Effects From Dietary Addition of Sargassum sp., Spirulina sp., or Gracilaria sp. Powder on Immune Status in Broiler Chickens.

Algae are innovative and significant nutrient sources with various health benefits when used as additives in animal feed. The study aims to examine the effect of different inclusions of three algae species, Sargassum sp., Spirulina sp., and Gracilaria sp. on the immune response of broiler chickens, as measured by the cellular immune response, humoral immune response, intestinal microbial counts, hindgut acidosis, and hematological measures. Here is a list of the seven experimental treatments (TRT). TRT 1 was the control group without algae; TRT 2 was supplemented with Sargassum sp. at 1% of the diet; TRT 3 with Sargassum sp. at 2% of the diet; TRT 4 with Spirulina sp. at 5% of the diet; TRT 5 with Spirulina sp. at 7.5% of the diet; TRT 6 with Gracilaria sp. at 0.5% of the diet; and TRT 7 Gracilaria sp. at 1% of the diet. Each treatment involved five replicates with 17 broiler chickens each, and the analyses were triplicated. The results showed that including algae in the feed ration of broiler chickens induces a higher cellular response than the control group, represented by T-cell response in the wattle area (P = 0.037). Sargassum sp. at 1 and 2% enhanced IgA antibody titers significantly and Gracilaria sp. at 5% enhanced IgY antibody titers, P = 0.045 and P = 0.030, respectively. All algal inclusions inhibited the growth of Salmonella sp. and improved LAB counts in the intestine of broilers, excepting the Gracilaria sp. at 0.5%, where LAB counts were similar to the control group. The E. coli counts decreased numerically but not significantly. Blood lymphocytes were enhanced while white blood cells (WBC) and heterophils were decreased as a results of algal inclusions. In conclusion, supplementing broiler chickens with algae could enhance their cellular and humoral immune status and promote healthy microflora in their guts.

Comparison of different dietary sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on immune response in broiler chickens.

The study aims to research the effects of varied dietary sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the immune response in broiler chickens with stress on natural killer (NK) cell activity. Diets supplemented with one of the four sources of n-3 PUFA: linseed oil-, echium oil-, fish oil (FO) or algal biomass-enriched diets at levels of 18, 18, 50 and 15 g/kg fresh weight, were provided for one-d-old male Ross 308 broilers, totaling 340 in number, until they were slaughtered. The analyses included total lipid profile using gas chromatography (GC) for plasma, spleen, thymus, and blood. Additionally, NK cell activity and cell proliferation were investigated for thymocytes and splenocytes. The results indicated that the source of n-3 PUFA had a strong influence on fatty acid composition across all tissues. NK activity was highest in splenocytes and PBMCs from broilers fed linseed oil, followed by those fed algal biomass or echium oil, and lowest for those from broilers fed FO. The proliferative response of lymphocytes from algal biomass-fed chickens tended to be the highest, followed by those fed linseed oil in most cases. Lymphocytes from chickens fed fish oil showed the lowest proliferative response. These results could mean that a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich algal product might enrich chicken meat with n-3 PUFA without significant damaging effects on chicken immunity.

Effect of dietary probiotics and prebiotics on the performance of broiler chickens.

