Search

Objective: In recent years, an overwhelming association between Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and autoimmune diseases has been largely reported. The current study was designed to determine a possible association between autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), celiac disease (CD) - associated autoantibodies, and Parvovirus B19 infection among pediatric T1DM cases in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia., Patients and Methods: Blood samples from age groups 1-18 years attending the Diabetic Clinic were collected over a period of 12 months. Serum anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO), anti-thyroglobulin (TG), anti-tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (TG-IgA), endomysial IgA (EMA-IgA), Parvovirus B19-IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by standard methods., Results: The results showed the prevalence of autoantibodies against thyroid and CD among pediatric T1DM patients to be 44 (25%) and 25 (14.4%), respectively. The prevalence of antibodies against B19 was 70 (40%). Further determination of the prevalence of Parvovirus B19-IgG antibodies and thyroid antibodies among T1DM pediatric patients revealed that there was a significant association between them with a p<0.0491., Conclusions: The prevalence of autoantibodies against the thyroid was higher among the seropositive Parvovirus B19 children with T1DM. A positive association between the prevalence of autoantibodies against thyroid disease and the increase in the duration of diabetes was also noted. Hence, periodic screening of T1DM patients for B19 antibodies and autoantibodies for thyroid is crucial.

Human toxocariasis is a zoonotic infection with global and regional impacts. Worldwide it is underestimated and clinically overlooked. Medical practitioners are generally unaware of the extent of the resulting disease spectrum. The objective of the study was to assess knowledge and disease awareness among medical practitioners in Aseer, south-western Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire addressing knowledge about the parasite, its visceral larva migrans and the disease spectrum generated was used to interview participants. The study included 285 participants. In answer to the question what is toxocara, only 27%, answered correctly that it is a nematode, paediatricians being the majority. With regard to years of experience among participants, 56.8% of those who answered correctly had less than 5-year experience, as opposed to 35.4% for those with more than 10-year experience. The cumulative awareness about the disease manifestations and spectrum, i.e. those who knew, was less than 30% across specialties and years of experiences. Lack of awareness regarding Toxocara infection and the disease spectrum it can generate is evident. The consequence for such lack of knowledge within our practising medical community is simply unacceptable as it might translate into misdiagnosis and consequently misguided treatment., (© 2021. EcoHealth Alliance.)

Objectives: To investigate the presence of toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes (TORCH) infections in women attending at the antenatal care clinic in Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A total of 190 blood samples were collected from Abha maternity hospital in Aseer region, KSA, from February 2018 to May 2019 and screened with the TORCH panel (toxoplasmagondii [IgG/IgM], cytomegalovirus [CMV] [IgG/IgM], rubella [IgG/IgM], and herpes simplex type 1 and 2 [IgG/IgM])., Results: The mean age was 31.42±6.514 years and gestational age was 32.48±6.168 weeks. Serum IgG was positive for Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) (27.4%), herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) (94.7%), herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) (0.5%), CMV (100%), and rubella (88.9%). Serum IgM was positive only for CMV (9.5%). Though, there was an association between abortions from previous pregnancies (26.5%), intrauterine death (5.8%), premature labor (3.2%), microcephaly (1.6%), other congenital diseases (1.6%) and low birth weight (0.5%) with current IgG positivity for TORCH infections, the results were not statistically significant., Conclusion: Seropositivity for IgG antibodies correlate with TORCH-associated pregnancy complications in Abha, KSA; however, IgM positive CMV pregnant cases warrant further systematic investigation to understand the implications of CMV on outcomes during pregnancy.

