Baseline characteristics, management practices, and long-term outcomes of Middle Eastern patients in the Second Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2).

Background And Objectives: Limited data are available on patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and their long-term outcomes in the Arabian Gulf countries. We evaluated the clinical features, management, in-hospital, and long-term outcomes of in such a population.

Design And Setting: A 9-month prospective, multicenter study conducted in 65 hospitals from 6 countries that also included 30 day and 1-year mortality follow-up.

Acute coronary syndrome and khat herbal amphetamine use: an observational report.

Background: The khat plant is a stimulant similar to amphetamine and is thought to induce coronary artery spasm. Khat is widely chewed by individuals originating from the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcome of khat chewers presenting with acute coronary syndrome.

Prognostic significance of prevalent and incident atrial fibrillation among patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome: findings from the Gulf RACE-2 Registry.

There is a paucity of data on atrial fibrillation (AF) complicating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Arabian Gulf countries. Thus, we assessed the incidence of AF in patients with ACS in these countries and examined the associated in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year adverse outcomes. The population comprised 7930 patients enrolled in the second Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2).

Comparison of women versus men hospitalized with heart failure (from a 20-year registry in a middle-eastern country 1991-2010).

The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of women and men hospitalized with heart failure (HF) in a Middle-Eastern country. A retrospective analysis of all patients hospitalized with HF in the State of Qatar from 1991 through 2010 was made. The clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of the patients with HF were compared according to gender.

HBsAg titers in the different phases of hepatitis B infection in Syrian patients.

Background And Objectives: Little is known about hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level during the natural course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The aims of this study were to determine the HBsAg titer in the different phases of HBV infection and to evaluate for the presence of a correlation between HBsAg titers and HBV DNA levels.

Study Design: 272 HBV patients were analyzed in a cross-sectional study.

Adenosine-induced coronary artery spasm: a case report.

Objective: To describe an uncommon complication of intravenous adenosine administration.

Clinical Presentation And Intervention: A 41-year-old female patient presented with palpitations due to supraventricular tachycardia. The patient was treated with intravenous adenosine with resolution of the tachycardia.

Immunologic failure despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy is related to activation and turnover of memory CD4 cells.

Background: Failure to normalize CD4(+) T-cell numbers despite effective antiretroviral therapy is an important problem in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Methods: To evaluate potential determinants of immune failure in this setting, we performed a comprehensive immunophenotypic characterization of patients with immune failure despite HIV suppression, persons who experienced CD4(+) T-cell restoration with therapy, and healthy controls.

Results: Profound depletion of all CD4(+) T-cell maturation subsets and depletion of naive CD8(+) T cells was found in immune failure, implying failure of T-cell production/expansion.

Systemic immune activation in HIV infection is associated with decreased MDC responsiveness to TLR ligand and inability to activate naive CD4 T-cells.

Background: HIV infection is characterized by ineffective anti-viral T-cell responses and impaired dendritic cell (DC) functions, including response to Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) ligands. Because TLR responsiveness may affect a host's response to virus, we examined TLR ligand induced Myeloid and Plasmacytoid DC (MDC and PDC) activation of naïve T-cells in HIV+ subjects.

Methods: Freshly purified MDC and PDC obtained from HIV+ subjects and healthy controls were cultured in the presence and absence of TLR ligands (poly I∶C or R-848).

Initial recovery and rebound of type f intestinal colonization botulism after administration of investigational heptavalent botulinum antitoxin.

Investigational heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT) is now the primary antitoxin for US noninfant botulism patients. HBAT consists of equine Fab/F(ab')2 IgG fragments, which are cleared from circulation faster than whole immunoglobulins. Rebound botulism after antitoxin administration is not previously documented but occurred in our patient 10 days after HBAT administration.

Adult pancreatic neuroblastoma, an unusual site and fatal outcome.

In this report, we describe a classic case of stroma rich neuroblastoma, nodular type in a 22 year old female presented with a pancreatic mass. This rare and unusual presentation elicits several differential diagnostic categories including solid pseudopapillary tumor, pancreatic endocrine tumor, pancreatoblastoma and PNET. In this report, we tried to differentiate between them depending on the histopathological features and using panel of epithelial and neuroendocrine markers.

Risk of redisplacement after first successful reduction in paediatric distal radius fractures: sensitivity assessment of casting indices.

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of currently available indices for casting in distal radius fractures in children and to identify risk factors associated with displacement. A cohort of 14 patients with redisplacement was compared with a cohort of 41 patients with maintenance of reduction. A significant difference (<0.

Gulf Survey of Atrial Fibrillation Events (Gulf SAFE): design and baseline characteristics of patients with atrial fibrillation in the Arab Middle East.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common serious cardiac arrhythmia, and its prevalence is expected to increase. There is lack of data about patient characteristics, practice patterns, and outcomes of AF in the Arab Middle East.

Methods And Results: The Gulf Survey of Atrial Fibrillation Events (Gulf SAFE) is a prospective, observational registry of patients with AF with a 12-month follow-up.

