Madinah Region Research Articles

Best Practice for Marketing Heritage Site: Analysing the Medina National Museum in Saudi Arabia

Heritage tourism provides direct benefits for regional economies and enhances economic development within the local communities. This study investigates the best practices of Medina National Museum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by analysing the values of the site, tourist motivations, stakeholder’s collaboration, and promotion management of the site. Applying the interpretive social science paradigm, this study is based on secondary data, which means that the researcher has gathered data from other scholars. This study finds religious and socio-cultural values of the site that could be taken into account as important values for a heritage site. This study also finds that religious, educational and authentic are the most important tourist motivations to the site. It has also identified the related stakeholders in Saudi Arabia and Madinah region and concludes that bureaucracy prevents effective partnerships between the related stakeholders, including private and public sectors. Finally, based on the results, the study offers some suggestions and recommendations to increase the number of visitors to the Medina National Museum, including applying appropriate marketing strategy focusing to the targeted Muslim tourists, whether domestic or international tourists.Keywords: Medina National Museum; heritage tourism; destination value; marketing strategy; tourist motivation.

Alteration of Ferritin Levels and Lymphocytes Counts in Saudi Patients with COVID-19 Infection in Al Madinah Al Munawarah

It is an essential to evaluate the potential biomarkers affecting the progression of disease in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between Ferritin levels and hematological parameters and severity of COVID-19 to explore its role in predicting the severity of COVID-19. This retrospective study was conducted in different Hospitals at Madinah region, Saudi Arabia. In the present study, a total of 112 cases of COVID-19 patients. The patient records included the clinical and laboratory data that was used for analysis by using the GraphPad Prism Software. Data presented as mean (SD), all differences were statistically significant at the level of P≤0.05 or ≤0.001. There were significantly increased levels of ferritin, neutrophil and leukocyte counts in severe COVID-19 cases (1857 (50.9), 9.9 (2.8), 9.9 (2.8) respectively) compared with non-sever cases. Additionally, there were significantly reduction in lymphocytes counts in COVID-19 patients (1.3 (9.5), P=0.001). There were also strong correlations between elevation of ferritin levels or reduction of lymphocytes and the severity COVID-19 infection (r=0.53, OR: 5.88 and r=-0.55, OR: 3.98 respectively). The results demonstrate that high values for neutrophil, leukocyte counts and Ferritin levels, and low values for lymphocyte counts may have diagnostic properties concerning COVID-19 in severe cases.

Histopathological profile of brain tumors: A 12-year retrospective study from Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Objectives:The objective of this study is to characterize the histopathological types and basic demographic parameters of brain tumors in the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia and to analyze and compare the findings with previously published literature.Materials and Methods:This retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and comprised cases of brain tumors during 12 years (from January 2006 to December 2017). Basic demographic data, tumor site, and histopathological patterns were obtained from the medical records and further analyzed and graded according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007 classification.Results:A total of 227 brain tumors in 122 (53.7%) males and 105 (46.3%) female patients were recorded. Pediatric and adult patients accounted for 10.6% and 89.4% of the cases, respectively. The predominant age group affected was between 40 and 49 years (23.5%). The most common histopathological diagnosis in the present study was meningioma (30.8%), followed by astrocytic tumors (29.1%), metastatic tumors (7.7%), and embryonal tumors (6.6%). The meningothelial meningioma was the most common type of meningioma (48.5%). The majority of astrocytic tumors (52%) fell under the WHO Grade IV.Conclusion:This retrospective study established a baseline profile of brain tumors based primarily on the histopathological experience at a tertiary care hospital in the Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and provides an initiating platform to workup for future population targeted studies on brain tumors.

Quality of nursing work life among hospital nurses in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

This study measures the levels of QNWL and determines the relationship between QNWL and nurses' personal, family and work shift factors. The nursing profession in Saudi Arabia (SA) is diverse, with many challenges during nursing practice. Therefore, examining QNWL is important for managers because it has become an essential subject in current nursing practice. A quantitative approach utilizing a cross-sectional design with 400 nurses recruited randomly through a multistage cluster sampling plan. The overall level of quality of nursing working life among nurses was moderate (mean=165; SD=26.8). Bivariate analysis showed that non-Saudi nationality, higher age, more work experience, married status, full-time employment, rotating shift and specialty units were the significant factors contributing to higher QNWL scores (p<.05). The study provides initial understanding of the quality of work life among nurses working in the Madinah region. It reveals a moderate level of QNWL and a significant association between personal, family, and work shift variables and QNWL. The findings will be of interest to all management levels to support nurses through adequate staffing with defined criteria that dictate the nurse-patient ratio for adequate QNWL.

