Our results suggested that C1236T polymorphism in ABCB1 gene was associated with steroid resistance. A higher proportion of SR children had C1236T TT genotype and T allele, these patients may require other therapeutic strategies.
BackgroundVascular α2B-adrenoreceptors have the potential to increase blood pressure by mediating vasoconstriction. A nine-nucleotide deletion in the receptor enhances vasoconstriction and exacerbates hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine the association between insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the α2B-adrenoceptor and hypertension with and without diabetes.MethodsThe study was carried out in 35 hypertensive patients with diabetes, 35 hypertensive patients without diabetes, and 30 healthy controls. Clinical data, blood lipid profiles, and I/D polymorphism were assessed.ResultsHypertensive patients were significantly older, with significantly higher systolic/diastolic blood pressures and worse plasma lipid profiles than controls. The frequency of the DD genotype was significantly higher in both hypertensive patients with (77.14%, P < 0.01) and without (71.43%, P < 0.05) diabetes versus controls (40%). Also, the D allele was significantly more common in both hypertensive patients with (84.29%, P < 0.01) and without (80%, P < 0.05) diabetes versus controls (58.33%). Hypertensive patients were more likely to have the D allele with (3.83-fold) and without (2.85-fold) diabetes. The frequencies of the DD genotype and the D allele were not significantly (P > 0.05) different between the patient groups. The DD genotype was associated with significantly lower high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.001) and significantly higher low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.017) levels versus the II and ID genotypes in the hypertensive group without diabetes.ConclusionA marked and statistically significant association between DD genotype and D allele of I/D polymorphism in the α2B-adrenoceptor gene may be a risk factor for hypertension ± diabetes. The association between the DD genotype and dyslipidemia may partially explain its role in precipitating hypertension.
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is considered a serious highly infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, resulting in more than 6.27 million deaths worldwide. Aim of the study: The study aimed to compare clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of COVID-19 patients with complications and without complications and discriminate the important risk factors for the complications and deaths. Subjects and Methods:This cross-sectional study included 75 confirmed COVID-19 positive patients; out of which 49 were severely-ill cases. Analysis of all patients' clinical and laboratory information on admission including serum ferritin, thrombotic activity (D-dimer), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were done. Results: Lymphopenia, tachycardia, tachypnea, elevated CRP, D-dimer, serum ferritin, LDH, and decreased SpO 2 were significantly associated with complicated cases (p < .05 for all). By using multivariate logistic regression analysis models, elevated serum ferritin and tachycardia were significantly correlated with the increased odds of complicated COVID-19 cases (odds ratio [confidence interval 95%] = 10. 42 [2.32-46.89] and 8.01 [1.17-55.99]; respectively) (p = .002 and .007, respectively). Conclusion: Lymphocytopenia, D-dimer, LDH, and CRP levels, which were significantly linked to the severity of COVID-19, were the prognostic biomarkers to predict the disease severity.
In 2013, BSOM and UCM in Saudi Arabia entered a partnership, one that would transfer the medical school curriculum from BSOM to UCM. All components of the curriculum including courses, learning materials, instructional methods (peer instruction sessions (PI), team based learning sessions), and examinations were transferred. In fall 2014, UCM initiated its first class of medical students who matriculated into the first year of the BSOM curriculum at UCM. One year 1 course, Molecular Basis of Medicine (MBM) is comprised of molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolism, and human genetics. Our goal was to compare directly final grades of the UCM and BSOM Med 1 students in MBM. Analysis of the grading showed that 92.7% of BSOM students (n=111) passed the course, compared to 91.6% of UCM students (n=70). When broken down by sex, 96.7 % of UCM men (n=30) passed, while 93% of BSOM men (n=57) passed. UCM women (n=40) had 87.8 % pass rate, compared to 92.6 % for BSOM women (n=54).The final course averages were 80.5% +/− 10 for UCM and 84.4% +/− 8.4 for BSOM students, suggesting that there is a similar outcome in the two countries using the same material. Women achieved scores of 78.3% +/− 11 at UCM while at BSOM, they scored at 83.6% +/− 8.7. Men averaged 82.1% +/− 10 at UCM and 85.1% +/− 8.0 at BSOM. However, the two institutions exhibited distinctly different results on exams; UCM students achieved 76.7 %+/− 9 average on exams, while BSOM students scored 82.6% +/− 8.9. Furthermore, UCM men achieved 79.6% +/− 10, while the women scored 74.5% +/− 9 as compared to BSOM men scoring 83.3 %+/− 9 and 81.9% +/− 9 for BSOM women. UCM faculty greatly enhanced student learning by initiating innovative teaching techniques for their students. UCM faculty devised PI based reviews prior to exams, assessed each examination result, and using guidelines established by the Saudi government and Qassim University, made adjustments to exams. The analyzed data to date suggest that there is no major difference in the final student grades for the first iteration of MBM between BSOM and UCM. The only observed difference between BSOM and UCM student achievement is that UCM students are stronger in the active learning portion of MBM and weaker in the examination portion of MBM than BSOM Med 1 students. In order to address this potential problem, the UCM faculty and administration have revamped the premed curriculum at Qassim University/UCM. More data analyses on MBM at both UCM and BSOM in the coming years will provide additional and more quantitative results on this unique partnership. The BSOM‐UCM partnership is best exemplified by the MBM course, in which a team of dedicated team of faculty and administrators implemented a complete, well‐established course from a fully accredited USA medical school in a new medical school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia despite being separated by 8000 miles in distance.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most fatal malignancies worldwide and is related to many risk factors. Chronic HCV is associated with a 20-30-fold increased risk for HCC. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is overexpressed in many cancers and plays a major role in angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. Aim: We aimed to elucidate the effect of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism in patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis and HCC, and its relationship to clinical parameters. Patients and Methods: The study included 180 participants, cirrhotic (n=60), HCC (n=60) and control healthy subjects (n=60). Liver and renal function tests, alpha-fetoprotein, HCV antibodies and triphasic CT were assessed. ACE Gene polymorphism was assessed by Nested PCR. Results: We observed higher frequencies of DD (36.7%) and DI (51.7%) genotypes, along with the D allele (62.5%), in HCC patients compared to those of cirrhotic cases (10%, 40% and 30%, respectively) and control subjects (6.7%, 38.3%, and 25.8%, respectively). DD and DI genotypes increased the risk and predicted the occurrence of HCC by OR 25.932 and OR 6.354, respectively. The D allele conveys significant risk for HCC compared to control and cirrhotic groups with OR 4.785 and OR 3.889, respectively. Both DD genotype and D allele are significantly correlated with larger tumor size and metastasis. Conclusion: The ACE I/D polymorphism (DD genotype and D allele) is significantly associated with HCC risk in HCV patients and is correlated with increased tumor growth and advanced stage.
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