Rahaf Alharbi . - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rahaf Alharbi .

Research paper thumbnail of Different Alterations in Gut Microbiota between Bifidobacterium longum and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Treatments in Propionic Acid Rat Model of Autism

Nutrients

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) consist of a range of neurodevelopmental conditions accompanied b... more Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) consist of a range of neurodevelopmental conditions accompanied by dysbiosis of gut microbiota. Therefore, a number of microbiota manipulation strategies were developed to restore their balance. However, a comprehensive comparison of the various methods on gut microbiota is still lacking. Here, we evaluated the effect of Bifidobacterium (BF) treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FT) on gut microbiota in a propionic acid (PPA) rat model of autism using 16S rRNA sequencing. Following PPA treatment, gut microbiota showed depletion of Bacteroidia and Akkermansia accompanied by a concomitant increase of Streptococcus, Lachnospiraceae, and Paraeggerthella. The dysbiosis was predicted to cause increased levels of porphyrin metabolism and impairments of acyl-CoA thioesterase and ubiquinone biosynthesis. On the contrary, BF and FT treatments resulted in a distinct increase of Clostridium, Bifidobacterium, Marvinbryantia, Butyricicoccus, and Dorea. Th...

Research paper thumbnail of Enhanced immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine expressing consensus SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein using needle-free immunization

bioRxiv, 2021

The ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent developmen... more The ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent development of effective and safe prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) glycoprotein is a major immunogenic and protective protein, and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenesis. In this study, we successfully constructed a synthetic codon-optimized DNA-based vaccine as a countermeasure against SARS-CoV-2; denoted as VIU-1005. The design was based on the synthesis of codon-optimized coding sequence for optimal mammalian expression of a consensus full-length S glycoprotein. The successful construction of the vaccine was confirmed by restriction digestion and sequencing, and the protein expression of the S protein was confirmed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining in mammalian cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was tested in two mouse models (BALB/c and C57BL/6J). Th1-skewed systemic S-specific IgG antibodies a...

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between burnout and perfectionism in medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between perfectionism an... more Objectives: The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between perfectionism and burnout, and the prevalence of burnout, in medical and dental students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 645 clinical-year medical and dental students and interns in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to measure burnout, and the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale was used to measure perfectionism. SPSS version 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. Data were analyzed by linear regression, t-test, and ANOVA. Results: There was no significant correlation between burnout and any of the three types of perfectionism that were studied. The prevalence of normal or low burnout was 32.1%, and the prevalence of high burnout was 67.9%. The mean (standard deviation) of perfectionistic self-promotion was 42.99 (10.01), of non-display of imperfection wa...

Research paper thumbnail of Vortex structures in the near-nozzle field of laminar coflow jets

Research paper thumbnail of I Am Not an Engineer": Understanding How Clinicians Design & Alter Assistive Technology

In the emerging maker movement, clinicians have long played an advisory role in the development o... more In the emerging maker movement, clinicians have long played an advisory role in the development of customized assistive technology (AT). Recently, there has been a growing interest in including clinicians as builders of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) AT. To identify the needs of clinicians-as-makers, we investigated the challenges that clinicians faced as they volunteered in an AT building project where they were the primary designers and builders of assistive mobility devices for children. Through observation and co-building of modified ride-on toy cars with clinicians, we found that the rapid pace of development and transient relationship between user and builder did not allow for a complete assessment of the child's mobility. Furthermore, clinicians struggled to actualize concepts borne out of their clinical intent due to a lack of engineering skill. This study highlights the need for tools that support clinicians-as-makers in the AT maker process and a new conceptualization of the rol...

Research paper thumbnail of Updates in Diagnosis and Management of Croup

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Croup is a common respiratory disease that affects 3% of children aged six months to three years.... more Croup is a common respiratory disease that affects 3% of children aged six months to three years. It represents 7% of annual hospital admissions for fever and/or acute respiratory disease in children under the age of five. Boys are more susceptible than girls to the condition, with an overall male/female predominance of 1.4/1. Viruses are detected in up to 80% of patients with croup with identifiable pathogens. The onset of symptoms is usually sudden and usually occurs at night: stridor, hoarse voice and respiratory distress are often seen due to upper airway obstruction. Croup is a clinical diagnosis, children with an uncertain diagnosis, anterior and lateral soft-tissue neck radiographs may be useful to support an alternative diagnosis. Management includes: general care, humidified air, heliox, corticosteroids, and epinephrine, Objective: This study aimed to discuss croup in terms of its etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, assessment, and finally management.

