Prevalence and Risk Factors for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Among Saudi Hospitalized Diabetic Patients: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and the risk factors of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in hospitalized adult Saudi diabetics.

Methods: This is a retrospective, nested case-control study conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All diabetic patients admitted to the hospital between the January 1, and December 31, 2018 were considered for inclusion in the study.

Comparison of the hypoglycemic and antithrombotic (anticoagulant) actions of whole bovine and camel milk in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in rats.

People with diabetes are at higher risk of fatal thromboembolic accidents in the cerebral and coronary circulations, especially stroke and ischemic heart disease. We have previously described the hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and anticoagulant activity of orally administered camel milk in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In the present study in the same animal model, we extended these observations by comparing camel milk and the more available and widely consumed bovine milk with respect to their antidiabetic and antithrombotic actions.

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in Saudi Arabia: a future prediction and laboratory profile.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and subtypes are considered an important tool for epidemiological and clinical studies and valuable markers for disease progression and response to antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of HCV genotypes and their relation to socio-demographic factors particularly age and sex, various biochemical profiles and viral load.

Methods: The records (630) of Saudi patients positive for HCV (2007-2011) reported in the system of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at a tertiary reference hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were analyzed.

Long-term audit of the use of fresh frozen plasma in a university hospital.

Objectives: There is universal concern about the inappropriate use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP). This study aimed to determine the extent of the inappropriate use of FFP at a university hospital in KSA.

Methods: Medical records on the annual use of FFP were analysed from 1986 to 2007.

Long-term audit of platelet consumption in a university hospital.

Objectives: To determine the long-term trend in platelet consumption in a university hospital.

Materials And Methods: The annual consumption of platelets concentrate (PC) was analyzed over 23 years (1985-2007) in King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results: The total 23 years consumption was 100,466 units of PC.

Why do-Saudi Women Refrain Donating Their Blood?--a Study on the Attitude, Belief and Motivation of Saudi Female University Students Towards Blood Donation.

Background: Saudi females constitute less than 5% of blood donors and as demand for blood is ever increasing there is a need to identify the factors that discourage them from donating their blood and subsequently to find approaches to enhance their share as blood donors. The aim of this study is to find out the knowledge, attitude and motivation of Saudi female university students towards blood donation.

Methods: This is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional descriptive study among female students (n = 300) from six colleges: Medicine, Dentistry, Applied Medical Sciences, Science, Arts, and Business Administration at King Saud University, Riyadh.

Gene frequency of human platelet alloantigens-1 to -6 and -15 in Saudi blood donors.

Background: Human platelet antigens (HPAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of several clinical conditions, such as platelet transfusion purpura (PTP), refractoriness to platelet transfusion and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAITP). Typing of HPA (1-6 and 15) has not been carried on the Saudi population. This is the first study of all the seven HPA systems on Arabs.

The Levels of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor in Sepsis Patients Receiving Prophylactic Enoxaparin.

Objective: Sepsis syndrome is usually accompanied by activation of blood coagulation mechanisms. Earlier studies found deficiencies of the 3 main natural anticoagulants, antithrombin, protein C, and protein S. However, none of these inhibitors block tissue factor, the prime trigger of coagulation during sepsis that is controlled specifically by the tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI).

A 23 years audit of packed red blood cell consumption in a university hospital in a developing country.

Background: There is paucity of information on the blood transfusion practice in developing countries. The current audit aims to find out the long term trend in the consumption of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) in a large Saudi teaching hospital in Riyadh

Materials And Methods: We analyzed the annual consumption of PRBCs from 1985 to 2007 in seven major hospital divisions (Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cardiac Surgery, Accident and Emergency and Renal Dialysis Unit) at the 850-bed King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh.

Results: Grand total consumption of PRBCs was 345,642 units.

Antibodies against human platelet alloantigens and human leucocyte antigen class 1 in Saudi Arabian multiparous women and multi-transfused patients.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of alloimmunization against human platelet antigens (HPAs) and human leucocyte antigen class 1 (HLA1) in multiparous women and multi-transfused patients.  

