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Cognitive impairment, growth faltering and stunting are pervasive in many countries. mostly causes are unknown. Role of intestinal inflammation in such cases should be minded especially in low- and middle-income countries. We assessed serum markers of inflammation, fecal markers of intestinal inflammation and serum micronutrients in cases with aged 1 to 10 years who suffer from moderate or severe malnutrition “weight-for-age z-score and height-for-age z- Score (WAZ or HAZ) less than -2 SD”. Cognitive abilities were assessed using Wechsler intelligence scale for preschool and school children, Bayley scale III. 55.6% of preschool cases were below average or had mild or moderate intelligence retardation while 24.5% of school cases and 5% of children below 2 years were below average regarding cognitive functions. Cases showed statistically significant reduction of vitamin D, zinc and iron as compared to control. Serum markers of inflammation (alpha 1- glycoprotein (a1-AGP), endotoxin core protein (EndoCAB)) and fecal markers of intestinal inflammation (alpha 1 antitrypsin (AAT) and neopterin (NEOP)) were significant higher in cases than controls. School children showed negative correlation between processing functions and( a1-AGP), positive correlation between perceptual reasoning and serum vitamin A. Children below 2 years, showed negative correlations between motor function and (AAT), (a1-AGP), tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-a) and (EndoCAB), positive correlation between language and serum zinc. In conclusion, our study showed impaired neurocognitive and psychomotor functions in malnourished stunted children. Also, vitamins and minerals deficiency and increased markers of intestinal inflammation were observed in cases compared to healthy control.

Supine hypertension-orthostatic hypotension disease poses a management challenge to clinicians. Data on short term outcomes of patients with orthostatic hypotension (OH) who are hospitalized with hypertensive (HTN) crises is lacking. The Nationwide Readmission Database 2016-2019 was queried for all hospitalizations of HTN crises. Hospitalizations were stratified according to whether OH was present or not. We employed propensity score to match hospitalizations for patients with OH to those without, at 1:1 ratio. Outcomes evaluated were 30-days readmission with HTN crises or falls, as well as hospital outcomes of in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury, acute congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, type 2 myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, stroke, length of stay (LOS), discharge to nursing home and hospitalization costs. We included a total of 9451 hospitalization (4735 in the OH group vs 4716 in the control group). OH group was more likely to be readmitted with falls (Odds ratio [OR]:3.27, P0.01) but not with HTN crises (P = 0.05). Both groups had similar likelihood of developing acute kidney injury (P = 0.08), stroke/transient ischemic attack (P = 0.52), and aortic dissection (P = 0.66). Alternatively, OH group were less likely to develop acute heart failure (OR:0.54, P0.01) or acute coronary syndrome (OR:0.39, P0.01) in the setting of HTN crises than non-OH group. OH group were more likely to have longer LOS and have higher hospitalization costs. Patients with OH who are admitted with HTN crises tend to have similar or lower HTN-related complications to non-OH group while having higher likelihood of readmission with falls, LOS and hospitalization costs. Further studies are needed to confirm such findings.

Cardio- and neurotoxicity of amphetamines play an important role in worsening morbidity, making the initial evaluation of the patient’s status a potentially lifesaving action. The current study hypothesized that the S-100β serum level could predict the severity of acute amphetamine toxicity and the in-hospital outcome. The current study is a prospective cohort study conducted on 77 patients diagnosed with acute amphetamine exposure and referred to Aseer Poison Control Center, Saudi Arabia. The patients admitted to ICU showed significantly higher serum levels of S-100β in comparison to those not admitted (p 0.430 ug/L, the sensitivity of S-100β serum level as severity predictor was 100%, and the specificity was 74.1%. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the S-100β serum level could be used as an outcome predictor in hospital admission cases due to toxic amphetamine exposure and offers an idea about the cardiac and neuronal involvement. This can help select patients who will benefit most from ICU admission and early management and assess the severity of cases in settings where GC–MS is not available.

