The usability of Cupressus arizonica annual rings in monitoring the changes in heavy metal concentration in air.

Air pollution, which has been increasing in recent years, has reached significant dimensions and has become one of the most important agenda topics of present day. Among air pollution components, heavy metals are of particular importance, since they are not easily decomposed, they tend to bioaccumulate, and some of them have toxic or carcinogenic effects even at low concentrations. Therefore, it is an extremely important subject to monitor the changes in heavy metal concentrations found in air.

Vitamin D deficiency in sickle cell disease patients in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a major global health problem. In sickle cell disease (SCD), VDD is highly prevalent, reaching up to 96% of populations. VDD may contribute to many of the complications of SCD.

Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications and associated factors in general medicine clinics.

Objectives: Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications has not been assessed in the Saudi population. The aim of this study was to address and evaluate the magnitude of nonadherence among hypertensive patients and the risk factors associated with it.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on hypertensive patients who attended the general internal medicine clinics at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a questionnaire that was modified after reviewing the literature.

Sonographic assessment of spleen size in Saudi patients with sickle cell disease.

Background: In patients with SCD, the spleen commonly enlarges during the first two decades of life but then undergoes autosplenectomy due to repeated attacks of vaso-occlusion and infarction. This, however, is not the case in Saudi patients with SCD, where splenomegaly sometimes persists into adult life.

Patients And Methods: Ultrasonography was used to evaluate spleen size in 363 Saudi patients with SCD (340 SCD and 23 sickle I(2)-thalassemia).

Isoxsuprine in the treatment of sickle cell painful crises: A double-blind comparative study with narcotic analgesic.

Background: Isoxsuprine is a tocolytic agent which improves erythrocyte deformability. It was accidentally found to be effective in the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) painful crises. The experience with the drug in the treatment of sickle cell disease is limited.

Splenectomy for hematological diseases: The Qatif Central Hospital experience.

Background: In the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, an area known for various hemoglobinopathies, splenectomy is performed rather frequently. This study is an analysis of our experience with splenectomy performed for various hematological disorders between 1988 and 1997, outlining the indications, complications and outcome.

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients who had splenectomy at our hospital during this period.

Hemoglobin H disease in the Al-Qatif Region of Saudi Arabia.

Background: The Al-Qatif region in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia has the highest prevalence of a-thalassemia genes in the Kingdom. Hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease, however, has been rarely reported. We decided therefore to verify the rarity of the disease, and characterize the presenting features in cases identified.

Salmonella as a causative organism of various infections in patients with sickle cell disease.

Background: Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are susceptible to a variety of bacterial infections, including infections caused by Salmonella species. We sought to identify the most common infections caused by Salmonella spp. in SCD patients at our hospital, and to determine their mortality rates and susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents.

Are we underestimating the leukemogenic risk of hydroxyurea.

Hydroxyurea is an established drug that has been used for the treatment of myeloproliferative disorders and some solid tumors for some time. In recent years it has also been found to be effective in the treatment of sickle cell disease. Short term side effects are not serious, and are manageable.

Hydroxyurea in sickle cell disease patients from Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To assess the efficiency and safety of hydroxyurea in patients with sickle cell disease from the Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The study was an open-label and uncontrolled trial. Patients older than 10 years of age with sickle cell disease who suffered 4 or more episodes of painful vaso-occlusive crises requiring admissions per year were included, 36 patients (23 males and 13 females) were included between June 1994 and June 1998.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus markers in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To record and update the sero-epidemiological status of Hepatitis A virus in Eastern Saudi Arabia. To investigate the main viral etiology of clinical hepatitis in children and discuss the possibility of introducing a Hepatitis A virus vaccine in this Province.

Methods: Examining serum specimens by Enzyme Linkage Immuno-Sorbet Assay technique for these parameters: Immunoglobulin M anti-hepatitis A virus, total immunoglobulin anti-hepatitis A virus, and in selected cases we checked for hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis C virus.

Prognostic significance of microvascular counts in rectal carcinoma.

Numerous studies of many tumor types have demonstrated that microvessel quantitation as a measure of angiogenesis is a powerful prognostic tool. Vascular enumeration has been claimed to be an independent prognosticator for several human tumors, including breast carcinoma, melanoma or bladder carcinoma; however, the studies of colorectal cancer have rendered variable results. To test the prognostic influence of this factor in our patients, we selected 39 patients with rectal carcinoma Dukes' stages A to C treated only with curative surgery, with no further adjuvant therapy.

Vascular enumeration as a prognosticator for colorectal carcinoma.

Vascular enumeration is thought to be an independent prognosticator for several human tumours, including breast, bladder and colorectal carcinomas. There have been 12 reports on the prognostic influence of vascular enumeration in colorectal carcinoma with different results. To test the prognostic influence of this factor in our patients, we have selected 126 patients with colorectal carcinoma Dukes' stages A to C treated only with curative surgery with no further adjuvant therapy.

Prognostic influence of tumor-associated eosinophilic infiltrate in colorectal carcinoma.

Background: In 1983, Pretlow et al. reported one classical study of the prognostic influence of eosinophil infiltration in human colon carcinoma. Since then, very few reports have analyzed this supposed prognostic influence in this type of tumor, although there have been several reports of other types of tumors with different results.

Splenic function in sickle cell anemia patients in Qatif, Saudi Arabia.

A prospective study was conducted to study the splenic function among sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients in Qatif (Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia). Seventy-seven patients (30 children and 47 adults aged 2-57 years) were included. (99m)Tc stannous colloid liver-spleen scan was done for each patient during steady state.

Patterns of resistance to antituberculous drugs in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version.

Seroepidemiological prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version.

Frequency of various Rh antigens in Dammam Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with sickle cell disease.

Over a year (October 1992-September 1993), 30 patients (23 males and 7 females) with sickle cell anaemia and symptomatic gallstones underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The mean age was 26 years (range 15-44 years). The indications were: acute cholecystitis in four patients and long-standing biliary colic in the other 26.

The patterns of oropharyngeal microflora in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease.

A controlled prospective study was carried out between 16 July 1991 and 31 January 1992 to evaluate the oropharyngeal flora in homozygous sickle cell disease (SS). Throat swabs for cultures were taken from 163 asymptomatic SS patients attending sickle cell clinics (90 children and 73 adults). Throat swabs were also taken from 84 asymptomatic healthy individuals as a control group (44 children and 40 adults).

Bronchopulmonary infection due to Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis at Qatif Central Hospital.

Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis is now recognized as an important cause of respiratory tract infections. Over a two year period, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis was isolated in pure culture from 3.4% of the sputums collected from patients with symptoms of acute respiratory tract infections.