Birth prevalence of non-syndromic orofacial clefts in Saudi Arabia and the effects of parental consanguinity

Objectives: To describe the characteristics and prevalence of non-syndromic orofacial clefting (NSOFC) and assess the effects of parental consanguinity on NSOFC phenotypes in the 3 main cities of Saudi Arabia. Methods: All infants (114,035) born at 3 referral centers in Riyadh, and 6 hospitals in Jeddah and Madinah between January 2010 and December 2011 were screened. The NSOFC cases (n=133) were identified and data was collected through clinical examination and records, and information on consanguinity through parent interviews. The diagnosis was confirmed by reviewing medical records and contacting the infants’ pediatricians. Control infants (n=233) matched for gender and born in the same hospitals during the same period, were selected. Results: The prevalence of NSOFC was 1.07/1000 births in Riyadh, and 1.17/1000 births overall; cleft lip (CL) was 0.47/1000 births, cleft lip and palate (CLP) was 0.42/1000 births, and cleft palate (CP) was 0.28/1000 births. Cleft palate was significantly associated with consanguinity (p=0.047, odds ratio: 2.5, 95% confidence interval: 1 to 6.46), particularly for first cousin marriages. Conclusion: The birth prevalence of NSOFC in Riyadh alone, and in the 3 main cities of Saudi Arabia were marginally lower than the mean global prevalence. While birth prevalence for CLP was comparable to global figures, the CL:CLP ratio was high, and only CP was significantly associated with consanguinity

Polymorphisms in NOS3, ACE and PAI-1 genes and risk of spontaneous recurrent miscarriage in the Gaza Strip

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between spontaneous recurrent miscarriage (RM) and common polymorphisms in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and endothelium-derived nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) genes among women experiencing RM in the Gaza Strip. Methods: The presence of these genetic profiles was determined for 100 women who had had at least 3 constitutive abortions and 100 controls without any history of abortion using molecular biological techniques. Results: The ACE D/D polymorphism was present in 49% of the study population and in 54% of the controls (p= 0.479). Similarly, there was no significant difference detected in the distribution of polymorphisms for PAI-1, with the 4G/4G genotype present in the study group and in controls (p= 1.00). NOS3 4a/4a was present in 4% of the study group and in none of the

Enhancing Oral Health via the Sense of Coherence Approach Among Adult Patients at University Dental Hospital

Muhammad Ashraf Nazir,1 Salman Alghamdi,2 Mohammed Sallout,2 Salman Bubshait,2 Amal Asiri3 1Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 2College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Dental Education, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Muhammad Ashraf Nazir, Email [email protected]: The purpose of the study was to assess the sense of coherence and its relationship with oral health and other study variables among adult patients at university dental hospital.Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included adult patients visiting the Dental Hospital of the College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam. Sense of coherence was determined by Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13), which consists of 13 items on a 7-point Likert. DMFT index, plaque index, gingival index, and simplified oral hygiene index were used to evaluate the oral health of study participants. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed, and 0.05 level of significance was used in the study.Results: The study included the data of 558 participants with a mean age of 32.19± 10.11 years. The mean score of SOC was 52.77± 13.11, which was significantly higher in high-income participants (P < 0.001), participants without a medical condition (P=0.021), non-smokers (P < 0.001), and those who visited the dentist in less than one year (P=0.028). Bivariate analysis showed statistically significant negative correlations between SOC and DMFT index (P=0.002), SOC and plaque index (P < 0.001), SOC and gingival index (P=0.002), and SOC and simplified oral hygiene index (P=0.001). Multivariable analysis also showed that SOC was significantly correlated with DMFT index (P=0.001), plaque index (P < 0.001), gingival index (P < 0.001), and oral hygiene index (P=0.004) after controlling for age, gender, education, and monthly income.Conclusion: This study found that high-income and healthy participants, non-smokers, and those who visited the dental office during the last one year demonstrated significantly higher SOC. In addition, there was a statistically significant correlation between SOC and oral health. These study findings highlight the importance of raising awareness about SOC to improve oral health outcomes in adult patients.Keywords: sense of coherence, oral health, dental visits, smokin

Outcomes of Isolated Antenatal Hydronephrosis at First Year of Life

Objectives: To compare the grade of hydronephrosis between the antenatal and first postnatal ultrasound (US) and their clinical outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study included all cases of isolated hydronephrosis detected by antenatal US from August 2005 to February 2011. Hydronephrosis was classified based on the standard criteria into mild, moderate, or severe. Cases associated with other major congenital anomalies were excluded. All patients were followed-up postnatally and outcomes available were analyzed at one year of age. Results: A total of 105 cases were included out of which 83 (79.0%) were males and 22 (20.9%) were females with a median gestational age of 38 weeks. First postnatal US of 105 cases showed that 20 (19.0%) were free of hydronephrosis, 39 (37.1%) had mild, 29 (27.6%) moderate, and 17 (16.1%) had severe hydronephrosis. Half (50.4%) of hydronephrosis cases improved in their clinical presentation while 13.3% showed deterioration and 36.3% remained the same. Almost half of all cases (52 cases) were diagnosed by US at the end of first year without any effect on renal function. Conclusions: Antenatal and postnatal US are sensitive tools for detecting hydronephrosis as well as for postnatal counseling. Fetal anatomy US is usually done at 18 weeks gestation and if this reveals any evidence of hydronephrosis, the patient is followed according to the severity. Postnatal US is not done routinely for cases where hydronephrosis resolves completely during pregnancy. Although newborns with antenatal hydronephrosis due to secondary causes are at greater risk for renal impairment, surgical intervention reserves renal function