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PubMed1995

Breast feeding, bottle feeding and dental caries in Kuwait, a country with low-fluoride levels in the water supply.

A study was carried out in Kuwait, a country with low levels of fluoride in the water supplies, to determine the prevalence and extent of caries in early childhood, and enquire into associated factors. Mothers of pre-schoolchildren were interviewed, and their children aged 18 to 48 months received a dental examination. Of the 227 children examined, 107 (47 per cent) were caries free, and 41 (18%) had five or more dmf teeth. 'Nursing caries', affecting at least two maxillary incisors, was seen in 19 per cent of the sample. Breast fed children were significantly more likely to be caries free than those who were bottle fed from birth, although 'nursing caries' was positively associated with the practice of breast feeding at night 'at will' after 6 months of age (P < 0.01). Bottle fed children were more likely to develop caries, including 'nursing caries', particularly when the practice was continued to an older age. It was concluded that 'nursing caries' constitutes a significant dental health problem in Kuwait.

Bottle Feeding↗

PubMed1993

Haemoglobinopathies in a large hospital in Kuwait.

One year experience of various haemoglobinopathies encountered in a large hospital in Kuwait is presented. During the period under study (1988), 84,341 complete blood counts (CBC's) were performed. Haemoglobin electrophoresis was performed in 1289 of these samples; 261 abnormal results were encountered. Almost all the commonly occurring haemoglobinopathies in the world were seen among Kuwaities, probably as a result of inheritance of different haemoglobinopathy genes from different parts of the world. Indirect evidences suggest that alpha thalassemia may be the commonest haemoglobinopathy in Kuwait; a picture not unlike that of Saudi Arabia which is one of its neighbours.

Ethnicity↗

PubMed1993

Estrogen and progesterone receptor status in breast cancer in Kuwait female population.

The levels cytosol estrogen (ERc) and progesterone (PRc) receptors were determined in 315 primary breast cancers of female Arab patients aged 23-80 years. Most of breast cancers (78%) occurred in women aged 21-50 years, and only 22% were in women aged 51-80 years. Breast cancers containing ERc and PRc concentrations in the range 5-50 fmol/mg of cytosol protein (mg c.p.) were found with similar frequency in women aged under or over 50 years (53% for ERc and 43% for PRc, respectively). On the other hand, breast cancers with ERc values of > 50 and > 100 fmol/mg c.p. were twice as frequent in women aged over 50 years as in women aged under 50 years. The frequency of breast cancers with PRc level of over 50 fmol/mg c.p. in women aged over 50 years was only half that in those aged under 50 years. In breast cancers of Kuwait Arab women the higher values of ERc (> 100 fmol/mg c.p.) and PRc (> 50 fmol/mg c.p.) were less frequent than in other populations reported in literature. The low frequency of breast cancer in postmenopausal Kuwait women is associated with low proportions of tumors with higher ERc and PRc contents. In contrast to this, data from literature indicate that in the North Western European and American populations the postmenopausal incidence rise of breast cancers is associated with increased proportions of tumors with higher ERc and PRc levels.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Recent trends in the incidence of lymphomas in Kuwait.

All cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) reported to the Kuwait Cancer Registry between 1980-1989 were analyzed. Age specific and age standardized incidence rates were calculated for Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti males and females for the two periods of 1980-1984 and 1985-1989, and compared to detect short term changes. The study of 153 cases of HD and 325 cases of NHL in 1980-1984 and 213 cases of HD and 338 cases of NHL in 1985-1989 showed that HD incidence was stable in the two periods, the mixed cellularity subtype frequency and incidence declined, while the frequency and the incidence of nodular sclerosis increased significantly in the second period. These changes were most significant in the non-Kuwaiti males. The NHL incidence declined significantly in the 1985-1989 period. The incidence of low grade and intermediate grade NHL declined in the period of 1985-1989. The high grade NHL frequency increased, however, the annual incidence rate increase was not significant. The change in the HD subtypes may probably be related to the improvement in the socio-economic condition. The higher proportion of high grade lymphomas may be related to the population structure in Kuwait and is not related to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Intracranial tuberculoma in Kuwait.

