Diabetic Retinopathy and Eye Screening: Diabetic Patients Standpoint, Their Practice, and Barriers; A Cross-Sectional Study

Diabetes mellites (DM) is one of the most common systemic disorders in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a potentially blinding ophthalmic consequence of uncontrolled DM. The early detection of DR leads to an earlier intervention, which might be sight-saving. Our aim in this cross-sectional study is to assess patients’ knowledge and practices regarding DR, and to detect the barriers for eye screening and receiving a check-up from an ophthalmologist. The study included 386 diabetic patients. One hundred and thirty-one patients (33.9%) had T1DM and 188 (48.7%) had T2DM. Most of the diabetic patients (73.3%) know that they must have an eye check-up regardless of their blood sugar level. DM was agreed to affect the retina in 80.3% of the patients, 56% of patients agree that DM complications are always symptomatic, and 84.5% know that DM could affect their eyes. The fact that blindness is a complication of diabetic retinopathy was known by 65% of the diabetic patients. A better knowledge was detected among patients older than 50 years of age (54.9%) compared to those aged less than 35 years (40.9%), which was statistically significant (p = 0.030). Additionally, 61.2% of diabetic patients who were university graduates had a significantly better knowledge in comparison to 33.3% of illiterate patients (p = 0.006). Considering the barriers to not getting one’s eyes screened earlier, a lack of knowledge was reported by 38.3% of the patients, followed by lack of access to eye care (24.4%). In conclusion, there is a remarkable increase in the awareness of DR among the Saudi population. This awareness might lead to an earlier detection and management of DR

A Simulation Model for Forecasting COVID-19 Pandemic Spread: Analytical Results Based on the Current Saudi COVID-19 Data

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) spreads worldwide during the first half of 2020. As is the case for all countries, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where the number of reported cases reached more than 392 K in the first week of April 2021, was heavily affected by this pandemic. In this study, we introduce a new simulation model to examine the pandemic evolution in two major cities in KSA, namely, Riyadh (the capital city) and Jeddah (the second-largest city). Consequently, this study estimates and predicts the number of cases infected with COVID-19 in the upcoming months. The major advantage of this model is that it is based on real data for KSA, which makes it more realistic. Furthermore, this paper examines the parameters used to understand better and more accurately predict the shape of the infection curve, particularly in KSA. The obtained results show the importance of several parameters in reducing the pandemic spread: the infection rate, the social distance, and the walking distance of individuals. Through this work, we try to raise the awareness of the public and officials about the seriousness of future pandemic waves. In addition, we analyze the current data of the infected cases in KSA using a novel Gaussian curve fitting method. The results show that the expected pandemic curve is flattening, which is recorded in real data of infection. We also propose a new method to predict the new cases. The experimental results on KSA’s updated cases reveal that the proposed method outperforms some current prediction techniques, and therefore, it is more efficient in fighting possible future pandemics

Clinicopathological features of rare bleeding disorders in high consanguinity population; A retrospective analysis from two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Rare bleeding disorder (RBDs) encompasses a deficiency of one or more of FXIII, FXI, FX, FVII, FV, FII, and FI clotting factors, leading to bleeding disorders with variable presentations and outcomes ranging from none or minimal to life-threatening events. RBDs are still underdiagnosed and underreported, especially in Saudi population with a high prevalence of consanguinity. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the frequency of RBDs, grading of their bleeding severity, and assessment of clinical manifestations and management of RBDs in tertiary Saudi Arabian hospitals. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This retrospective study of RBDs describes the clinicopathological features of refereed cases to both Prince Sultan Military Medical City and King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 2018 to September 2021. Any patient who had already been diagnosed or suspected to have RBDs was enrolled in the study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patient's medical records were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentations, bleeding and family history, consanguinity, treatment outcomes, and molecular testing. Samples were run in specialized coagulation laboratories. Patients with liver dysfunction or acquired factor deficiency were excluded. Patients were categorized into four groups according to the severity of bleeding episodes: asymptomatic, Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. RESULTS: A total of 26 cases with RBDs were identified during the study period. Most of the included patients are males and pediatrics (<14 years) representing 15 (57.7%) and 14 (53.8%), respectively. FVII was the most common factor deficiency encountered in 9 (35%) patients, followed by FXIII in 5 (19%), FXI in 4 (15%), FX in 3 (11.5%), FV in 3 (11.5%), and combined factor deficiency in 2 (8%) patients. 17 (65.4%) RBD patients presented with bleeding manifestation either with Grade I (9%), Grade II (39%), or Grade III (15%), whereas 47% were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: The study emphasizes on importance of establishing a national registry of RBDs in Saudi Arabia and the need for further genetic studies to clarify the genotype/phenotype relationships

Establishment of reference interval for hemoglobin A1C and other hemoglobin subfractions for healthy Saudi adults.