Research paper thumbnail of Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Based DNA Vaccine Elicits Robust and Long-Lasting Th1 Humoral and Cellular Immunity in Mice

Frontiers in Microbiology

The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent developmen... more The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent development of effective and safe prophylactic and therapeutic measures. The spike (S) glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a major immunogenic and protective protein and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenesis. In this study, we successfully constructed a synthetic codon-optimized DNA-based vaccine as a countermeasure against SARS-CoV-2, denoted VIU-1005. The design was based on a codon-optimized coding sequence of a consensus full-length S glycoprotein. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was tested in two mouse models (BALB/c and C57BL/6J). Th1-skewed systemic S-specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were significantly induced in both models 4 weeks after three injections with 100 μg of the VIU-1005 vaccine via intramuscular needle injection but not intradermal or subcutaneous routes. Such immunization induced long-lasting IgG and me...

Research paper thumbnail of Epidemiology and Management of Pediatric Tracheomalacia

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Tracheomalacia is excessive trachea collapse, usually upon expiration. Severe symptoms accompany ... more Tracheomalacia is excessive trachea collapse, usually upon expiration. Severe symptoms accompany congenital types. Often milder versions occur following the neonatal period. Adult malacia is mostly linked to pulmonary chronic obstruction. There's still no standardized functional bronchoscopy. Dynamic CT airway is an excellent diagnostic tool. Bronchoscopy and stent insertion led to a major improvement, although with a high incidence of complication. Surgical lateropexia, excision of trachea and external surgical stabilization are possibilities. Aortopexy is the most common operation in children.

Research paper thumbnail of Cellular and Humoral Immunogenicity of a Candidate DNA Vaccine Expressing SARS-CoV-2 Spike Subunit 1

Vaccines

The urgent need for effective, safe and equitably accessible vaccines to tackle the ongoing sprea... more The urgent need for effective, safe and equitably accessible vaccines to tackle the ongoing spread of COVID-19 led researchers to generate vaccine candidates targeting varieties of immunogens of SARS-CoV-2. Because of its crucial role in mediating binding and entry to host cell and its proven safety profile, the subunit 1 (S1) of the spike protein represents an attractive immunogen for vaccine development. Here, we developed and assessed the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine encoding the SARS-CoV-2 S1. Following in vitro confirmation and characterization, the humoral and cellular immune responses of our vaccine candidate (pVAX-S1) was evaluated in BALB/c mice using two different doses, 25 µg and 50 µg. Our data showed high levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies in mice immunized with three doses of pVAX-S1. Analysis of the induced IgG subclasses showed a Th1-polarized immune response, as demonstrated by the significant elevation of spike-specific IgG2a and IgG2b...

Research paper thumbnail of Early Humoral Response Correlates with Disease Severity and Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

Viruses

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread globally with ... more The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread globally with significantly high morbidity and mortality rates. Antigen-specific responses are of unquestionable value for clinical management of COVID-19 patients. Here, we investigated the kinetics of IgM, IgG against the spike (S) and nucleoproteins (N) proteins and their neutralizing capabilities in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with different disease presentations (i.e., mild, moderate or severe), need for intensive care units (ICU) admission or outcomes (i.e., survival vs death). We show that SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG, IgM and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were readily detectable in almost all COVID-19 patients with various clinical presentations. Interestingly, significantly higher levels of nAbs as well as anti-S1 and -N IgG and IgM antibodies were found in patients with more severe symptoms, patients requiring admission to ICU or those with fatal outcomes. More importantly, early after sympto...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of Risk Factors for Osteoporosis Among Females Aged 35 Years and Above in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Advanced Research

Osteoporosis is a common public health challenge globally but the relative contribution of variou... more Osteoporosis is a common public health challenge globally but the relative contribution of variousrisk factors for osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia is not well established. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of risk factors for osteoporosis among females aged 35 years and above in Saudi Arabia. We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study with a sample size of 2070 and determined the prevalence of risk factors as percentages of the total sample size. We foundthat vitamin D deficiency is the major modifiable risk factor for osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia followed by cigarette smoking. Autoimmune and endocrine diseases were also not uncommon. Our results therefore suggest for the strengthening of measures to prevent vitamin D deficiency, reduce corticosteroid-related osteoporosis and curb cigarette smoking.

