Predictive Factors of Hospitalization and Emergency Visits Among Children With Asthma.

Introduction A chronic diverse inflammatory disease, asthma affects millions of people worldwide. To control asthma, standardized care is essential. Children with asthma who receive appropriate care have lower emergency room (ER) visits and hospital stays as well as a higher quality of life than children who do not receive appropriate care. We aim to evaluate the predictive variables of hospitalization and ER visits in children with asthma. Methodology In 2022 and 2023, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on children with asthma and their caregivers who were attending primary health care clinics in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. We used the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) to evaluate asthma control. A C-ACT score of less than 19 indicates uncontrolled childhood asthma. To investigate the relationships between the risk factors and the rate of ER visits and hospitalizations, we performed a multiple logistic descriptive analysis. Results In this study, 124 asthmatic children from primary health care centers matched the inclusion criteria. The majority of children had atopy, and their mean age was 10.8±3.4 years. Concerning the risk factors linked to ER visits and hospitalization, there is evidence that not following up with physicians, using more frequent and short-acting beta-agonists, exposure to smoke and household pets, and poor asthma control are linked to increased rates of both ER visits and hospitalizations. Conclusion Better asthma control in children and adolescents may be achieved by providing inexpensive asthma care services, more thorough parental and child education, and effective symptom management. These measures can help reduce exacerbations of asthma and the consequences that accompany them.

Adverse Childhood Experience as a Risk Factor for Developing Type 2 Diabetes among the Jazan Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as childhood abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, prevent appropriate emotional, behavioral, and physical development. They are also a major public health issue, and have been debatably linked to chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T2DM is highly prevalent in Saudi Arabia, and various theories have been raised to explain the epidemiology of diabetes. However, few studies have discussed the relationship between ACEs and T2DM. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the association between ACEs and T2DM in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire distributed among patients with T2DM in a diabetes center. The t-test and Chi-Square test were used for comparison, and the p-value was set at <0.05 for significance. RESULTS: A total of 579 participants were involved in this study, and 303 (52.33%) were female. Among the included participants, 45.25% were diagnosed with T2DM. About 28.71% of participants with diabetes experienced verbal abuse, 16.09% experienced physical abuse, and 30.91% reported that parents beat them. Additionally, 1.58% of participants with diabetes reported living with a family member who abused substances, 8.83% believed that no one would take them to the doctor even if essential, 12.62% of participants with diabetes felt that no one would protect them, and 23.03% reported that they felt no one in their family loved them. All reported ACEs were significantly associated with a high risk of T2DM (p < 0.05), and the more frequent the ACEs, the more the risk of T2DM (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that ACEs are significantly associated with the development of T2DM, and the risk increases with the frequency of ACEs, which aligns with other studies. Further national studies are required to understand how ACEs could contribute to T2DM, and preventive interventions in childhood must be considered to reduce the burden of T2DM.

Facile synthesis and comparative study of the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of two selected dyes by TiO2-g-C3N4 composite.

Photocatalysis is considered a useful technique employed for the dye degradation through solar light, visible or UV light irradiation. In this study, TiO2, g-C3N4, and TiO2-g-C3N4 nanocomposites were successfully synthesized and studied for their ability to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) and Reactive Orange 16 (RO-16), when exposed to visible light. The analytical techniques including XRD, TEM, SEM, DRS, BET, XPS, and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to explore the characteristics of all the prepared semiconductors. The photocatalytic performance of synthesized materials has been tested against both the selected dyes, and various experimental parameters were studied. The experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison to other fabricated composites, the TiO2-g-C3N4 composite with the optimal weight ratio of g-C3N4 (15 wt%) to TiO2 has shown outstanding degrading efficiency against RhB (89.62%) and RO-16 (97.20%). The degradation experiments were carried out at optimal conditions such as a catalyst load of 0.07 g, a dye concentration of 50 ppm, and a temperature of 50 ℃ at neutral pH in 90 min. In comparison to pure TiO2 and g-C3N4, the TiO2-g-C3N4, a semiconductor, has shown higher degradation efficiency due to its large surface area and decreased electron-hole recombination. The scavenger study gave an idea about the primary active species (-OH radicals), responsible for dye degradation. The reusability of TiO2-g-C3N4 was also examined in order to assess the composite sustainability.