Background Guidelines recommend dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following drug-eluting stent (DES) placement for ≥12 months in acute coronary syndrome or 6 months in stable coronary artery disease. However, with the advent of newer-generation stents, the optimal duration of DAPT to balance bleeding and thrombotic risks has been debated. Objectives We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing P2Y12 monotherapy in short-duration group (SDG) vs. standard treatment group (STG) course of DAPT in patients undergoing PCI. Methods Electronic databases were searched for RCTs of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with DES placement who received short (≤ 3 months) vs. standard DAPT course (≥12 months) and were followed for ≥12-months. Rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke) were the primary outcome. Study-specific odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random-effects model. Results A total of 20,706 patients (10,344 in the SDG and 10,362 in the STG) were analysed from four studies. There was no significant difference observed for MACE (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.81–1.08, P = .92, I2 = 0%) myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis. However, lower rates of major bleeding were noted in the SDG (1.20 vs. 1.80%; OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.37–0.99; P = .04; I2 = 71%) albeit with increased heterogeneity. Conclusion A short duration of DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy was comparable to 12 months of DAPT with respect to MACE and thrombotic events, with lower rates of major bleeding events in select group of patients undergoing PCI. More data is needed to assess efficacy in patients with complex lesions and high risk ACS population including those with STEMI presentation.

Objectives: To analyze the clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive medical staff compared with those of public. Methods: A total of 108 COVID-19-positive medical staff patients were included in the study from March 23, 2020 to June 15, 2020. Patients were analyzed for demographic data, clinical presentations, and in-hospital outcomes and compared against 661 COVID-19-infected patients of non-medical personel. Results: Mean age of medical staff patients was 44.05±13.9 years, most of whom were women (63.9%). The infected medical staff members consisted of 63 nurses (58.3%), 37 physicians (34.3%), 5 technicians (4.6%), and 3 pharmacists (2.8%). Smoking (60.2%) was the most frequent, followed by diabetes mellitus (37%). Of 108 COVID-19 infected medical staff, 18 (16.6%) were isolated in the intensive care unit (ICU), of which 14 (77.8%) were male, 16 (88.9%) were smokers, and 16 (88.9%) presented with pneumonia. Fatality ratio among medical staff patients was 4.6%. Male gender with odds ratios (OR) of 7.771 and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 0.837-72.195 and a history of chronic kidney disease of (OR=10.778, 95% CI: 1.503-77.287) were predictors of death among the medical staff group. Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 infection among medical staff is quite high, but the occurrence of extreme illness and death is significantly low compared with the general community. Training should be implemented for all hospital staff on infection prevention techniques. Reliable and quick access for testing medical personnel is essential to maintain health, safety, and availability of health care workers during this pandemic. Saudi Med J. 2020 Dec;41(12):1336-1343 doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.12.25514 How to cite this article: Abohamr SI, Aldossari MA, Alaklobi FA, Amer HA, Alzarzour SH, Abdelhamid SW, Aljunaidi O, Badhawi OS, Siddiqui S, Jumaa H, Badwi M, Elsheikh E. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcome of medical staff infected with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. A retrospective single-center study. Saudi Med J. 2020 Dec;41(12):1336-1343. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.12.25514. PMID: 33294892.

Objectives : To provide a detailed study of demographic, baseline comorbidities, clinical features, and outcome for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Methods : A record-based case-series study conducted from March 23 to June 15, 2020 in King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Demographic data, clinical presentation, laboratory investigations, complications, and in-hospital outcome of COVID-19 patients collected with analysis of the clinical characteristics for survivors and deceased. Results : A total of 768 patients were included. The mean age was 46.36±13.7 years and 76.7% were men. Approximately 96.3% reported more than one comorbidity; diabetes mellitus was the most frequent (46.4%). Fever (84.5%), cough (82.3%), and shortness of breath (79.8%) were the main presenting symptoms. During the follow-up, pneumonia reported in 68.6%, acute respiratory distress syndrome in 32.7%, septic shock in 20.7%, respiratory failure in 20.3%, and acute kidney injury in 19.3%. Approximately 45.8% of enrolled patients required intensive care unit admission. Lung disease (odd ratio [OR]=3.862 with 95% confident interval [CI] (2.455-6.074), obesity (OR=3.732, CI=2.511-5.546), smoking (OR=2.991, CI=2.072-4.317), chronic kidney disease (OR=2.296. CI=1.497-3.521), and diabetes mellitus (OR=2.291, CI=1.714-3.063) are predictors of ICU admission. Fatality ratio was 4.27%; therefore, men were more prevalent in dead group. Conclusion : Coronavirus disease 2019 places a huge burden on healthcare facilities, particularly in patients with comorbidity. Coronavirus disease 2019 patients who are obese and smokers with history of diabetes mellitus have a high risk of death. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (11): 1217-1226 doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.11.25495 How to cite this article: Abohamr SI, Abazid RM, Aldossari MA, Amer HA, Badhawi OS, Aljunaidi OM, Alzarzour SH, Saadeddin HM, Bhat FA, Elsheikh E. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 adult patients in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2020 Nov;41(11):1217-1226. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.11.25495.

