Objective. To investigate the concentrations of free plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the maternal and foetal circulations of normal term pregnancies. Methods. Free plasma VEGF was measured from plasma of umbilical cord and maternal blood by ELISA for each of 20 normal pregnancies delivering at term at an altitude of 3100 m. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to test for correlation between values and clinical maternal and neonatal data. Student's 't' test was used to test for differences between samples from male and female neonates. Results. Free plasma VEGF was undetectable from maternal samples, but it was detectable in the cord blood (mean, 560.3775 pg/ml, median, 145.84 pg/ml, range, 22.56–2653.5). No differences were found between neonates sex, and no correlation was found with clinical maternal and neonatal data. Conclusion. Circulating VEGF is usually bound to the soluble form of its receptor 1 (sFlt-1). High levels of sFlt-1 are secreted by the syncytiotrophoblast during pregnancy, and so free plasma VEGF is undetectable in the maternal circulation. In contrast, our findings are the first to show free plasma VEGF in the umbilical circulation. We speculate that this free VEGF may promote angiogenesis in the foetus and placenta. Our data imply that sFlt-1 is not present in the cord blood, and that secretion by the syncytiotrophoblast is polarised to its apical surface. Further investigations are required to test this hypothesis.

Objective.-To describe the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in rural high- and low-altitude populations of southwestern Saudi Arabia and to identify specific at-risk groups within these populations.Methods.-A cross-sectional study was conducted on 912 school children and adolescents aged 6-15 years horn and living permanently at high altitudes (2800-3150 in) and 972 children and adolescents of comparable ages horn and living permanently at low altitudes (<= 500 m). Height and weight Were Measured. For children <10 years. the weight-to-height index according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards was used for assessing overweight and obesity. For adolescents 10-15 years. Overweight and obesity were assessed by age and gender-specific percentiles for body mass index based on the WHO/National Centre for Health Statistics reference population. A questionnaire Was used for measuring parents' socioeconomic status.Results.-The overall prevalence of Overweight and obesity at high and low altitudes was 10%. The stuck, showed that some school children and adolescents were at a significantly higher risk of developing overweight and obesity. Significant risk factors included moderate-to-high parental income, age >= 10 years, high-altitude birth and residence, and female sex (crude odds ratio 3.22 [95% CI. 1.8-5.5]. 2.3 [95% CI. 1.6-3.2], 2.1 [95% CI, 1.5-2.9], and 1.9 [95% CI, 1.4-2.6], respectively). A multivariate analysis using the direct binary logistic regression model revealed that moderate-to-high parental income. age >= 10 years, female sex, and high-altitude birth and residence were significant independent predictors of childhood overweight and obesity. (adjusted OR 3.2 [95% CI. 1.6-2.61, 2.6 [95% CI. 1.8-3.81, 2.0 [95% CI 1.6-2.9], and 1.8 [95% CI, 1.3-2.6]), respectively.Conclusion.-The present Study identified risk factors for childhood Overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia. Among, these, high altitude was a significant and independent factor. Future research is warranted to evaluate the exact mechanism by which a high-altitude environment may contribute to childhood overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE:To determine the prevalence of abdominal obesity and it's associated risk factors in a married, non-pregnant, high altitude female population. METHODS:A cross-sectional study conducted from January to March 2003, with 438 currently married non-pregnant women aged 18-60 years, born and permanent residents in and around Abha, southwestern heights, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire describing the demographic, social, reproductive, physical activity, and educational status was completed. The subjects were measured by weight, height, and waist circumference (WC). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated for each woman (BMI=weight [Kg]/height [m2]). Abdominal obesity was defined as WC>88cm, and total obesity as BMI > or =30 according to the World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS:The overall prevalence of abdominal obesity was 41.1%. The prevalence was positively and significantly associated with age, total obesity, and parity (p=0.0001 for all), negatively and significantly with educational level (p=0.0001), and negatively and insignificantly with strenuous physical activity (p=0.9). Results of multiple logistic analyses showed that age, total obesity, and educational level were independent risk factors for abdominal obesity. CONCLUSION:The study highlighted the high prevalence of abdominal obesity and showed that in addition to total obesity, intra-abdominal fat deposition is influenced by other lifestyle and reproductive factors. Community health education programs, which provide information on the high prevalence of abdominal obesity and its risk factor to all women, will be certainly justifiable, and prevention strategies should be implemented accordingly.