PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E E Takyi

Publications and source records attributed to E E Takyi.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Correlation between vitamin A and zinc levels in Ghanaian pre-school children.

OBJECTIVES: To asses the vitamin A and zinc nutritional status of preschool children and determine if there was any correlation between them in the various nutritional states, as determined by anthropometric measures and to find out the usefulness of an age-independent anthropometric index in determining the nutritional status of preschool children. DESIGN: Prospective, investigative and comparative study. SETTING: The study was carried out in a rural southern village of Ghana. SUBJECTS: Two hundred preschool children (2.5-6 years) were enrolled into the study. INTERVENTION: Age and anthropometric measures of weight, height, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), subscapular (SS) and triceps, were taken. Blood and hair samples were taken for analyses. RESULTS: Vitamin A nutritional status was adequate and the community was not a vitamin A-deficient society. Out of a total of 200 preschool children screened, four per cent (8/200) had deficient level of <10 microg/dL; 17% (34/200) had low (marginal) level of 10-20 microg/dL, while 78% (156/200) had adequate status of 20-50 microg/dL and 1% (2/200) had high level of >50 microg/dL. The zinc nutritional status was also adequate, both in terms of serum and hair zinc. There was a significant correlation between serum vitamin A and plasma zinc levels (r=0.517), hair zinc and plasma zinc (r=0.613) in the various nutritional states and between serum vitamin A and plasma zinc (r=0.903) in the various age groups of the children. There was also very high linear correlation (r=0.781-0.977) among the various anthropometric indices. CONCLUSION: Vitamin A and zinc nutritional status were adequate and there was a high and linear correlation (r=0.903) between vitamin A and plasma zinc in the children of various ages. The use of anthropometric measures without age is limited, since such an index cannot differentiate between cohorts of normal status and those stunted and between children wasted and those both wasted and stunted.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Children's consumption of dark green, leafy vegetables with added fat enhances serum retinol.

A randomized, double-blind, controlled study was conducted to determine whether the consumption of leafy vegetables by preschool children would enhance their serum vitamin A concentration to acceptable levels. Preschool children (n = 519; 2.5-6 y) in Saboba, northern Ghana, were randomly assigned to five feeding groups, differing essentially in the amount of fat and beta-carotene, fed once per d, 7 d per wk, for 3 mo. Serum retinol levels, anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin, rapid turnover proteins (pre-albumin and retinol-binding protein), worm infestation (stool examinations) and level of acute and chronic infection (serum C-reactive protein and acid glycoprotein) were determined before and after study. Relative to the baseline serum retinol values, consumption of dark green, leafy vegetables (Manihot sp. and Ceiba sp.) with fat (10 g/100 g) significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced serum retinol; consequently, the percentage of children with adequate retinol status increased from 28.2-48.2% after feeding (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences among groups, ages or pre- versus post-anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin concentration, or levels of worm infestation. The importance of these findings in alleviating and/or controlling vitamin A deficiency in developing countries is discussed.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Zinc nutritional status in preschool children in different communities in southern Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the nutritional status of preschool children in four communities in Southern Ghana with particular reference to zinc nutritional status, and ascertain whether there are any significant differences in their zinc levels that could explain differences in their nutritional states. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Four kindergartens--two in rural communities (Kwabenya and Ashalley Botwe) and two in peri-urban communities (Domi and New Achimota) in southern Ghana. SUBJECTS: Preschool children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The levels of zinc in plasma, hair and red blood cells as well as alkaline phosphatase activity and the various nutritional states of the children as determined by biochemical analyses and anthropometric measurements. RESULTS: The nutritional status of periurban children was better than that of their rural counterparts. Zinc levels were adequate and comparable in both communities and do not correlate to the various nutritional states, as determined by anthropometric and biochemical data. CONCLUSION: Low stature (stunting) can occur in the presence of adequate zinc levels in plasma, hair and red blood cells. Zinc deficiency is not a contributory factor to the present malnutrition of the pre-school children in southern Ghana enrolled in this study.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1999