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a common and prognostically significant complication of COVID-19 infection. We investigated the clinical characteristics and chest CT findings of COVID-19 positive patients complicated with APE. A retrospective, record-based, case-series study was performed examining 483 patients admitted to King Saud Medical City during the pandemic, from April 2020 to June 2020. Of these, 92 patients who underwent chest CT scans were included in the final analysis. The incidence of APE, clinical presentations, radiological patterns, and patient outcomes were assessed and compared against those for patients without PE. The incidence of APE was 22% [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 19%-39%], detected by chest CT. Men constituted 85.0% of patients, with a mean age of 48.9 ± 16.7 years. For most patients with APE, risk factors for thromboembolism were established but did not differ significantly from those without PE. The mean D-dimer level of 9.1 (range 7.0-10.2) was significantly higher among patients diagnosed with APE (OR: 1.021; 95% CI: 1.012-1.028; P = 0.001) compared with that in patients without PE. Moreover, the mean levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, 628.5; range: 494.0-928.3; OR: 1.002; 95% CI: 1.000-1.003; P = 0.02), C-reactive protein (CRP; 158.5; range: 105.3-204.5; OR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.015-1.035; P = 0.001), and cardiac troponin (3.5; range; 2.6-3.8; OR: 1.016; 95% CI: 0.971-1.067; P = 0.01) were also significantly higher in patients with APE than those in patients with PE. The chest CT presentations of APE included massive, segmental, and sub-segmental APE. The need for Intensive Care Unit admission was higher among patients diagnosed with APE, who presented a fatality rate of 10%.. Our study pointed to the incidence and predictors of APE in COVID-19 patients. High levels of D-dimer, CRP, cardiac troponin, and LDH should alert the clinician to the possibility of APE in COVID-19 patients..

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). There is a paucity of contemporary data studying the association between COPD and outcomes of AF ablation. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of COPD on AF ablation outcomes using a large nationwide database. This study was a retrospective analysis of the National Readmission Database for the years 2016-2018 and included patients admitted with a diagnosis of AF who underwent catheter ablation. Admissions were stratified according to COPD diagnosis using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Multivariate, linear, Cox, and logistic regressions were performed to study the impact of COPD on AF ablation. A total of 18,224 admissions (mean age, 68 years; standard deviation, 10 years) were included, of whom 3,494 (19%) had a diagnosis of COPD. The COPD group was older (72 ± 8 vs. 67 ± 11 years

Introduction Type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) is an ischemic myocardial injury in the context of oxygen supply/demand mismatch in the absence of a primary coronary event. T2MI is often diagnosed in patients with a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. T2MI in young adults is poorly understood due to limited available data. Methods The Nationwide Readmission Database 2017-2018 was queried for admission with T2MI diagnosis in young adults (age ≤ 45 years). Index admissions with T2MI were identified. Other types of myocardial infarction and observations with missing data were excluded. December admissions were excluded to allow the 30-day follow-up. Cox proportional hazard multivariate regression model was used to determine predictors of readmissions. All P-values were two-sided, with 0.05 as the threshold for statistical significance. Results A total of 11,750 patients with a secondary diagnosis of T2MI were admitted between October 2017 and November 2018. The main primary etiologies of index admission were sepsis (14%) followed by hypertensive heart disease with heart failure (11%) and hypertensive emergency (7%), while main etiologies of readmission were hypertensive heart disease with heart failure (12%) followed by sepsis (9%) and acute kidney injury (3%). Valvular heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, drug abuse, and depression were amongst the predictors of all-cause readmission. Conclusion We identified primary etiologies of admission and readmission, and predictors of readmissions in young adults presenting with T2MI. Further studies are needed to guide the management of T2MI in this age group.

