COVID-19 Vaccine Impacts in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and purpose Vaccinations provide disease protection through a variety of mechanisms; however, vaccines can occasionally cause adverse effects. Therefore, the objective of this investigation was to assess the short- and long-term adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccinations in Saudi Arabia. Methods In Saudi Arabia, between October 2021 and October 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted. A validated Arabic and English dual-language online questionnaire were utilized to collect data. Results This investigation included 492 participants who were all immunized against the COVID-19 virus. There were 152 (30.9%) male participants and 340 (69.1%) female participants, with a mean age of 35±10.7 years. About 72.2% of study participants received three doses of vaccine, with 75.6% receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 22.2% receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and 2.2% receiving the Moderna vaccine. Fever was observed in 66.3% (326/492) of the participants following vaccination, headache in 57.3% (282/492) of the participants, fatigue in 54.7% (269/492) of the participants, and influenza-like symptoms in 51% (251/492) of the participants. Younger participants (18-29 years old) exhibited influenza-like symptoms and fever after vaccination in comparison to older participants (P=0.03, P=0.02, respectively). In contrast, older participants reported more immobilization of the hands or legs, difficulty breathing, and chest pain than younger participants (P=0.04, P=0.02, and P=0.03, respectively). There was a significant correlation between gender and injection-site pain, headache, lethargy or convulsions, and flu-like symptoms. In addition, the participants' clinical history of chronic diseases was significantly associated with the occurrence of post-vaccination adverse effects. Conclusion The majority of the documented adverse reactions are of a temporary and minimal nature. Additional research is required to assess the enduring adverse reactions and efficacy of the vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 reoccurrence.

Zinc Modulates the Priming of T Helper 1, T Helper 17, and T Regulatory Cells in Allogeneic and Autologous in vitro Models.

Introduction: Zinc is essential for the growth and differentiation of immune cells. Zinc insufficiency affects immune system function, thereby increasing infection susceptibility, autoimmunity, and allergies. Here, we aimed to determine the effects of zinc supplementation on T cell subpopulations, regulatory T (Tregs), T helper 1 (Th1), and T helper 17 (Th17) cells, in mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC). Methods: Allogeneic immune reactions were imitative using mixed lymphocyte cultures, followed by incubation with zinc to further monitor their effects. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Production of Interferon-gamma (IFNγ), Interleukin-17 A (IL17A), and IL10 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Th1 cell-specific Tbet, Th17 cell-specific RORC2, and Tregs-specific Foxp3 expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Zinc supplementation at a physiological dose significantly increased CD4+ Foxp3+ Tregs and CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs numbers and slightly decreased CD4+ RORC2+ and CD25+ RORC2+ Th17 cell numbers. A significant reduction in IFNγ production was observed in both restimulated T cells with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and allogeneic PBMC compared to that in untreated T cells. Zinc significantly reduced IL17 expression, but the increase in IL10 expression was insignificant. In zinc-supplemented MLC, a non-significant decrease in Th1 or Th17 cell-specific transcription factors expression was observed, whereas there was a significant increase in Tregs-specific transcription factor expression. Conclusion: Zinc can stabilize Tregs participating in adverse immune reactions or in an in vitro transplantation model.

Prevalence of Food Allergy and Common Food Allergen Among Saudi Adults in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: The prevalence of food allergy (FA) in the Makkah region has received little attention, so we conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of FA in adults. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted online among 531 participants with or without a prior diagnosis of FA. The collected data related to socio-demographics (age and gender), whether the participant had been medically diagnosed with any food allergens, and assessing the prevalence of different food allergens. Results: Only 93 (17.5%) of the 531 people screened positive for FA; females (65.6%) predominated, with 37.6% aged 40-59. The type of food for allergy was: eggs (47%), seafood (44%), fruits (40%), nuts and legumes (37%), milk and dairy products (25%), vegetables (17%), sesame (11%), wheat (9%), soy (8%), 2% to chili peppers, and only 1% honey and chocolate. Conclusion: Both genders were allergic to eggs, followed by seafood, fruits, nuts, and legumes, and milk and dairy products, respectively.