M.A. EMOKPAE

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing public health burden in Nigeria, largely driven by insulin resistance. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has emerged as a simple, reliable surrogate marker for insulin resistance, but evidence from Nigerian populations remains limited. This case–control study evaluated the TyG index in 100 adults (50 T2DM patients and 50 non- diabetic controls) recruited from healthcare facilities in Benin City. Fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and body mass index (BMI) were measured using standard procedures, and the TyG index was calculated, compared between groups, and correlated with demographic and clinical variables. The mean TyG index was significantly higher in T2DM subjects (9.24 ± 0.06) compared with controls (8.62 ± 0.02; p < 0.001). Overall, 79% of participants were classified into moderate-to-extreme TyG risk categories, predominantly among diabetic subjects. Within the T2DM group, the TyG index correlated strongly with fasting blood glucose (r = 0.734, p < 0.001), moderately with triglycerides (r = 0.455, p = 0.001), and weakly with BMI (r = 0.218, p = 0.029). Significant positive correlations were also observed with age (r = 0.486, p < 0.001) and presence of complications (r = 0.423, p = 0.002), whereas no associations were found with sex, family history, or duration of diabetes. The study concludes that the TyG index is significantly elevated in T2DM patients in Benin City and correlates with age, glycemic status, and complications, underscoring its potential as a low-cost, clinically meaningful marker of insulin resistance and metabolic risk in resource-limited settings.

Male infertility is a prevalent and distressing condition affecting millions of couples globally, with significant psychosocial consequences. While conventional semen analysis, particularly sperm count, remains the cornerstone of male fertility evaluation, it frequently fails to fully explain reduced fertility or predict successful conception, especially in idiopathic male infertility. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between seminal plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity and sperm quality indices among males investigated for infertility in Benin City. The seminal plasma CK activity, and semen analysis were evaluated in 75 men investigated for infertility and 50 men with proven fertility using spectrophotometric and microscopic techniques respectively. Chi square, Student –t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used compare and correlate the variables. The mean age of men investigated for infertility (40.32 ±1.51)years was not significantly different from the control subjects (41.20 ± 1.20)years (p>0.05). When the age was stratified, a significant difference was observed between the two groups (X2=0.036). Seminal plasma CK activity of men investigated for infertility (756.45 ± 23.7)IU/L was markedly higher (p=0.001) compared with the controls (412.60 ±19.56)IU/L. The sperm count (18.30 ± 11.04 vs 38.18 ± 9.60)x106/ml, volume (2.20 ±0.02 vs 2.75 ±0.06)ml, total motility (14.30 ± 3.10 vs 42.20±2.40)%, viability (18.32 ± 0.20 vs 59.18 ± 2.5)%, progressive motility (11.60 ±2.20 vs 34.22 ±2.60)% were markedly lower in men investigated infertility compared with controls. Conversely, the abnormal morphology (27.89 ±1.50 vs 7.30±2.50)% was markedly higher in infertile men than controls. Sperm count, total motility, viability and progressive motility correlated negatively with CK, while abnormal morphology correlated positively with creatine kinase activity (p<0.05). High CK activity suggests poor sperm quality among men with infertility.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide. Several biological structural trace elements involved in various vital metabolic processes relating to health and diseases include calcium and zinc has been proved to have a role in decreasing inflammatory pain, joint stiffness and other disabling symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the serum levels of some essential trace element such as calcium,copper, zinc, selenium and vitamin D and K in elderly patients with OA. A total of 300 patients comprising of one hundred and fifty OA subjects and 150 non osteoarthritis subjects were recruited for this study. Atomic absorption spectroscopy were used to measure the serum concentrations of Ca, Cu, Zn, Se, after it has been properly digested with its specific solution while Vitamin D and K was measured using HPLC and spectrophotometer respectively after treating with its specific solution and the results were compared with those of healthy controls. The socio-demographics characteristic of osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis subjects depicts no significant difference when compared with measured values across all age group. Majority of the subjects with osteoarthritis were female than male with a percentage difference of 60.7% and 39.3% respectively. The measured mineral concentration (calcium, copper and zinc) of osteoarthritis were significantly lower (p<0.001) than non-osteoarthritis subject between the distributions (p<001). However, zinc was not significant (P = 0.121). The results showed that 92/150(61.3%) of subjects with osteoarthritis had calcium level below the reference range,113/150(75.3%) of copper, 30/150(20.0%) of zinc and 25/150(16.7%) of selenium were below normal reference range. Similarly, among non- osteoarthritis subjects tested the results showed that 40/150(26.7%) of the subjects had calcium
level below the reference range, 69/150(46.0%) of copper, 20/150(13.3%) of zinc and 8/150(5.3%) of selenium were below normal reference range. The levels of vitamins D and K between osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis control groups showed that about 19.3% of the cases with osteoarthritis had a low level of Vitamin K compared to only 9.3% of the apparently healthy controls. This difference was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.013). Also, 30.7% and 5.3% of osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis subjects respectively had low level of vitamin D (P < 0.001). Osteoarthritis is not age dependent, the proportion of subjects within age group of 61-70 years had the highest percentage of osteoarthritis (56.0%). While the subjects within age group 70-80 years old had the lowest 5.3% of osteoarthritis. Means of all parameters compared were all found to be significantly different at 0.05 level except age which shows a very high significant difference (P > 0.116) between osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis subjects. It is therefore recommended that all patients with osteoarthritis should routine undergo structural trace element measurement.