Methods: This prospective study was conducted between January and August 2013, on 50 multiparous women with no history of previous blood transfusion recruited from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, and 50 patients, who received multiple platelet transfusions, recruited from the Hematology/Oncology Ward, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results: The frequency of alloimmunization among multiparous pregnant women was 76%, as follows: 16% against HLA1 only, 8% against HPAs only, 52% against both HPAs and HLA1 antigens.

Camel milk attenuates the biochemical and morphological features of diabetic nephropathy: inhibition of Smad1 and collagen type IV synthesis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that worsens its morbidity and mortality. There is evidence that camel milk (CM) improves the glycemic control in DM but its effect on the renal complications especially the DN remains unclear. Thus the current study aimed to characterize the effects of CM treatment on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN.

Evaluation of resistance to anti-platelet therapy in patients with coronary heart disease in a developing country.

Background: Resistance to anti-platelet therapy whether defined by the laboratory detection of platelet function or the recurrence of cardiovascular events, has received extensive coverage in the literature coming predominantly from developed countries and very scanty information comes from developing countries. We aim to document the prevalence of aspirin and clopidogrel resistance in Saudi patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and to probe the possible responsible mechanism[s].

Methods: 238 patients with CHD were enrolled from the outpatient clinic and wards of King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh.

Camel milk inhibits inflammatory angiogenesis via downregulation of proangiogenic and proinflammatory cytokines in mice.

Camel milk has traditionally been used to treat cancer, but this practice awaits scientific scrutiny, in particular its role in tumor angiogenesis, the key step involved in tumor growth and metastasis. We aimed to investigate the effects of camel milk on key components of inflammatory angiogenesis in sponge implant angiogenesis model. Polyester-polyurethane sponges, used as a framework for fibrovascular tissue growth, were implanted in Swiss albino mice and camel milk (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day) was administered for 14 days through installed cannula.

Clotting factor VIII (FVIII) and thrombin generation in camel plasma: A comparative study with humans.

The objective of this study was to characterize the highly elevated levels of clotting factor VIII (FVIII) in camel plasma. Whole blood was collected from healthy camels and factor VIII clotting activity (FVIII:C) assays were conducted using both the clotting and the chromogenic techniques. The anticoagulant citrate phosphate dextrose adenine (CPDA) produced the highest harvest of FVIII:C, the level of plasma factor VIII, compared to heparin:saline and heparin:CPDA anticoagulants.

Characterization of the aggregation responses of camel platelets.

Background: Despite evidence of active hemostasis, camel platelets barely respond to common aggregating agents at standard doses used for human platelet aggregation.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to find out whether camel platelets can be activated by high doses or combinations of aggregation agonists, and to characterize the receptor that mediates the aggregation response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), the most potent agonist for camel platelets known so far.

Methods: Aggregation studies were performed with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in response to multiple doses or combinations of ADP, epinephrine (EPN), collagen, and arachidonic acid (AA).

Tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina.

Objective: To compare levels of tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina in order to understand the use of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), coagulation and fibrinolysis markers for cardiovascular risk assessment.

Methods: The cross-sectional case-control study compared circulating concentrations of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) between patients of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n = 67), Unstable Angina Pectoris (UA) (n = 35) and healthy control subjects (n = 39) at the King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from June 2006 to August 2007.

Results: The patients had significantly higher hsCRP (1.

The coagulopathy of liver disease: does vitamin K help?

Vitamin K is frequently administered in cirrhotic patients to correct their coagulopathy, but evidence for such practice is lacking. We aimed to assess whether vitamin K administration increases the levels of the vitamin K-dependent factor VII (FVII), protein C, and protein S in patients with different stages of liver dysfunction. Eighty-nine patients were recruited into four groups: group 1 [hepatitis B virus (HBV) inactive carriers, n = 23]; group 2 [chronic HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepatitis, n = 21]; group 3 (cirrhosis, n = 24); group 4 (hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 21); and a healthy control group (n = 39).

