African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (11), pp. 1293-1297, 4 June 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Vitamin A status and ocular lesions in some rural Nigerians with onchocerciasis

Nmorsi O. P. G¹, Ukwandu, N. C. D², Egwunyenga, O. A³, Anyanwu, L. C⁴,

Edafe, J¹, and ⁵Odike, MAC

¹Tropical Diseases Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Ambrose Alli University

Ekpoma, Nigeria.

²Department of Medical Microbiology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria.

³Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

⁴Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria.

⁵Department of Pathhological Science, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University

Ekpoma, Nigeria.

*Corresponding authors E-mail: nmorsiopg@yahoo.com.

Accepted 21 March, 2007

The vitamin A and ocular lesions in 98 rural Nigerians who excreted microfilariae in their skin tissues and had at least one clinical manifestation of onchocerciasis were investigated. The highest prevalence rate of 18 (69.2%) occurred among adult males with leopard skin. The overall mean vitamin status of (20.3 ± 2.6 µg/dl) was comparatively lower (χ² = 41.0; p>0.05) than the control inhabitants (76.2.3 ± 3.8 µg/dl). The mean vitamin status was higher among the infected children (22.7 ± 0.5 µg/dl) than their adult counterparts (17.9 ± 6.1 µg/dl). Also the mean vitamin A status of their infected children (22.7 ± 5.0 µg/dl) was lower (χ² = 31.1; p> 0.05) than their control subjects (73.5 ± 2.1 µg/dl). The vitamin A status of the infected adults (17.9 ± 6.1 µg/dl) was lower (χ² = 47.2; p>0.05) than their control counterparts (78.9 ± 4.1µg/dl). The mean microfilarial load of the different age groups of the infected volunteers showed negative correlation with the mean vitamin A status (r = -0.93). In all, five different ocular lesions namely cataract, optic atrophy, chroroidoretinitis, iriodocyclitis and sclerosing keratitis were reported.  Visual impairment was absent and the ocular lesions were low among the children as they had only optic atrophy and sclerosing keratitis among the five different lesions encountered.

Key words: Vitamin A, Ocular lesions, Visual impairment, Microfilariae, Onchocerciasis, Rural Nigerians.