Prognostic Significance of Cyclin D1 Over-expression in Colorectal Cancer: An Experience from Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Background and study aim: Cyclin D1 is a key regulatory protein in the cell cycle and is over-expressed in many tumors, including endometrial, thyroid, urothelial, breast, brain gliomas, and esophageal cancers. The main aim of the present study is to examine the expression pattern of cyclin D1 and its correlation with the different clinicopathological features in patients with colorectal camcer (CRC) from the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. Patients and methods:The archival tumor blocks were analyzed using immunohistochemistry for Cyclin D1 over-expression in 324 CRC patients diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2017, at the Department of Pathology, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.Results: Cyclin D1 over-expression was absent in normal mucosa, while 15% cases of adenoma showed its over-expression. In CRC, Cyclin D1 was expressed at high levels in 24.1% of case. No significant correlation was observed between Cyclin D1 over-expression and age, gender, tumor size, type and location. However, Cyclin D1 over-expression exhibited a significant correlation with tumor differentiation (p=0.04), lymph node involvement (p=0.001), lymphovascular invasion (p=0.001), distant metastasis (p=0.006) and AJCC staging (p=0.001). The Kaplan-Meir analysis revealed a shorter period of survival with Cyclin D1 over-expression (p=0.000). The Cox-regression model analysis showed that Cyclin D1 over-expression was an independent prognostic marker in CRC (p=0.000). Conclusion: Cyclin D1 over-expression increases during normal-adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The significant association observed between Cyclin D1 over-expression, advanced tumor stage and short survival period clearly suggest the role of Cyclin D1 in the carcinogenesis and progression of CRC.

The histopathological pattern of benign and non-neoplastic skin diseases at King Fahad Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Objectives:To characterize and compare the histopathological pattern of benign skin diseases in patients from Madinah region of Saudi Arabia.Methods:This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Pathology, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and contained cases of benign skin diseases for 11 years (from January 2006 to December 2017). The findings were tabulated in Microsoft Excel sheet and classified based on histopathological diagnosis.Results:Of 1,125 skin tissues reviewed, 579 (51.5%) specimens were from male patients and 546 (48.5%) specimens were from females giving a male: female ratio of 1.1:1. The ages ranged from 1 to 101 years with a mean age of 36.9±9.8 years. Most of the skin diseases (n=639; 57%) were seen in the age group 20-49 years. The most common skin diseases observed were disorders of skin appendages (29.6%) followed by benign tumors (18.3%), disorders of pigmentations (11.9%), papulosquamous lesions (11.4%), and dermatitis/eczema (10%). In the group of skin appendages disorders, epidermal inclusion cyst was the most common disease entity representing 20.4% of cases, followed by trichilemmal cyst accounting for 9.2% of the total cases. Mean ages of the patients were 35±8.5 years and 36.7±9.7 years respectively.Conclusion:A variety of benign skin lesions were seen in the present study in a wide age distribution range. The most common skin diseases observed in this study were skin appendage disorders, benign skin and adnexal tumors, pigmentation disorders, and papulosquamous lesions.

Histopathological Patterns and Characteristics of Abnormal Cervical Smear in Madinah Region of Saudi Arabia

Cervical cancer is a major public health problem that continues to be one of the leading female genital cancers worldwide. In the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), cervical cancer ranks the fifteenth most frequent cancer among females. This study is the first published research study addressing the screening of cervical cancer in Madinah region of KSA.Aim:To evaluate the abnormal cytological entities detected by cervical Pap smear in Madinah region of KSA and to compare the results with other national and international studies.Methods:This retrospective case-control study was conducted in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Histopathology at the Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH), Madinah, KSA from January 2013 to December 2015.Results:Of the 1594 cases reviewed, only 38 cases (2.4%) had epithelial cell abnormalities. High grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) were the most common diagnosis categories, and cervical cancer accounted for 36.8% of the total cases for each, followed by atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (ASCUS) found in (15.9%). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC ) was found in (5.3%) of the cases. Patients with abnormal epithelial changes had higher parity (P=0.021) and presented more with a complaint of postcoital bleeding (P<0.0001), tend to have abnormal cervical appearance (P=0.004), more likely bleeding on touch (P=0.001) and associated with cervical erosion (P=0.014).Conclusion:The study showed a relatively low prevalence of epithelial cell lesions. These lesions were mainly squamous cell lesions harbored by females who have an abnormal cervical appearance, and those with high parity who were lacking cervical screening program.