Survey of the camel urinary proteome by shotgun proteomics using a multiple database search strategy.

We report the first survey of the dromedary camel urinary proteome. Proteins retained from ultrafiltration of urine were analysed by GeLC-MS/MS (SDS-PAGE followed by LC-MS/MS). In the absence of a complete camel genome sequence, the number of protein identifications was maximised by searching three primary sequence databases: Swiss-Prot, alpaca and camel EST.

Attitude to blood donation in Saudi Arabia.

Background And Objectives: The blood donor system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia depends on a combination of voluntary and involuntary donors. The aim of this study is to explore the attitudes, beliefs and motivations of Saudis toward blood donation.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted at the Donor Centers at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) Blood Bank and King Saud University Students Health Center, Riyadh.

The antiplatelet activity of camel urine.

Background: For centuries, camel urine has been used for medicinal purposes and anecdotally proclaimed as a cure for a wide range of diseases. However, the apparent therapeutic actions of camel urine have yet to be subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny. Recent preliminary studies from the authors' laboratory have indicated that camel urine possesses potent antiplatelet activity, not found in human or bovine urines, suggesting a possible role for camel urine in inhibiting platelet function.

A reference dataset for the analyses of membrane protein secondary structures and transmembrane residues using circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Motivation: Empirical analyses of protein secondary structures based on circular dichroism (CD) and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopic data rely on the availability of reference datasets comprised of spectra of relevant proteins, whose crystal structures have been determined. Datasets comprised of only soluble proteins have not proven suitable for analysing the spectra of membrane proteins.

Results: A new reference dataset, MP180, has been created containing the spectra of 30 membrane proteins encompassing the secondary structure and fold space covered by all known membrane protein structures.

Haemostatic and cytokine changes in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background: Limited data indicate the existence of a hypercoagulable state and the possible involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Aim: To characterise the coagulation inhibitor and cytokine profiles in women with GDM.

Methods: Two groups of women in the third trimester of pregnancy were studied: GDM (n = 150) and controls: women with normal pregnancy (n = 100); GDM in their first post-delivery day (n = 52).

Role of the protective antigen octamer in the molecular mechanism of anthrax lethal toxin stabilization in plasma.

Anthrax is caused by strains of Bacillus anthracis that produce two key virulence factors, anthrax toxin (Atx) and a poly-gamma-D-glutamic acid capsule. Atx is comprised of three proteins: protective antigen (PA) and two enzymes, lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). To disrupt cell function, these components must assemble into holotoxin complexes, which contain either a ring-shaped homooctameric or homoheptameric PA oligomer bound to multiple copies of LF and/or EF, producing lethal toxin (LT), edema toxin, or mixtures thereof.

Haemostatic changes in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a comparison between upper and lower limb measurements.

Background: The use of pnuemoperitonium to create the working environment for laproscopic cholecystectomy results in an increase in intraabdominal pressure, which exceeds the pressure of the venous-return from the legs. The resulting venous stasis may increase the risk of thrombosis formation and deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs. However, there is no information as to whether the venous stasis will also exacerbate the coagulabililty of blood flowing out of the lower limbs.

Natural anticoagulants can be useful predictors of severity in chronic liver disease.

Protein S (PS), protein C (PC), and antithrombin (AT) are produced by the liver, and their levels were previously shown to be reduced in chronic as well as acute liver disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether measurement of PS, PC, and AT levels in patients would be as good as the commonly used clinical and histological parameters of liver disease in discriminating early and advanced hepatocyte dysfunction. A total of 154 patients were recruited and categorized into five groups: hepatitis B inactive carriers in group 1 (n = 29), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients in group 2 (n = 30), chronic hepatitis B patients with elevated liver enzymes in group 3 (n = 29), chronic hepatitis C patients with elevated liver enzymes in group 4 (n = 30), liver cirrhosis patients in group 5 (n = 36).