Serological Specificity in the Detection of Syphilis among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal in Some Hospitals in Mubi Metropolis, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the Treponema pallidum (spirochetes). Syphilis remains a major cause of reproductive morbidity and poor pregnant outcomes in developing countries. This Research work seeks to determine the specificity of serological VDRL test for syphilis against the use of High Vaginal Swab in molecular detection of syphilis among pregnant women attending antenatal in some selected hospitals and clinics in Mubi North and South L.G.A. Adamawa State, Nigeria to subvert the challenges, hence finding lasting solution to the Reproductive and mental health challenges posed by secondary Syphillis. A total of 120 blood samples were collected from 120 consented pregnant women in batches from General hospital, Mubi, Sabon layi clinic, Lokuwa PHC, Lamurde maternity, Kwaja PHC and Alheri Nursing hospital all in Mubi North and South Local Government, during their Antenatal days. In all, 30(25.0 %) of the samples were seropositive, with the highest prevalence recorded as 11(9.17 %) of the 20 samples collected from Kwajah PHC in Mubi South L.G.A. The HVS of pregnant with positive serological test results were subjected to molecular nPCR test to amplify the tpp47 gene of Treponema pallidum. The only amplified fragment which arouse from the positive as the only positive amplification products was analyzed for specificity in an agarose gel developed 0.01 % ethidum bromide for ease of visualization of the band of fragment weight 260 bp tpp47 gene of Treponema pallidum under U.V since all HVS samples showed no bands of amplification, no further sequencing was technically necessary.

Professor Krystyna Kotełko and her contribution to the study of Proteus endotoxin

Professor Krystyna Kotełko was working as a microbiologist at the University of Łódź (Poland). Her main object of study was the LPS (endotoxin) of opportunistic urinary pathogens from the genus Proteus. She demonstrated, for the first time, the presence of uronic acids and amino acids, as well as two heptoses (L- glycero-D- manno-heptose and D- glycero-D- manno-heptose) and hexosamines in Proteus LPS, and developed a classification scheme of the Proteus LPS into chemotypes. Prof Kotełko also initiated studies on the chemical structure of Proteus O-specific polysaccharide and investigations on the serological specificity of this part of LPS, as well its core region. She also analysed the virulence factors of these bacteria, such as haemolysin and invasiveness.

The amide of galacturonic acid with lysine as an immunodominant component of the lipopolysaccharide core region from Proteus penneri 42 strain.

Most Proteus lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) contain uronic acids or their amides with different amino acids, which together with other negatively charged components account for the acidic character of such LPS molecules. Previous studies have shown the significance of an amide of galacturonic acid with lysine [D-GalA(L-Lys)] for serological specificity of O-antigens from few P. mirabilis strains. In this work, the immunodominant role of GalALys was indicated for the P. penneri 42 LPS core region. The studies also showed the serological identity of core oligosaccharides from P. penneri 42 (O71), P. mirabilis 51/57 (O28) and R14/S1959 strains.