Past, Present and Future of Colorectal Cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

<b>Background/Aims:</b> The crude frequency of colorectal cancer (CRC) is second to breast cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To assess the future burden of CRC in the country, we designed a model that takes into consideration the recent lifestyle pattern and the growth and aging of the population. <b> Methods:</b> We compared CRC statistics for KSA (using data from the National Cancer Registry) with that from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) databases of the United States of America (USA). We used the Joinpoint regression program to identify changes in secular trends, while the GLOBOCAN 2002 software was used to project future incidence and mortality. <b> Results:</b> Between 1994 and 2003, age-standardized rates (ASRs) for CRC in KSA almost doubled, as compared to a nonsignificant decline in USA. Between 2001 and 2003, while the annual percent change (APC) of CRC incidence in the USA showed a nonsignificant decrease in females, APC in Saudi females showed a nonsignificant rise of six percent. On the other hand, the rising incidence among Saudi males, during the years 1999 to 2003, was significant, with an APC of 20.5&#x0025;. The projection model suggested that the incidence of CRC in KSA could increase fourfold in both genders by the year 2030. <b> Conclusions:</b> In KSA, the present and expected increase in CRC rates is alarming. Pragmatic recommendations to face that challenge are discussed. The present work could serve as a model to study other prevalent types of cancer, particularly in developing countries

Liprotein (a) in transplant recipients: a case controlled prospective clinical study

This work was designed to assess the impact of renal transplantation (TX) on the lipid profile of chronic renal failure patients (CRF). It included thirty normal controls (N) and one hundred CRF cases treated by TX divided into three groups: Group I: ten CRF patients were seen during preoperative assessment and followed at one and six months after TX. Group II: thirty TX patients were followed postoperatively for one year. Group III: sixty recipients were examined just once after successful TX.The following parameters were estimated and followed according to the plan of each group: serum level of Lp (a), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL, LDL, total proteins (TP), albumin (Alb) and creatinine. Duplex study of the carotid arteries was done and followed up for one year in a group of ten patients randomly selected from group II.Serum Lp (a) showed significant decrease after TX which continued during the twelve months of follow up, this level was still significantly higher at any time compared to N (P&lt;0.0001 in all). Beside the favorable effect of TX on Lp (a) it had a variable effect on oth er lipid parameters assessed pre and postoperatively.Whereas a decrease in TG was observed (p&lt;0.001) an increase occurred in TC (p&lt;0.001), HDL (p&lt;0.005) and LDL (p&lt;0.001). There was no significant correlation between Lp (a) on one hand and either age, sex, creatinine, TP, Alb or other lipid parameters analyzed in various studied groups. None of the ten patients who had duplex study showed carotid atherosclerotic changes over one year of follow-up.Conclusion: TX resulted in favorable effects on the serum concentrations of the recently reported independent atherogenic risk factor. Lp (a). The absence of carotid atherosclerotic changes in the present study does not rule out the widely acceptanced atherogenic activities of Lp (a ). This could be partly due to the significant increase in HDL cholesterol after TX

COVID-19 Booster Doses: A Multi-Center Study Reflecting Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions

(1) Background: During 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic was threatening healthcare services and workers, and acquiring immunity was an option to stop or limit the burden of this pandemic. Herd immunity was a top priority worldwide as the virus was spreading rapidly. It was estimated that 67% of the total global population should be immunized against COVID-19 to achieve herd immunity. The aim of the current study is to investigate different perceptions of healthcare workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain and Egypt using an online survey in an attempt to evaluate their awareness and concerns regarding new variants and booster doses. (2) Methods: This study conducted a survey on healthcare workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain and Egypt about their perception and concerns on the COVID-19 vaccines. (3) Results: The study found that out of 389 healthcare workers 46.1% of the physicians were not willing to take the booster doses (p = 0.004). Physicians also did not support taking the COVID-19 vaccine as an annual vaccine (p = 0.04). Furthermore, to assess the association between the type of vaccine taken with the willingness of taking a booster vaccine, healthcare workers beliefs on vaccine effectiveness (p = 0.001), suspension or contact with patients (p = 0.000), and infection after COVID-19 vaccination (p = 0.016) were significant. (4) Conclusion: Knowledge about vaccine accreditation and regulation should be dispersed more widely to ensure that the population has a positive perception on vaccine safety and effectiveness

Effects Of Polyamines (Putrescine, Spermidine And Spermine) On Root Tip Mitosis And Chromosomes In Allium Cepa L.

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