OBJECTIVE: To study the manifestations of intracranial tuberculoma in Kuwait and to provide guidelines for the diagnosis and management of intracranial tuberculoma in developing countries, where the disease is common and facilities are limited. DESIGN: Data were collected from patients with intracranial space-occupying lesions admitted to Adan Hospital Medical Department and the Neurosurgery and Neuromedical Departments at Ibn-Sina Hospital, Kuwait, from January 1987 to December 1995. RESULTS: Intracranial tuberculomas represented 1.4% of all cases with intracranial space-occupying lesions in these hospitals (13/925); 77% of the patients were males, and seizures were the most frequent presenting symptom. Nine patients (66.6%) responded well to medical treatment and four (33.3%) failed to respond. Those who responded to medical treatment showed remarkable improvement of the intracranial lesions within 6 weeks, and almost complete resolution within 12 weeks. Seven patients required surgery, three due to failure of medical treatment. We report a patient who needed emergency shunt operation, a patient with pituitary tuberculoma, and two patients whose lesions recurred several years after surgery. CONCLUSION: Bearing in mind the non-specific nature of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of intracranial tuberculoma, and the lack of advanced neurosurgical facilities in developing countries where the disease is common, we recommend a 6-week therapeutic test for patients with solitary or multiple enhancing intracranial space-occupying lesions without mass effect. Stereotactic biopsy is recommended in selected cases wherever facilities are available.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

RESEARCH: Physicochemical Characteristics and Pollution Indicators in the Intertidal Zone of Kuwait: Implications for Benthic Ecology

/ The coastal environment of Kuwait has been under considerable stress since the onset of the oil era in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Oil, sewage, and industrial pollution were believed to be the main environmental problems in the coastal zone. The huge oil spill and destruction caused by the Gulf War further complicated those problems. In this article, the temperature, pH, salinity, and total dissolved sulfide (TDS) of the interstitial water in the intertidal zone and the water content and total organic carbon (TOC) of the intertidal sediment were investigated. The purpose of the study was to understand the effect of the physicochemical characteristics on the intertidal benthic ecology and to identify the level and sources of organic pollution in the intertidal zone. The study results indicated that the prevailing harsh environmental conditions, especially high temperature and salinity, restricted benthic fauna diversity and led to the development of a fragile intertidal ecosystem. The fauna inhabiting the intertidal zone was dominated by a few species probably living at their limit of tolerance. Organic pollution was evident mainly in Sulaibikhat Bay and to a lesser extent in Kuwait City waterfront and Shuaiba coast in the south. The pollution was attributed mainly to land-based sources such as the occasional discharge of raw sewage through stormwater outlets, the direct oil spillage, and industrial effluents from refineries, oil terminals, and petrochemical plants. Quantitative analysis was inconclusive in establishing a significant correlation between the chemistry and composition of the benthic fauna. However, close examination of sites with high TOC and TDS concentrations indicated that the benthic fauna in those sites was showing evidence of degradation. A number of strategies were recommended to ensure protection and sustainable management of the coastal environment.KEY WORDS: Intertidal environment; Pollution; Total organic carbon; Dissolved sulfide; Interstitial water; Benthic fauna

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Causative bacteria of respiratory tract infections in Kuwait by quantitative culture of sputum.

To determine the bacterial etiology of lower respiratory tract infections in Kuwait, we performed quantitative culture of sputum and measured the susceptibilities of the isolated bacteria against different antibiotics. A total of 140 sputum samples were collected for a period of 14 months for the study. Single and multiple pathogens as a cause of infection were isolated from 55 and 15 samples, respectively. A total of 53.8% of Streptococcus pneumoniae were penicillin-resistant and 52% and 57% of Hemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were beta-lactamase positive, respectively. We concluded that the major pathogens of respiratory tract infections in Kuwait were H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, S. pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and there was an increased resistance among the isolated bacteria against commonly used antibiotics.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1989

Plastic particle and tar pollution on beaches of Kuwait.

Twelve beaches on the northwestern Arabian Gulf coast of Kuwait were surveyed for the occurrence of plastic particles, tar balls and tar lumps. Particles were found on all beaches and were abundant on four: Suleibkhat, Fintas, Fahaheel and New Al Khiran. Most particles were composed of low-density polyethylene, but a few were of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Many were weathered and had traces of tar. Tar lumps and balls were present on all beaches, but were not as abundant as was expected, considering the heavy volume of oil tanker traffic in this region of the Arabian Gulf. Tar appeared to be less abundant than it was in 1979. With at least 33 plastics factories operating on the coast of Kuwait, it is possible that plastic particles occur more abundantly than has been observed in this study. The high winds and concurrent wave activity, which often vary in strength and direction but regularly occur here, probably play an important role in dispersing plastic particles which are washed up on to these beaches, making it difficult to accurately measure their abundance.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Bottom sediments of the Arabian Gulf--III. Trace metal contents as indicators of pollution and implications for the effect and fate of the Kuwait oil slick.

