Cardiovascular Risk and Neurocognitive Assessment in Young Adults and Their Relationship to Body Adiposity.

BACKGROUND We assessed body composition, adiposity, cardiovascular risk, and cognitive functions in healthy young adult females and investigated the possible correlation between neurocognitive decline, adiposity, and cardiovascular risk markers. MATERIAL AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 healthy, young adult, Saudi women (age 19-23 years). Subjects were classified into group (A) with 19 non-obese subjects and negative family history (FH) of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), group (B) with 38 non-obese subjects with a positive FH of CVD, and group (C) with 18 obese subjects with positive FH of CVD. Body composition was analyzed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB). The blood samples were tested for lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and high-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP). RESULTS There was significantly prolonged Attention-Switching Task (AST) latency in obese subjects with negative family history of CVD (p=0.014) and those with positive family history of CVD (p=0.026) compared to controls, but the difference in AST Percent Correct Trials, Intra-Extra Dimensional Set Shift (IED) Total Errors, and Simple Reaction Time (SRT) was not significant. Simple response time had a weak but significant inverse correlation with BMI (r=-0.227, p<0.05). BMI was correlated positively with Lp(a) and hs-CRP, while BF% was correlated with hs-CRP only. No correlation was observed between the CANTAB tests, Lp(a), and hs-CRP. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular risk increases with higher adiposity and the presence of a positive family history of cardiovascular disease. Neurocognitive function may decline with higher adiposity; however, no relationship was observed between neurocognitive functions and cardiovascular risk markers.

Epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs: risk factors for atherosclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a chronic disease that affects metabolism either alone or through the antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. A risk of atherosclerosis has been found in epileptic patients. AIM: Prove the potential role of epilepsy and/or its treatment as atherosclerotic risk factors. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Forty Egyptian patients with primary idiopathic epilepsy were compared to 20 healthy controls. B-mode ultrasound examination of the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT), measurement of serum lipid profile, fibrinogen and high sensitive C-reactive protein were performed to both groups. RESULTS: Patients had significantly increased right and left CCA IMT (p < 0.05); elevated levels of HDL (p < 0.01) and hs-CRP (p = 0.009) in comparison to control subjects. Positive correlation was found between IMT and hs-CRP (p < 0.05) as well as fibrinogen level (p < 0.05). Carbamazepine level was positively correlated to triglycerides (r = 0.748, p = 0.013) and Valproate level was positively correlated to hs-CRP serum level (r = 0.556, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Epilepsy and AED's are potential risk factors for atherosclerosis. Weak relation between epilepsy and/or AED's and lipid profile was found. Hs-CRP may be implicated in atherosclerosis in epileptic patients.

Influence of the industrial pollutant on water quality, radioactivity levels, and biological communities in Ismailia Canal, Nile River, Egypt.

In the twenty-first century, numerous forms of pollution have adversely impacted freshwater and the entire aquatic ecosystem. The higher population density in urban areas also contributes to increased releases of substances and thermal contaminants, significantly stressing the ecosystem of industrial companies. This study aimed to assess the potential pressure of industrial and municipal activities on water quality, radioactivity levels, and biological diversity, focusing on the consequences of radionuclides on periphytic diatom communities. Furthermore, the environmental impact of pollutants will be evaluated to monitor the ecological condition of the Ismailia Canal. Chemical analyses employed various instruments and methods to identify and quantify matter, with radionuclide elements measured by gamma spectrometry and diatoms counted and identified by inverted microscopy. Our results revealed that the canal was classified as excellent for irrigation, aquatic life, and drinking water based on FAO, CCME, and EWQS water quality indices, with high nutrient levels at Abu Za'baal fertilizer company. The activity concentration of 226Ra-series, 232Th-series, and 40K in the water and sediment samples for two seasons was within the guideline values, except for a few stations in the zone [B] (the industrial zone). Fertilizer samples (raw material) showed a high value of the 226Ra-series activity. Diatom community structure significantly varied across the different canal locations regarding the presence or absence of industrial activities, with no discernible variations between the study seasons. A specific variety of algal species was found to be predominant at the highest radioactive sites. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed a significant correlation between parameters (pH, Na, TDS, PO4, SO4, SiO2, K, and CO3), radionuclides, environmental conditions, and the composition of the diatom community, especially in the area affected by industrial discharges. Moreover, the radiological hazard index in water and sediment remained below the maximum for two seasons. This research provides valuable data and information for communities and decision-makers, suggesting the strategic use of phycoremediation as a water biotreatment process to protect the valuable economic resources of the Ismailia Canal.

Genetic background of primary and familial HLH in Qatar: registry data and population study.

