Misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccine among adults in Saudi Arabia and their associated factors: A cross-sectional study conducted in 2021.

Background: It is of utmost importance for the elements that influence public compliance with vaccination against COVID-19 to be assessed, including misconceptions, rumors, and conspiracy theories. Hence, in this study, we aimed to estimate the distribution of the most common misconceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccines and their predictors in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We distributed an online questionnaire to participants aged 18 years or older. The survey included two sections. The first section comprised questions related to participants' demographic characteristics, level of education, and their sources of information about COVID-19. The second section assessed participants' perceptions regarding 11 of the most common misconceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccines, rated using a 5-point Likert scale. Using ordinal logistic regression, we conducted an evaluation of the relationships among different predictors including age, sex, educational level, and sources of information, as well as acceptance of misconceptions about vaccination. Results: The most widely accepted misconception was that the COVID-19 vaccine had severe side effects, with 34.8% of participants believing this misinformation. Factors that were significantly associated with acceptance or non- acceptance of misconceptions were: 1) sex, with female respondents in this survey accepting rumors significantly more often than male respondents (p<0.001); 2) educational level, especially secondary school, was associated with a significantly lower acceptance of misconceptions (p=0.001). In total, 60.5% of participants used social media as their primary source of information, which was also a significant positive predictor of acceptance of misconceptions (p=0.034). Conclusion: It is of critical importance to increase assurance regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, the issue most likely to involve misconceptions, and to address the elements that affect belief in rumors among the population.

Iron Chelation Reduces DNA Damage in Sickle Cell Anemia.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a blood condition that causes severe pain. One of the therapeutic agents used for the treatment of SCA is hydroxyurea, which reduces the episodes of pain but causes DNA damage to white blood cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of hydroxyurea and iron chelation therapy in relation to the extent of DNA-associated damage. Blood samples were collected from 120 subjects from five groups. Various hematological parameters of the obtained serum were analyzed. The amount of damage caused to their DNA was detected using the comet assay and fluorescent microscopy techniques. The percentage of DNA damage in the group that was subjected to the combination therapy (target group) was 1.32% ± 1.51%, which was significantly lower (P < .05) than that observed in the group treated with hydroxyurea alone (6.36% ± 2.36%). While the target group showed comparable levels of hemoglobin F and lactate dehydrogenase compared to the group that was treated with hydroxyurea alone, highly significant levels of transferrin receptors and ferritin were observed in the target group. The results of this study revealed that the administration of iron chelation drugs with hydroxyurea may help improve patients' health and prevent the DNA damage caused to white blood cells due to hydroxyurea. Further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms that are involved in this process.

Reverse transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)-based diagnosis: A potential alternative to quantitative real-time PCR based detection of the novel SARS-COV-2 virus.

The sudden outbreak of the novel Coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) resulted in significant challenges to global health systems. One of the primary challenges is rapid, reliable, and accurate detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) virus among the suspected COVID-19-infected individuals. At present, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a widely used diagnostic method. However, it requires expensive instruments and expertise in the interpretation of results. These constraints reflect the significant need for the development of alternative diagnostic options. This study will validate the use and efficiency of the reverse transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay as a potential alternative for the detection of COVID-19. For this purpose, a cohort of 297 suspected COVID-19 patients was tested using both the RT-LAMP assay and the conventional RT-PCR method. For the RT-LAMP assay, three genes (orf-1ab, N, and S) were identified as the target sites for the detection of COVID-19. Based on a comparative assessment, 117 out of 124 positive COVID-19 cases were observed using the RT-LAMP technique with an overall 91.45% sensitivity. Interestingly, where a consensus on 163 individuals free of SARS-Cov-2 was observed, RT-LAMP specificity was 90%. Based on these findings, the robustness of the technique, and the reduced dependency on expensive instrumentation, RT-LAMP-based COVID-19 detection is strongly recommended as a potential alternative assay.

A Novel Nanoformulation of Ellagic Acid is Promising in Restoring Oxidative Homeostasis in Rat Brains with Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Aluminum toxicity induces neurodegenerative changes in the brain and results in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: Here, the aim was to evaluate the antioxidant therapeutic effects of ellagic acid (EA) and EA-loaded nanoparticles (EA-NP) in an aluminum chloride-induced AD rat model. METHODS: The nanoparticles' loading of EA was 0.84/1 w/w. The in vitro release kinetics of EA from EA-NP in fetal bovine serum showed 60% release in the first 1-5 hours, followed by sustained release at 60-70% over 6-24 hours. Six groups were implemented; group 1 served as the control, group 2 received EA, group 3 received EA-NP, group 4 was the AD rat model administered AlCl3 (50 mg/kg) for 4 weeks, groups 5 (AD+EA) and 6 (AD+EA-NP) were treated with EA and EA-NP, respectively, for 2 weeks after AlCl3 was stopped. The neurotoxicity in the rat brain was examined by measuring the brain antioxidant biomarkers catalase, glutathione, and total antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid, TBA). Histopathological studies using hematoxylin and eosin, cresyl violet, silver stains, and the novel object recognition test were examined. RESULTS: Data revealed significant increase of antioxidant biomarkers and decreased TBA in the EA-NP group. The pathological hallmarks of AD-vacuolation of the neurons, chromatolysis, neurofibrillary tangles, and the senile plaques in brains of the AD rat model were decreased and restoration of Nissl granules was noted. The calculated discrimination index in the behavioral test increased more in cases treated with EA-NP. CONCLUSION: The treatment of AD with EA-NP was more effective than EA in alleviating the oxidative neurotoxic effects on AD rat brains.