Background Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is one of the common cardiac emergencies that pose a diagnostic challenge, especially in the absence of EKG changes or elevation in cardiac markers. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CT) has an established role in the evaluation of stable chest pain with ESC giving it class I recommendation. The role of CCTA in the management of NSTE-ACS is less clear. Purpose To evaluate the hypothesis of CT efficacy in identifying and managing patients with NSTE-ACS in comparison to the standard of care (SOC). Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central for randomized controlled trials (RCT) that compared initial CT utilization vs SOC in patients presenting with acute chest pain with suspected or confirmed NSTE-ACS. SOC arm included initial evaluation and triaging by treating physician including but not limited to clinical observation, serial cardiac markers, stress testing, and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Studies with follow-up data of 1 month or more were included. Outcomes evaluated were incidence of rehospitalization/ER visits post index visit, referral to ICA, and presence of significant lesion during ICA requiring revascularization. Results A total of 6,862 patients (3,663 in the CT arm and 3,199 in the SOC) were analyzed from 13 RCTs. No statistically significant difference was noted between two intervention arms with regards to repeat hospital visits [Odds ratio (OR): 1.02; 95% CI: 0.85–1.24; P=0.82; I2=0%], and referral to ICA (OR: 1.32: 95% CI: 0.95–1.83; P=0.10; I2=66). CT was however more likely to uncover significant lesions requiring revascularization compared to SOC arm (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.32–2.37; P=0.0001; I2=23%]. Conclusion Our meta-analysis showed that in patients with suspected NSTE-ACS, CT is associated with similar rates of ICA referral and re-admissions albeit being more likely to uncover hemodynamically significant lesions that require revascularization. These findings are consistent with the finding of the recently published VERDICT trial that showed comparable efficacy between coronary CT and ICA. Further studies evaluating the long term cardiovascular outcomes are warranted. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Inflammation related to coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 can promote a pro-thrombotic process and subsequent thrombosis. We report a confirmed COVID-19 case in a 51-year-old patient who presented with chest pain and severe hypoxemia. Although the right heart chambers are unusual locations for a thrombus, an echocardiogram demonstrated a large mobile right ventricular thrombus protruding into the right ventricle outflow tract. A computed tomography angiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance image showed the extension of the thrombus into the pulmonary trunk. A continuous intravenous unfractionated heparin infusion resulted in a dramatic clinical and echocardiographic improvement.

