Virome-wide serological profiling reveals association of herpesviruses with obesity.

The relationship between viral infection and obesity has been known for several decades but epidemiological data is limited to only a few viral pathogens. The association between obesity and a wide range of viruses was assessed using VirScan, a pan-viral serological profiling tool. Serum specimens from 457 Qatari adults (lean = 184; obese = 273) and 231 Qatari children (lean = 111; obese = 120) were analyzed by VirScan.

Adult Diabetes and Prediabetes Prevalence in Kuwait: Data from the Cross-Sectional Kuwait Diabetes Epidemiology Program.

Background: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in adults in Kuwait.

Methods: The Kuwait Diabetes Epidemiology Program was a nationally representative, cross-sectional study of diabetes and obesity in Kuwait conducted between 2011 and 2014. The survey sampled 4937 adults in Kuwait aged 20 years or more and recorded participants' demographics, behaviours, medical history, physical measurements and blood biochemical measurements.

Convalescent plasma for the treatment of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019: A preliminary report.

Background: The role of convalescent plasma therapy for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively compared outcomes in a cohort of critical COVID-19 patients who received standard care (SC Group) and those who, in addition, received convalescent plasma (CP Group).

Results: In total, 40 patients were included in each group.

Genome-wide landscape establishes novel association signals for metabolic traits in the Arab population.

While the Arabian population has a high prevalence of metabolic disorders, it has not been included in global studies that identify genetic risk loci for metabolic traits. Determining the transferability of such largely Euro-centric established risk loci is essential to transfer the research tools/resources, and drug targets generated by global studies to a broad range of ethnic populations. Further, consideration of populations such as Arabs, that are characterized by consanguinity and a high level of inbreeding, can lead to identification of novel risk loci.

Presenting symptoms and time to diagnosis for Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors in Qatar: a report from Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Service in Qatar.

Introduction: There are no previous published reports on primary pediatric tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) in Qatar. We undertook this retrospective cohort study to review the diagnosis of CNS tumors in children in Qatar to analyze the presentation characteristics including symptoms, referral pathways, and time to diagnosis.

Methods: All children registered with Pediatric Neuro-Oncology service (PNOS) were included in the study.