Riboflavin nutritional status in pregnant Saudi females

The riboflavin status was assessed by the estimation of erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient [GRAC] in 82 pregnant Saudi females and 64 non-pregnant females [age matched] who served as controls. An AC value of 1.3 or above was considered a possible indicator of riboflavin deficiency. Among the pregnant females 53.7% had GRAC >/= 1.3 while in the non-pregnant group 26.6% had GRAC >/= 1.3. The difference in the two groups was statistically significant [p<0.05]. In the first, second and third trimester the prevalence of samples with GRAC >/= 1.3 was 56.25%, 56% and 51.2%, respectively. The mean GRAC in the pregnant females was 1.3 +/- 0.2 compared to 1.1 +/- 0.2 in the control group

Prevalence of carcinoma in situ and squamous dysplasis of the uterine cervix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Historical risk factors of etiologic significance were evaluated in a seroepidemiological prosepective study of carcinoma in situ and squamous dysphasia of the uterine cervix among Saudi women in Riyadh. A total of 2, 476 women were screened with Papanicolaou smears, and blood samples and cervical swabs were taken serological study and tissue culture. The results of this investigation show that, although population-based incidence data for Saudi women are generally lacking, the rates of carcinoma in situ and squamous dysphasia of the uterine cervix are very low among Saudi. The related data indicate that in spite of their relatively low mean age first marriage, at onset of coitus, and at first pregnancy, and an exceptionally high pregnancy rate, the overwhelming majority of screened women had normal cytology [97.6%], while atypical squamous cells were detected in only 2.4% of the sample. Herpesvirus was isolated in 0.5% of the sample, while all these had normal cytology. The findings of this study are consistent with the results of other similar studies on the population-based data for low-risk groups; the very low rate of cervical malignancies may be ascribed to religious teaching which strongly discourages extramarital relationships, and which also results in low rates of illegitimacy and venereal disease

Effect of pregnancy on the level of hormones and biochemical analytes

This study was conducted on a group of health pregnant Saudi females to determine the changes taking place during different trimesters in the values of biochemical analyses, human placental lactogen and estriol. The hormones were analyzed by radiommunoassay and 18 biochemical analytes were estimated using Technico autoanalyzers SMAC and SMA-12. The results were grouped according to the trimesters, and mean and standard deviation obtained. The mean for each parameter in different trimesters was compared to the mean obtained in nonpregnant health Saudi females of the same used as controls. Alkaline phosphates, cholesterol and triglyceride increased almost one and one-half to three times the nonpregnant value while protein, albumin, bilirubin, creatinine, urea and calcium showed a decrease with gestational age. The values of electrolytes and transaminases showed fluctuations but no significant change. This study showed that normal ranges for different parameters during different stages of pregnancy established of Saudi females should be used for clinical decision making, and that normal ranges established for the Western population should be avoided since several differences are encountered between these populations