The potential association between periodontitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review

Clinical Oral Investigations - Many animal and human studies have shown associations between periodontitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hence, the present systematic review sought...     

Nasal Carriage of Multi-Drug Resistant Panton-Valentine Leucocidin-Positive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Children in Tripoli-Libya

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonized children are at an increased risk of developing infections than methicillin-sensitive S. aureus colonized children. Nasal specimens from inpatient children, mothers of inpatient children, healthcare workers, and outpatient children at Tripoli Children Hospital (TCH) were examined for MRSA by chromogenic MRSA ID medium. Susceptibility of MRSA isolates to antibiotics was determined by the disc diffusion method. The nasal carriage rate of MRSA among inpatient children (8.3%, 24 of 289), their mothers (11%, 22 of 200), and healthcare workers (12.4%, 22 of 178) was significantly higher than among outpatient children (2.2%, 2 of 91) (P < 0.05, P < 0.02, and P < 0.006, respectively). Of the examined MRSA isolates (N = 35) 10 (28.6%) were positive for Panton-Valentine leucocidin genes by polymerase chain reaction. Multidrug resistance was found in 24.3% (17 of 70) of MRSA isolates. Nasal carriage of multidrug-resistant Panton-Valentine leucocidin-positive MRSA is not uncommon among inpatient children and their mothers in Tripoli.     

Childhood obesity in United Arab Emirates schoolchildren: A national study

Objective: The study assessed the national prevalence of obesity among schoolchildren in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Subjects: A stratified 10% random sample of 16?391 children was drawn from 145?492 pupils in the UAE. Methods: Height and weight were measured by physicians and trained nurses, and the body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)²) was computed. BMIs for UAE were compared to recently published international standards. Results: Comparison of BMIs to international reference data revealed that UAE children are at increased risk for overweight (>25?kg?m^?2 and ≤30?kg?m^?2) and obesity (≥30?kg?m^?2). For example, 10-year-old male UAE children had 1.7 times the rate of overweight compared to international standards and 1.9 times at 18 years. Similarly, female UAE children have 1.8 times the rate of overweight compared to international standards at 10 and 18 years of age. Obesity was 2.3-fold higher among UAE males at 14 years compared to international standards, and increased to 3.6 times at 18 years of age. Among UAE female children, obesity was same as males at 14 years, 2.3 times than the international standards. At 18 years of age, UAE female obesity was 1.9-fold higher than the international standard, nearly one-half the rate of obesity among UAE males at the same age. Conclusion: The frequency of obesity among UAE youth is two to three times greater than the recently published international standard. Profound public health implications of childhood obesity for UAE children and young adults are seriously increased because of adult chronic disease processes (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes) normally attendant to increased obesity rates.