The trace metal contents of 71 core samples collected in 1992 from the bottom sediments of the Arabian Gulf are used to determine the regional distribution of concentration and pollution levels of these substances in the region. Chronic contamination was recorded in seven locations: the northwestern area (Fe), the northeastern area (Fe, V and Ni), the north-central area (V and Ni), the central area (Fe, Pb, V and Ni), the south-central area (Cu), the eastern area (Cu) and the southeastern area (Fe, V and Ni). Present-day contamination was identified in three locations only: the north-central area (V), the central area (Pb, V and Ni) and the southeastern area (Fe, V and Ni). Diversified natural and anthropogenic inputs may have provided the sources of this contamination. The V/Ni ratios of recent marine sediments cannot be used in identifying oil spillages or in oil-sediment correlation studies. Positive correlations are found between increasing trace metal concentration and decreasing carbonate content and grain size, verifying that adsorption onto muds is the primary mechanism of trace metal concentration in marine sediments. Correlations with TOC (total organic carbon) contents indicate that organic matter is a significant concentrator only in the case of Pb and Cu. With the exception of the Fe contamination in the northwest area due to river transport, all chronic and present-day trace metal concentrations are within the permissible natural background levels in the western offshore areas, including the two areas thought to be polluted by the Kuwait oil slick, thereby supporting the idea that airborne fallout from oil fires was deposited in a limited coastal area between Kuwait and Bahrain, and verifying that the oil slick had minimal effect on the state of pollution by trace metals in the Arabian Gulf.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Factors influencing the total mercury and methyl mercury in the hair of the fishermen of Kuwait.

Total and methyl mercury (MeHg) levels in the hair of fishermen are described anticipating that they represent the critical group for dietary exposure. One-hundred human hair samples were collected from fishermen (Egyptians: age range 25-60), living in Doha Fishing Village, Kuwait. Thirty-five additional samples were taken from a control group working in a local construction company (age range 26-35). Overall mean concentrations in the hair of the population of fishermen are 4.181+/-3.220 and 4.025+/-3.130 microg g(-1) for total and MeHg, respectively. The equivalent values for the control are 2.617+/-1.404 and 2.556+/-1.391 microg g(-1) for total and MeHg, respectively. MeHg concentrations are strongly correlated to those of total Hg ( [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] ) and MeHg concentrations in human hair are unrelated to age and duration of residence in Kuwait but show a positive correlation with the quantity of fish consumed. Levels of Hg in hair also show a tendency to increase in those who prefer to eat the entire fish, including the heads. In general, the concentrations of total and MeHg in fishermens' hair are twice the WHO 'normal' level (2.0 microg g(-1)) but are still less than the WHO threshold level (10.0 microg g(-1)). The results also show that grey hair contains undetectable amounts of Hg and therefore does not reflect individual exposure to this contaminant.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Living arrangements of older women and men in Kuwait.

The main objectives of this article are to analyze the correlates of living arrangements of persons aged 60 or above in the oil-rich, Muslim country of Kuwait and to examine whether or not patterns of co-residence differ by gender. Data were obtained from a nationally representative survey of households of Kuwaiti nationals, and this paper is based on the 687 older Kuwaiti residents of these households. Living arrangements were generally similar for women and men. Eighty nine percent of women and 94 percent of men co-reside in households with at least one son or daughter. Only 0.3 percent of men and 1.9 percent of women live alone. Socio-demographic characteristics of women and men differed significantly; 58 percent of women were widowed compared with 5 percent of men. Logistic regression analysis showed that women had two times higher odds than men of living without their children. The odds of residing without children also increased with the respondent's age and education but decreased with increasing wealth. Continued rapid demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural change in Kuwait foretells continued decline in co-residence with children, and the implications of such change in a small city-state merits further research.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1988

Correlates of alcohol-related casualty in Kuwait.