Research paper thumbnail of SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N-Based Serological Assays Reveal Rapid Seroconversion and Induction of Specific Antibody Response in COVID-19 Patients

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2, continues to... more As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread rapidly around the world, there is a need for well validated serological assays that allow the detection of viral specific antibody responses in COVID-19 patients or recovered individuals. In this study, we established and used multiple indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-based serological assays to study the antibody response in COVID-19 patients. In order to validate the assays we determined the cut off values, sensitivity and specificity of the assays using sera collected from pre-pandemic healthy controls, COVID-19 patients at different time points after disease-onset, and seropositive sera to other human coronaviruses. The developed SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit of the spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid (N)-based ELISAs not only showed high specificity and sensitivity but also did not show any cross-reactivity with other CoVs. We also show that all RT-PCR confirmed C...

Research paper thumbnail of Consumption of caffeine and its perceived effect among staff and students of medicine at AlMaarefa University, Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries

Research paper thumbnail of Multiple Indirect ELISAs for Serological Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, ... more As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread rapidly around the world, there is an urgent need for validated serological assays to evaluate viral specific antibody responses in COVID-19 patients or recovered individuals. In this study, we established and used indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-based serological tests to study the antibody response in COVID-19 patients. In order to validate the assays, we determined the cut-off values, sensitivity and specificity of the developed assays using sera collected from COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia at different time points after disease onset, as well as sera that are seropositive to other human CoVs; namely MERS-CoV, hCoV-OC43, hCoV-NL63, hCoV-229E, and hCoV-HKU1. The SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit of the spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid (N) ELISAs that we developed here not only showed high specificity and sensitivity, but also did not show any cross-rea...

Research paper thumbnail of The Effect of Adding Different Concentrations of Cows’ Milk on the Antioxidant Properties of Coffee

Biosciences, Biotechnology Research Asia, 2017

Polyphenols have been widely studied and considered as a health promoting and disease preventive ... more Polyphenols have been widely studied and considered as a health promoting and disease preventive agents in humans. Several studies investigated the antioxidant properties of polyphenols and their abilities to eliminate free radicals. In this study, the antioxidant activity of coffee in the presence of different types of cows' milk at different concentrations, 10% or 20%, was investigated. Our results showed that milk could either enhance the scavenging of DPPH or decrease the metal chelating and metal reducing activity of polyphenol. However, more investigations are required to evaluate the mechanisms by which fats in milk can alter the antioxidant activity of coffee.

Research paper thumbnail of SARS-CoV-2 S 1 and N-based serological assays reveal rapid seroconversion and induction 1 of specific antibody response in COVID-19 patients 2 3

SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N-based serological assays reveal rapid seroconversion and induction 1 of speci... more SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N-based serological assays reveal rapid seroconversion and induction 1 of specific antibody response in COVID-19 patients 2 3 Abdullah Algaissi1,2,3,#, Mohamed A Alfaleh1,4,#, Sharif Hala5,6,#, Turki S Abujamel1,7, Sawsan S 4 Alamri1,8, Sarah A Almahboub1, Khalid A Alluhaybi1,4, Haya I Hobani1, Reem M Alsulaiman1, 5 Rahaf H AlHarbi1,9, M-Zaki ElAssouli1, Rowa Y Alhabbab1,7, Ahdab A AlSaieedi1,7, Wesam H 6 Abdulaal8, Afrah A AL-Somali10, Fadwa S Alofi11, Asim A Khogeer12, Almohanad A Alkayyal13, 7 Ahmad Bakur Mahmoud14, Naif AM Almontashiri15, Arnab Pain5,16,17, Anwar M Hashem1,18,* 8 9 1 Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center; King Abdulaziz 10 University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 11 2 Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan 12 University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia 13 3 Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia 14 4 Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ...

