Epidemiological screening and serotyping analysis of dengue fever in the Southwestern region of Saudi Arabia.

Dengue is an acute systemic viral disease that has been developed globally in both chronic and epidemic transmission periods. Dengue virus (DENV) is a member of the Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family, which endangers public health. Limited studies have been performed in the Saudi Arabia and there are no epidemiological as well as molecular screening of DENV in the Southwestern region and this current study was conducted on the epidemiology of dengue in the Southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, we have screened the 100 patients for DENV using the real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The current study results confirmed that 6637 people from various hospitals and locations in Jazan, Southwestern regions, were enrolled in this study from 2012 to 2020. The overall mean age was 30.02 ±â€¯18.01 years, with 62.8% of males and 37.2% of females enrolled. This study included nearly three-fourths of the Saudi participants and one-fourth of the expatriates, and 56.6% of the positive cases were enrolled. In 2019, the most instances were enrolled, with 44% of positive cases. When screened using the RT-PCR assay, 93% of the positive patients were recruited, according to the quality control analysis. In conclusion, the current study results confirmed the prevalence of DENV was increased drastically since 2012 to 2020. High number of cases were registered prior to the Pandemic. The screening for DENV was performed with RT-PCR assay and NSI antigen should also be implemented to cross-check the results which was previously performed with RT-PCR analysis.

Epidemiology screening and genotyping analysis for Hepatitis B virus in Southwestern region of Saudi Arabia.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a global human pathogen that can cause life-threatening liver disease including persistent hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular cancer. The aim of this present study was to investigate the infection of HBV epidemiology and also examine the HBsAg genotype distribution in the southwestern region of Jizan city in the Saudi Arabia. Since 2015-2018, epidemiological study has been conducted within the city premises of Jazan region. HBsAg genotyping with the molecular biology grade techniques was performed in 50 subjects. In this study, 1888 subjects in the Jazan city of the Southwestern region were diagnosed as positive for HBV. The mean age of the participants was found to be 44.5 ± 16.9 years. Over 68% of males and 31% of females participated in this epidemiological study. Approximately, 88% of Saudi nationalities were recruited with 12% involving non-Saudi subjects Genotyping analysis confirmed that 90% of subjects confirmed genotype-D and 10% confirmed genotypes A, H and E. Anova analysis could find no significant association between the genotype analysis and the clinical data (p > 0.05). The prevalence of HBV in the Jazan region was found to be high based on the clinical data from epidemiological studies conducted in the Southwestern region. Since 2015-2018, a total of 1888 samples have been found to be positive at Jazan premises. The HBsAg genotyping studies confirm in this study 90% of the genotyping-D was documented.

L-asparaginase produced from soil isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows potent anti-cancer activity on HeLa cells.

Among cancers, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) occurs in the children <15 years of age. L-asparaginase is an important therapeutic enzyme used for treating ALL. Owing to its therapeutic use and demand, microorganisms have been in use for many years to produce L-asparaginase on an industrial scale. Gram-negative bacteria (Serratia, Erwinia and Escherichia coli) species were used in L-asparaginase. However, earlier studies have documented that the long-term use of enzymes produced from these commercial strains induces hypersensitivity in patients. Therefore, there is a need to discover novel microbial strains producing L-asparaginase with anti-cancer properties, which can be employed for the commercial production of the enzyme. In this study, three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (accession numbers LC425424 (P31), LC425425 (P32), and LC425426 (P34)) isolated from garden soil were screened for the invention of L-asparaginase. Fermented production media was dialyzed to attain the purified enzyme, thus showed a dose-depended cytotoxic effect on HeLa cells, as determined by MTT assay. The IC50s of the different isolates were 86.73, 57.65, and 40.34 µg/mL. These results indicate that pseudomonal L-asparaginase may be used for cancer treatment.

Correlation between Resistin, Tuberculosis and Khat Addiction: A Study from South Western Province of Saudi Arabia.

Tuberculosis(TB) is a disease of global significance, which accounts for a death in every 15 seconds. Recent studies shows TB is rising in certain parts of the world, and Saudi Arabia is one of them. Several factor contribute in predisposing the subjects for infection including but not limited to addiction to various compounds which have immune modulation properties, such as amphetamines and Heroin etc. Khat a plant whose leaves are chewed for its euphoric effect in east Africa and Arabian Peninsula including Saudi Arabia, is considered as mildly addictive, and its principle compound, Cathinone shares structural and functional similarity with amphetamine a known immunomodulator. Tuberculosis being a disease of immune modulation has a varied spectrum of complex interplay of proinflammatory molecules, resistin is one of them. In the present study, we try to explore the trinity of khat addiction, serum resistin level and tuberculosis by correlating the serum resistin level in non khat addicted healthy subjects, khat addicted healthy subjects, and in patients, both khat addicted and non khat addicted, with active tuberculosis. We observed significantly higher resistin level among the apparently healthy khat addicted subjects as compared to non addicted healthy controls. Thereafter, when we compare the resistin levels between khat addicted and non khat addicted TB patients we did not found significant difference between the two groups. However bacillary load was observe to be significantly higher among the khat addicted TB patient as compare to non addicted one. Validation of above results in animal model revealed dose dependant increase in bacillary growth in the Wistar rats treated with khat. Taken together these results suggest the role of khat in immune modulation albeit in the limited frame of resistin level.

Epidemiology and pattern of antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori: scenario from Saudi Arabia.

Helicobacter pylori is recognized as a major cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoma. Infection with this gram-negative microaerophile has been treated using combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors for different gastrointestinal diseases. The most commonly used treatment is triple therapy which consists of administration of a proton pump inhibitor, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin. Many factors contribute to treatment failure, but one of the main reasons is development of bacterial antibiotic resistance. The percent prevalence of antibiotic resistance varies among different countries; it appears to be partly determined by the geographic factors and its ability to undergo frequent homologous recombination. The aim of this paper is to review the prevalence of H. pylori infection, association of clinical outcomes with H. pylori genotypes, and current status of antibiotic resistance in H. pylori in Saudi Arabia. It also discusses the different alternative approaches for the treatment of H. pylori using antibiotics. In addition, association of antibiotic resistance with H. pylori virulent genotypes in Saudi population and its underlying resistance mechanism will also be discussed.