The photocatalytic process in the treatment of polluted water.

Wastewaters often contain toxic organic pollutants with a possible adverse effect on human health and aquatic life upon exposure. Persistent organic pollutants such as dyes and pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals are gaining extensive attention. Water treatment utilizing photocatalysis has recently received a lot of interest. Photocatalysis is cutting-edge, alternative technology. It has various advantages, including functioning at normal temperatures and atmospheric pressure, cheap prices, no secondary waste creation, and being readily available and easily accessible. This review presented a comprehensive overview of the advances in the application of the photocatalytic process in the treatment of highly polluted industrial wastewater. The analysis of various literature revealed that TiO2-based photocatalysts are highly effective in degrading organic pollutants from wastewater compared to other forms of wastewater treatment technologies. The electrical structure of a semiconductor plays a vital role in the photocatalyst's mechanism. The morphology of a photocatalyst is determined by the synthesis method, chemical content, and technical characteristics. The scaled-up of the photoreactors will significantly help in curbing the effect of organic pollutants in wastewater.

DIS3L2 Gene Mutation Causes the Perlman Syndrome of Overgrowth and Wilms Tumor Susceptibility.

The deletion of the DIS3L2 gene causes the extremely uncommon congenital overgrowth syndrome, known as Perlman syndrome, which is autosomal recessive. Polyhydramnios, macrosomia, facial dysmorphism, renal dysplasia, and several congenital abnormalities with Wilms tumor propensity are its defining features. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS), prune belly syndrome (PBS), and Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS1) have certain similar clinical characteristics with Perlman syndrome. The syndrome is often associated with a high neonatal mortality rate and there are few reports of long-term survivors. Here, we present a case with the classic clinical features of Perlman syndrome and a DIS3L2 gene deletion that was discovered prenatally.

Cardamom Extract Alleviates the Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis Induced during Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatic Toxicity via Modulating Nrf2/HO-1/NQO-1 Pathway.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most extensively used and safest analgesic and antipyretic drug worldwide; however, its toxicity is associated with life-threatening acute liver failure. Cardamom (CARD), a sweet, aromatic, commonly used spice, has several pharmacological actions. In the current study, we tried to explore the chemical composition and the hepato-protective effect of ethanolic aqueous extract of CARD to mitigate APAP-induced hepatic toxicity and elucidate its underlying mechanism of action. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Aqueous CARD extract was subjected to LC-TOF-MS analysis to separate and elucidate some of its components. In vivo animal experiments involved five groups of animals. In the normal and cardamom groups, mice were administered either saline or CARD (200 mg/kg), respectively, orally daily for 16 days. In the APAP group, the animals were administered saline orally daily for 15 days, and on the 16th day, animals were administered APAP (300 mg/kg) IP for the induction of acute hepatic failure. In the CARD 200 + APAP group, mice were administered CARD (200 mg/kg) for 15 days, followed by APAP on the 16th day. RESULTS: The aqueous extract of CARD showed several compounds, belonging to polyphenol, flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives and essential oil components. In the in vivo investigations, APAP-induced impaired liver function, several histopathological alterations, oxidative stress and inflammatory and apoptotic status signified severe hepatic failure. Whereas, pretreatment with the CARD extract prior to APAP administration diminished serum levels of the hepatic function test and augmented Nrf2 nucleoprotein and HO-1 and NQO-1. CARD down-regulated MDA, inflammatory mediators (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB) and apoptotic markers (caspase 3 and 9 and Bax) and amplified the activities of SOD, catalase, GSH-Px and GSH-R in hepatic tissue samples. CONCLUSION: CARD extract mitigated the hepatic toxicity induced by APAP. The underlying mechanism of action of such hepato-protective action may be through upregulation of the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO-1 pathway with subsequent alleviation of the oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis induced by APAP. Many of the compounds identified in the CARD extract could be attributed to this pharmacological action of the extract.