The prolonged use of antibiotics has led to the development of resistant bacteria and also led to accumulation of antibiotic residue in the poultry feed, this ultimately led to the prohibition of antibiotics as growth enhancers in animal production. Thus, there was a dire need for alternate sources to help in poultry production. Recently, probiotics and prebiotics claimed to be effective alternatives to antibiotics in the poultry. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of different probiotics and prebiotics on the performance of broilers. The study involved 2 broiler cycles, 1 during winter and 1 during summer with a total of 425 1-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks for each cycle. They were allotted to 5 experimental treatments. The probiotics were Bacillus coagulans (1 g/kg dried culture) and Lactobacillus (1 g/kg dried culture of 12 commercial strains). The prebiotics included fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) (5 g/kg) and mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (5 g/kg). The results showed that there was no effect of the different probiotics and prebiotics on the production performance of broilers. There was increased weight of the thymus in the control group. In cycle 1, the panelists indicated that the smell, color, taste, and texture of the cooked meat were acceptable, and that there were no significant differences between the different groups. There was no significant effect of the different diets on the biochemical parameters of the blood among the experimental groups at 3- and 5-wk of age. Phytohaemaglutinin test showed that dietary FOS and MOS induced higher cellular response than the other treatments (P = 0.04) in the first cycle. In the second cycle, the results revealed that dietary FOS induced higher cellular response than the other treatments (P = 0.019). The used experimental treatments have a positive effect on microbial count in 5-week-old broilers. There was no Salmonella sp. recorded using the experimental treatments in the first cycle, and the growth of E. coli was reduced significantly. In the second cycle, all treatments in 3-week-old broilers did not affect the count of both lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and E. coli. At 5-week-old of the same cycle, the bacterial count of E. coli increased even with control, whereas Salmonella growth was inhibited. The pH value was driven toward acidity in all of the treatments. Probiotics and prebiotics can be used in chicken feed safely and without any adverse effects on the productive parameters and immune status of the flock.

Protective potential of thymoquinone against peroxynitrite induced modifications in histone H2A: In vitro studies.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) is a reactive oxidant involved in numerous pathological conditions. Thymoquinone (TQ) is an active constituent of Nigella sativa and is reported to have anti-disease activities, but its role on ONOO- has never been investigated. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of TQ on ONOO--induced damage of histone-H2A. Our novel data showed TQ significantly inhibited ONOO--induced oxidative damage in histone-H2A. ONOO- induces UV-hypochromicity of histone-H2A, whereas TQ reversed this effect to hyperchromicity. Tyrosine fluorescence was significantly reduced by ONOO- and was significantly increased upon TQ treatment. TQ reduces ONOO--induced hydrophobicity in histone-H2A and also reduces thermal stability of ONOO--histone H2A complex. SDS-PAGE of native histone-H2A showed a single band, which disappeared when treated with ONOO- alone. This changed was retained when protein samples were treated with TQ. Similar protective effects of TQ were found when protein carbonyl contents were estimated. In conclusion, this is the first study that shows the potential of TQ against ONOO--induced damaged of histone-H2A. TQ inhibits oxidative modification of tyrosine, lysine, arginine, proline and threonine in histone-H2A. These results have importance for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of disorders, where ONOO- plays a role.

Bone marrow transplantation from matched siblings in patients with fanconi anemia utilizing low-dose cyclophosphamide, thoracoabdominal radiation and antithymocyte globulin.

Nineteen patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) and bone marrow failure underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from matched siblings. Median age at BMT was 8.7 years. Conditioning consisted of low-dose cyclophosphamide (CY 5 mg/kg x 4 days) and thoracoabdominal irradiation (TAI 400 cGy). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was cyclosporin A (CsA) in 13 patients and CsA plus methotrexate in 6 patients. Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) was added in the pretransplant as well as the post-transplant period. All patients received high-dose acyclovir from day 2 pre-BMT to day 28 post BMT, and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), 500 mg/kg weekly from day 7 pre-BMT to day 90 post BMT. No fungal prophylaxis was given. All patients engrafted, (median, 14 days for an absolute neutrophil count > or =0.5 x 10(9)/l; median, 37 days for platelet count > or =20 x 10(9)/l). Fourteen (74%) patients are alive with sustained engraftment and are transfusion independent. Three (16.6%) patients developed acute GVHD; none developed chronic GVHD. Five (26%) patients developed invasive fungal infections, and two (10%) developed fatal CMV disease. We believe the addition of ATG may have contributed to the increased incidence of severe life-threatening fungal and viral infections in our series.