Histopathological pattern of skin cancer in Western region of Saudi Arabia. An 11 years experience.

Objectives:To determine the histopathological pattern of skin cancer in Madinah region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).Methods:This is a retrospective study including all cases with a histological diagnosis of skin cancer diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, between January 2006 and December 2017. Data included age, gender, site and histology of the tumor were collected from histopathological reports and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21.Results:Among the 202 cancer cases studied in our series, there were 124 (61.4%) cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 33 (16.3%) cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 14 (6.8%) cases of mycosis fungoides (MF), 12 (5.8%) cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and 7 (3.7%) cases of malignant melanomas (MM). The male to female ratio for all cases was 2.2:1. The ages ranged from 5 to 100 years with a mean age of 60.1±15 years. The peak age distribution was in the 60-69 year group. The most common site involved in BCC and SCC was the head and neck (92.7% and 66.7%) respectively). Acral distribution of MM was seen in 57.1% of the cases.Conclusion:Our data based on the histopathology history in the Madinah region match that in the world literature and Saudi national studies.

FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF ANNUAL MAXIMUM DAILY RAINFALL IN WADI ALAQIQ, SAUDI ARABIA

In arid regions the rainfall is highly variable temporally and spatially. Statistical frequency analyses help to extract design rainfall intensity for different return periods. Wadi Alaqiq catchment at Madinah region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is selected to estimate the frequency of the daily rainfall, where there are two rainfall stations (Madinah and BirMashi) with more than 40-year annual maximum daily rainfall magnitudes. Several probability distribution functions are tested through goodness-of-fit (GOF). Anderson-Darling (AD) test is applied to select the best statistical distribution and L-moments method is applied for parameters estimation. The generalized logistic and generalized extreme value PDFs are the best for this arid region data for both stations. The findings are useful for application of flood frequency analysis in arid region with similar conditions of hydrological systems. In the mean-time, the climate change effects have been explained through the innovative trend analysis.

Histopathological pattern of testicular diseases in western Saudi Arabia.

ObjectivesTo determine the histopathological pattern of testicular diseases among Saudi patients in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis retrospective histopathology-based study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, from January 2006 to December 2017. The data collected were entered into MS-Excel and analyzed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences Version 19.ResultsOf the 199 testicular specimens received, 108 (54.3%) of the biopsies were taken for diagnostic test, while 91 (45.7%) were for therapeutic test. The male infertility was the only indication in the diagnostic group, accounting for 108 (54.3%) with a mean age of 28±7.9 years. Benign conditions of the testes were the most common indication in the therapeutic group accounting for 76 cases (38.2%), followed by 15 cases (7.5%) of testicular tumors. Hemorrhagic infarction from testicular torsion was the most common histologic patterns in benign testicular conditions group, accounting for 46 (23.2%) of the cases with a mean age of patients 32.1±8.1 years. Mixed non-seminomatous germ cell tumor was the most common primary tumor in 7 (3.5%) cases, followed by seminoma occurring in 5 (2.5%) cases. Mean ages for these patients were 33.7±8.1 years for primary tumor and 35.6±9.1 years for seminoma.ConclusionsThe pattern of testicular diseases on the basis of histopathology experience in the Madinah region appears to conform to world literature and KSA.