Oral Contraceptive Types in Relation to ABO Blood Groups Among Saudi Women of Different Reproductive Age Groups and Impact on Venous Thromboembolism.

Saudi women have recently started using oral contraceptives (OCs), which has led to risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The risk varies with the type of OC generations used, and with OC use the risk for VTE increases by 2- to 6-fold. This study evaluated the effect of OC types in relation to ABO blood group on the risk of VTE among Saudi women. Thrombin generation (TG) was measured in the plasma of the women in the presence and absence of platelet rich plasma, platelet poor plasma and thrombomodulin or activated protein C. OC usage increased TG parameters ETP and Peak height by 9.81% and 16.04%, respectively. An increased risk of VTE was seen among women on third generation OCs as compared to those on second generation products. Within OC generations, we found that for women using fourth generation OCs, their ETP increased by 36.18% as compared to those using second generation and by 6.07% in those using third generation compared to those using second generation. There was significant difference with respect to ABO blood groups and OC generation types, but larger sample size is required. Women who are 40 years and older and using third generation OC had a higher risk of having thrombosis (11.84%), as compared to those using second generation OC (8.79%) and to those using fourth generation OC (5.03%). An association between different OC groups and non-O blood group in thrombosis generation was noted. TG parameters were significantly increased in relation to BMI when comparing to OC users versus non-users. In addition, inhibition of TG parameters in the presence of recombinant human thrombomodulin (TM) and activated protein C (APC) were significantly increased.

Impact of smoking cessation, coffee and bread consumption on the intestinal microbial composition among Saudis: A cross-sectional study.

The gut microbiota is often affected by the dietary and lifestyle habits of the host, resulting in a better efficacy that favors energy harvesting from the consumed food. Our objective was to characterize the composition of gut microbiota in adult Saudis and investigate possible association with lifestyle and dietary practices. Feces from 104 Saudi volunteers (48% males) were tested for microbiota by sequencing the V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). For all participants, data were collected related to their lifestyle habits and dietary practices. The relative abundance (RA) of Fusobacteria was significantly higher in normal weight Saudis (P = 0.005, false discovery rate-FDR = 0.014). Individuals who consumed more coffee presented marginally significant more RA of Fusobacteria (P = 0.02, FDR = 0.20) in their gut microbiota compared to those reporting low or no coffee intake, but the RA of Fusobacteria was significantly higher in smokers compared to non-smokers (P = 0.009, FDR = 0.027). The RA of Fusobacteria was also significantly higher in those reporting daily consumption of bread (P = 0.005, FDR = 0.015). At the species level, the gut microbiota of people who consumed coffee was dominated by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron followed by Phascolarctobacterium faecium and Eubacterium rectale. Similarly, the gut microbiota of smokers was also enriched by B. thetaiotaomicron and Lactobacillus amylovorus. Smoking cessation, bread and coffee consumption induce changes in the intestinal microbial composition of Saudis. This indicates the significance of diet and lifestyle practices in the determination of the composition of the gut microbiota, which could possibly lead later to changes in metabolic profile and weight.

Chemokines and their association with body mass index among healthy Saudis.

Obesity is a chronic disorder that is associated with body mass index (BMI) of greater or equal to 30 kg/m2. The prevalence of obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is increasing at an alarming rate and is expected to reach 41% in men and up to 78% in women by 2022. Since chemokines are associated with involuntary weight loss, the objective of this study was to elucidate their association with BMI among Saudis. A questionnaire was used to collect information about diet, health conditions, and demographics from 15 men and 16 women who participated in the study. BMI was calculated based on clinical measurements and participants were classified according to their BMI category as: normal, underweight, overweight, or obese. Serum samples were collected for a multiplex assay using the Human Chemokine Magnetic 30-plex panel. The serum concentration of either the monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG) or the CXC-motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL-9) was significantly increased in obese men (P = 0.0194) and women (P = 0.043) as compared to underweight men and women, respectively. However, the serum levels of other chemokines were not significantly different among the groups. We found that MIG levels are differentially regulated in serum, based on individuals' BMI.

The Association Between Prediabetes and Dyslipidemia Among Attendants of Primary Care Health Centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Early detection and treatment of dysglycemia including diabetes and prediabetes is demonstrated to improve disease outcomes and prevent complications. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of prediabetes with lipid metabolism disorders to clarify whether systematic screening for prediabetes should be proposed for individuals with dyslipidemia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design, employing a stratified two-stage cluster sampling method recruited non-diabetic adults (age ≥18 years) from attendees of Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in Jeddah. Anthropomorphic measurements, demographic and clinical information were taken, and blood pressure was measured. Fasting blood sample was obtained for the measurement of plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), and lipid profile. Plasma glucose was estimated 1 hr after the ingestion of 50 g glucose (1h-OGTT). Prediabetes and dyslipidemia were defined according to international guidelines. Demographic and clinical factors of subjects with prediabetes, and those with normoglycemia were compared. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 613 individuals were included with a mean age (±SD) of 32±11.8years, and 54.8% being female. Prediabetes was detected in 28.7%, and dyslipidemia in 54.2% of participants. After adjusting for age, an association was found for high low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and prediabetes based on any definition. After adjustment for body mass index (BMI), the association was retained for any type of dyslipidemia and in particular high LDL-C. After adjusting for both age and BMI, a significant association was found only between high LDL-C and prediabetes based on any definition (OR, 95% CI=1.50,1.02-2.19, P= 0.037). CONCLUSION: Even though high LDL-C is associated with an increased probability of prediabetes, a recommendation for universal screening of dyslipidemic patients requires further cohort studies.