Research paper thumbnail of Different Alterations in Gut Microbiota between Bifidobacterium longum and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Treatments in Propionic Acid Rat Model of Autism

Nutrients

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) consist of a range of neurodevelopmental conditions accompanied b... more Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) consist of a range of neurodevelopmental conditions accompanied by dysbiosis of gut microbiota. Therefore, a number of microbiota manipulation strategies were developed to restore their balance. However, a comprehensive comparison of the various methods on gut microbiota is still lacking. Here, we evaluated the effect of Bifidobacterium (BF) treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FT) on gut microbiota in a propionic acid (PPA) rat model of autism using 16S rRNA sequencing. Following PPA treatment, gut microbiota showed depletion of Bacteroidia and Akkermansia accompanied by a concomitant increase of Streptococcus, Lachnospiraceae, and Paraeggerthella. The dysbiosis was predicted to cause increased levels of porphyrin metabolism and impairments of acyl-CoA thioesterase and ubiquinone biosynthesis. On the contrary, BF and FT treatments resulted in a distinct increase of Clostridium, Bifidobacterium, Marvinbryantia, Butyricicoccus, and Dorea. Th...

Research paper thumbnail of Enhanced immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine expressing consensus SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein using needle-free immunization

bioRxiv, 2021

The ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent developmen... more The ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent development of effective and safe prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) glycoprotein is a major immunogenic and protective protein, and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenesis. In this study, we successfully constructed a synthetic codon-optimized DNA-based vaccine as a countermeasure against SARS-CoV-2; denoted as VIU-1005. The design was based on the synthesis of codon-optimized coding sequence for optimal mammalian expression of a consensus full-length S glycoprotein. The successful construction of the vaccine was confirmed by restriction digestion and sequencing, and the protein expression of the S protein was confirmed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining in mammalian cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was tested in two mouse models (BALB/c and C57BL/6J). Th1-skewed systemic S-specific IgG antibodies a...

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between burnout and perfectionism in medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between perfectionism an... more Objectives: The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between perfectionism and burnout, and the prevalence of burnout, in medical and dental students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 645 clinical-year medical and dental students and interns in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to measure burnout, and the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale was used to measure perfectionism. SPSS version 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. Data were analyzed by linear regression, t-test, and ANOVA. Results: There was no significant correlation between burnout and any of the three types of perfectionism that were studied. The prevalence of normal or low burnout was 32.1%, and the prevalence of high burnout was 67.9%. The mean (standard deviation) of perfectionistic self-promotion was 42.99 (10.01), of non-display of imperfection wa...

Research paper thumbnail of Vortex structures in the near-nozzle field of laminar coflow jets

Research paper thumbnail of I Am Not an Engineer": Understanding How Clinicians Design & Alter Assistive Technology

In the emerging maker movement, clinicians have long played an advisory role in the development o... more In the emerging maker movement, clinicians have long played an advisory role in the development of customized assistive technology (AT). Recently, there has been a growing interest in including clinicians as builders of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) AT. To identify the needs of clinicians-as-makers, we investigated the challenges that clinicians faced as they volunteered in an AT building project where they were the primary designers and builders of assistive mobility devices for children. Through observation and co-building of modified ride-on toy cars with clinicians, we found that the rapid pace of development and transient relationship between user and builder did not allow for a complete assessment of the child's mobility. Furthermore, clinicians struggled to actualize concepts borne out of their clinical intent due to a lack of engineering skill. This study highlights the need for tools that support clinicians-as-makers in the AT maker process and a new conceptualization of the rol...

Research paper thumbnail of Updates in Diagnosis and Management of Croup

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Croup is a common respiratory disease that affects 3% of children aged six months to three years.... more Croup is a common respiratory disease that affects 3% of children aged six months to three years. It represents 7% of annual hospital admissions for fever and/or acute respiratory disease in children under the age of five. Boys are more susceptible than girls to the condition, with an overall male/female predominance of 1.4/1. Viruses are detected in up to 80% of patients with croup with identifiable pathogens. The onset of symptoms is usually sudden and usually occurs at night: stridor, hoarse voice and respiratory distress are often seen due to upper airway obstruction. Croup is a clinical diagnosis, children with an uncertain diagnosis, anterior and lateral soft-tissue neck radiographs may be useful to support an alternative diagnosis. Management includes: general care, humidified air, heliox, corticosteroids, and epinephrine, Objective: This study aimed to discuss croup in terms of its etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, assessment, and finally management.