BackgroundThe establishment of Reference Intervals (RIs) for Hemoglobin A1C and other hemoglobin subfractions (A1A, A1B, F, LA1C, A0) is of utmost importance in screening, diagnosing, and monitoring diabetes and other hemoglobin abnormalities through the application of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Because there are no locally established RIs for these parameters, it is essential to establish RIs specific to the Saudi population to accurately diagnose and monitor diabetic individuals and identify abnormal levels in hemoglobin subfractions.MethodsAs part of the IFCC global multicenter study of laboratory reference values, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia. The study involved recruiting a total of 381 healthy adult subjects (>18 years, BMI 28.3 ± 6 kg/m2). Blood samples were analyzed for A1C, biochemical and other immunoassay parameters. The need for RIs based on sex, age, and BMI was determined using the standard deviation ratio (SDR) through a 3-level nested ANOVA.ResultsBased on the threshold of SDR≥0.4, RIs for A1C and other Hb subfractions were not partitioned by sex or BMI, but partitioned by age (ConclusionThis study established RIs for A1C and other Hb subfractions for healthy adult Saudis. Age was found to be an important source of variation for most of the parameters including A1C. These findings will enhance the understanding and clinical decision-making concerning A1C and other hemoglobin subfractions. The elevated upper limit of RIs for A1C reflects the high prevalence of diabetes in the Saudi population specially in those with increased age

Changes in hematological indices and lymphocyte subsets in response to whole blood donation in healthy male donors

Whole blood donation has immunomodulatory effects, and most of these have been observed at short intervals following blood donation. This study aimed to investigate the impact of whole blood donation on lymphocyte subsets over a typical inter-donation interval. Healthy male subjects were recruited to study changes in complete blood count (CBC) (n = 42) and lymphocyte subsets (n = 16) before and at four intervals up to 106 days following blood donation. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare quantitative variables between different visits. Following blood donation, changes in CBC and erythropoietin were as expected. The neutrophil count increased by 11.3% at 8 days (p < .001). Novel changes were observed in lymphocyte subsets as the CD4/CD8 ratio increased by 9.2% (p < .05) at 8 days and 13.7% (p < .05) at 22 days. CD16-56 cells decreased by 16.2% (p < .05) at 8 days. All the subsets had returned to baseline by 106 days. Regression analysis showed that the changes in CD16-56 cells and CD4/CD8 ratio were not significant (Wilk’s lambda = 0.15 and 0.94, respectively) when adjusted for BMI. In conclusion, following whole blood donation, there are transient changes in lymphocyte subsets. The effect of BMI on lymphocyte subsets and the effect of this immunomodulation on the immune response merit further investigation

Changes in hematological indices and lymphocyte subsets in response to whole blood donation in healthy male donors

Whole blood donation has immunomodulatory effects, and most of these have been observed at short intervals following blood donation. This study aimed to investigate the impact of whole blood donation on lymphocyte subsets over a typical inter-donation interval. Healthy male subjects were recruited to study changes in complete blood count (CBC) (n = 42) and lymphocyte subsets (n = 16) before and at four intervals up to 106 days following blood donation. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare quantitative variables between different visits. Following blood donation, changes in CBC and erythropoietin were as expected. The neutrophil count increased by 11.3% at 8 days (p < .001). Novel changes were observed in lymphocyte subsets as the CD4/CD8 ratio increased by 9.2% (p < .05) at 8 days and 13.7% (p < .05) at 22 days. CD16-56 cells decreased by 16.2% (p < .05) at 8 days. All the subsets had returned to baseline by 106 days. Regression analysis showed that the changes in CD16-56 cells and CD4/CD8 ratio were not significant (Wilk’s lambda = 0.15 and 0.94, respectively) when adjusted for BMI. In conclusion, following whole blood donation, there are transient changes in lymphocyte subsets. The effect of BMI on lymphocyte subsets and the effect of this immunomodulation on the immune response merit further investigation

Changes in hematological indices and lymphocyte subsets in response to whole blood donation in healthy male donors

Whole blood donation has immunomodulatory effects, and most of these have been observed at short intervals following blood donation. This study aimed to investigate the impact of whole blood donation on lymphocyte subsets over a typical inter-donation interval. Healthy male subjects were recruited to study changes in complete blood count (CBC) (n = 42) and lymphocyte subsets (n = 16) before and at four intervals up to 106 days following blood donation. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare quantitative variables between different visits. Following blood donation, changes in CBC and erythropoietin were as expected. The neutrophil count increased by 11.3% at 8 days (p < .001). Novel changes were observed in lymphocyte subsets as the CD4/CD8 ratio increased by 9.2% (p < .05) at 8 days and 13.7% (p < .05) at 22 days. CD16-56 cells decreased by 16.2% (p < .05) at 8 days. All the subsets had returned to baseline by 106 days. Regression analysis showed that the changes in CD16-56 cells and CD4/CD8 ratio were not significant (Wilk’s lambda = 0.15 and 0.94, respectively) when adjusted for BMI. In conclusion, following whole blood donation, there are transient changes in lymphocyte subsets. The effect of BMI on lymphocyte subsets and the effect of this immunomodulation on the immune response merit further investigation