Objectives: To analyze predictors of death in elderly patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: A record-based study carried out between January 2016 and January 2018 at The central province in Saudi Arabia. All elderly patients (greater than 75 years) with definite diagnosis of ACS were retrospectively included. Demographic data, echocardiographic, and angiographic parameters were reported. Results: A total of 179 patients were enrolled, 129 (72%) were male. The mean age was 79±4.7 years. Approximately 102 (57%) patients were diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Of all 125 (70%) underwent invasive coronary angiography, we found that 43 (24%) had significant single vessel disease (1VD), 29 (16.2%) had 2 vessel disease (2VD), and 41 (22.9%) had 3 vessel disease (3VD) or left main stenosis. During hospitalization 21 (11.7%) patients died, t-test analysis showed patients who died were significantly older (82±6.7 versus [vs.] 79±4.2 years, p =0.003). In addition we found that ejection fraction was lower in death group (30.2%±10.7) vs. (36.5%±1.1) in survivors, p =0.017); STEMI was more common in death group (90.5%) vs. (52.5%) in survivors, p =0.001); similarly, the prevalence of 3VD was higher in death group (38.1%) vs. (20.9%) in survivors, p=0.018). Importantly, PCI was not significantly different between death and survival groups (40% vs. 53.8%, p =0.177). A multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that predictors of death were: age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.214; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.122-1.384; p less than 0.0001), intubation (HR, 10.106; 95% CI, 9.844-10.792; p less than 0.0001), and raised creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB) (HR, 1.005; 95% CI, 1.002-1.013; p =0.04) predicted in hospital death. Conclusion: Older age, mechanical ventilation and raised CK-MB can significantly predict death in elderly patients (greater than 75-year-old) diagnosed with ACS; nevertheless, PCI showed no survival benefits. Saudi Med J 2019; Vol. 40 (10): 1003-1007 doi: 10.15537/smj.2019.10.24583 How to cite this article: Ahmed OE, Abohamr SI, Alharbi SA, Aldrewesh DA, Allihimy AS, Alkuraydis SA, Alhammad IM, Elsheikh E, Azazy AS, Mohammed AA, Dar MA, Abazid RM. In-hospital mortality of acute coronary syndrome in elderly patients. Saudi Med J 2019; 40: 1003-1007. DOI: 10.15537/smj.2019.10.24583

Cardio- and neurotoxicity of amphetamines play an important role in worsening morbidity, making the initial evaluation of the patient's status a potentially lifesaving action. The current study hypothesized that the S-100β serum level could predict the severity of acute amphetamine toxicity and the in-hospital outcome. The current study is a prospective cohort study conducted on 77 patients diagnosed with acute amphetamine exposure and referred to Aseer Poison Control Center, Saudi Arabia. The patients admitted to ICU showed significantly higher serum levels of S-100β in comparison to those not admitted (p 0.05). Moreover, the S-100β level was significantly elevated among patients with prolonged QTc intervals. Receiver-operating characteristic curve of S-100β serum level as an in-hospital outcome predictor showed that at a cutoff value 0.430 ug/L, the sensitivity of S-100β serum level as severity predictor was 100%, and the specificity was 74.1%. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the S-100β serum level could be used as an outcome predictor in hospital admission cases due to toxic amphetamine exposure and offers an idea about the cardiac and neuronal involvement. This can help select patients who will benefit most from ICU admission and early management and assess the severity of cases in settings where GC-MS is not available.

Background Bechet’s disease (BD) is a relatively rare disease that causes recurrent oral and genital ulcers in addition to a variety of systemic manifestations. Concomitant superior-vena-cava (SVC) thrombosis and cardiac involvement with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) as initial presentations for BD is considered rare. Case presentation A 32-year-old-man presenting with intractable headaches and dyspnea. He was later diagnosed with SVC thrombosis and DCM. A diagnosis of BD was made after detailed history-taking. Conclusions Cardiovascular manifisations can be the initial presentation of BD. We aim to highlight the importance of early clinical recognition of BD as a cause of DCM and SVC thrombosis.

Background: Vitamin D plays several vital roles in the body and its impact on cardiovascular outcome is of great concern to cardiac specialists. This study investigated the influences of Vitamin D levels on coronary artery stenosis (CAS). Subjects and Method: A case study involving 248 patients (74%,184 males); mean age of 57±13 years in which serum levels of vitamin D were measured in Saudi patients admitted to King Saud Medical Hospital with acute coronary syndrome. Coronary arteries were classified angiographically as normal, non-obstructive or obstructive coronary stenosis when there is more than 70% luminal stenosis. The relationship between vitamin D levels and coronary stenosis was assessed using SPSS software. Results: The findings show that the mean (standard deviation; SD) levels of vitamin-D was (14.3 7.3 ng/ml. Most of the patients (205 [82.7%]) were found to have low serum vitamin-D level. Of 248 patients recruited for this study, 70 (28%) of them had unstable angina, 85 (34.5%) had ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 93 (37.5%) had non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Likewise, 58 patients (23.4%) had three vessel disease, 75 (30.2%) had two vessel disease, 76 (30.4%) had one vessel disease, 29 (12%) had a non-obstructive coronary artery stenosis and 10 (4%) had visually normal coronary arteries. Vitamin-D level was not a significant predictor of the degree of coronary luminal stenosis (p=0.15).However, a low vitamin-D level in individuals older than 55 years was a significant predictor of non-obstructive coronary artery stenosis [odds ratio (OD) =2.63, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.21-5.55, p=0.015]. Conclusions: It is concluded that low vitamin-D level does not correlate with the severity of coronary stenosis, but normal level in patients older than 55 years is associated with decreased severity of coronary stenosis.