Nutritional status and nutrient intake of preschool children in northern Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the nutritional status and nutrient intake of preschool children in a sub-Sahelian setting so as to ascertain whether they meet the acceptable standards. DESIGN: Prospective/investigative study. SETTING: The study was carried out in Saboba, a rural sub-Sahelian village in northern Ghana. SUBJECTS: Five hundred and eighteen preschool children (2.5-6 years) drawn from three kindergartens and five other localities were used. INTERVENTION: Anthropometric measures of age, weight, and height were assessed. Blood and stool samples were taken for analyses. RESULTS: The nutritional status was generally poor, with 27% (140/519) stunted, 4.4% (23/519) wasted and 1.9% (10/519) wasted and stunted. Majority of the children (92%) were anaemic and 16.3% had deficient level of vitamin A (< 10 micrograms/dL). Total caloric intake was low (only 26.5% met RDA values) and apart from protein and iron whose RDA were met by the majority of the children (> 90%), the intake of other nutrients-calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A and provitamin A, were low and unacceptable, compared to their respective RDA values. In the case of iron, even though intake was adequate, the high anaemic rate of 92% was due to high incidence of malaria (32%), hookworm infestation, low intake of vitamin C and low bioavailability of iron from the mainly cereal diet. CONCLUSION: The poor nutritional status of the children was largely due to the low intake of essential nutrients.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1977

Ornithine decarboxylase activity during neonatal development of the rat ventral prostate.

The relationship between ornithine decarboxylase activity and growth has been examined in ventral prostates from rats aged 2--60 weeks. The incorporation of [125I]iododeoxyuridine in vitro was used to assess DNA-synthetic activity. During 2--7 weeks post-partum ornithine decarboxylase activity/prostrate and the protein content and wet weight increased exponentially. In contrast, the incorporation of [125I]iododeoxyuridine/prostate fell during the first 4 weeks. This decline was reversed at about the time when the systemic concentrations of gonadal androgens start to rise. After 10 weeks post-partum the incorporation of [1252]iododeoxyuridine/prostate and ornithine decarboxylase activity/prostate levelled off, whereas the DNA and protein content of the prostate continued to increase at a slow rate.

Aging↗
PubMed1977

Deoxyribonucleic acid and polyamine synthesis in rat ventral prostrate. Effects of age of the intact rat and androgen stimulation of the castrated rat with testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol.

The relationship between polyamine synthesis, growth and secretion in vivo was examined in ventral prostates from: (a) intact rats aged 3-60 weeks; (b) animals castrated for 7 days before injection with 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (17 beta-hydroxy-5-alpha-androstan-3-one), testosterone and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol for up to 10 days; (c) rats injected with the 3 beta, 17 beta-diol immediately after castration. Ornithine decarboxylase activity and the concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine were measured. DNA-synthetic activity was monitored by measuring [125I]iododoxyuridine incorporation. An enhanced spermidine/spermine molar ratio reflected increased activity of the prostate. The ratio was higher (greater than 2) in prostates from sexually immature animals, than in the intact adult (1.5), suggesting that the ratio was indicative of the proliferative activity of the tissue. However, in the androgen-stimulated castrated rat, enhanced spermidine/spermine ratios tended to correlate with hypertrophy and secretion. In both sets of experiments there was a linear relationship between protein and spermidine content. High spermidine/spermine molar ratios were the consequence of a relatively low rate of accumulation of spermine relative to spermidine and protein. The relationship between polyamine synthesis and DNA-synthetic activity was investigated in cultured prostate. A combination of insulin (3 mug/ml) and testosterone (0.1 muM caused a stimulatory response in the incorporation of [125I]iododeoxyuridine and in cell division, despite a depleted polyamine content and low ornithine decarboxylase activity in the cultured tissue.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vitamin A status and nutrient intake in a rural community in southern Ghana.

The present study was designed to assess the vitamin A status in a rural community (Gomoa Onyadze) in southern Ghana, to determine if there is any vitamin A deficiency in the community and also to estimate the nutrient intake of the inhabitants to see if the levels conform to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Results of serum vitamin A analysis indicated that out of total of 263 subjects (3-60 years) screened, 0.76% had deficient vitamin A level of < 10 micrograms/1); 11.79% had low levels of 10-20 micrograms/dl; 83.65% had adequate levels of 20-50 micrograms/dl, while 3.80% had high levels (> 50 micrograms/dl). Since the deficient group (i.e. < 10 micrograms/dl) was less than 5% of total subjects screened, it is concluded that there is no vitamin A deficiency in the community. Dietary intake measurements showed that nutrient intake in subjects with normal or abnormal levels of vitamin A are similar and are, with some exceptions (energy, vitamin-thiamine, riboflavin and niacin), acceptable when compared with the RDA.

Adolescent↗