Achillea millefolium Essential Oil Mitigates Peptic Ulcer in Rats through Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway.

Extreme ethanol ingestion is associated with developing gastric ulcers. Achillea millefolium (yarrow) is one of the most commonly used herbs with numerous proven pharmacological actions. The goal of the hereby investigation is to explore the gastroprotective action of yarrow essential oil against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers and to reveal the unexplored mechanisms. Rats were distributed into five groups (n = 6); the control group administered 10% Tween 20, orally, for two weeks; the ethanol group administered absolute ethanol (5 mL/kg) to prompt gastric ulcer on the last day of the experiment. Yarrow essential oil 100 or 200 mg/kg + ethanol groups pretreated with yarrow oil (100 or 200 mg/kg, respectively), orally, for two weeks prior to gastric ulcer induction by absolute ethanol. Lanso + ethanol group administered 20 mg/kg lansoprazole, orally, for two weeks prior to gastric ulcer induction by ethanol. Results of the current study showed that ethanol caused several macroscopic and microscopic alterations, amplified lipid peroxidation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic markers, as well as diminished PGE2, NO, and antioxidant enzyme activities. On the other hand, animals pretreated with yarrow essential oil exhibited fewer macroscopic and microscopic modifications, reduced ulcer surface, and increased Alcian blue binding capacity, pH, and pepsin activity. In addition, yarrow essential oil groups exhibited reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, apoptotic markers, and MDA, restored the PGE2 and NO levels, and recovered the antioxidant enzyme activities. Ethanol escalated Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions, whereas pretreatment of yarrow essential oil caused further intensification in Nrf2 and HO-1. To conclude, the current study suggested yarrow essential oil as a gastroprotective agent against ethanol-induced gastric lesions. This gastroprotective effect could be related to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic actions of the essential oil through the instigation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Assessment of COVID-19 Symptoms Distribution According to Tobacco Products Consumption and Khat Chewing: A Potential Antinociceptive Role of Nicotine Among COVID-19 Patients.

Purpose: To assess the distribution of COVID-19 symptoms according to the consumption of tobacco products and khat chewing among samples of Saudi Arabian individuals. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected online via a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire measured demographic variables, COVID-19 symptoms and vaccination, comorbidities history, tobacco product consumption, and khat chewing. In addition, logistic regression was performed to assess the association between the clinical presentation of COVID-19 with tobacco product consumption and khat chewing. Results: A total of 1026 subjects were recruited. The mean age of the participants was 31 years, and more than half were male (53%). Among the reported tobacco product consumption, hookah smoking was more frequently reported as a currently consumed tobacco product (14.3%), followed by cigarette smoking (11.5%) and chewing tobacco (3.8%). Thirteen percent (134) were khat chewers at the time of recruitment. The odds of reporting five symptoms or more were higher among patients who have never been tobacco product consumers (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.15-2.35) while accounting for khat chewing, age, vaccination status, and history of comorbidities. Nonetheless, the difference in symptom distribution with khat chewing status was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings of the current investigation suggest the presence of a potential impact of nicotine toxicity in masking pain among the subjects infected with COVID-19. Therefore, it is possible to hypothesize that, with the potential masking effect of nicotine, infected smokers may be less likely to suffer from the symptoms and seek official healthcare services, including diagnostic services.

Awareness of Saudi community toward multiple sclerosis in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the awareness of Saudis in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia on multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 Saudis in Qassim, Saudi Arabia between January 2019 and June 2019 using a pre-designed questionnaire including socio-demographic data and questions evaluating knowledge about MS. RESULTS: The majority of studied participants were adult females (74%), between 20-30 year-old (45.1%) and with high education level or above (80.6%). Nearly one third of the studied group had good knowledge regarding MS (31.7%). Half of the studied group knew that central nervous system (CNS) is the system affected by MS, 52% reported that vitamin D deficiency, family history of MS, personal history of autoimmune disease, viruses, and obesity are the factors which increase the risk of developing MS. Approximately, 62.9% knew that blurred and double vision, numbness, paralysis or weakness and difficulty in concentration and memorizing are symptoms of MS. Female participants and those knowing someone having MS had a significant good knowledge level regarding MS than others. Getting knowledge from combined sources from internet or social media; family, friends or neighbors and health workers was significantly more prevalent among those with good knowledge. CONCLUSION: Most of the study participants had limited knowledge regarding MS. Planning health education programs for the public is essential.

