No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 1997.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Surgery Johannesburg, 2017 / Background: Surgical interventions such as shunts and devascularisation procedures are effective therapies to prevent variceal rebleeding in people with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. As this disease is prevalent in low income countries, the impact of eco-social factors result in poor compliance with nonsurgical therapies that require repeated sessions and long-term follow-up. Objectives: To determine whether surgical portosystemic shunts have better outcomes compared with oesophagogastric devascularisation procedures in the prevention of variceal rebleeding due to schistosomal portal hypertension (SPH). Methodology: This meta-analysis was conducted using standards expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. All randomised clinical trials comparing surgical portosystemic shunts with oesophagogastric devascularisation with or without splenectomy in the prevention of variceal rebleeding due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis were selected. The risks of bias were assessed according to domains and risk of random errors with Trial Sequential Analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group approach. Results: Two trials met the inclusion criteria of this review and were selected. An analysis of 115 participants, 57 who received distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) and 58 who received devascularisation procedure is presented. The trials were assessed at high risk of bias. There is no difference in overall mortality between DSRS versus devascularisation, risk ratio (RR) is 1.40, (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32 to 6.15), downgraded to very low quality due to overall risk of bias, imprecision and publication bias. Variceal rebleeding following devascularisation is statistically significant higher than after DSRS (RR is 0.23, 95% CI 0.05 to 1.01), very low quality evidence due to bias, imprecision, and publication bias. The number of participants needed to treat with DSRS to achieve benefit (NNTB) is 8. Serious adverse events reported as procedure specific include: portal vein thrombosis, haemolysis, ascites and shunt dysfunction. There was no report on quality of life. DSRS is associated with a statistically significant higher post procedure encephalopathy (RR 8.10, 95% CI 1.04 to 62.83), downgraded to very low quality due to overall risk of bias, imprecision, and publication bias. Trial sequential analysis shows no strong evidence to accept or reject the difference in variceal rebleeding and encephalopathy rate for both interventions because of bias and inadequate sample size. Outcomes of proximal splenorenal shunt (PSRS) compared to devascularisation were reported by a single trial, therefore no meta-analysis was computed for this comparison, nor subgroup of PSRS compared to DSRS. Conclusion: Available evidence seems to suggest that DSRS is better than devascularisation for the prevention of variceal rebleeding due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, but this is at the cost of significant encephalopathy. The review authors are cautious to make this conclusion because overall evidence is very low quality and only few trials with small sample size are available. Further randomised clinical trials with adequate sample size and good methodological quality are needed. / MT2017

