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K Mohammed

Publications and source records attributed to K Mohammed.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Identification of a novel co-transcription of P450/1A1 with telomerase in A549.

A novel co-transcription of CYP1A1 with hTERT, the active subunit of telomerase has been identified in alveolar epithelial cancer cell line (A549). This correlation was confirmed by chemically inducing the transcription of CYP1A1 in four cell lines: control normal lung cells (CCD-32Lu); alveolar epithelial cancer cell line (A549); large cell carcinoma (H460) and drug resistance large cell carcinoma (COR-L23/5010) observing a concomitant increase in hTERT mRNA level. In addition, siRNA was used to silence CYP1A1 transcription in A549 observing a decrease in the level of hTERT mRNA. The transcription correlation between CYP1A1 and hTERT may suggest a possible new mechanism for cancer therapy based on alternative gene targets. The co-transcription showed that the AhR pathway plays an active role in the activation of CYP1A1 which subsequently activates hTERT transcription. This study showed that the expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 are cell specific and CYP2E1 and GSTM1 may not play a significant role in lung carcinogenesis.

Cell Line↗
PubMed2004

Impact of a face-to-face educational intervention on improving the management of acute respiratory infections in private pharmacies and drug shops in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: In Uganda, although private retail pharmacies and drug shops are the most common sources of drugs for the majority of the population, the quality of care received from these outlets has been reported as suboptimal. It is believed that lack of adequate knowledge is an important underlying factor to such practices. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated the impact of a face-to-face educational intervention on counter attendants' dispensing behaviour for mild and severe acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children at private pharmacies and drug shops. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We used a quasi-experimental research design with comparison groups to analyse counter attendants' management of ARI before and after an intervention. The study was conducted in Kampala District, and used a sample of 191 registered drug outlets (27 pharmacies and 164 drug shops), stratified into two groups: 1) An experimental group that received training; 2) A control group unexposed to training. Data on the practices in the drug outlets from both groups were collected at two time-points: seven months before the intervention, and at one-month after the intervention. OUTCOME MEASURES: Two main outcome measures were considered: a) Assessment of the child's condition. b) The dispensing practices of counter attendants. RESULTS: The study found that despite the training, the assessment of the child's condition remained inadequate in both groups, where the child's age was the only question asked in more than 90% of cases. High levels of inappropriate dispensing practices for both mild and severe ARI were still persistent in both groups after the intervention. Antibiotic prescribing for both conditions was very common, and barely any advice or instruction was given with dispensed drugs. Client demand for particular drugs, competition among drug outlets, and inability of most clients to afford the recommended treatments were the main reported barriers that emerged from the focus group discussions with the counter attendants. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the practices one month after the face-to-face educational intervention showed that the management of ARI did not improve in the drug outlets. While study design issues may have contributed to such findings, there are many other factors not related to knowledge and education that may indirectly hamper the promotion of appropriate dispensing in the private pharmacies and drug shops in Uganda. It is possible that a combination of interventions may contribute to improved management of ARI by counter attendants in the private drug shops and pharmacies in Uganda.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Management of acute respiratory infections in drug shops and private pharmacies in Uganda: a study of counter attendants' knowledge and reported behaviour.

BACKGROUND: In Uganda, private pharmacies and drug shops are important sources of drugs for the majority of the population. In addition to selling drugs, these outlets often serve as primary sources of information about illness and drug therapy. However, the appropriateness of dispensing by staff in these drug outlets has been found to be suboptimal. Yet there has been no study documenting the determinants that underlie the dispensing pattern at these outlets. This study evaluated counter attendants' training background, their knowledge of acute respiratory infections (ARI), and their reported behaviour in the management of ARI in order to identify factors associated with dispensing behaviours. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This descriptive study was conducted in Kampala District, Uganda and used a cross-sectional survey research design to analyse the practice of 197 drug outlets including 28 pharmacies and 169 drug stores. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Counter attendants' training background; their knowledge of the causes, signs and symptoms of ARI; their perception of the dangers of ARI; and the drugs and advice offered for the management of mild and severe ARI. RESULTS: Majority of the counter attendants had medical or pharmacy training. Most of them were nurses. The attendants' workload was generally low. High levels of self-medication among clients were reported at the outlets. Staff at a management level had low knowledge of the aetiology, signs and symptoms, and dangers of ARI. Prescribing an antibiotic was found to be the usual practice for managing ARI cases. Counter attendants at those outlets seldom gave advice or referrals for ARI cases. In particular, patient demand was a main barrier to appropriate dispensing. Strategies suggested by attendants for improving rational dispensing were to educate the public, provide training for the attendants, and re-enforce government supervision of drug outlets. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified several self-reported inappropriate behaviours in the outlets. The formal training background and workload of counter attendants at drug shops and pharmacies were not found to be important contributors to irrational prescribing. The results of this study suggest that a combination of regulatory and educational interventions may yield to improvement in counter attendants' practices in private drug outlets.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Cryoglobulinaemia.