Profiling of microRNAs by next-generation sequencing: Potential biomarkers for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

الملخص: أهداف البحث: سرطان الغدد الليمفاوية يحتل المرتبة الخامسة بين أنواع السرطان الشائعة في جميع أنحاء العالم. سرطان الجهاز اللمفاوي هو الذي ينشأ من الخلايا التائية أو البائية. ترتبط الأورام اللمفاوية ذات الخلايا البائية الكبيرة المنتشرة بالغالبية العظمى من الأورام اللمفاوية اللاهودجكينية. يمكن أن تؤثر الرناوات الدقيقة غير المشفرة بشكل كبير على التعبير الجيني. يمكن استهداف العديد من الجينات بواسطة واحدة من الرناوات الدقيقة، وبالتالي، تؤثر بشكل كبير على شبكات التعبير الجيني. يمكن أن تعمل الرناوات الدقيقة كجينات مسرطنة أو مثبطات للورم للتحكم في تطور الأورام اللمفاوية في الخلايا البائية الكبيرة. بحثت هذه الدراسة في دور الرناوات الدقيقة في مرضى سرطان الغدد الليمفاوية في الخلايا البائية الكبيرة المنتشرة باستخدام تسلسل الجيل التالي، والذي أظهر الحساسية والدقة والمتانة. طريقة البحث: شملت الدراسة 7 مرضى و3 عناصر تحكم حضروا عيادة أمراض الدم والأورام. تم استخراج الرناوات الدقيقة من عينات الأنسجة الموجودة المضمنة بالفورمالين والمضمنة بالبرافين. تم استخدام تسلسل الجيل التالي (نظام إليومينا) لتسلسل العينات لتحديد ملامح الرناوات الدقيقة. النتائج: أظهرت عينات المرضى العديد من الرناوات الدقيقة مير-هسا (1248، 3607، 21، 142، 1244، 182، 6516، 766، 1291، 4449، و181أ)، في حين أظهرت العينات من الأفراد الأصحاء مير-هسا 14248، 3607، 21، 142 و 877. من المعروف أن مير-هسا-877-3ب يستهدف جينات متعددة، وتتفاعل الرناوات الدقيقة مثل مير-هسا-877-3ب و مير-هسا-1291 و مير-هسا-181أ-5ب في الغالب مع الجينات المستهدفة. الاستنتاجات: تشير ملفات تعريف الرناوات الدقيقة من الأنسجة المنتشرة التي تحتوي على الفورمالين والثابتة والمضمنة بالبرافين لمرضى سرطان الغدد الليمفاوية في الخلايا البائية الكبيرة إلى أن مستويات الرناوات الدقيقة يمكن أن تميز مرضى سرطان الغدد الليمفاوية في الخلايا البائية الكبيرة المنتشرة عند مقارنتها بالضوابط. لذلك يمكن أن تكون بمثابة علامة حيوية تشخيصية أو تنبؤية للأورام اللمفاوية ذات الخلايا البائية الكبيرة المنتشرة. يمكن أيضا أن تكون الجينات المتغيرة و الرناوات الدقيقة أهدافا علاجية محتملة. Abstract: Background: Lymphoma ranks fifth in prevalence among common cancer types worldwide. This lymphatic system cancer arises from T or B cells. Diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) are associated with most non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) greatly affect gene expression. A single miRNA can target numerous genes, thus largely influencing gene expression networks. MiRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in controlling DLBCL progression. This study investigated the roles of miRNAs in patients with DLBCL through next-generation sequencing, which was found to be sensitive, accurate, and robust. Methods: The study involved seven patients with DLBCLs and three controls at a hematology-oncology clinic. MiRNA was extracted from existing formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens. Illumina next-generation sequencing was used to sequence samples for miRNA profiling. Results: Samples from patients showed expression of various hsa-mir miRNAs (1248, 3607, 21, 142, 1244, 182, 6516, 766, 1291, 4449, and 181a), whereas those from healthy individuals showed expression of hsa-mir 1248, 3607, 21, 142, and 877. Hsa-mir-877-3p is known to target multiple genes, and miRNAs such as hsa-mir-877-3p, hsa-mir-1291, and hsa-mir-181a-5p interact primarily with target genes. Conclusions: MiRNA profiling in FFPE tissues from patients with DLBCL suggested that miRNA levels can distinguish patients with DLBCL from controls, and therefore may provide prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers for DLBCL. Altered genes and miRNAs may also be potential therapeutic targets