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Biomedical subjects

Q al-Saleh

Publications and source records attributed to Q al-Saleh.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

beta-Thalassaemia major in Kuwait.

A combined retrospective and prospective study of 129 beta-thalassaemia major patients seen between 1965 and 1995 in Sabah Hospital, Kuwait has been carried out. The age range at diagnosis was 2 to 84 months, median 9 months. In approximately 80 per cent, the patients were outcomes of first- or second-cousin marriages. Nine (7 per cent) of the patients were HBsAg positive, while 42 (33 per cent) were hepatitis C seropositive. Eleven (9 per cent) patients had had bone marrow transplantation (BMT). There was no BMT-related mortality, but there were three graft rejections and two cases of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

Peripheral T-cell activation in non-segmental vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a hypopigmentary dermatosis of probable autoimmune origin. Previously reported aberrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), especially T cells and T cell subsets, have been inconsistent. Lymphocyte subpopulations were examined using flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies against CD4, CD8, CD20, CD25, CD45RA, and HLA-DR in 34 patients with non-segmental vitiligo. Twelve patients had not received any previous treatment and 22 had previously received at least one course of PUVA therapy that was discontinued at least four months prior to our study. Compared to matched controls, we found significant increases in CD25 and HLA-DR in vitiligo patients (p = 0.000). An inverse correlation was observed between HLA-DR and patient status with regard to treatment (p = 0.001). These results suggest a role for T cells in the pathogenesis of vitiligo and imply that previous PUVA therapy may be reflected by an alteration in circulating DR +ve cells.

Adult↗

Right upper limb bud triplication and polythelia, left sided hemihypertrophy and congenital hip dislocation, facial dysmorphism, congenital heart disease, and scoliosis: disorganisation-like spectrum or patterning gene defect?

A Somali female baby with right upper limb triplication, polythelia, left sided hemihypertrophy, congenital hip dislocation, facial dysmorphism, congenital heart disease, and scoliosis is described. It seems that the above described pattern of anomalies has not been reported before. The possible developmental genetic mechanism responsible for this phenotype is briefly discussed.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Clinical report of Blastocystis hominis infection in children.

During a 9-month hospital-based survey, the intestinal parasite Blastocystis hominis was detected in high numbers (five or more organisms per oil immersion field) in faecal specimens from 39 (2%) of 1960 children under 13 years old. Abdominal pain or discomfort with or without diarrhoea was present in 32 children categorized as acute (14), subacute (7) or chronic (11) cases with respective mean ages of 6.4, 7.3 and 8.7 years. They included three with other enteropathogens (Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium sp. or Hymenolepis nana). The remaining seven children had no gastrointestinal symptoms. The 14 acute cases (symptoms duration 1-11 days) were characterized by cramp-like abdominal pain, watery diarrhoea and vomiting. The seven subacute (3-4 weeks) and 11 chronic (3-12 months) cases presented with abdominal discomfort and/or loose non-watery stools. Four complained of flatus and eosinophilia was noted in six. All symptoms resolved with eradication of B. hominis or reduction to low numbers after metronidazole chemotherapy (28 cases) or with no treatment (four cases). This study would appear to support the role of the parasite as an enteropathogen in some children. A case control study is clearly needed to clarify the status of B. hominis as a pathogen.

Animals↗

Effectiveness of sodium valproate in the treatment of Sydenham's chorea.

We treated 15 children with Sydenham's chorea with sodium valproate at a dose of 15 to 20 mg/kg/d. In 13 of them the chorieform movements disappeared within 1 week of therapy. The remaining 2 had incomplete response. Two patients relapsed; 1 of them responded to the reintroduction of valproate. The mean duration of treatment was 6.7 weeks. We observed no major side effects. This study strongly suggests that valproate is an effective drug in the treatment of Sydenham's chorea.

Acute Disease↗