Risk factors of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Saudi Women

Abstract:Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the main risk factors of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus among Saudi women. Methodology: This is a case control laboratory-based study conducted in Wadi Al Dawasir City in Saudi Arabia.600 pregnant women as follows; 300 screened pregnant women as the study group and 300 non screened pregnant women as the control group.Selection Criteria for the screened group: Should be booked at 28 weeks or before that, not known to be diabetic before pregnancy or diagnosed as cases of GDM before 24 weeks. Selection Criteria for the non-screened group: They were not diagnosed before pregnancy as cases of DM or diagnosed during pregnancy as cases of GDM.Screening for GDM: Screening for GDM was a routine using loading dose glucose (LDG) or glucose challenge test (GCT) between 24-28 weeks gestation according to the hospitals protocol. The pregnant women were classified into high risk or low risk according to the following characteristics  Results: Risk factors in the screened mothers with positive LDG result was: family history was identified in 56.1% (23/41) of mothers and it was absent in 43.8% (18/41). The next main risk factor among the mothers with positive LDG results was a history of baby weight 4 kg or more and was found in 9.76% (4/41) followed by history of intrauterine fetal death that was detected in 7.32% (3/41). Only one mother 2.44% (1/41) had past history of gestational diabetes mellitus similar to mothers with history of babies with congenital malformation that was detected in 2.44% (1/41) also. Family history was the main risk factor among mothers with positive LDG results as it was found in 56.1%. Within the 20 mothers with significant oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, 80% (16/20) had risk factors and 20% (4/20) had no risk factors. Conclusion: Identifying of risk factors is important for screening for GDM but even women with low risk and no risk factors should be screened for GDM

Glutamic acid decarboxylase-IgG among T2DM patients with HCMV infection and HbA1c levels

Background:Prophetic immune marker glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) autoantibody is a distinctive diagnosis between Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Individuals have diagnose as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in adults (LADA) has such autoantibody, which those patients  incorrectly diagnosed as T2DM. Objective: To determines frequency of anti- GAD IgG antibody marker in LADA patients, were misdiagnosed as T2DM in relevance with a Cytomegalovirus infectin antibodies and Hemoglobine A1c levels.  Patients and Methods: Ninety five patients with T2DM chosen, arranged in two groups with and without cardio vascular diseases (CVD) and a garoup of 49 individuals as healthy control matched age and gender. Samples took from subjects that attended to Hawler Cardiac Center and Diabetic Centers at Erbil city in March 2014. Sera subjected to Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Glycohemoglobin assay for HbA1c. Results: GAD islet cell autoantibody was seropositive in 3.05% diabetics and 2.04% controls. There were high titers of HbA1c with low C-peptide in diabetics. A weak negative correlation was found with significant difference between anti-GAD IgG and age (r = -0.282, P < 0.017 correspondingly ). Conclusion: Appropriate diagnosis for LADA could help to preserve the residual Beta-cell function. Key words: Anti-GAD-IgG, Anti-CMC-IgG, C-peptide, HbA1c

The relationship between cellular adhesion and surface roughness for polyurethane modified by microwave plasma radiation

Surface modification of medical polymers is carried out to improve biocompatibility. In this study, conventional polyurethane was exposed to microwave plasma treatment with oxygen and argon gases for 30 seconds and 60 seconds. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectra investigations of irradiated samples indicated the presence of functional groups. Atomic force microscope images of samples irradiated with inert and active gases indicated the nanometric topography of the sample surfaces. Samples irradiated by oxygen plasma indicated high roughness compared with those irradiated by inert plasma for the different lengths of time. In addition, surface roughness increased with time, which can be due to a reduction of contact angle of samples irradiated by oxygen plasma. Contact angle analysis indicated a reduction in samples irradiated with both types of plasma. However, samples irradiated with oxygen plasma indicated lower contact angle compared with those irradiated by argon plasma. Cellular investigations with unrestricted somatic stem cells showed better adhesion, cell growth, and proliferation among samples radiated by oxygen plasma for longer than for normal samples

Studying of Some Characteristics and parameters of Argon Glow discharge plasma Using Hollow Anode Diameter