Extramedullary myeloid tumors in children: the limited value of local treatment.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of extramedullary tumors (EMT) in Saudi Arabian children with acute myeloid leukemia, the factors associated with these tumors and the impact of local treatment on local tumor control, complete remission and survival rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred children, median age 6 years, who received their primary treatment for acute myeloid leukemia at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, from 1983 to 1997 were studied. EMT at diagnosis occurred in 18 (18%) patients at 25 sites. Meningeal leukemia, hepatosplenomegaly, lymph node enlargement, gingival hypertrophy, and cutaneous infiltration were not included in the definition of EMT. With these exclusions, children with EMT were younger than those without EMT (median age, 3.5 v. 7.5 years) and were more likely to have meningeal leukemia at diagnosis (33% v. 10%). The t(8;21) translocation was associated with a 47% EMT incidence compared with 23% without the translocation. Local radiation treatment was given to 16 of 25 (64%) EMT sites. RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival rate for all patients was 28%, and this was not significantly influenced by the drug regimen used, meningeal leukemia at diagnosis, the presence of the (8;21) translocation, M4 and M5 morphology combined, or EMT at diagnosis. Significant differences were observed in the 5-year survival rates for patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (52%; N = 37) and those who attained complete remission (CR) but did not undergo transplantation (21%; N = 44) and those who did not achieve complete remission with initial therapy (5%; N = 19). Systemic and local EMT CR was achieved in 17 of 18 patients with EMT, including 12 patients who underwent radiation treatment and 5 of 6 of those who did not. Isolated relapse was not seen at an EMT site and was not noted at any later stage of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Permanent local control at sites of EMT was achieved in all patients who attained a bone marrow CR, whether or not the site was irradiated. Local radiation treatment of an EMT site did not appear to contribute to overall CR and survival rates. The use of radiation treatment should be conservative and limited to patients in whom there is a real and immediate threat to vision or renal function or when the spinal cord is compromised.

Pediatric cancer: The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre experience.

Between January 1976 and December 1993, a total of 3291 children with cancer were treated at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC). Males accounted for 60.7% and females 39.3%, with a ratio of 1.5:1. The peak age was two to five. The three most common malignancies were leukemias (26.2%), lymphomas (21.3%), and central nervous system (CNS) tumors (15.3%). This report presents some of the epidemiologic data related to the largest number of children with malignancy treated in a single institution in Saudi Arabia.

Bone marrow transplantation in children: the king faisal specialist hospital experience.

The results of the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program at The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH & RC) from June 1993 to October 1995 were reviewed for a preliminary report on the outcome of children undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) particularly in relation to mortality and morbidity. A total of 64 bone marrow transplants were performed on 60 patients during this period of time. The study patients included 28 with acute leukemia, 10 with severe combined immune deficiency, five with chronic myeloid leukemia, four with Fanconi's anemia and 13 others with miscellaneous disorders. The average hospitalization period was six weeks per patient. Forty three of these patients (72%) were alive and disease-free after a median follow-up of 14 months (range 1-27 months). Eight patients died from transplant-related toxicity within 100 days of BMT. One patient died of chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) of the liver. Eight patients with acute leukemia relapsed within one year after BMT. Further details regarding the preparative regimens, toxicity of BMT, GVHD and disease-free survival are reviewed in this report.

Immunophenotyping of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Saudi Arabia: second look.

Geographical variations in the incidence of disease are of considerable theoretical and practical importance. It has been claimed that the distribution of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) phenotypes in Saudi Arabia is different from that recorded in the Western literature. One hundred and twelve (112) patients under 15 years of age, diagnosed as ALL between January 1992 and May 1994 had immunophenotypes performed on their blast cells. Common ALL (cALL) together with pre-B-ALL, formed 86.5% of the total; B-cell 3%, T-cell 6% and null cell 4.5%. These figures are not significantly different from the Western literature. A previous claim from this institution in 1990, that both null and B-cell ALL were significantly increased compared with elsewhere, is not supported by the present figures. Age and sex distribution, and FAB classification, L1 77%, L2 20% and L3 3%, were also of the same order as described elsewhere and, in particular, there was no increase in the frequency of L3 subtype.

Establishing reference total serum cholesterol values for Saudi children.

Total serum cholesterol was measured in 1320 normal Saudi children aged 0-14 years. The result was 3.88 (0.83) mmol/L [mean (SD)] and there was no statistical difference between girls and boys. Results were lowest in the 0-4 year age group and highest in the 5-9 year age group. Percentile values were established for three age groups and compared with those published for American children; no statistical differences were observed. Unlike other developing countries Saudi children do not have lower serum cholesterol than their western counterparts. We believe that these findings reflect changing dietary habits and increasing affluence in Saudi Arabia.

