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Background: The association between beverage intake and ulcerative colitis (UC) is not well-established, with no available data from Arab countries. Herein, we investigated the potential association of consuming coffee, tea, and carbonated soft drinks with UC among a population from Saudi Arabia. Methods: This hospital-based case-control study used data of 171 newly diagnosed UC patients and 400 patients with other gastrointestinal conditions who served as controls. All UC cases were ascertained by endoscopy, while beverage intake was assessed by a questionnaire that was completed before diagnosis. We computed odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of UC and UC extension for frequent versus infrequent intakes of coffee, tea, and carbonated soft drinks using logistic regression. Results: Overall, 23.4% of UC patients had pancolitis, 21.1% extensive, 51.4% left-sided, and 4.1% proctitis. UC patients had a similar sex distribution to the controls but were older and had a lower BMI. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking history, frequent intakes of coffee and tea were associated with lower odds of UC: 0.62 (0.42, 0.91) and 0.53 (0.35, 0.79), respectively. On the other hand, frequent intakes of carbonated soft drinks were associated with increased odds of UC: 9.82 (6.12, 15.76). The frequency of beverage consumption was not associated with UC extension. Conclusion: UC was negatively associated with frequent coffee and tea consumption but positively associated with frequent carbonated soft drink intake in Saudi people. More population-based prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of socio demographic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women on their physical activity. Methods: An observational quantitative cross sectional design was carried out in the delivery ward and paediatrics clinic of king Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study subjects included all women who had delivered in the last three months, during the study period between 2013- 2014. The sample size was 336. Data collection included socio-demographic variables, pregnancy related variables and the physical activity by using validated pregnancy physical activity questionnaire. Results: The mean (standard deviation) total physical activity score of all the study subjects was 197.39(72.1). The physical activity scores are statistically significantly higher in younger women, graduation education level, and among those who were employed. The physical activity scores were statistically significantly higher in women who had normal delivery, did not have any illness and those who had followed the advice to perform physical activity. Conclusion: The levels of physical activity along with their socio demographic and clinical characteristic were assessed among the pregnant women. The study found low pursuance of physical activity during pregnancy. Any kind of illness suffered during pregnancy further reduced the physical activity levels. It was only the young and educated pregnant women who held onto regular physical activity as advised during their pregnancy.

BACKGROUND Tumor markers, designated as a broad group of substances produced by malignancies, could be in the form of biochemical substances, immunological substances, cell surface changes and genetic alterations. Cancer, a disorder of cellular behavior is characterized by alteration of serum glycoproteins. L-fucose, a hexose, which is the terminal sugar in most of the plasma glycoproteins, may be useful as a tumor marker for the detection, monitoring and prognostic assessment of malignancies. The aim of the study was to ascertain the role of serum fucose as a biomarker for early detection of oral cancer and to compare serum fucose levels in healthy controls, leukoplakia and oral cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 60 (100.0%) subjects, who were grouped as 20 (33.3%) control subjects, 20 (33.3%) squamous cell carcinoma patients and 20 (33.3%) leukoplakia patients. Fucose estimation was done using UV-visible spectrophotometry based on the method as adopted by Winzler using cysteine reagent. The results were analyzed statistically using ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc tests. RESULTS Results showed a high significance in serum fucose in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and leukoplakia subjects compared to normal controls. There was a gradual increase in the values noted from control to leukoplakia and to squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Estimation of serum fucose may be a reliable marker and can be used as an effective diagnostic biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Jazan district, Southern Saudi Arabia. Methods: Using the standardized Rapid Assessment for Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) and DR cross-sectional methodology, 3800 subjects were randomly selected from the population of ≥50 years of age in Jazan, Saudi Arabia between November 2011 and January 2012. Participants underwent screening comprised of interview, random blood glucose test, and ophthalmic assessment including visual acuity (VA) and fundus examination. Among participants with VA less than 6/18 in either eye, the cause(s) of visual impairment was determined. Participants were classified as diabetic if they had previous diagnoses of diabetes, or random blood glucose more than 200 mg/dl. Diabetic participants were assessed for DR using dilated fundus examination. All data were recorded using the RAAB + DR standardized forms. Results: The prevalence of bilateral blindness less than 3/60 was 3.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.74 - 3.90). Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (58.6%); followed by posterior segment diseases (20%), which included DR (7; 3.3%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was 22.4%, (95% CI: 21.09 - 23.79]), among them; 27.8% had DR. The prevalence of sight-threatening DR was 5.7%. Conclusion: The prevalence of DM and the corresponding proportion of DR in this region is lower than that reported in other regions of Saudi Arabia. However, the prevalence of blindness not related to DR is relatively higher than the other studies. Saudi Med J 2015; Vol. 36 (4): 449-455 doi: 10.15537/smj.2015.4.10371