Hollow anode argon glow discharge plasma has been investigated experimentally at different argon gas pressure from constant discharge current. A sufficient high voltage has been applied among the electrodes to obtain breakdown. Firstly, we studied the influence of hollow anode diameter on the breakdown voltage and Paschens law. The inner diameters of hollow anodes used in our work were (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40) mm. Secondly under the same conditions we extended our study to measure some plasma parameters in the negative glow region using direct current argon glow discharge. The temperature and density of electrons in the negative glow were measured using double probes. From the (Ip-Vp) characteristics of double probes, we obtained plasma parameters by using computer MATLAB program. The results showed that the measured Pashence's curve closes to the well-known theoretical Pashence's law. The breakdown voltage and its minimum value decreased with increasing the hollow anode diameter. The Paschen’s curve became wide and shifted to lower pressure with increasing the diameter. The reduction area of hollow anode caused dens and luminous intensity of plasma to occur in the negative glow region. Increasing the diameter resulted in decreasing the temperature and density of electron

Inter-laboratory reproducibility of fast gas chromatography–electron impact–time of flight mass spectrometry (GC–EI–TOF/MS) based plant metabolomics

The application of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to the ‘global’ analysis of metabolites in complex samples (i.e. metabolomics) has now become routine. The generation of these data-rich profiles demands new strategies in data mining and standardisation of experimental and reporting aspects across laboratories. As part of the META-PHOR project’s (METAbolomics for Plants Health and OutReach: http://www.meta-phor.eu/) priorities towards robust technology development, a GC–MS ring experiment based upon three complex matrices (melon, broccoli and rice) was launched. All sample preparation, data processing, multivariate analyses and comparisons of major metabolite features followed standardised protocols, identical models of GC (Agilent 6890N) and TOF/MS (Leco Pegasus III) were also employed. In addition comprehensive GC×GC–TOF/MS was compared with 1 dimensional GC–TOF/MS. Comparisons of the paired data from the various laboratories were made with a single data processing and analysis method providing an unbiased assessment of analytical method variants and inter-laboratory reproducibility. A range of processing and statistical methods were also assessed with a single exemplary dataset revealing near equal performance between them. Further investigations of long-term reproducibility are required, though the future generation of global and valid metabolomics databases offers much promise

Sexually dimorphic characteristics of the small intestine and colon of prepubescent C57BL/6 mice

Background There is increasing appreciation for sexually dimorphic effects, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are only partially understood. In the present study, we explored transcriptomics and epigenetic differences in the small intestine and colon of prepubescent male and female mice. In addition, the microbiota composition of the colonic luminal content has been examined. Methods At postnatal day 14, male and female C57BL/6 mice were sacrificed and the small intestine, colon and content of luminal colon were isolated. Gene expression of both segments of the intestine was analysed by microarray analysis. DNA methylation of the promoter regions of selected sexually dimorphic genes was examined by pyrosequencing. Composition of the microbiota was explored by deep sequencing. Results Sexually dimorphic genes were observed in both segments of the intestine of 2-week-old mouse pups, with a stronger effect in the small intestine. Amongst the total of 349 genes displaying a sexually dimorphic effect in the small intestine and/or colon, several candidates exhibited a previously established function in the intestine (i.e. Nts, Nucb2, Alox5ap and Retnlγ). In addition, differential expression of genes linked to intestinal bowel disease (i.e. Ccr3, Ccl11 and Tnfr) and colorectal cancer development (i.e. Wt1 and Mmp25) was observed between males and females. Amongst the genes displaying significant sexually dimorphic expression, nine genes were histone-modifying enzymes, suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms might be a potential underlying regulatory mechanism. However, our results reveal no significant changes in DNA methylation of analysed CpGs within the selected differentially expressed genes. With respect to the bacterial community composition in the colon, a dominant effect of litter origin was found but no significant sex effect was detected. However, a sex effect on the dominance of specific taxa was observed. Conclusions This study reveals molecular dissimilarities between males and females in the small intestine and colon of prepubescent mice, which might underlie differences in physiological functioning and in disease predisposition in the two sexes

Systematic Identification of Genes that Regulate Neuronal Wiring in the Drosophila Visual System