Cryoglobulins are proteins, usually immunoglobulins that precipitate at temperatures less than 37 degrees C and redissolve on rewarming. Cryoglobulinaemias are classified according to the type of immunoglobulins and are associated with a number of disorders including plasma cell dyscrasias, lymphoproliferative disorders, autoimmune diseases and hepatitis C. The exact pathogenesis of the condition is not known. The clinical manifestations are varied and are due to ischaemia of tissues caused by the occlusion of vessel lumen. This review discusses the clinical manifestations, the current hypotheses of pathogenesis, the role of hepatitis C and finally the possibilities of treatment of the disease.

Cryoglobulinemia↗
PubMed2002

Morbidity and outcome of low birthweight babies of adolescent mothers at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the morbidity and outcome of low birthweight babies (birthweight < 2000 gm) of adolescent (age < 20 years) and older mothers. DESIGN: Cross sectional descriptive study. SETTING: The newborn Unit of the Kenyatta National Hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All babies weighing less than 2000 gm at birth whose mothers consented to the study had their gestational age verified using the Dubowitz scoring system. They were then followed up by daily clinical assessment until discharge, death or up to one month in the ward. The babies were divided into two groups according to their mother's age and then compared with respect to episodes of illness, duration of hospital stay, and overall outcome. RESULTS: One hundred and forty two babies were studied. Of these, 64 were born to adolescent mothers. Babies of the adolescent mothers tended to be more premature (p = 0.0174), be lower in weight (p = 0.0078), had more occurrences of respiratory distress and anaemia (probably reflecting their increased prematurity) and had frequent multiple morbidity events They also had longer hospital stay and they were more likely to die (57.7% compared to 42.3% of babies of older mothers). CONCLUSION: Low birthweight babies of the adolescent mothers were found to be more likely to have increased morbidity and adverse outcome compared to similar babies of older mothers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Low birthweight babies: socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics of adolescent mothers at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi.

OBJECTIVE: To compare some socio-demographic and obstetric factors between adolescent mothers (aged below 20 years) and older mothers of low birthweight (birthweight < 2000 gm) babies. DESIGN: Cross sectional descriptive study. SETTING: The Newborn Unit of the Kenyatta National Hospital. RESULTS: Sixty nine adolescent mothers and 73 older mothers were studied. Adolescent mothers were more likely to be unmarried (p = 0.0001) have less formal education (p < 0.0001) be unemployed and be primigravida (76.5% compared to 36% of older mothers). Although the obstetric factors of antenatal clinic attendance, premature rupture of the membranes, pre-eclamptic toxaemia, infections and interventronal delivery tended to be more frequent among the adolescent mothers, non of these differences were significant probably due to the small numbers of patients studied. CONCLUSION: This study does suggest mothers of very low birthweight babies tend to have unfavourable socio-demographic and obstetric factors like being single parents having less formal education, being unemployed and having obstetric risks for poor pregnancy outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Solitary fibrous tumour of the parotid gland.

Solitary fibrous tumours are rare tumours originally described in the pleura. More recently there have been reports of these tumours arising at other sites including the parotid region. They are characterized histologically by a variety of growth patterns that can be confused by the unwary with other benign or malignant tumours particularly sarcomas. We present a case occurring in the pre-auricular region which presented diagnostic difficulties.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Can vector control play a useful supplementary role against bancroftian filariasis?