Providing antenatal services in a primary health care system.

A study sample of 880 women attending the primary health care center in the Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia was interviewed on their attitudes towards antenatal care services in the primary care setting. Some 91.3% of the women expressed positive views about obtaining the antenatal care in these centers. The major factor influencing their choice was the geographic location of primary health centers which are near to their residence and therefore more convenient for them to patronize. Other factors were the easier access to staff in primary care centers, especially mid-wives and female doctors. There was a significant relationship of age, parity and education with their current antenatal and delivery practices. The women also recommended less than ten antenatal visits before delivery. These findings are relevant to any policy regarding maternity services in the country.

PIP: Attitudes of 880 pregnant women attending prenatal clinics at 75 primary health care centers in Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia were assessed to determine their opinions on maternity services. The study population was predominately aged 18-30 years (62.3%), and 70% were illiterates. 54% were multiparous, and 40% had delivered at home for their prior pregnancy. 15.8% had experienced previous obstetric complications, and 12% experienced complications during delivery. There were significant correlations between place of previous delivery and age, education, and parity of the mother. Increased level of education was related to a higher proportion experiencing hospital delivery. Low parity women had a higher proportion of hospital deliveries. 92.6% believed that prenatal care was important, and 91.3% desired prenatal care services in primary care centers. 49.9% of women desiring prenatal care in primary care centers gave the reason as closeness to home. 47.2% did not desire delivery at a primary care center because the centers were considered poor facilities which lacked privacy and did not have specialists or female doctors or midwives available. 74.1% considered 5-10 prenatal visits appropriate. 8.6% desired less than 5 visits, and 15.3% recommended 10 or more visits. 81.0% kept prenatal care appointments. 79.5% of the women who missed appointments reporting doing so because their spouse could not accompany them or because of distance to the centers. 70% had previously used prenatal care services at primary care centers; 10.9% rated services as poor. Higher recommendations for prenatal care visits were found among younger mothers and lower parity women. More prenatal visits were also associated with previous delivery at health centers.

Chediak-Higashi syndrome: Report on five Saudi Arab children and review of the literature.

Five cases of the Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (CHS) among Saudi Arab children were diagnosed between June 1978 and December 1990. All patients were males, ages 18 months to ten years, born to first degree consanguineous parents. All showed the typical somatic and laboratory characteristics of this syndrome with characteristic hyperpigmented irides in four patients. Three patients were in the accelerated phase, two of whom responded to a combination chemotherapy (vincristine and prednisone) and one improved after splenectomy. All patients died before they passed the first decade of their lives. This report is the first detailed description of CHS among Arab children in the Arabian peninsula.

Heterotransplantation of human Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines in athymic nude mice: tumor-host relationships.

We have explored the factors which influence tumorigenicity of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines in athymic nude mice. Four cell lines, Namalwa, CA46, JD38, and ST486 revealed tumor incidence of 63.5, 69.0, 45.5 and 10.0%, respectively, in nude mice, but there was no correlation between tumor incidence and growth rate in vivo. Thus, growth rate and tumorigenicity are dependent upon different biochemical pathways. Evidence of tumor cell heterogeneity was demonstrated in the CA46 parent cell line. Five subclones derived from CA46 revealed varying degrees of tumor incidence (but very similar growth rates) that were consistently less than the parent CA46 line. Line 5, for example, produced 5.7-fold less tumors than the parent line. None of the BL cell lines or clones produced any metastatic lesions in liver, lung, brain, bone marrow or spleen in athymic nude mice. Northern blot analysis of c-myc mRNA levels in different BL cell lines revealed a possible relationship between percent tumor takes (but not growth rates) and the level of c-myc oncogene expression. However, no correlation was observed between c-myc mRNA levels and tumor incidence or growth rates among the CA46 clones. There was no correlation between the ability of the cell lines and the subclones to either secrete growth factors or to respond to growth factors secreted by Epstein-Barr virus-induced lymphoblastoid cells or lipopolysaccharide-activated monocytes, and their growth rates or percent tumor takes in mice. Comparison of tumor incidence and growth rates in irradiated and unirradiated mice showed that host factors influenced the growth of BL in nude mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sampling in epidemiological research: a case study of the prevalence of brucellosis in Saudi Arabia.