Detection and genotyping of human papilloma virus in cervical cancer specimens from Saudi patients.

Objective: To determine the rates and types of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in cervical cancer specimens from Saudi patients.

Methods: One hundred specimens were randomly selected and retrieved from the achieved samples stored in the pathology department accessioned under the diagnosis of cervical cancer and carcinoma in situ between the years 1997 and 2007. Human papilloma virus in the clinical samples was detected using polymerase chain reaction amplification methods.

Cardiovascular risk assessment among potential kidney transplant candidates and perioperative outcome: analysis of 75 consecutive Middle Eastern patients.

Background: Evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD) is a nonstandardized practice before kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of cardiovascular investigations in relation to cardiovascular outcomes of Middle Eastern patients undergoing renal transplantation.

Methods: Seventy-five consecutive patients with end-stage renal disease in Qatar were prospectively evaluated between April 2005 and March 2008.

Frequencies of FoxP3+ naive T cells are related to both viral load and naive T cell proliferation responses in HIV disease.

HIV infection results in depletion and dysfunction of naïve CD4(+) T cells. The mechanisms underlying these deficiencies are not understood. We investigated the frequencies of CD4(+) naïve subsets in HIV disease as defined by expression of CD25 and/or FoxP3 and the relationship of these frequencies to naïve T cell proliferation function.

Isoflavone dimers and other bioactive constituents from the figs of Ficus mucuso.

Phytochemical investigation of the figs of Ficus mucuso led to the isolation of three new isoflavone dimer derivatives, mucusisoflavones A-C (1-3), together with 16 known compounds. Some of the isolates were tested in vitro for their inhibitory properties toward β-glucuronidase and Plasmodium falciparum enoyl-ACP reductase (PfENR) enzymes. Compound 1 (IC₅₀) 0.

Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of conservative medical management in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes in Gulf RACE-2.

We assessed the prevalence, predictors, and in-hospital and long-term outcomes of conservative medical management for patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). This prospective study conducted from October 2008 to June 2009 in 65 hospitals from 6 Arabian Gulf countries included 30-day and 1-year mortality follow-up for 3661 patients. Compared with conservative management group (2859 patients; 78.

Temporal bone chondroblastoma with secondary aneurysmal bone cyst presenting as an intracranial mass with clinical seizure activity.

Chondroblastomas are rare tumors that characteristically arise from the epiphyseal cartilage of long bones of the immature skeleton. Intracranial involvement is uncommon, though the squamous portion of the temporal bone is preferentially affected due to its cartilaginous origin. Patients with temporal bone chondroblastomas classically present with otologic symptoms, while primary neurological complaints are rare.

The impact of adaptive and non-targeted effects in the biological responses to low dose/low fluence ionizing radiation: the modulating effect of linear energy transfer.

A large volume of laboratory and human epidemiological studies have shown that high doses of ionizing radiation engender significant health risks. In contrast, the health risks of low level radiation remain ambiguous and have been the subject of intense debate. To reduce the uncertainty in evaluating these risks, research advances in cellular and molecular biology are being used to characterize the biological effects of low dose radiation exposures and their underlying mechanisms.

Fourth ventricular neurocystercercosis presenting with acute hydrocephalus.

Neurocysticercosis is an infection caused by the larvae of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. Parenchymal lesions commonly present with seizure activity and intraventricular lesions can cause hydrocephalus. A 33-year-old female patient presented in a comatose state with acute hydrocephalus and a fourth ventricle lesion.

A Comparison of intra-oral digital imaging modalities: Charged Couple Device versus Storage Phosphor Plate.

Background: This in vitro study was conducted to compare the accuracy of two digital image receptors in identifying the location of tip of a fine endodontic file and radiographic apex in mandibular posterior teeth.

Methods: Fourteen human cadaver mandibles with retained molars were selected. These molars were prepared for access to the canals and an endodontic file #10 was introduced into the canal at one of the three random distances from the apex of the tooth.

Temporal and spatial SOX9 expression patterns in the course of gonad development of the caudate amphibian Pleurodeles waltl.

The SOX family of transcription factors is thought to regulate gene expression in a wide variety of developmental processes. Namely, SOX9 expression is conserved in vertebrate sex determination or differentiation. Nevertheless, information about caudate amphibians is lacking.

Prevalence and outcome of cigarette and waterpipe smoking among patients with acute coronary syndrome in six Middle-Eastern countries.

Objective: We evaluated the prevalence and effect of cigarette smoking (CS) and waterpipe (WP) smoking on patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in six Middle-Eastern countries.

Methods: Analysis of the Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE) survey, which included 6704 consecutive patients hospitalized with ACS, was made and patients were divided into four groups depending on whether they were smokers - cigarette-CS, waterpipe-WS, combined cigarette and waterpipe (CW) - or non-smokers (NS).

Results: Overall 38% of patients were smokers; 4.