This is a report of observations on a hospital-based study over the prevalence of obesity and dyslipidaemia seen in hypertensives attending our hypertension clinic. 409 patients were screened and 315 (77%) found hypertensive (BP>140/70 mmHg): 71.6% of 109 women screened (mean systolic 165 mmHg) were obese (BMI>30) as against 50.5% of 184 men (mean systolic 161 mmHg). Total cholesterol (TC) concentration was higher in women (mean, 5.28 mmol/L) [4.9-5.8 mmol/L] than in men (mean, 5.1 mmol/L) [5,0-5.4 mmol/L] but the mean atherogenic index (TC/HDL-cholesterol) was higher in men (4.8) than in women (4.1) (normal <4.5). The aim of this study is to sensitise our relevant clinicians to look for obesity and dyslipidaemia coexisting with hypertension, treat such cases aggressively to avoid coronary event and progressive renal disease. This study is to be extended to other geopolitical zones in Nigeria through the coordination of Nigerian Association of Clinical Chemists (NACC).

A 41-year-old man was found to have a malignant mesothelioma of the pleura. During childhood in Corsica, he had been exposed at home to chrysotile ore from the Canari mine. Analysis of lung mineral content revealed background levels of chrysotile but an elevated level of tremolite and actinolite asbestos. The latter had a geometric mean length of 3.7 microns, a value considerably longer than we have found for tremolite and actinolite from Quebec chrysotile miners but roughly the same as the mean length of amosite and crocidolite in workers with occupational amphibole exposure. No tremolite or actinolite fibers of length greater than 8 microns microns and width less than 0.25 micron were observed. The mean aspect ratio of the tremolite and actinolite fibers was 7, a value similar to that found in chrysotile miners with mesothelioma but considerably less than the mean aspect ratio of amosite and crocidolite from those with occupational exposure. These data suggest that long-fiber tremolite is a potential mesothelial carcinogen in humans, and that fiber length is more important than fiber aspect ratio in this regard.

Amoebiasis is a common clinical diagnosis in tropical settings and clinicians continue to treat asymptomatic carriers diagnosed by light microscopy. A minority of carriers, however, are infected with Entamoeba histolytica and the remaining with the non-pathogenic Entamoeba dispar. We compared the diagnostic results of 298 asymptomatic residents of Aracaju, Brazil, obtained by different diagnostic methods, and ascertained their clinical symptoms, to highlight the implications for practitioners. Fifty-eight (19.4%) specimens were amoebae positive by microscopy. Of these, 38 (13%) were E. histolytica/E. dispar enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) positive and 4 (1%) E. histolytica ELISA positive. The frequent use of anti-amoebic treatment on the basis of non-specific symptoms and the findings of light microscopy tests is not justified. Methods for the specific diagnosis of E. histolytica infection for developing countries are urgently needed.