Incidence and Pattern of Mandible Fractures in the Madinah Region: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives:The objective of the study is to study the incidence and pattern of mandible fractures in the holy city of Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over a retrospective period of 3 years from 2013 (1434H) to 2016 (1436H) and to compare the results with those from other regions of Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.Materials and Methods:Relevant data of patients admitted to the King Fahad Hospital, Madinah with a fracture of the mandible during the study were collected from their medical records and radiographs. The age, gender, etiology, role of the patient, site, and number of fractures in the patients were evaluated. The data were analyzed by standard statistical methods.Results:A total of 197 patients with fracture of the mandible were admitted in the period of the study by the Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Department, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah. There were 165 male and 32 female patients. The ages ranged from 3 to 86 years with a mean of 24 years. A total of 260 fractures of Mandible were documented. The largest number (113) of patients was found in the age group between 16 and 30 years. Trauma caused by motor vehicle road traffic accidents (RTAs) was the main etiology of the fractures followed by falls and assault. The majority of the patients were in the role of vehicle drivers. The condylar anatomical site of mandible was most frequently affected and constituted the largest number (103) of fractures followed by the angle (51), parasymphysis (45), and then by the body (23) of the mandible. Dentoalveolar fractures were present in 22 cases. Very less number of coronoid fractures (7), followed by those of the ramus (5), and least number at the symphysis (4) of the mandible were found.Conclusion:RTA was the most common etiology for trauma and fracture of the mandible. The males outnumbered the female patients, the largest number of patients with trauma and mandible fracture was found in the age group between 16 and 30 years and frequency of condylar fractures was higher.

Correlation between Obesity and Coronary Heart Disease Risk among Saudi Subjects at Madinah Region

The study aimed to characterize the major cardiovascular risk factors using Framingham Risk Score (FRS) among Saudis. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the expected 10 years FRS for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among Saudi subjects. In the present study there was a significant association between the 10 years risk of developing CHD and BMI. The results revealed an increase in BMI contributing to significant increase in the 10 years risk of CHD among males. The overall distribution of FRS among males regardless the BMI category as a percentage of the total male subjects revealed that males were at low, medium and high CHD risk of 71.4%, 14.27% and 14.3%, respectively. However, female subjects showed 91.5%, 4.8% and 3.6% at low, medium and high FRS, respectively. Moreover, significant increases in the Odd ratio amounting to 4.58 and 5.24 among intermediate and high risk males in comparison with female ones, respectively. BMI strongly correlates with the expected 10 years FRS for CVD. Also there is a gender specific susceptablity for CVD risk among Saudi males compared to female ones. Socioeconomic, behavioral, awareness about healthy choices and genetic characteristics of obesity should be taken in consideration since extrapolating other population’s studies to Saudi one might be misleading.

Clinicopathologic Patterns of Adult Renal Tumors.

Background and Aim:Adult renal tumors (ARTs) are rare as compared with tumors of other organs and systems; however, it is important to have demographic and pathology data of rare tumors, including ART. No such data are available from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, we aimed to study the demographic and pathological data of ART from King Fahad Hospital, Al-Madinah, KSA.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective study of computerized data from the histopathology laboratory of King Fahad Hospital during a 10-year period (January 2006–September 2015).Results:There were 42 cases of ART, comprising 28 males and 14 females (male:female ratio of 2:1). The study group ranged in age from 17 to 83 years, with a mean of 54.5 years. In the study cohort, 93% of the patients had malignant tumors and 7% had benign lesions. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounted for 85.8% of cases, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and sarcoma. The benign tumors recorded in our series were oncocytoma (4.7%) and angiomyolipoma (2.4%). The tumor size of RCC ranged from 4 to 17 cm, with a mean of 7.4 cm. The majority of patients (68%) had Fuhrman Grade II tumor. Gross capsular invasion, renal vein invasion and lymph node metastases were present in one case each.Conclusion:We conclude that the pathological findings of ART from the Madinah region are in concordance with studies in national and international literature.

Hospital doctors’ views of, collaborations with and expectations of clinical pharmacists

ObjectiveThe collaboration between doctors and clinical pharmacists is a key factor in the provision of drug therapy and the continuity of patient care. The aim of this study was to...