This paper reports the extent to which alcohol consumption is associated with casualties in a country in which alcohol is prohibited religiously and culturally. Selective screening of particular casualty groups by blood test established qualitative evidence of alcohol use in 107 out of 1058 patients (10%) examined at a general hospital and a traumatology hospital in Kuwait. The rate of alcohol-associated casualty was significantly higher in traumatology hospital patients (15%) than in general hospital (7%), stressing the association between alcohol and trauma. Absence of differences by place of casualty disproves lay beliefs that motor vehicle casualty is the major alcohol-associated risk in Kuwait. Other casualties, particularly work and domestic injuries, should be regarded as being affected by alcohol consumption. Statistically significant high alcohol-associated casualty rates characterized Kuwaitis (14%), the unemployed/retired (20%) and coma cases (22%) suggesting that these categories may suffer from serious alcohol problems.

Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium↗

PubMed1980

Short-term effects of South louisiana and kuwait crude oils on glucose utilization by marine bacterial populations.

Two crude oils, South Louisiana and Kuwait, were examined for their impact on glucose utilization by bacterial populations from the Gulf of Mexico. The uptake and mineralization of [U-C]glucose was assayed after a 4- to 23-h exposure to various concentrations of added crude oil (0, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1% [vol/vol]). The effects of oil were determined in a total of 15 sediment and 13 water samples collected from offshore, open-bay, and salt marsh environments. The utilization of glucose by bacterial populations usually was not affected by added oil; in 10 sediment and 11 water samples, oil had no significant effect on either glucose uptake or mineralization. Stimulation by oil was recorded in four sediment samples. Oil inhibition occurred in one sediment and two water samples, but only in the presence of the highest concentration of added oil, i.e., 0.1%. Our data suggest that short-term exposure to either South Louisiana or Kuwait crude oil, even at 0.1%, usually has no toxic effect on glucose utilization by marine bacterial populations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Further evidence for the rising incidence of childhood Type 1 diabetes in Kuwait.

AIMS: To provide age-gender standardized incidence rate, temporal trend and seasonal variation of Type 1 diabetes in Kuwaiti children aged < or = 14 years. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected over a period of 6 years (1992-1997) according to the DiaMond Project protocol using the capture-recapture method of ascertainment. RESULTS: Data ascertainment varied between 90% and 96%. The incidence rate of Type 1 diabetes was 20.1 per 100,000 children 0-14 years (95% confidence interval (CI) 18.0-22.1); age-standardized incidence rate 20.9 (95% CI 18.8-23.0). The incidence rate among boys, 21.1 per 100,000 (95% CI 18.1-24.1) was slightly higher than that among girls, 19.0 per 100,000 (95% CI 16.1-21.8). The age-standardized incidence rate was 21.9 (95% CI 18.9-24.8) in boys, and 19.9 (95 CI 17.1-22.8) in girls. Incidence rates increased with age in both sexes (boys chi(2) for linear trend = 13.5, P < 0.001; and for girls chi(2) = 27.8, P < 0.0001). There was a significant trend towards increase in overall incidence during the 6-year period (chi(2) = 6.210, P = 0.013), and in age group 5-9 (chi(2) = 10.8, P = 0.001). Seasonality was demonstrated overall, in boys and girls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Kuwait is high compared with the neighbouring Arab countries, and it appears to be increasing as in many European populations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Biomonitoring the human population exposed to pollution from the oil fires in Kuwait: analysis of placental tissue using (32)P-postlabeling.

The placenta is a readily available source of material for molecular epidemiological investigations. As such, DNA damage in this tissue can be indicative of maternal exposure to environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Previous reports have demonstrated that (32)P-postlabeling (PPL) is able to detect the presence of aromatic adducts in human placenta that are associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy. Using PPL we have assayed the DNA damage in placental samples from Kuwaiti mothers who were exposed to environmental pollution during pregnancy. This pollution arose in the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which left hundreds of oil wells burning. For comparison, further Kuwaiti samples were obtained approximately 1 year after the oil well fires and, as such, are from individuals unexposed to the airborne pollution from the oil well fires during pregnancy. In addition, placental samples were obtained from subjects in the United Kingdom. Adduct levels were measured in all samples using both the nuclease P1 and butanol extraction enhancement procedures. No elevation of adduct levels was observed in the placenta of mothers exposed to the oil well fires (n = 40) with either procedure (144 +/- 30 attomol/microg DNA for nuclease P1 enrichment, 245 +/- 50 attomol/microg DNA for butanol extraction), when compared with the nonexposed Kuwaiti mothers (180 +/- 32 and 281 +/- 39 attomol/microg DNA, respectively, n = 24). Similar adduct levels were observed in UK mothers who smoked cigarettes (178 +/- 30 and 284 +/- 52 attomol/microg DNA, n = 30), which in turn were approximately twice those observed in nonsmoking mothers (90 +/- 14 and 141 +/- 15 attomol/microg DNA, n = 12), although there is no significant difference in the distribution of adduct levels when statistical analysis is performed. Comprehensive interpretation of the Kuwaiti data is difficult as precise information on PAH levels is unavailable, although the data do seem to indicate that exposure to PAHs was not biologically significant.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Length of marriage and its effect on spousal concordance in Kuwait.