Background: Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHLH) is an inherited life-threatening disease. Five types are identified, with the addition of congenital immunodeficiency syndromes in which HLH is a typical manifestation. The literature on this disease is very scarce in the Middle East, with only a few scattered reports. Methods: We report detailed demographic, clinical, and genomic data from 28 patients diagnosed with primary and familial HLH over the last decade in Qatar. An evaluation was performed of allele frequencies of deleterious variants from 12 primary and familial HLH causative genes on the Qatar Genome Programme (QGP) cohort of 14,669 Qatari individuals. Results: The genetic diagnosis was obtained in 15 patients, and four novel mutations in Perforin 1 (PRF1), UNC13D, LYST, and RAB27A genes were found. We identified 22,945 low/high/moderate/modifier impact variants significantly enriched in the QGP in those 12 genes. The variants rs1271079313 in PRF1 and rs753966933 in RAB27A found in our patient cohort were significantly more prevalent in the QGP compared to the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) database, with a high carrier frequency in the Qatari population. Conclusions: We established the first primary and familial HLH Registry in the Gulf Region and identified novel possibly pathogenic variants present at higher frequency in the Qatari population, which could be used for screening purposes. Raising awareness about primary and familial HLH and implementing screening activities in the Qatari highly inbred population could stem into more comprehensive premarital and prenatal evaluations and faster diagnosis.

Cross-Talk between Sirtuin 1 and the Proinflammatory Mediator High-Mobility Group Box-1 in the Regulation of Blood-Retinal Barrier Breakdown in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) mediates inflammation and breakdown of blood-retinal barrier (BRB) in diabetic retina. Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) has protective effects against inflammation and oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between HMGB1 and SIRT1 in regulating BRB breakdown in diabetic retina. Methods: BRB breakdown was assessed in vivo with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran. Vitreous samples from 47 proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and 19 nondiabetic patients, and epiretinal membranes from 13 patients with PDR were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry. Retinas from 4-week diabetic rats and from normal rats intravitreally injected with HMGB1 were studied by spectrophotometric assay, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR. We also studied the effect of the HMGB1 inhibitor glycyrrhizin and the SIRT1 activator resveratrol on diabetes-induced biochemical changes in the retina. Results: HMGB1 levels in vitreous samples from PDR patients were significantly higher than in nondiabetic controls, whereas SIRT1 levels were significantly lower in vitreous samples from patients with inactive PDR than those in patients with active PDR and nondiabetic controls. In epiretinal membranes, SIRT1 was expressed in vascular endothelial cells and stromal cells. Diabetes and intravitreal injection of HMGB1 in normal rats downregulated SIRT1expression, whereas glycyrrhizin and resveratrol normalized diabetes-induced downregulation of SIRT1. Resveratrol significantly attenuated diabetes-induced downregulation of occludin and upregulation of HMGB1 and receptor for advanced glycation end products in the retina and breakdown of BRB. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a functional link between SIRT1 and HMGB1 is involved in regulating of BRB breakdown in diabetic retina.

Influence of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms on Response to Pegylated Interferon in Chronic Hepatitis B Egyptian Patients.

BACKGROUND: We explored the effect of vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) polymorphisms in response to PEG-IFN treatment in Egyptian chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. METHODS: Two hundred hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients (42.3±10.7 years) on PEG-IFN α-2a (180 µg /kg for 48 weeks) and one hundred control subjects (37.3 ±12 years) were enrolled in the study. Vitamin D levels and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expression were assessed by ELISA. VDR polymorphisms FokI T>C (rs 10735810), BsmI A>G (rs 1544410), ApaI (rs7975253), and TaqI C>T (rs 731236), were genotyped using real-time PCR. RESULTS: Hepatitis B virus patients expressed significantly greater AST (p=< 0.00001) and ALT (P=< 0.00001), and significantly less vitamin D (P=0.01), than control subjects. Patients with Ff or ff alleles of the FokI single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), bb alleles of BsmI SNP, or TT alleles of the Taq1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) showed greater response to PEG-IFN therapy than those with the FF (P=0.02 and P=0.0002), Bb (P=0.023), or Tt/tt alleles (P=0.01 and P=0.004 respectively). Logistic stepwise regression showed that HBV DNA (r: 0.910, P< .00001), FokI SNP polymorphism (r: 0.919, (P=0.037) and bAt haplotype (r: .926, (P=0.043) are independent factors that determine PEG-IFN treatment response in the HBV-infected patients. CONCLUSION: VDR gene polymorphisms may be used as treatment response predictors in HBV patients receiving PEG-IFN. FokI SNP and bAt haplotype are independent factors that that can be used to determine PEG-IFN treatment responses in HBV-infected patients.