ARID HYDROLOGICAL MODELING AT WADI ALAQIQ, MADINAH, SAUDI ARABIA

Madinah is one of the urban centers that have experienced several devastating floods during the past 50 years. The objectives of this study are to estimate the flood hydrograph and peak discharge in the Wadi Alaqiq in Madinah and its major sub-catchments based on daily rainfall distribution. Daily annual maximum records are chosen for rainfall distribution in the study area. Wadi Alaqiq is located in the western part of the Madinah city and consists of five major sub-catchments, namely, Aqiq, Ruwawah, Reem, Al-Yutmah and Annaqi. The HEC-HMS and modified Talbot models are applied to estimate design flood for various average recurrence intervals (ARI). The analysis involves two stages, where stage one is concerned with modeling of the Wadi Alaqiq sub-catchment and comparison of the peak flow values obtained by previous studies and empirical formulae based on rainfall distribution analysis. In the second stage, the HEC-HMS is run separately for the five sub-catchments of Wadi Alaqiq. The model parameter values are then used to simulate for 25-year, 50-year and 100-year flood hydrographs. The HEC-HMS model is used to analyze the hydrologic behaviour of the wadi catchments. Initial and constant rate loss method is used to determine the hydrologic loss and the excess rainfall was transformed using the Clark’s Unit Hydrograph. The peak flow simulations are very close with reported values and those derived by modified Talbot. Also, the peak discharges are applied to model discharges from the HEC-HMS and modified Talbot equations of the five sub-catchments for a set of selected return periods. The direct runoff ratio for Madinah region in wadis Al-Yutmah, Annaqi, Aqiq, Reem and Ruwawah ranged from 25% to 28% of the total rainfall. This is due to topography condition, wadi catchment area and the use of predicted maximum daily rainfall results. The model results are reasonable for rainfall-runoff application and can be used for wadi corridor management in arid region.

Association between Obesity and Coronary Heart Disease Risk among Saudi Subjects at Madinah Region

Purpose:&nbsp;To characterize the association between major cardiovascular diseases risk among Saudis and their body mass index (BMI). Methods:&nbsp;A cross-sectional study was conducted (April to June 2015) to investigate the expected 10 years risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among Saudi subjects (age range 20-70 years) using Framingham Risk Score (FRS) with respect to their BMI (analyzed October 2015). Results:&nbsp;In the present study there was a significant association between the 10 years risk of developing CVD and BMI. The results revealed an increase in BMI contributing to significant increase in the 10 years risk of CVD among males. The overall distribution of FRS among males regardless the BMI category as a percentage of the total male subjects revealed that males were at low, medium and high CVD risk of 71.4%, 14.27% and 14.3%, respectively. However, female subjects showed 91.5%, 4.8% and 3.6% at low, medium and high FRS, respectively. In addition, significant increases in the Odd ratio amounting to 4.58 and 5.24 among intermediate and high risk males in comparison with female ones, respectively. Conclusions:&nbsp;BMI strongly associated with the expected 10 years FRS for CVD. Moreover, there was gender specific susceptablity for CVD risk among Saudi males compared to female ones. Socioeconomic, behavioral, awareness about healthy choices and genetic characteristics of obesity should be taken in consideration since extrapolating other population's studies to Saudi one might be misleading.

Beliefs and attitudes of male and female adolescents and the risk of smoking behavior.

Background:Adolescent smoking relates to numerous risk factors, of which beliefs and attitudes toward smoking may play a role. The study aimed to investigate the association between beliefs and attitudes and the risk of adolescent smoking.Materials and Methods:In a school-based cross-sectional study, 3,400 students were recruited from 34 intermediate and secondary schools in Madinah City, Al Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia. Data about sociodemographics, smoking-related factors, and beliefs and attitudes toward smoking were collected using a valid and reliable self-administered questionnaire. Prevalence of smoking was estimated and the studied beliefs and attitudes were compared by smoking status and sex using appropriate statistical analyses including multivariate logistic regression.Results:Of the 3,322 respondents, 33.02% (38.9% males and 26.4% females) were current smokers. Beliefs and attitudes toward smoking significantly differed between smokers and nonsmokers in the studied male and female students. The adjusted risk of smoking was significantly increased among female adolescents who believed that male smokers were more attractive [odds ratio (OR) = 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.6-2.9] and among male smokers who believed that female smokers are more attractive (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.2-2.2). The risk was also increased among all adolescents who believed that smoking lent comfort in social gatherings. Belief that smoking is harmful, however, was negatively associated with the risk of smoking, particularly among females (OR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.35-0.91).Conclusions:The study revealed a considerable high prevalence of smoking among male and female adolescents. Addressing the beliefs and knowledge about smoking during childhood is crucial in any antismoking program.

Prevalence and predictors of adolescents' cigarette smoking in Madinah, Saudi Arabia: a school-based cross-sectional study.

