Perceptions and Attitudes Towards HIV/AIDS Patients among General Public in Bahrain

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is a major global health problem. In Bahrain, although the prevalence of HIV is low, awareness programs are of high importance for controlling and preventing the distribution of HIV infection. The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes and risk perceptions toward HIV/AIDS in Bahrain. Results of this study will provide background knowledge to inform existing and new educational and preventiveprograms. Methodology: A self-administered questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 1038 Bahraini adults. Results: The study showed varied attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, but mostly were negative, as 60% of participants agreed to isolate HIV/AIDS patients in workplaces and schools, and 52.4% of them believed that HIV is a divine punishment. A high proportion of respondents (84.4%) believed that religion plays an important role in minimizing the spread of the disease. Conclusions: The Bahraini public negative attitudes toward HIV/AIDS was a major finding of this study. Successful control programs of HIV infection require limiting the negative attitudes toward HIV patients and the disease. Those negative attitudes found in this study need to be addressed through new and currently existing education and health awareness programs in Bahrain. Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Public Attitudes, Stigmatization, Bahrai

Corneal nerve and brain imaging in mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Background: Visual rating of medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) is an accepted structural neuroimaging marker of Alzheimer's disease. Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is a non-invasive ophthalmic technique that detects neuronal loss in peripheral and central neurodegenerative disorders. Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of CCM for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia compared to medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) rating on MRI. Methods: Subjects aged 60-85 with no cognitive impairment (NCI), MCI, and dementia based on the ICD-10 criteria were recruited. Subjects underwent cognitive screening, CCM, and MTA rating on MRI. Results: 182 subjects with NCI (n = 36), MCI (n = 80), and dementia (n = 66), including AD (n = 19, 28.8%), VaD (n = 13, 19.7%), and mixed AD (n = 34, 51.5%) were studied. CCM showed a progressive reduction in corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD, fibers/mm2) (32.0±7.5 versus 24.5±9.6 and 20.8±9.3, p < 0.0001), branch density (CNBD, branches/mm2) (90.9±46.5 versus 59.3±35.7 and 53.9±38.7, p < 0.0001), and fiber length (CNFL, mm/mm2) (22.9±6.1 versus 17.2±6.5 and 15.8±7.4, p < 0.0001) in subjects with MCI and dementia compared to NCI. The area under the ROC curve (95% CI) for the diagnostic accuracy of CNFD, CNBD, CNFL compared to MTA-right and MTA-left for MCI was 78% (67-90%), 82% (72-92%), 86% (77-95%) versus 53% (36-69%) and 40% (25-55%), respectively, and for dementia it was 85% (76-94%), 84% (75-93%), 85% (76-94%) versus 86% (76-96%) and 82% (72-92%), respectively. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of CCM, a non-invasive ophthalmic biomarker of neurodegeneration, was high and comparable with MTA rating for dementia but was superior to MTA rating for MCI

The role of human metapneumovirus in pediatric respiratory tract infection in Qatar

The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has been recently discovered as an etiological agent of acute respiratory infections in infants and children, with similar clinical symptoms to those caused by respiratory syncytial virus. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hMPV and its potential role as a causative agent of respiratory tract infections in children in Qatar. Methods: In the present study, we examined 84 nasopharyngeal aspirates from children with respiratory tract infections, presenting at Al-Saad Pediatric Emergency Center in Doha, Qatar, as outpatients, for the presence of respiratory viruses. Results: A total of 56 out of 84 (66.7%) cases were positive for the presence of respiratory viruses. Out of the 56 positive cases 54 (96%) contained hMPV; whereas 12 out of 56 (21.4%) contained human parainfluenza virus. A total of 14 out of 56 of the positive patients were infected with more than one virus. hMPV was in samples infected with one or more respiratory tract infection viruses and was the most frequently isolated virus from infants less than 6 months of age. Conclusion: This is the first report demonstrating the prevalence of hMPV in children suffering from respiratory tract infections in Qatar. Detection of this virus may have significant clinical implications in this patient population in Qatar.The 2nd Undergraduate Research Experiences Program cycle of Qatar National Research Fund

Prevalence of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Prader–Willi Syndrome

Introduction. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common in patients with Prader–Willi Syndrome (PWS). However, the prevalence of SDB varies widely between studies. Early identification of SDB and factors contributing to its incidence is essential, particularly when considering growth hormone (GH) therapy. Objectives. The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence and phenotypes of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in patients with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and to determine the effects of age, gender, symptoms, GH therapy and body mass index on SDB severity. Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review of all patients with genetically confirmed Prader–Willi syndrome who underwent diagnostic overnight polysomnography (PSG) in the sleep laboratory at Sidra Medicine. Clinical and PSG data of enrolled patients were collected. Results. We identified 20 patients (nine males, eleven females) with PWS who had overnight sleep polysomnography (PSG) at a median age (IQR) of 5.83 (2.7–12) years. The median apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 8.55 (IQR 5.8–16.9) events/hour. The median REM-AHI was 27.8 (IQR 15–50.6) events/hour. The median obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) was 7.29 (IQR 1.8–13.5) events/hour. The median central apnea-hypopnea index (CAHI) was 1.77 (IQR 0.6–4.1) events/hour. Nineteen patients (95%) demonstrated SDB by polysomnography (PSG) based on AHI ≥1.5 events/hour. Nine patients (45%) were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Three patients (15%) were diagnosed with central sleep apnea (CSA). Seven patients (35%) were diagnosed with mixed sleep apnea. No correlations were observed between AHI and age, gender, BMI, symptoms, or GH therapy. However, REM-AHI was significantly correlated with BMI (P=0.031). Conclusion. This study shows a high prevalence of SDB among our patients with PWS. Obstructive sleep apnea was the predominant phenotype. BMI was the only predictor for high REM-AHI. Further studies of large cohorts are warranted to define SDB in PWS and design the appropriate treatment

Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and its risk factors in a population-based study of Qatar

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes, pre-diabetes and to identify the associated risk factors in the sample of adult Qatari population

Implementation of extended neonatal screening and a metabolic unit in the State of Qatar: Developing and optimizing strategies in cooperation with the Neonatal Screening Center in Heidelberg

Qatar is a country in the Gulf area and member of the Gulf Cooperation Council states. The country is populated by original Qatari tribes that amount to about 200 000 people and about 600 000 expatriates mainly from Arabic and Asian countries. Inbreeding over centuries and high rates of consanguinity in the Qatari population and in some groups of expatriates, in addition to large family sizes and rapid population growth, have contributed to a high frequency of autosomal recessive disorders. In December 2003 Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha and the University Children's Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany, started an extended state-wide neonatal screening programme for metabolic and endocrine disorders, with the laboratory situated in Heidelberg, Germany. All aspects of the screening process had to be adapted to the unique situation of the laboratory being 6000 km from the birthplace of the neonates. Within 32 months, samples of 25 214 neonates were screened. In 28 cases an endocrine or metabolic diagnosis was identified (incidence 1:901, in Germany 1:1728). In particular, a variety of monogenic metabolic diseases were prevalent, with 19 patients detected giving an incidence of metabolic diseases of 1:1327 (Germany 1:2517). Each euro spent on the screening programme saved more than 25 euros in health and social costs. The programme revealed a high incidence of treatable inborn metabolic diseases in the population of Qatar. A reliable screening for classical homocystinuria showing a unique incidence of > 1:3000 and for sickle cell disease has now been added