the uterus in the first 6 h after infusion but there were significantly more uterine luminal neutrophils in progesterone-treated than in oestradiol-treated mares by 24 h after infusion (P less than 0.01). Uterine washings collected from progesterone-treated mares at 0, 24 and 144 h were significantly worse at promoting bactericidal activity by neutrophils than washings from oestradiol-treated and control mares (P less than 0.001). In oestrogen-treated and control mares bactericidal activity had increased by 144 h but in progesterone-treated mares bactericidal activity remained low. Neither treatment nor time affected the ability of washings to opsonize yeast blastospores. Elevated concentrations of progesterone in plasma were therefore associated with decreased bactericidal activity of neutrophils suspended in uterine washings but the generation of C3b in washings did not appear to be affected by hormone treatment.

No abstract