BackgroundAlthough the prevalence of adolescents’ cigarette smoking has increased in recent decades, little is known regarding its epidemiology in certain Saudi regions, including the Madinah region. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of adolescent cigarette smoking in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.MethodsA school-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the Madinah region during 2013. A multistage stratified cluster sample was taken and included 3400 students (11–19 years) from 34 intermediate and secondary schools. Data concerning sociodemographic and smoking-related factors were collected using a valid and reliable self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of smoking was estimated, and appropriate statistical analyses were performed, including univariate, predictive and multivariate regression analyses.ResultsThe overall response rate was 97.7%. The prevalence of cigarette smoking in the respondents’ 3322 adolescents was 15.17% (95% CI = 13.95-16.39) with significant differences in sociodemographic factors. The most important predictors were most or all friends smoking (OR = 12.5; 95% CI = 9.40-16.8). Other significant less important factors were parental smoking, belief in the harmful effects of smoking, cigarette advertisement in mass media, and pocket money.ConclusionsCigarette smoking prevalence is a relatively low among adolescents in Madinah region. However, friends and parents smoking play an important role in the increased risk of smoking in the studied adolescents. These predictors must be included in any antismoking education programs targeting to this sector of population in the region.

Effects of seed pretreatment and seed source on germination of five Acacia spp.

The effects of seed pre-sowing treatment and geographic source of seeds on three germination parameters of five Acacia species (GP = germination percent; GMT = germination mean time (days) and GI = germination index) were studied. Pre-sowing treatment included immersion in concentrated sulphuric acid for 5, 10 and 15 min; immersion in hot water for 2, 4 and 6 min; abrasion of the seed coat and control. Seeds were collected from three geographical regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Aseer and Al Baha regions in South-Western and Al Madinah region in the West). Experiments were carried out on Petri dishes containing moistened filter papers and incubated in a growth chamber. Seed pretreatment significantly (P < 0.0001) affected GP, GMT and GI in all tree seed species studied. Generally, scarification (acid and mechanical abrasion) resulted in the best GP, GMT and GI. Hot water also gave good germination for most tree seed species. Germination behavior of A. ehrenbergiana seeds was different compared to other species. More also, increasing the time of immersion in acid decreased the GP in seeds collected from both Aseer and Al Baha regions, while in contrast, A. origena germinated better with increasing time of immersion in acid and hot water. Geographic source of seeds significantly affected most germination parameters, although it was comparatively inconsistent compared to seed treatment. Highly significant interactions (P < 0.0001) were recorded between seed pretreatment and seed source. Key words : Acacia species, pretreatment, seed source, germination, scarification, hot water.

Seroprevalence Rates of Helicobacter pylori and Viral Hepatitis A among Adolescents in Three Regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Is There Any Correlation?

The seroprevalence rate of Helicobacter pylori in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was reported to be in the range of 50-80% among mostly symptomatic patients in non-community-based studies. However, the seroprevalence of viral hepatitis A (HAV) underwent a marked decline in the last two decades from over 50% in 1989 to 25% in 1997 among Saudi children under the age of 12 years. The aim of this paper was to study seroprevalence rates of H. pylori and HAV among the adolescent population in three regions of KSA and to determine whether there was any correlation between them. We randomly selected 1200 16-18-year-old students from three regions around KSA. Demographic data, including socioeconomic status (SES), were recorded, and each student was tested for the presence of H. pylori-IgG antibodies and anti-HAV-IgG. The results indicate a high H. pylori infection rate (47%) among this age group. Boys had a higher prevalence than girls (p = .03), and the Al-Qaseem region had the highest prevalence (51%, p = .002). SES did not contribute to the high prevalence rates (p = .83). A cross-tabulation of data showed that 88 (8%) of the teenagers were seropositive and that 512 (44%) were negative for both H. pylori and HAV antibodies (χ(2) = 0.03, OR = 0.97, CI = 0.70-1.34). The agreement between H. pylori and HAV seropositivity was lower than would be predicted by chance (κ = -0.03). The variables that were independently associated with seropositivity to H. pylori were being female (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.60-0.95) and living in the Madinah region (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.55-0.94). The prevalence of H. pylori in this group of adolescents was high. However, there was no correlation between H. pylori and HAV infection rates. Hence, factors contributing to the transmission source and route seem to be different.