3-Amino-5-phenyl-2-ethoxycarbonylthieno[2,3-c]pyridazine ( 6 ) was prepared by reaction of 4-cyano-6-phenylpyridazine-3(2 H )-thione ( 4 ) with ethyl chloroacetate in the presence of sodium ethoxide. Hydrazinolysis of compound 6 yielded the corresponding carbohydrazide, ( 9 ) which on treatment with acetylacetone and ethyl acetoacetate produced the novel thieno[2,3-c]pyridazines ( 10 and 11 ). Treatment of compound 9 with nitrous acid yielded the corresponding carboazide ( 13 ), which upon boiling in toluene furnished imidazo[4′,5′:4,5]thieno[2,3-c]pyridazine ( 15 ). Pyrimidothienopyridazines ( 16 – 18 ) were achieved by cyclocondensation of compound 9 with some reagents, namely acetic anhydride, formic acid, and triethyl orthoformate. The newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by elemental analyses and spectral data. The antibacterial activities of the new compounds were also evaluated.

Background Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a distressing psychiatric disorder. So far there have not been any studies on BDD in Saudi Arabia. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in female medical students and to investigate whether there is an association between BDD and body features of concern, social anxiety and symptoms of BDD. Materials and methods A cross sectional study was carried out on female medical students of the college of medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during January to April, 2015. Data were collected using the body image disturbance questionnaire, Body dysmorphic disorder symptomatology and social interaction anxiety scale. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the results. Results Out of 365 students who filled out the questionnaire, 4.4% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.54% to 7.04%) were positive for BDD with skin (75%) and fat (68.8%) as the most frequent body features of concern. Ten features (skin, fat, chest, hips, buttocks, arms, legs, lips, fingers, and shoulders) out of twenty-six were significantly associated with BDD. Arms and chest were independently associated with BDD. The odds of presence of body concern related to "arms" was 4.3 (95% C.I: 1.5, 12.1) times more in BDD subjects than non-BDD subjects, while concern about "chest" was 3.8 (1.3, 10.9) times more when compared to non-BDD subjects. No statistically significant association was observed between BDD and social anxiety (P = 0.13). Conclusions This was the first study conducted in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on female medical students, which quantified the prevalence of BDD and identified the body features associated with it. Body dysmorphic disorder is prevalent in female medical students but it is relatively rare and an unnoticed disorder.

The growth factors (GFs) act at different stages of stem cell proliferation. Among them the most important ones found of clinical use are erythropoietin (EPO), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and thrombopoietin (TPO). Their concomitant use makes treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy easier and cost-effective, with fewer side effects and better quality of life in highly selected patients.

Cyano-5,6-dimethylpyridazin-3-ylthio)-N-(4-substituted-sulfamoyl)phenyl)acetamides 4a-c, were prepared by reaction of 4-Cyano-5,6-dimethylpyridazine-3(2H)-thione 3 with N-Chloroacetylsulfanilamides in the presence of sodium acetate, which were cyclized with piperidine to afford the corresponding thieno(2,3-c)pyridazines derivatives 5a-c. Cyclization of compounds 5a-c with triethyl orthoformate furnished the novel pyrimidothienopyridazines7a-c. Also, refluxing of compound 5a with carbon disulfide in pyridine afforded the corresponding pyrimido('4,'5:4,5)thieno(2,3-c)pyridazine derivative 8. S-alkylated products 9, 10 were obtained by the reaction of compound 8 with some halocompounds in ethanol in the presence of base. The antimicrobial activity for all the synthesized compounds was screened.

Background A young woman with a history of controlled hypertension noted a suddenly decreased peripheral temporal field in the left eye. This occurred after moderate peripartum hypertension. Method A monocular peripheral temporal crescentic defect could be plotted on Goldmann visual fields despite a normal dilated peripheral retinal examination and normal disc appearance. Result A dilated parieto-occipital sulcus could be seen on computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging showed changes consistent with atrophy and gliosis in the cuneus, precuneus, and anterior calcarine cortex surrounding the parieto-occipital sulcus. Conclusion By magnetic resonance imaging, this can be seen to comprise less than 10% of the visual cortex, as suggested by the Horton and Hoyt revised Holmes map. The temporal crescent syndrome is a rare monocular retrochiasmatic visual field defect that can be correlated to a lesion along the parieto-occipital sulcus.