Forward genetic screens in model organisms are an attractive means to identify those genes involved in any complex biological process, including neural circuit assembly. Although mutagenesis screens are readily performed to saturation, gene identification rarely is, being limited by the considerable effort generally required for positional cloning. Here, we apply a systematic positional cloning strategy to identify many of the genes required for neuronal wiring in the Drosophila visual system. From a large-scale forward genetic screen selecting for visual system wiring defects with a normal retinal pattern, we recovered 122 mutations in 42 genetic loci. For 6 of these loci, the underlying genetic lesions were previously identified using traditional methods. Using SNP-based mapping approaches, we have now identified 30 additional genes. Neuronal phenotypes have not previously been reported for 20 of these genes, and no mutant phenotype has been previously described for 5 genes. The genes encode a variety of proteins implicated in cellular processes such as gene regulation, cytoskeletal dynamics, axonal transport, and cell signalling. We conducted a comprehensive phenotypic analysis of 35 genes, scoring wiring defects according to 33 criteria. This work demonstrates the feasibility of combining large-scale gene identification with large-scale mutagenesis in Drosophila, and provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms that regulate visual system wiring

Response of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to Amicoumacin A

Amicoumacin A exhibits strong antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hence we sought to uncover its mechanism of action. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis of S. aureus COL in response to amicoumacin A showed alteration in transcription of genes specifying several cellular processes including cell envelope turnover, cross-membrane transport, virulence, metabolism, and general stress response. The most highly induced gene was lrgA, encoding an antiholin-like product, which is induced in cells undergoing a collapse of Δψ. Consistent with the notion that LrgA modulates murein hydrolase activity, COL grown in the presence of amicoumacin A showed reduced autolysis, which was primarily caused by lower hydrolase activity. To gain further insight into the mechanism of action of amicoumacin A, a whole genome comparison of wild-type COL and amicoumacin A-resistant mutants isolated by a serial passage method was carried out. Single point mutations generating codon substitutions were uncovered in ksgA (encoding RNA dimethyltransferase), fusA (elongation factor G), dnaG (primase), lacD (tagatose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase), and SACOL0611 (a putative glycosyl transferase). The codon substitutions in EF-G that cause amicoumacin A resistance and fusidic acid resistance reside in separate domains and do not bring about cross resistance. Taken together, these results suggest that amicoumacin A might cause perturbation of the cell membrane and lead to energy dissipation. Decreased rates of cellular metabolism including protein synthesis and DNA replication in resistant strains might allow cells to compensate for membrane dysfunction and thus increase cell survivability

The Streptococcus pneumoniae Pilus-1 Displays a Biphasic Expression Pattern

The Streptococcus pneumoniae pilus-1 is encoded by pilus islet 1 (PI-1), which has three clonal variants (clade I, II and III) and is present in about 30% of clinical pneumococcal isolates. In vitro and in vivo assays have demonstrated that pilus-1 is involved in attachment to epithelial cells and virulence, as well as protection in mouse models of infection. Several reports suggest that pilus-1 expression is tightly regulated and involves the interplay of numerous genetic regulators, including the PI-1 positive regulator RlrA. In this report we provide evidence that pilus expression, when analyzed at the single-cell level in PI-1 positive strains, is biphasic. In fact, the strains present two phenotypically different sub-populations of bacteria, one that expresses the pilus, while the other does not. The proportions of these two phenotypes are variable among the strains tested and are not influenced by genotype, serotype, growth conditions, colony morphology or by the presence of antibodies directed toward the pilus components. Two sub-populations, enriched in pilus expressing or not expressing bacteria were obtained by means of colony selection and immuno-detection methods for five strains. PI-1 sequencing in the two sub-populations revealed the absence of mutations, thus indicating that the biphasic expression observed is not due to a genetic modification within PI-1. Microarray expression profile and western blot analyses on whole bacterial lysates performed comparing the two enriched sub-populations, revealed that pilus expression is regulated at the transcriptional level (on/off regulation), and that there are no other genes, in addition to those encoded by PI-1, concurrently regulated across the strains tested. Finally, we provide evidence that the over-expression of the RrlA positive regulator is sufficient to induce pilus expression in pilus-1 negative bacteria. Overall, the data presented here suggest that the observed biphasic pilus expression phenotype could be an example of bistability in pneumococcus