University Hospital of Oran (Arabic: مستشفى وهران الجامعي), (Oran-Mohamed-Boudiaf Hospital) is a large research hospital affiliated with the University of Oran in Oran, Algeria with a capacity of exceeding 1000 beds, established in 1986, located in front of the university. A new modern hospital was developed in 2003, at a cost of €120 million. The hospital is a major teaching facility of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oran. The original hospital was designed by noted Japanese architect Kenzō Tange, and is regarded as an example of his metabolic architecture concept. This public hospital is one of 14 hospitals designated Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire (CHU) in Algeria.
Data on neuro-Behçet’s disease in North Africa remain limited and fragmented. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the frequency of neurologic involvement in North African patients with Behçet’s disease and to summarize the main clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, and imaging characteristics. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies reporting neuro-Behçet’s disease in North Africa. Proportions were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis model to estimate overall pooled proportions (OPP). Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261303759). Thirteen studies were included. Among 4262 patients with Behçet’s disease, the pooled proportion of Neuro-Behçet’s disease was 18.54
Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD), a complex neurodegenerative disorder, is increasingly prevalent, with a strong genetic component. While environmental factors contribute, the exact cause remains elusive. Understanding PD’s genetic basis is vital for advancing research and treatment. This study seeks to investigate the genetic diversity of Parkinson’s disease in the Algerian population using whole exome sequencing (WES), with the goal of identifying rare variants across genes potentially associated with the disease. Methods Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on a cohort of 19 Algerian patients with clinically confirmed Parkinson’s disease, including 8 patients with a positive family history. Variant annotation and functional effect prediction were performed using SnpEff, in conjunction with multiple reference genomic databases. Variant calling results were stored in Variant Call Format (VCF). Variants were classified according to their minor allele frequency (MAF): rare variants were defined as those with a MAF between 0.1% and 1%, while novel variants were defined as those with a MAF ≤ 0.1% or absent from all queried reference databases. Results Whole exome sequencing analysis identified 73 variants distributed across 22 genes in 19 Algerian patients with Parkinson’s disease. Following prioritization, nine variants were detected across six candidate genes ( DDOST , AUP1 , SNORD66 , TRPM7 , ORC6 , and GLUD2 ), whose association with Parkinson’s disease had not been previously reported in North African populations. These genes are involved in several cellular functions, including protein homeostasis, DNA repair, cellular metabolism, and oxidative stress response. Among them, GLUD2 emerges as a particularly compelling candidate requiring functional validation for future investigations. Conclusion This preliminary study highlights the genetic diversity of Parkinson’s disease in the Algerian population and underscores the value of whole exome sequencing for the identification of rare variants in underrepresented populations. The findings suggest potential novel research avenues that may contribute to expanding knowledge of the genetic architecture of the disease. Replication studies and functional validation will be required to confirm the biological and clinical relevance of the identified variants.
Background: The rising prevalence of childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles has blurred the traditional distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Double diabetes represents the coexistence of autoimmune β-cell destruction and insulin resistance, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly in adolescents. Case presentation: We report the case of a 17-year-old obese female with a three-year history of type 1 diabetes who developed marked insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome features. Despite high insulin requirements (1.6 U/kg/day), glycemic control remained poor (HbA1c 12.8%). Clinical examination revealed obesity (BMI 32.4 kg/m²) and acanthosis nigricans. Laboratory evaluation showed preserved C-peptide secretion, dyslipidemia, elevated leptin and homocysteine levels, and positivity for anti-GAD65 and islet cell antibodies, supporting the diagnosis of double diabetes. Management and Outcomes: A combined therapeutic strategy including optimization of basal-bolus insulin therapy, adjunctive metformin, structured nutritional intervention, and regular physical activity was implemented. Six months later, and at the stage of her transition, HbA1c decreased to 7.8%, body weight was reduced by 8 kg, daily insulin requirements decreased by 35%, and lipid parameters improved significantly. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of early recognition of double diabetes in youth and demonstrates that integrated metabolic and autoimmune-targeted management can significantly improve glycemic control and cardiometabolic risk.