Research paper thumbnail of Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Based DNA Vaccine Elicits Robust and Long-Lasting Th1 Humoral and Cellular Immunity in Mice

Frontiers in Microbiology

The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent developmen... more The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent development of effective and safe prophylactic and therapeutic measures. The spike (S) glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a major immunogenic and protective protein and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenesis. In this study, we successfully constructed a synthetic codon-optimized DNA-based vaccine as a countermeasure against SARS-CoV-2, denoted VIU-1005. The design was based on a codon-optimized coding sequence of a consensus full-length S glycoprotein. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was tested in two mouse models (BALB/c and C57BL/6J). Th1-skewed systemic S-specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were significantly induced in both models 4 weeks after three injections with 100 μg of the VIU-1005 vaccine via intramuscular needle injection but not intradermal or subcutaneous routes. Such immunization induced long-lasting IgG and me...

Research paper thumbnail of Epidemiology and Management of Pediatric Tracheomalacia

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Tracheomalacia is excessive trachea collapse, usually upon expiration. Severe symptoms accompany ... more Tracheomalacia is excessive trachea collapse, usually upon expiration. Severe symptoms accompany congenital types. Often milder versions occur following the neonatal period. Adult malacia is mostly linked to pulmonary chronic obstruction. There's still no standardized functional bronchoscopy. Dynamic CT airway is an excellent diagnostic tool. Bronchoscopy and stent insertion led to a major improvement, although with a high incidence of complication. Surgical lateropexia, excision of trachea and external surgical stabilization are possibilities. Aortopexy is the most common operation in children.

Research paper thumbnail of Cellular and Humoral Immunogenicity of a Candidate DNA Vaccine Expressing SARS-CoV-2 Spike Subunit 1

Vaccines

The urgent need for effective, safe and equitably accessible vaccines to tackle the ongoing sprea... more The urgent need for effective, safe and equitably accessible vaccines to tackle the ongoing spread of COVID-19 led researchers to generate vaccine candidates targeting varieties of immunogens of SARS-CoV-2. Because of its crucial role in mediating binding and entry to host cell and its proven safety profile, the subunit 1 (S1) of the spike protein represents an attractive immunogen for vaccine development. Here, we developed and assessed the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine encoding the SARS-CoV-2 S1. Following in vitro confirmation and characterization, the humoral and cellular immune responses of our vaccine candidate (pVAX-S1) was evaluated in BALB/c mice using two different doses, 25 µg and 50 µg. Our data showed high levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies in mice immunized with three doses of pVAX-S1. Analysis of the induced IgG subclasses showed a Th1-polarized immune response, as demonstrated by the significant elevation of spike-specific IgG2a and IgG2b...

Research paper thumbnail of Early Humoral Response Correlates with Disease Severity and Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

Viruses

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread globally with ... more The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread globally with significantly high morbidity and mortality rates. Antigen-specific responses are of unquestionable value for clinical management of COVID-19 patients. Here, we investigated the kinetics of IgM, IgG against the spike (S) and nucleoproteins (N) proteins and their neutralizing capabilities in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with different disease presentations (i.e., mild, moderate or severe), need for intensive care units (ICU) admission or outcomes (i.e., survival vs death). We show that SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG, IgM and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were readily detectable in almost all COVID-19 patients with various clinical presentations. Interestingly, significantly higher levels of nAbs as well as anti-S1 and -N IgG and IgM antibodies were found in patients with more severe symptoms, patients requiring admission to ICU or those with fatal outcomes. More importantly, early after sympto...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of Risk Factors for Osteoporosis Among Females Aged 35 Years and Above in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Advanced Research

Osteoporosis is a common public health challenge globally but the relative contribution of variou... more Osteoporosis is a common public health challenge globally but the relative contribution of variousrisk factors for osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia is not well established. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of risk factors for osteoporosis among females aged 35 years and above in Saudi Arabia. We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study with a sample size of 2070 and determined the prevalence of risk factors as percentages of the total sample size. We foundthat vitamin D deficiency is the major modifiable risk factor for osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia followed by cigarette smoking. Autoimmune and endocrine diseases were also not uncommon. Our results therefore suggest for the strengthening of measures to prevent vitamin D deficiency, reduce corticosteroid-related osteoporosis and curb cigarette smoking.

