Correlation between Resistin, Tuberculosis and Khat Addiction: A Study from South Western Province of Saudi Arabia

PLoS One

Pradeep Kumar Agarwal¹  Mohammed Rizwan²  Ahmed Ali Jerah³  Eldaw Mohamed Habiballah⁴  Siddig Ibrahim Abdulwahab⁴  Manal Mohamed El Hassan Taha⁴  Ayesha Alvi⁵  Yahya Hasan Hobani⁵  Nuzhath Fatima⁶  Rashad Al Sunosi⁷ 

[1]Chest Hospital, Abu Areesh, Jazan KSA

[2]Department of Biochemistry, College of Nursing, Jazan University, Jazan, KSA

[3]Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, KSA

[4]Department of Biomedical Research unit, Medical Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, KSA

[5]Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, KSA

[6]Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, KSA

[7]Substance Abuse Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan KSA

关键词: Khat;    Addiction;    Resistin;    Tuberculosis;    Mycobacterium tuberculosis;    Opportunistic infections;    Health informatics;    Amphetamines;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.pone.0140245

学科分类：医学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

Tuberculosis(TB) is a disease of global significance, which accounts for a death in every 15 seconds. Recent studies shows TB is rising in certain parts of the world, and Saudi Arabia is one of them. Several factor contribute in predisposing the subjects for infection including but not limited to addiction to various compounds which have immune modulation properties, such as amphetamines and Heroin etc. Khat a plant whose leaves are chewed for its euphoric effect in east Africa and Arabian Peninsula including Saudi Arabia, is considered as mildly addictive, and its principle compound, Cathinone shares structural and functional similarity with amphetamine a known immunomodulator. Tuberculosis being a disease of immune modulation has a varied spectrum of complex interplay of proinflammatory molecules, resistin is one of them. In the present study, we try to explore the trinity of khat addiction, serum resistin level and tuberculosis by correlating the serum resistin level in non khat addicted healthy subjects, khat addicted healthy subjects, and in patients, both khat addicted and non khat addicted, with active tuberculosis. We observed significantly higher resistin level among the apparently healthy khat addicted subjects as compared to non addicted healthy controls. Thereafter, when we compare the resistin levels between khat addicted and non khat addicted TB patients we did not found significant difference between the two groups. However bacillary load was observe to be significantly higher among the khat addicted TB patient as compare to non addicted one. Validation of above results in animal model revealed dose dependant increase in bacillary growth in the Wistar rats treated with khat. Taken together these results suggest the role of khat in immune modulation albeit in the limited frame of resistin level.

【 授权许可】

CC BY