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is regulated by hypoxia that is essential for placental development. It is antagonized by a soluble form of its receptor (sFlt-1). The purpose of this study was to measure these factors in the maternal and the cord bloods, at low and high altitude., Methods: Samples were collected from full term births normal pregnant women. Free (unbound) VEGF and sFlt-1 levels were measured in plasma samples from cord and maternal blood for each subject by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using commercially available kits from R&D systems, UK (Cat # DVE00 and Cat # SVR100B, respectively)., Results: At high altitude, the average maternal free VEGF in pg/ml was significantly (p < 0.001) lower than that of the cord level (71.30 ± 282.14 and 431.35 ± 424.31, respectively). On the other hand, the average maternal sFlt-1 was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that of the cord level (8205.41 ± 6244.72 and 1811.74 + 3469.30, respectively). At low altitude, the average maternal free VEGF was significantly lower than that of the cord level (0.47 ± 0.89 and 483.44 ± 457.31, respectively, p < 0.001). On the other hand, the average maternal sFlt-1 was significantly higher than that of the cord level (9267.82 ± 6345.68 and 958.66 ± 1359.92, respectively, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences by altitude., Conclusion: Secretion of sFlt-1 appears to be polarized, in that concentrations are higher in the maternal compartment than on the fetal side at both high and low altitudes. This may be a normal physiological phenomenon to permit angiogenesis in the placenta and fetus while protecting the mother. Chronic exposure to hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude does not affect these distributions.

Background: To find out whether preterm labor is associated with raised maternal serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and whether the measurement of these cytokines can be used to detect early intrauterine infection in preterm labor., Methods: Cross-sectional study: 77 women in preterm labor, 47 controls of healthy preterm women not in labor and 19 women in term labor. The serum cytokines levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The newborns of women who were in labor were followed up for evidence of infection. Differences between groups were tested using analysis of variance, Student's t-test and chi2-test., Results: There was no significant difference in the concentration of all the cytokines measured between the different groups. No statistical difference was found in the concentration of the cytokines between women in preterm labor with ruptured membranes and those with intact membranes. There was also no difference found in the concentration of cytokines between women whose newborns had positive bacterial culture and those with negative culture. There was a positive correlation between the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha., Conclusion: Serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were not increased in preterm labor compared to normal control women. There is doubt regarding the usefulness of maternal serum measurement of these cytokines for the detection of early fetal infection in preterm labor, but this needs further evaluation.

Objective: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimal access surgery, is fast replacing open cholecystectomy and is being associated with less trauma. The objective of this study was to compare the proinflammatory cytokine levels in both laparoscopic cholecystectomy and open cholecystectomy., Methods: This study was carried out at Aseer Central Hospital, Aseer region, Abha Private Hospital and the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the time period October 1998 through to November 2000. Sixty-one patients were included in the study, 27 of them had laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 34 had open cholecystectomy. Cytokines [Interleukin-6 Interleukin-1b, Tumor necrosis factor -a and Interleukin- 8] were measured in blood samples collected from the patients before, at and 24 hours post surgery, using commercially available kits., Results: Interleukin-6 levels were significantly increased at 24 hours post surgery in the open cholecystectomy group of patients compared to the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (P<0.04). No differences were found in the other cytokines levels (Interleukin-1b, tumor necrosis factor -a and Interleukin-8) between the open cholecystectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy groups., Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimal access surgery, is associated with lower levels of the proinflammatory interleukin-6 cytokine compared to open cholecystectomy.

A total of 2182 serum samples from 38 patients with surgically confirmed unilocular hydatidosis, 19 clinically assessed patients, 15 patients with parasitic infections other than hydatidosis, 104 hospital outpatients, and 2006 normal Jordanians were serodiagnosed for the presence of IgG antibodies against hydatid fluid, circulating immune complexes (CIC), and/or hydatid circulating antigen (CA). Anti-hydatid IgG antibodies were detected in the sera of 77.4% of patients with hydatid disease and persist for very long periods postsurgery. As many as 54.1% of patients with hydatidosis had positive levels of CIC, and 16.1% had circulating antigen in their sera. The search for circulating antigen and CIC decreased the number of false-negative hydatid cases from seven to three, and the combined sensitivity of the assays thus increased from 77.4% to 90.3%. Using the immunoblot technique, 16- and < 14.4-kDa Echinococcus granulosus-specific bands were detected in sera from 54.1% and 61.5% of patients with hydatid disease who were tested before and after surgery, respectively. The seropositivity rate for anti-hydatid IgG antibodies was 2.4% for the general Jordanian population and 5.8% for hospital outpatients.