Teeth serve as durable, incremental biological repositories that archive environmental and physiological exposures during development. This systematic review evaluates the capacity of dental matrices to function as chronological bioarchives of metallic trace elements and minerals. A systematic search of Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted to identify original research quantifying trace elements in teeth using advanced analytical techniques. Nineteen eligible studies were identified. The reviewed literature suggests that heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, are sequestered within dental hard tissues, potentially preserving high-resolution timelines of prenatal and early-life exposures. Data from the included studies showed that dental concentrations of essential elements, like zinc and copper, fluctuated in correlation with nutritional variations and developmental shifts, while spatial distributions of barium and strontium explicitly mapped early-life dietary transitions, including the onset of weaning. Additionally, localized variations in uranium isotopes successfully identified environmental and anthropogenic radiological exposures. Teeth show potential as non-invasive bioarchives that offer a unique retrospective timeline of cumulative element exposure. However, their widespread implementation requires the establishment of harmonized sampling protocols and extensive validation studies to resolve biological and environmental confounding variables before routine clinical or forensic application can be realized.
Background: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia worldwide, representing the primary cardiac etiology of stroke. In recent years, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have shown favorable results in terms of efficacy and safety in the prevention of thromboembolism in patients with AF. TROMBIX-DZ study investigated the safety and efficacy of rivaroxaban in routine clinical settings in response to the need for real-world evidence on the use of DOACs. Methods: We carried a national, multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rivaroxaban in Algerian patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients were followed-up at 3 months intervals for 1 year. The primary outcome of this study was to evaluate the safety of rivaroxaban, reported as the frequency of treatment-emergent serious adverse events (SAEs); Secondary outcomes assessed the frequency of thromboembolic events, adverse events (AEs), and treatment persistence. Results: TROMBIX-DZ enrolled 398 eligible patients with AF from 19 specialized public and private cardiology centers across different regions in Algeria. The mean age was 70.5 ± 11.94. 71.9% of patients received once daily rivaroxaban 20mg, and 28.1% received the 15mg dose. The most common comorbidities included, hypertension (77.1%), diabetes (28.6%) and heart failure (25.4%), prior strokes and TIA (8.8%), and prior major bleeding (3.1%). The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.147 ± 1.3, and the mean HAS-BLED score was 1.682 ± 1.198; 14.06% of patients had Creatinine clearance < 50 ml/min. A total of 5.77% had treatment-emergent AE, and 1.76% had treatment-emergent SAE. The incidence rate (events per 100 patient-years) of treatment-emergent major bleeding events, treatment-emergent thromboembolic events and all-cause death during the study period were 2.1, 0.9, and 4.18, respectively. Treatment persistence was 75.88% at the end of the study. Conclusion: TROMBIX-DZ study, the first cohort in the Maghreb region, provides important insights into the safety and efficacy of rivaroxaban in Algerian population with atrial fibrillation receiving standard medical care. Rates of major bleeding and stroke were low and broadly consistent with previous international real-world registries. Trial registration number: Clinicaltrial.gov: ([NCT06184204][1]). Keywords: Direct oral anticoagulants, Rivaroxaban, Atrial fibrillation, Major bleeding, Stroke, Thromboembolism, The Maghreb region, Real-world. ### Competing Interest Statement Conflict of interest ASMB, SL, SH, MA, IB and LN are employees of BEKER Laboratories. All others received funding as part of this study. The CRO Clinica Group received funding for its contribution from BEKER Laboratories. ### Clinical Protocols ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The study was conducted following approval of the Ethical Committee (EC) of Issad Hassani University Hospital of Beni Messous (N 8 / CE/2023) and the Algerian Ministry of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production (MIPP) (012/BEK/OBS/MED/2023) in November 2023, according to the Declaration of Helsinki, Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP E6) and current Algerian regulations. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Data statement The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. BEKER Laboratories [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT06184204&atom=%2Fmedrxiv%2Fearly%2F2026%2F05%2F27%2F2026.05.26.26353979.atom