Failed endovascular therapy for acute internal carotid artery occlusion from pituitary apoplexy: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Large pituitary adenomas can rarely cause compression of the cavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) due to chronic tumor compression or invasion. Here, the authors present a case of pituitary apoplexy causing acute bilateral ICA occlusion with resultant stroke. Our middle-aged patient presented with sudden vision loss and experienced rapid deterioration requiring intubation. Computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed a large pituitary mass causing severe stenosis of the bilateral ICAs. CT perfusion revealed a significant perfusion delay in the anterior circulation. The patient was taken for cerebral angiography, and balloon angioplasty was attempted with no improvement in arterial flow. Resection of the tumor was then performed, with successful restoration of blood flow. Despite restoration of luminal patency, the patient experienced bilateral ICA infarcts. OBSERVATIONS: Pituitary apoplexy can present as an acute stroke due to flow-limiting carotid compression. Balloon angioplasty is ineffective for the treatment of this type of compression. Surgical removal of the tumor restores the flow and luminal caliber of the ICA. LESSONS: Pituitary apoplexy can be a rare presentation of acute stroke and should be managed with immediate surgical decompression rather than attempted angioplasty in order to restore blood flow and prevent the development of cerebral ischemia.

FAK, paxillin, and PI3K in ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor.

OBJECTIVE: Integrins function to bind cells to extracellular matrix in tissues, which triggers downstream signaling cascades that are important in cell survival, proliferation, cytokine activation, and cytoskeleton reorganization. These processes also play significant roles in neoplasms. This work aimed to investigate the pattern of expression of FAK, paxillin, and PI3K in ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to study FAK, paxillin, and PI3K in 45 ameloblastomas (32 conventional, 12 unicystic, and 1 peripheral types), 7 AOTs, and two developing human teeth. RESULTS: Weak expression of FAK was seen in all AOT cases, while ameloblastoma had varying expression patterns, mostly strong to weak. The pattern of expression of paxillin and PI3K was relatively similar in both tumor types. In the dental germ, FAK and paxillin stained all the enamel organ components, while PI3K stained strongly the inner enamel epithelium. Stromal expression of FAK was not found to be useful in differentiating between tumors or tumor classes. CONCLUSION: The expression of the proteins in the enamel organ suggests that their signaling may be important in odontogenesis. While some ameloblastomas strongly expressed FAK, all cases of AOT had weak signals suggesting low presence and phosphorylating activity of FAK in the latter. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A subset of FAK-positive ameloblastoma (as well as their malignant or metastasizing counterparts) which may have relatively aggressive behavior may be candidates for drug targeting of FAK as an additional management option.

Studying the effect of adding growth factors to the autologous melanocyte keratinocyte suspension in segmental vitiligo.

Addition of different growth factors to the medium used in autologous melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation procedure (MKTP) was reported in the literature. The aim of the current study was comparison of response to MKTP in segmental vitiligo (SV) with and without adding growth factors to the suspension medium. Eighteen cases with SV were randomly divided into two groups. In group A: Ham F12 medium was used for suspension and in group B: 5 ng/mL recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and 25 mg/500 mL 3'5' cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were added to the medium. All cases received NB-UVB twice weekly for 24 weeks. The area of vitiligo lesions was measured before and after therapy by point-counting technique and complications were recorded. Excellent response (90%-100% repigmentation) occurred in 5/9 cases (56%) in group A and 7/9 cases (78%) in group B (with growth factors). A significant decrease in the area of treated lesions before and after therapy was found in both groups A and B (P = .0012 and .0004, respectively), however, a higher percentage of reduction in area of vitiligo was seen in group B cases (70% in group A vs 90% in group B; P value: .028). Marginal halo was seen in five cases in group A and six in group B. In conclusion addition of bFGF and cAMP to MKTP medium improved the results of the procedure. It could be considered if economically feasible.

