ZAP-70 Expression in B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Sudanese Patients

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common form of leukemia in adults. The prognostic impact of ZAP-70 in CLL has been reported in several studies. The aim of conducting this study was to investigate the prevalence of ZAP-70 in Sudanese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia attending Khartoum Oncology Hospital.Materials and Methods: A total of 93 newly diagnosed patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were enrolled in this study. Lymphadenopathy and organomegaly were assessed in all participants using clinical examination, chest radiography, and abdominal ultrasound. Full blood count was carried out by an automated hematology analyzer. ZAP-70 was evaluated using flowcytometry on peripheral blood samples. ZAP-70 was defined as positive expression at a cutoff level of 20%. Results: There were 63 (67.7%) males and 30 (32.3%) females and the median age of the group was 63 years; 68 patients (73.1%) were presented with anemia and 66(70.9%) had lymphadenopath;y. Majority of our patients 35 (37.6%) were in Rai stage IV. ZAP-70 positivity was detected in 21 patients (22.6%). There was no statistically significant association of ZAP-70 with age, sex, lymphadenopathy, organomegaly, hemoglobin concentration, total white blood cell count, platelet count and Rai staging system (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: Only 21 patients (22.6%) were ZAP-70 positive. There was no association between ZAP-70 and the study variables. Further studies to evaluate prognostic role of ZAP-70 in Sudanese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia are recommended

Clinical Characteristics of Non-Intensive Care Unit COVID-19 Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health concern. It has affected more than 5 million patients worldwide and resulted in an alarming number of deaths globally. While clinical characteristics have been reported elsewhere, data from our region is scarce. We investigated the clinical characteristics of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data of 401 confirmed COVID-19 patients were collected from 22 April 2020 to 21 May 2020 at five tertiary care hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The patients were divided into four groups according to age, Group 1: 0-60 years; and their clinical symptoms were compared. Results: The median (IQR) age in years was 10.5 (1.5-16) in group I, 34 (29-41) in group II, 53 (51-56) in group III, and 66 (61-76) in group IV. Most patients were male (80%, n = 322) and of Arabian or Asian descent. The median length of stay in the hospital was 10 (8-17) days (range 3-42 days). The most common symptoms were cough (53.6%), fever (36.2%), fatigue (26.4%), dyspnea (21.9%), and sore throat (21.9%). Hypertension was the most common underlying comorbidity (14.7%), followed by obesity (11.5%), and diabetes (10%). Hypertensive patients were less likely to present with shortness of breath, cough, sputum, diarrhea, and fever. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the symptoms among different age groups and comorbidities were mostly seen in the older age group. Interestingly, hypertensive patients were found to have milder symptoms and a shorter length of stay. Further larger collaborative national studies are required to effectively understand clinical characteristics in our part of the world to efficiently manage and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2

Clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia: an observational cohort study

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) emerged from China in December 2019 and has presented as a substantial and serious threat to global health. We aimed to describe the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory findings of patients in Saudi Arabia infected with SARS-CoV-2 to direct us in helping prevent and treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across Saudi Arabia and around the world. Materials and methods Clinical, epidemiological, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients in five hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were surveyed in this study. Results 401 patients (mean age 38.16 ± 13.43 years) were identified to be SARS-CoV-2 positive and 80% of cases were male. 160 patients had moderate severity and 241 were mild in severity. The most common signs and symptoms at presentation were cough, fever, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, aspartate aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, and ferritin were higher in the COVID-19 moderate severity patient group. Mild severity patients spent a shorter duration hospitalized and had slightly higher percentages of abnormal CT scans and X-ray imaging. Conclusions This study provides an understanding of the features of non-ICU COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia. Further national collaborative studies are needed to streamline screening and treatment procedures for COVID-19

Evaluation of CD38 expression in Sudanese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the cluster of differentiation-38 (CD38) expression in Sudanese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and to determine its association with clinical and laboratory characteristics of the disease. Results We conducted a cross-sectional study on 99 patients diagnosed with CLL in Khartoum Oncology Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. Immunophenotyping and CD38 expression levels were measured with four-color flowcytometry. The results of physical examination and blood analyses were used for assigning a modified Rai clinical staging system. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science, version 22 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). According to our findings, the frequencies of 7%, 20%, and 30% cutoff levels of CD38 expressions were 68.7%, 41.4%, and 36.4% respectively. CD38 cutoff level of 7% showed a significant association with hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.04), whereas other cutoff levels showed insignificant results. All the three cutoff levels showed insignificant associations with the other clinical and laboratory variables. In conclusion, the CD38 expression at a cutoff level of 7% seems to be more valuable clinically than higher cutoff levels in Sudanese CLL patients