Behcet's disease (BD) is a rare entity that is known to cause recurrent oral and genital ulcers alongside a wide variety of systemic presentations related to underlying vasculitis. Cardiac involvement as dilated cardiomyopathy in BD is very rare and scarcely reported in the literature. A 32-year

Cannabis is one of the most widely used illicit substances worldwide, and it has the highest prevalence among drugs used in Egypt.The aims were to evaluate whether the use of cannabis is a risk factor of acute coronary heart disease in low-risk, young males and to compare the cardiac pathological changes between cannabis exposed and non-exposed ischemic patients.This was a cross-sectional study that was performed on 138 male patients, aged ≤ 40 years, with acute myocardial infarction who were admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit at the University Hospital. Urine samples were submitted for toxicological analysis using a homogenous enzyme immunoassay technique to determine the substance of use. The patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 23), cannabis-positive only patients; group 2 (n = 28), patients positive for any other substance of use; and group 3 (n = 34), patients negative for any substance of use.Smoking was prominent, whereas group 1 had no other risk factors. In groups 1 and 2, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was dominant, whereas no ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was prominent in group 3. Ischemic resting wall motion abnormalities were presented in 47.8% of group 1 and in only 11.8% of group 3. None of group 1 had normal coronaries, whereas 14.3% of group 3 had normal coronaries. Significant changes in echocardiography and angiography were observed between group 1 and other groups.Cannabis smoking could be a potential risk factor for the development of cardiac ischemia.

Arterial stiffness is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of cardiovascular risk and may be directly involved in the process of atherosclerosis. As atherosclerosis leads to increased arterial resistance and decrease the flow propagation speed within the arterial lumen, a similar decrease in aortic flow propagation with increased downstream resistance is detected, so aortic flow propagation velocity AVP was evaluated in many studies as a new parameter of aortic stiffness. Aim: To measure arterial stiffness using the new parameter AVP and compare it to flow mediated dilatation FMD as a parameter of endothelial dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome MS. Methods: AVP (assessed by transthoracic echocardiography) and FMD (assessed by brachial artery reactivity test) were measured in 100 patients with MS (Group 1) and were compared to 14 normal subjects (Group 2). Results: Patients with MS had significantly lower values of AVP as compared to the normal subjects; 36 ± 5 cm/s vs 57 ± 5, p

Background/aim Thalassemia constitutes a heterogeneous group of inherited anemia. In Egypt, 1000/1.5 million live births per year suffer from thalassemia. b-Thalassemia major (b-TM) is characterized by absent or reduced synthesis of b hemoglobin chains. The incidence and pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with b-TM is not clear. The hypercoagulable state in thalassemia enhances the risk of thrombosis, such as pulmonary embolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of PH in adults with b-TM and investigate the role of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III deficiencies in the pathogenesis of PH in adults with b-TM. Subjects and methods Forty patients with b-TM (group I) were selected, along with 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy individuals as controls (group II). Patients were subjected to full medical history and complete clinical examination. Plasma protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III assays were measured using ELISA. Doppler echocardiography was used for estimation of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). Results PH was diagnosed in 16 (40%) patients. Significantly higher levels of sPAP were found in poorly chelated and inadequately transfused patients. Significantly lower levels of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III were found in patients with PH. There was significant negative correlation between protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III and sPAP. Conclusion Significant decrease in protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III was found in b-TM, especially in patients with PH, which might suggest the role of the hypercoagulable state in the pathogenesis of PH in b-TM.