Visceral adiposity index is a better predictor of type 2 diabetes than body mass index in Qatari population

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has increased recently in Qatar. Body mass index (BMI) is a predictor of T2D in many populations. However, BMI is based on height and weight measurements and not on body adiposity. Therefore, the utility of BMI for predicting the risk of T2D has been questioned. Visceral adiposity appears to be a better predictor of T2D. This study aimed to assess the relative effectiveness of visceral adiposity index (VAI) and body adiposity index (BAI), in comparison with BMI, for T2D among Qatari adults. A random sample of 1103 adult Qatari nationals and long term residents over 20 years old were included in this study. This data were obtained from the Qatar Biobank (QBB). We performed a multivariate logistic regression to examine the association between VAI, BAI, BMI, and T2D, and computed z-scores for VAI, BAI and BMI. VAI z-scores showed the strongest association with the risk of T2D (OR, 1.44; 95% CI: 1.24-1.68) compared with the z-scores for BAI (OR, 1.15; 95% CI: 0.93-1.43) and BMI (OR, 1.33; 95% CI: 1.11-1.59). ROC curve analysis showed that VAI was a stronger predictor than BAI and BMI (P < .0001). Subgroup analysis indicated that the association was stronger between VAI and T2D in Qatari women than in men. VAI was a stronger and an independent predictor of T2D compared to BAI and BMI among the Qatari adult population. Therefore, VAI could be a useful tool for predicting the risk of T2D among Qatari adults. Copyright 2020 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.The publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library. This research is funded by Qatar University (project number: QUST-1-CHS-2020-12).Scopu

Removal of toxic pollutants from produced water by phytoremediation: Applications and mechanistic study

Elsevier Ltd In this study, a greenhouse experiment of complete randomized design with three replications was conducted to investigate the potential of Medicago sativa, Zea mays, Helianthus annus, Sorghum bicolor, Phragmites australis and Caroxylon imbricatum in the removal of toxic pollutants from a produced water (PW). The collected local oil-refinery wastewater was also characterized physically and chemically. The concentration of the total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride, sodium, boron ions and sodium adsorption ratio were 300 g/L, 122 g/L, 61 g/L, 0.038 g/L and 139.9 meq/L, respectively. Results showed that except M. sativa, tolerated up to 10% diluted PW with a 30% decrease in length and biomass compared to control treatment, all other plants could not survive. However, Caroxylon imbricatum tolerated up to 20% diluted PW without any significant differences in the morphological characteristics. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results for C. imbricatum tissues showed that cellulose structure had the greatest role in the metal adsorption and transportation inside the plant tissue. This conclusion is verified by the shifting or disappearance in transmission bands at 1028, 1334, 2852 and 2921 cm−1. After PW treatment, the soil with sandy-loam texture used in this study showed a huge accumulation of sodium ions up to 17.6 × 103 mg/Kg. The organic contents of the PW were below the detection limits of the gas chromatography (GC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) instruments. The results of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) extraction showed accumulation of less polar PAHs in 30% irrigated soil

A Novel STK4 Mutation Impairs T Cell Immunity Through Dysregulation of Cytokine-Induced Adhesion and Chemotaxis Genes

Purpose Human serine/threonine kinase 4 (STK4) deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disorder leading to combined immunodeficiency; however, the extent to which immune signaling and host defense are impaired is unclear. We assessed the functional consequences of a novel, homozygous nonsense STK4 mutation (NM_006282.2:c.871C > T, p.Arg291*) identified in a pediatric patient by comparing his innate and adaptive cell-mediated and humoral immune responses with those of three heterozygous relatives and unrelated controls. Methods The genetic etiology was verified by whole genome and Sanger sequencing. STK4 gene and protein expression was measured by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. Cellular abnormalities were assessed by high-throughput RT-RCR, RNA-Seq, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Antibody responses were assessed by ELISA and phage immunoprecipitation-sequencing. Results The patient exhibited partial loss of STK4 expression and complete loss of STK4 function combined with recurrent viral and bacterial infections, notably persistent Epstein–Barr virus viremia and pulmonary tuberculosis. Cellular and molecular analyses revealed abnormal fractions of T cell subsets, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and NK cells. The transcriptional responses of the patient’s whole blood and PBMC samples indicated dysregulated interferon signaling, impaired T cell immunity, and increased T cell apoptosis as well as impaired regulation of cytokine-induced adhesion and leukocyte chemotaxis genes. Nonetheless, the patient had detectable vaccine-specific antibodies and IgG responses to various pathogens, consistent with a normal CD19 + B cell fraction, albeit with a distinctive antibody repertoire, largely driven by herpes virus antigens. Conclusion Patients with STK4 deficiency can exhibit broad impairment of immune function extending beyond lymphoid cells.Other Information Published in: Journal of Clinical Immunology License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10875-021-01115-2</p