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

Li Chi Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-162). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Statement --- p.iii / Acknowledgments --- p.iv / Abstract --- p.vi / Abstract (Chinese version) --- p.viii / Abbreviations --- p.x / Table of contents --- p.xii / List of Figure --- p.xviii / List of Table --- p.xx / Chapter Chapter One --- Literature Review / Chapter 1.1 --- The Genus Schistosoma --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Biology of Schistosoma japonicum --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- The History of discovery of Schitosoma japonicum --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Life cycle of Schistosoma japonicum --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2.1 --- Egg --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2.2.2 --- Miracidia --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2.2.3 --- Sporocysts --- p.7 / Chapter 1.2.2.4 --- Cercaria --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.2.5 --- Schislosomula --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.2.6 --- Adult worms --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Genetics of Schistosoma japonicum --- p.11 / Chapter 1.2.3.1 --- Genome analysis --- p.12 / Chapter 1.2.3.2 --- Schistosome genome --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Tegumental membrane of Schistosomes --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3 --- Pathology of Schistosomiasis --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Acute Schistosomiasis --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Intestinal Disease --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Hepatosplenic Disease --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Cerebral Schistosomiasis --- p.16 / Chapter 1.4 --- Treatment of Schistosomiasis --- p.17 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Chemotherapy --- p.17 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Schistosoma Vaccine --- p.17 / Chapter 1.5 --- GPI anchor --- p.19 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Function of GPI anchored proteins --- p.19 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Synthesis of GPI anchor --- p.21 / Chapter 1.5.3 --- "Phosphatidylinositol Glycan, Class N (PIG-N)" --- p.26 / Chapter 1.6 --- The role of GPI anchor proteins in Schistosome --- p.26 / Chapter 1.7 --- Aim of study --- p.29 / Chapter Chapter two --- Materials and Methods / Chapter 2.1 --- Materials --- p.31 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Cell lines and Bacterial Strains --- p.31 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Chemicals --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Kits and Reagents --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Nucleic acids --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Reagents for Cell culture --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Solutions --- p.35 / Chapter 2.1.7 --- Enzymes --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.8 --- Primer List --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.9 --- Antibodies --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2 --- Methods / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Screening of the S. japonicum cercaria stage cDNA library --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.1.1 --- λ phage plating --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.1.2 --- Single plaque isolation --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.1.3 --- Conversion of Lambda TriplEx to pTriplEx --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.1.4 --- preparation of plasmid DNA --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.1.5 --- cycle DNA sequencing --- p.42 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- RT-PCR --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Isolation of Total RNA by Guandidium Thiocyanate - Cesium Chloride ultracentrifugation --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Synthesis of Fist Strand cDNA by reverse transcriptation reaction --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- PGR amplification of RT product --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Synthesis of first strand cDNA for RACE reaction --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- 5 ´ةRACE for Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.3.3 --- 3´ة RACE for Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.3.4 --- Purification of DNA fragment from agarose gel --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.3.5 --- Ligation of purified PCR fragments and pBluescriptII KS(+) T-vector --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.3.6 --- Preparation of DH5a competent cells --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.3.7 --- Transformation of recombinant plasmid --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Mammalian cell transfection --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Stable transfection --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Transient transfection --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Biological function studies of Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.5.1 --- Flow Cytometry (FCM) analysis --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.5.2 --- In Vitro Mannose Labeling of Microsomes and Characterization of Glycolipids --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Intracellular localization assay --- p.54 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Results / Chapter 3.1 --- Random sequence analysis of cercaria EST from S. japonicum Cercaria stage cDNA library --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Sequencing results --- p.57 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- BlastX Search results --- p.61 / Chapter 3.2 --- The expression of Sj-PIG-N gene in both adult worms and cercaria --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Spectrophotometric analysis of total RNA --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Detection of Sj-PIG-N gene expression in both adult worm and cercaria stages --- p.70 / Chapter 3.3 --- Cloning of the full length of Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.72 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Amplification of the full length of Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.72 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Obtaining the full length sequence of Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.74 / Chapter 3.4 --- Sequence analysis of Ml length Sj-PIG-N cDNA --- p.80 / Chapter 3.5 --- Analysis of Sj-PIG-N protein structure by computer programs --- p.91 / Chapter 3.6 --- Construction of Sj-PIG-N gene into mammalian cell expression vector pEGFP-Nl and pEGFP-Hyg --- p.97 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Construction of pBluescriptII KS(+)-Sj-PIG-N-B --- p.97 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Construction of pBluescriptll KS(+)-Sj-PIG-N-E --- p.101 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Construction of pTRE2-Sj-PIG-N --- p.106 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- Construction of pEGFP-Hyg-Sj-PIG-N --- p.109 / Chapter 3.6.4.1 --- Construction of pEGFP-Hyg --- p.109 / Chapter 3.6.4.2 --- Construction of pEGFP-Hyg-Sj-PIG-N --- p.114 / Chapter 3.7 --- Molecular analysis of Sj-PIG-N gene --- p.117 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Functional analysis of Sj-PIG-N --- p.117 / Chapter 3.7.1.1 --- FACS analysis of surface expression of GPI-anchored protein - Thyl --- p.117 / Chapter 3.7.1.2 --- FACS analysis of surface expression of GPI-anchor protein - CD24 --- p.119 / Chapter 3.7.1.3 --- In Vitro Mannose Labeling of Microsomes and Characterization of Glycolipids --- p.121 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Localization of Sj-PIG-N with immunofluorescent staining --- p.123 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Discussion / Chapter 4.1 --- S. japonicum cercaria EST analysis --- p.125 / Chapter 4.2 --- Structure analysis of Sj-Pig-N gene --- p.128 / Chapter 4.3 --- Molecular analysis of Sj-PIG-N --- p.131 / Chapter 4.4 --- Further study --- p.134 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusion --- p.136 / References --- p.137

No description available.

No description available.