Evaluation of the expression of the stromal cell-derived factor-1 alpha (CXCL 12) in psoriatic patients after treatment with Methotrexate.

BACKGROUND: CXCL12 has an important role in skin homeostasis and inflammation. OBJECTIVE: In this work, the expression of CXCL12 was evaluated in psoriasis vulgaris, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients in relation to disease activity and methotrexate (MTX) therapy. METHODS: Skin biopsies were obtained from 10 psoriasis vulgaris patients, 10 PsA patients, and 20 controls. The biopsies were repeated 6 weeks after MTX therapy. The biopsies were stained immunohistochemically by stromal dermal factor 1 alpha (CXCL 12) antibody. RESULTS: Psoriatic arthritis showed significantly more expression of CXCL 12 than psoriasis vulgaris patients before treatment but not after treatment. There was significant decrease in CXCL 12 expression in the keratinocytes of psoriasis vulgaris patients after MTX therapy than before treatment, P-value was 0.009. There was no significant difference between pre- and post-treatment in the CXCL 12 expression of keratinocytes of PsA patients, P-value was 0.093. The percentage decrease of PASI score after treatment showed a moderate correlation with the percentage decrease of CXCL12 expression of the keratinocytes of the total psoriasis patients, r = 0.484, P-value was 0.015. CONCLUSION: CXCL12 might be involved in the progression of psoriasis vulgaris to PsA. MTX therapy downregulated the expression of CXCL12 of the keratinocytes of psoriasis patients. This downregulation was paralleled by decrease in the PASI score. CXCL12 can be used as a biological marker of disease severity of psoriasis patients.

Evidence of patient beliefs, values, and preferences is not provided in osteoporosis clinical practice guidelines.

We examined how patient beliefs, values, and preferences (BVPs) were included and conceptualized in international osteoporosis guidelines. The majority of guidelines did not mention BVPs. When mentioned, BVPs were conceptualized as preference for one medication over another. A broader conceptualization and inclusion of BVPs should be incorporated in osteoporosis guidelines. INTRODUCTION: Our objectives were to determine (1) the extent to which osteoporosis guidelines reflected patients' beliefs, values, and preferences (BVPs); (2) how BVPs were conceptualized; and (3) the methods used to elicit BVPs in the references cited by the guidelines. METHODS: We conducted a document analysis of English-language international osteoporosis guidelines based on the International Osteoporosis Foundation website. We examined each guideline and extracted all instances of statements pertaining to BVPs. The statements were reviewed by two independent researchers. Discrepancies in data extraction were resolved by the first author. We developed categories based on five common elements that represented the BVP statements. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of 70 (39%) guidelines included 95 statements about patient BVPs. Of the 95 statements, 32 statements (14 guidelines) were classified under BVP related to the choice of pharmacotherapy or general treatment, 10 (7 guidelines) under BVP related to adherence to pharmacotherapy or treatment in general, 5 (5 guidelines) under BVP related to financial costs and benefits, 43 (19 guidelines) under other BVP mentioned but not supported by a reference to a primary study or systematic review, and 5 (3 guidelines) under other BVP mentioned and supported by at least one reference to a primary study or systematic review. Twenty-nine references were cited to reflect the BVPs mentioned, including an editorial and quantitative studies. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-seven (39%) of the guidelines included mention of patients' BVPs. In 19 guidelines, the importance of BVPs was mentioned but these statements were not supported by references to a primary study or systematic review. BVPs were most often (14 guidelines) conceptualized as preference for one medication over another. We suggest that qualitative data be included as evidence of BVPs in guidelines.