The superficial description in biomedical journals of sampling methods used in epidemiological studies of the prevalence of some diseases can be attributed to shallow knowledge of basic sampling techniques. The population of interest in most community surveys is usually very large and resources and time available limited, so that researchers have little or no choice but to study a sample of the population. One of the basic principles of sampling is the avoidance of bias, guaranteed by taking a random sample. But the term 'random sample' has often been misinterpreted as synonymous with 'haphazard sample', taking a sample without a definite pattern. It is re-emphasised that a random sample is a probability sample that gives every unit in the population a known probability of being selected in the sample. The procedures for taking a random sample for a nationwide study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are not easy because of the structure of the population, and therefore require more complex sampling methods like the stratified cluster sampling. It is also necessary in a stratified sample to calculate estimated persons affected by a condition for each selected subgroup of the population before obtaining the overall prevalence rate. A proper understanding and use of appropriate sampling techniques is most likely to result in the most desired representative sample, and guarantees that some underlying assumptions for inferential statistics will be satisfied.

Estimates of fertility levels in a rural community of Saudi Arabia.

There is a dearth of information on fertility levels in Saudi Arabia. In the absence of a reliable vital registration system, fertility level can be estimated from sample surveys. The Gompertz relational fertility model has been fitted to parity data on 923 women from a survey in the Al-Baha region. The estimated total fertility rate was 8.4. Education and age at marriage have strong association with the level of fertility. Those who married at early ages had higher parities, whereas women who had more than primary education reported lower parities.

PIP: A systematic sample of 976 breast-feeding women was selected from attendance lists at 75 primary health care centers in rural Al-Baha in the southern region of Saudi Arabia in 1987-88. Fertility levels were obtained as well as current age of mother, total children ever born, duration of marriage, and education of the mother. Total fertility rates (TFR) from mean parities were estimated using the Gompertz relational fertility model, which is described. The results indicate that the average TFR of women aged 15-44 is 8.42 and 8.40 for women 20-40. Mean parity for women 20-24 years is 2.808, 25-29 is 4.136, 30-34 is 5.83, 35-39 is 7.305, and 40-44 is 8.021. In the 1-way analysis of variance, there was a significant decrease in parity with an increase in level of education (p.001), and similarly with increasing age at marriage. The mean number of children for illiterates was 5.42 vs. 2.91 children for postprimary women. The mean number for women 15 at age of marriage was 6.04 vs. 3.54 for those 25 years of age of marriage. Although the data do not reflect a national perspective, this region is well represented. The current TFR is 8.4 is high compared with other African countries e.g., Ghana at 7.1, Tunisia at 7.2, Algeria at 7.1, and Nigeria at 6.9. Overpopulation is not considered a problem in Saudi Arabia.

An appraisal of the utilization of antenatal services in primary health care.

This study was done to evaluate the practice of users of the antenatal care services of the primary health care centers, and correlated our findings with some of the risk factors and the outcome of the pregnancies. The records of 1946 women receivign antenatal care in the primary health care centers in Al-Baha region were reviewed. The majority of the women (58.5%) visited the clinic five times or less, while only 15.2% visited more than eight times. There was no significant association between maternal age and the frequency of visits. There was a statistically significant association between parity, gestational age at first visit, place of delivery, and outcome of the pregnancy on one hand and the number of antenatal visits on the other (P < 0.05). The majority of pregnant women (60.8%) were first seen before the 20th week of gestation. Eight percent delivered in the centers and 16.4% delivered at home. There were significant associations between maternal age, parity, and gestational age at presentation. There was also an association with a previous history of recurrent abortions and intrauterine fetal death. Previous bleeding and cesarean sections showed no significant relationship with maternal age at the time of first population.