A single campaign of mass treatment for bancroftian filariasis with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) in Makunduchi, a town in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania, combined with elimination of mosquito breeding in pit latrines with polystyrene beads was followed by a progressive decline over a 5-year period in the microfilarial rate from 49% to 3%. Evidence that vector control had contributed to this long-term decline was obtained by comparison with another town, Moga, where a DEC campaign was used without vector control and where resurgence of microfilariae could be observed 3-6 years after the campaign. In Zanzibar town, treatment of 3844 wet pit latrines and cesspits with polystyrene beads reduced the adult mosquito population in houses by about 65%. Supplementary treatment of open drains and marshes with Bacillus sphaericus produced little or no additional reduction compared to a sector of the town where only pit treatment with polystyrene was carried out. The cost and effort of achieving the 65% reduction in mosquito population could hardly be justified for its impact on filariasis alone, but its noticeable impact on biting nuisance might help to gain community support for an integrated programme.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Susceptibility pattern of uropathogenic gram negative bacilli to antimicrobial chemotherapeutic agents in a National Hospital in Dar es Salaam.

In a period of two months, 232 consecutive urinary tract pathogens were isolated from hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients. Among the isolates, 200 (86.2%) were gram negative bacilli, including E. coli 109 (54.5%), Klebsiella species, 44 (22.5%), Enterobacter species 19 (9.5%), Proteus species 18 (9%), Morganella morganii 9 (4.5%) and Salmonella typhimurium, one (0.5%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, nitrofurantoin, gentamicin and cefuroxime was performed using Stoke's method. Among the 109 E. coli isolates, 107 (98.2%), 104 (94.5%), 105(95.5% and 107 (98.2%) were sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, nitrofurantoin and gentamicin, respectively. Of the 44 Klebsiella isolates, 42 (95.5%), 41 (95.5%), 40 (90.9%) and 34 (77.3%) were sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, nitrofurantoin and gentamicin, respectively. There was no significant difference when the suceptibility patterns of isolates from hospitalised patients were compared to those from outpatients. Although the susceptibility pattern of urinary tract pathogens to the commonly used antimicrobial agents in the hospital is still favourable, there is a need to establish strategies to prevent emergence of resistant bacterial strains.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed1977

Rotavirus isolation and cultivation in the presence of trypsin.

Rotaviruses are generally difficult to isolate and culture in vitro; therefore, virus isolation has not been used as a method of diagnosing this group of agents. The present report describes a simple procedure for isolating bovine rotaviruses directly from feces after pretreatment of fecal samples with trypsin. This procedure resulted in virus isolation from five of five samples that contained virus particles, as demonstrated by electron microscopy, and four of seven samples where virus particles could not be observed but were considered positive by the presence of immunofluorescent-staining cells in feces. Virus could not be isolated from "normal" feces. If the virus was not passaged in the presence of trypsin, the infectivity was gradually lost, but infectivity could be restored again if trypsin was added, resulting in increased virus spread and concomitant increase in virus yield. The application of this technique as a diagnostic tool for bovine and other rotaviruses is briefly discussed.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1975

An epidemiological assessment of the residual effect of DDT on Anopheles hyrcanus sensulato and A. pulcherrimus (Theobold) in the North eastern region of Afghanistan.

In the irrigated zones of North-eastern region of Afghanistan malaria transmission is sustained by A. pulcherrimus and A. hyrcanus despite many years of DDT spraying. A. hyrcanus is an exophilic and exophagic mosquito, strongly resistant to DDT. A. pulcherrimus is still largely susceptible to the insecticide but seems to be deterred from entering houses when these are sprayed with DDT. Entomological and parasitological studies in an area of the province of Kunduz where DDT has not been applied for 2 consecutive years have clearly indicated that the insecticide still plays an important role in reducing malaria transmission in the area though, as expected, it cannot interrupt transmission. A deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the area can be expected if the insecticide is withdrawn. The technical problems now existing in the irrigated zones of the North-eastern region of Afghanistan cannot be solved by routine attack measures. Malaria in the area can be eradicated only with the introduction of new attack measures which are very expensive and for which, at present, the necessary funds are not available.

Afghanistan↗