It was hypothesized that marriage duration affects physical and cultural homogamy and spousal concordance in Kuwaiti marriages. Westernization increased spousal correlations due to fewer arranged marriages and increased individual spousal choice. Spousal similarities for selected physical and cultural traits were also examined for couples married 15 years or less, 16 to 30 years, and 31 years and more. Consanguineous couples belong to the al-Kandari, one of the largest and most important kindreds in Kuwait, who traditionally married kin and continue to do so. Six physical measurements and blood pressure were taken along with a sociocultural questionnaire to examine cultural preferences. In all, 242 couples (484 people) participated; 62 couples were in non-consanguineous unions. It was hypothesized that in shorter-duration unions spouses would be more alike for physical and cultural traits. For physical traits, results for stature, weight, the body mass index, and hip circumference are congruent with the hypothesis, whereas results for the triceps and subscapular skinfolds, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure are not. Overall, for some traits spouses are more alike than in previous generations, and specific aspects of similarity among long-term spouses reflect historical and cultural phenomena.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Thyroid cancer in Kuwait: review of 117 cases.

One hundred and seventeen patients with thyroid cancer were seen at the Radiotherapy and Isotope Centre, Al-Sabah Hospital, Kuwait, between 1963 and 1974. Thyroid cancer constituted 4.7 per cent of all cancer cases among females and 2.4 per cent among males. Of these carcinomas, 58 per cent were papillary, 25 per cent follicular, 11 per cent anaplastic and 1.7 per cent medullary. Four cases (3.4 per cent) were of malignant lymphoma. The 10-year survival was 74, 96 and 21 per cent for papillary, follicular and anaplastic tumours respectively. The present series confirms the prognostic value of age, sex and histology and shows that node metastasis does not prejudice survival. The study does not show any correlation between the type of operation and survival.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1996

Effects of the water-soluble fraction of partially combusted crude oil from Kuwait's oil fires (from Desert Storm) on survival and growth of the marine fish Menidia beryllina.

Effects of the water-soluble fraction of partially combusted crude oil (PCCO) from oil fires in Kuwait on survival and growth of the marine fish Menidia beryllina were studied relative to those of Kuwaiti crude oil (CO). Survival was studied as a function of total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations [TPH] in 96-hr static exposures. The specific growth rate (SGR) and specific growth inhibition (SGI) percentage were studied as a function of [TPH] in 16-day flowthrough exposure. Survival in the highest PCCO-associated exposure ([TPH] = 0.64 mg/liter) declined from 95% after 48 hr to 60% at 120 hr of exposure. Linear regression analysis of the [TPH]-SGR relationships resulted in statistically significant (P < 0.001) concentration-dependent decrease of 0.19 in SGR of fish exposed to PCCO water-soluble fraction and of 9.6 x 10(-3) in SGR of fish exposed to CO water-soluble fraction. Linear regression analysis of the [TPH]-SGI relationships showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) concentration-dependent increase of 3.38% per TPH concentration unit (mg/liter) in SGI of fish exposed to PCCO water-soluble fraction, whereas the increase in SGI observed under CO exposures was 0.18% per TPH concentration unit. The toxicity of PCCO was exhibited at a much lower TPH concentration; the EC50 of PCCO was reached at a water TPH concentration of 12.42 mg/liter, while the EC50 of CO was reached at a water TPH concentration of 193.23 mg/liter. The comparative toxicity of the CO and PCCO water-soluble fractions and the difference in their chemical and physical characteristics suggest that the larger contribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other breakdown products to the concentration of PCCO-associated TPHs in water resulted in a larger effect on growth of the marine fish M. beryllina.

Animals↗