Research paper thumbnail of SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N-Based Serological Assays Reveal Rapid Seroconversion and Induction of Specific Antibody Response in COVID-19 Patients

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2, continues to... more As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread rapidly around the world, there is a need for well validated serological assays that allow the detection of viral specific antibody responses in COVID-19 patients or recovered individuals. In this study, we established and used multiple indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-based serological assays to study the antibody response in COVID-19 patients. In order to validate the assays we determined the cut off values, sensitivity and specificity of the assays using sera collected from pre-pandemic healthy controls, COVID-19 patients at different time points after disease-onset, and seropositive sera to other human coronaviruses. The developed SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit of the spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid (N)-based ELISAs not only showed high specificity and sensitivity but also did not show any cross-reactivity with other CoVs. We also show that all RT-PCR confirmed C...

Research paper thumbnail of Consumption of caffeine and its perceived effect among staff and students of medicine at AlMaarefa University, Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries

Research paper thumbnail of Multiple Indirect ELISAs for Serological Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, ... more As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread rapidly around the world, there is an urgent need for validated serological assays to evaluate viral specific antibody responses in COVID-19 patients or recovered individuals. In this study, we established and used indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-based serological tests to study the antibody response in COVID-19 patients. In order to validate the assays, we determined the cut-off values, sensitivity and specificity of the developed assays using sera collected from COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia at different time points after disease onset, as well as sera that are seropositive to other human CoVs; namely MERS-CoV, hCoV-OC43, hCoV-NL63, hCoV-229E, and hCoV-HKU1. The SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit of the spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid (N) ELISAs that we developed here not only showed high specificity and sensitivity, but also did not show any cross-rea...

Research paper thumbnail of The Effect of Adding Different Concentrations of Cows’ Milk on the Antioxidant Properties of Coffee

Biosciences, Biotechnology Research Asia, 2017

Polyphenols have been widely studied and considered as a health promoting and disease preventive ... more Polyphenols have been widely studied and considered as a health promoting and disease preventive agents in humans. Several studies investigated the antioxidant properties of polyphenols and their abilities to eliminate free radicals. In this study, the antioxidant activity of coffee in the presence of different types of cows' milk at different concentrations, 10% or 20%, was investigated. Our results showed that milk could either enhance the scavenging of DPPH or decrease the metal chelating and metal reducing activity of polyphenol. However, more investigations are required to evaluate the mechanisms by which fats in milk can alter the antioxidant activity of coffee.

Research paper thumbnail of SARS-CoV-2 S 1 and N-based serological assays reveal rapid seroconversion and induction 1 of specific antibody response in COVID-19 patients 2 3

SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N-based serological assays reveal rapid seroconversion and induction 1 of speci... more SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N-based serological assays reveal rapid seroconversion and induction 1 of specific antibody response in COVID-19 patients 2 3 Abdullah Algaissi1,2,3,#, Mohamed A Alfaleh1,4,#, Sharif Hala5,6,#, Turki S Abujamel1,7, Sawsan S 4 Alamri1,8, Sarah A Almahboub1, Khalid A Alluhaybi1,4, Haya I Hobani1, Reem M Alsulaiman1, 5 Rahaf H AlHarbi1,9, M-Zaki ElAssouli1, Rowa Y Alhabbab1,7, Ahdab A AlSaieedi1,7, Wesam H 6 Abdulaal8, Afrah A AL-Somali10, Fadwa S Alofi11, Asim A Khogeer12, Almohanad A Alkayyal13, 7 Ahmad Bakur Mahmoud14, Naif AM Almontashiri15, Arnab Pain5,16,17, Anwar M Hashem1,18,* 8 9 1 Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center; King Abdulaziz 10 University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 11 2 Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan 12 University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia 13 3 Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia 14 4 Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ...