BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and subtypes are considered an important tool for epidemiological and clinical studies and valuable markers for disease progression and response to antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of HCV genotypes and their relation to socio-demographic factors particularly age and sex, various biochemical profiles and viral load.MethodsThe records (630) of Saudi patients positive for HCV (2007–2011) reported in the system of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at a tertiary reference hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were analyzed. Socio-demographic characteristics, liver biochemical profile, viral load and co-infection with HBV and HIV were retrieved from the hospital database. The associations of continuous and categorical variables with genotypes were analyzed.ResultThe overall mean age of the surveyed patients was 59 years ±0.5 years (21% were <50 years (p = 0.02). The rate of infection is lower in males than in females (47.6% vs. 52.4%).HCV genotype 4 was the most prevalent (60.7%), followed by genotype 1 (24.8%). However, genotype 1 and 3 were found more in males (29.7% vs. 20.3% and 6% vs. 2.1%, respectively, p = 0.001), while genotype 2 and 4 were more among females (4.8% vs. 2% and 68.5% vs. 52.3%, respectively). In addition, genotype 1 was found dominant in younger males (33.8%).Biochemical parameters across gender showed significant variation in particular for the ALT (p = 0.007). The mean viral load was significantly higher in genotype 1 than genotype 4 (4,757,532 vs. 1,435,012, p = <001). There is a very low overall percentage of co-infection of HBV or HIV in this study (around 2% for each).ConclusionAlthough HCV genotype 4 shows an overall high prevalence in this study, a clear decline in the rate of this genotype was also demonstrated in particular among the younger age group who displayed increasing trends toward the global trend of genotype 1, rather than genotype 4. This finding would be of clinical interest in relation to future planning of the therapy for HCV infected patient.

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Replacement blood donations are a major source of blood in KSA. This presentation highlights “the peace time and war experiences,” where the voluntary donor potential was tested. The “Peacetime Experience”—King Saud University Student Donor Drive This donor drive commenced in 1983 with 13 donors in its first and the annual collection reached 4500 blood units in the academic session 1995‐1996, when the student enrollment was around 30,000. In 2018 the enrollment jumped to 120,000 students. If we add the staff and auxiliary personnel, the population of potential voluntary blood donors will be enough to cover the current and future blood needs of King Khalid University Hospital. Unfortunately, this drive did not survive due to administrative and organizational difficulties. The “First” Gulf War Experience At the end of 1990, when the Allied Forces started to end the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, the Saudi Ministry of Health waged a publicity campaign asking healthy individuals to donate their blood. The response was phenomenal, and the blood inventory in blood banks swelled about five‐ to sevenfold. First‐time donors broke the “fear barrier,” went through the donation experience, and it is hoped they will return to donate voluntarily. Conclusions The major lesson learned from the King Saud University student donor drive and Gulf War experience is the enormous voluntary donor potential in Saudi Arabia. There is a need for forward planning to shift the current partial involuntary donor system to a voluntary system based on nonremunerated donors.

New carbamoylpyridine and carbamoylpiperidine analogues containing nipecotic acid scaffold were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their platelet aggregation inhibitory activity. Molecular modeling investigation was performed and the impact of lipophilicity on activity was also discussed. Structure activity relationship among this series was obtained. N 1 -[1-(4-bromobenzyl)-3-piperidinocarbonyl]-N 4 -(2-chlorophenyl)-piperazine hydrobromide (20), and 1,4-bis-[3-[N 4 -(2-chlorophenyl)-N 1 -(piperazinocarbonyl)]-piperidin-1-yl-methyl]-benzene dibromide (30) are the most active antiplatelet aggregating compounds in this study, both at concentration of 0.06 lM.