The Effect of Morbid Obesity on Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Prognosis in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The association between obesity and nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patient outcome is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of morbid obesity (body mass index ≥40 kg/m2) on nontraumatic SAH outcomes. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified hospitalized, nontraumatic SAH patients who received their diagnoses from 2008 to 2013 and tested the effect of obesity on their mortality and clinical outcomes. Odds ratios were estimated with a mixed effects linear logistic model with adjustment for hospital clustering. All statistical testing was 2-sided, with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Out of 224,561 discharged patients with a diagnosis of nontraumatic SAH, 4714 (2.10%) were defined as morbidly obese. Patients with morbid obesity were younger (54.3 ± 0.44 vs. 59.5 ± 0.08 years; P < 0.001) and had longer length of stay (LOS) (13 ± 0.46 vs. 11.5 ± 0.06 days; P = 0.002). Morbid obesity was associated with significantly higher hospital costs (P < 0.001) and charges (P < 0.001). The risk of acute respiratory failure was higher in morbidly obese patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-1.71, P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis of hospital mortality, obesity had a negative impact on mortality (OR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74-0.92, P < 0.001). Overall, in-hospital mortality was associated with age, morbid obesity, LOS, clipping and coiling, and acute respiratory failure but not the symptomatic vasospasm. CONCLUSIONS: Morbid obesity is associated with increased LOS, hospital costs and charges and with acute respiratory failure. However, it is also associated with a decrease in hospital mortality.

Effect of Procedural-Related Variables on Melanocyte-Keratinocyte Suspension Transplantation in Nonsegmental Stable Vitiligo: A Clinical and Immunocytochemical Study.

BACKGROUND: Melanocyte-keratinocyte suspension (M-K susp) is gaining popularity for vitiligo treatment. Few studies have addressed procedure-related variables. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of different M-K susp procedure-related variables on the clinical outcome in stable vitiligo. METHODS: This prospective multicenter comparative study included 40 cases with nonsegmental stable vitiligo. Donor site was either a skin graft in noncultured epidermal cell suspension (NCECS) or hair follicle units in outer root sheath hair follicle suspension (ORSHFS). Recipient site was prepared by either cryoblebbing or CO2 laser resurfacing. Cell counts and viability were recorded in the cell suspensions. Tissue melanocytes and keratinocytes were examined by melan-A and cytokeratin, respectively. Assessment of repigmentation was performed 18 months after the procedure. RESULTS: Thirty-seven subjects completed the study. Cell count was significantly lower in the ORSHFS compared with NCECS with no significant difference in the repigmentation outcome. On comparing techniques of recipient site preparation, homogenicity was better in the CO2 group. Elbows and knees responded better to CO2 resurfacing, whereas distal fingers responded better to combination of cryoblebbing with NCECS. CONCLUSION: Using different techniques in M-K susp produces comparable results. However, the distal fingers showed better results using combination of donor NCECS and recipient cryoblebs.

Cathelicidin (LL-37) level in the scalp hair of patients with tinea capitis.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered an important first line of defense against pathogens. Cathelicidin LL-37 was upregulated in response to fungal infection. In this work we aimed to evaluate cathelicidin LL-37 in the hair of tinea capitis and compare it to normal controls. Hair samples were collected from 30 children and 30 controls aged from 2 to10 years old, and the level of cathelicidin LL-37 in the hair was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The 30 patients were further subdivided into three subgroups according to their clinical type. Ten patients were scaly type, 10 patients were black dots type, and 10 patients were kerion type. Cathelicidin level in patients ranged from 6.0 to 17.5 with mean ± SD (11.3 ± 2.3) and in control ranged from 1.02 to 6.2, with mean ± SD (2.8 ± 1.5). There was a significant difference between the patients and controls regarding the cathelicidin level; P value was 0. The mean cathelicidin level was lowest in the kerion type10.73 ± 2.6 and highest in the black dot type 12.05 ± 2.76. However, there was no significant difference between the cathelicidin level of the different clinical types of tinea capitis; P value was 0.58. In conclusion, the level of cathelicidin LL-37 in hair specimens of human tinea capitis was significantly higher than controls.