Background: There are several diseases in the body following recovery from COVID-19 infection because this virus operates on human genes in various types of peripheral tissue in the human body. It penetrates host cells via Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptors and may have effects on bone remodeling, leading to osteopenia or osteoporosis, which are characterized by low bone mineral density, resulting in diminished bone strength. Bone Alkaline Phpsphatase is an enzyme released into the bloodstream as a soluble homodimer after being cleaved by a phospholipase and can be utilized as a biomarker of bone development. Objective: This research was designed to investigate the alteration of bone homeostasis balance in Iraqi post-COVID-19 infection patients. Cases and Methods: This is a case control study. The study has received approval from the ethical committee at the Faculty of Medicine, Baghdad University, established on November 20, 2021–March 2, 2022. A hundred and thirty individuals were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into two groups; the first group (80) post-COVID-19 infection patients and the second group (50) non-COVID-19 individuals. Also, measuring markers like serum Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 and Bone Alkaline Phosphatase by using the ELISA technique. The bone mineral density was measured by a DEXA scan. Results:This study found that there is an effect of coronavirus infection on the bone strength measured by the mean ± SD Bone Alkaline Phosphatase level, which was found to be highly significant in the serum of post-COVID-19 patients when compared with non-COVID-19 individuals (P-value = 0.001), but the mean ± SD of Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 level was statistically non-significant between the two groups (P-value = 0.13). who had recovered from a coronavirus infection for 3 months or more. Also, the bone mineral density of Post COVID-19 patients that was measured by DEXA scan had a highly significant T-score% when compared between the two groups. Conclusions:This research found that COVID-19 has an impact on the bone remodeling process, leading to osteopenia or osteoporosis, which may be identified by checking the blood levels of the bone biomarker BAP and the bone mineral density (by DEXA scan) at least three months following coronavirus recovery. This investigation also discovered that some of the individuals had osteopenia rather than osteoporosis.
This research is carried out to study the effect of the external post-tensioning technique on the flexural capacity of simply supported composite castellated beam experimentally. In this research, seven composite castellated beams having the same dimensions and material properties were cast and tested up to failure by applied two concentrated loads at 700 mm from each end. Two external strands of 12.7 mm diameter were fixed at each side of the web of strengthening beams and located at depth 180 mm from top fiber of the section (dps) at each end of the beam. The strands have been tensioned by using a hydraulic jack with a constant stress of 100 MPa. This research aims to study the effect of the strengthening by different shapes of st
... Show MoreThe study aims to identify the symptoms of PTSD among displaced Yazidi women according to age, marital status, educational level, and type of status (displaced or survivor). The study also seeks to identify the effect of the relaxation program on reducing PTSD among displaced Yazidi women. The research sample included (60) Yazidis for the statistical analysis sample and (5) for the experimental sample in the Dohuk governorate. For achieving the research objectives, a scale was used from the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), as well as a relaxation program was prepared. The researchers reached the following results that there is an average level of PTSD symptoms among displaced Yazidi women, there are no statistically significant differen
... Show MoreCongenital absence of anterior cruciate ligament is highly uncommon occurrence. It has since been documented as a standalone anatomical entity or, more frequently, in conjunction with other congenital anomalies. Surgical treatment for this patient population has only been reported in very few cases. In this article, we share our experience in managing a case of unilateral congenital deficiency of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a 13 years old female patient by physeal sparing arthroscopic ACL reconstruction, using All-inside technique.
BACKGROUND: The number of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) positive patients and fatalities keeps rising. It is important to recognize risk factors for severe outcomes. Evidence linking vitamin D deficiency and the severity of COVID-19 is tangential but substantial – relating to race, obesity, and institutionalization. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the function of vitamin D and nutritional defense against infections such as COVID-19, which is the goal of this research. METHODS: This study includes observational cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies that estimated variances in serum levels of vitamin D among patients with mild or severe forms of COVID-19, and in patients who died or were discharged from hospit
... Show MoreCOVID-19 is a unique viral infectious illness that causes a variety of symptoms and health hazards, particularly to the respiratory system and has been declared a worldwide pandemic. The disease is characterized by a cytokine release in severe conditions. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine, mediates an important immunomodulatory process. Also, vitamin D was identified to have a role in the innate immunity of individuals. Our study was designed to find the role of IL-6 and vitamin D in COVID-19 patients, as well as, to see whether there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and cytokine syndrome development. The study included 90 COVID-19 patients and 30 control people from Baghdad, Iraq. The age of the participants was non-s
... Show MoreBackground: COVID-19 has caused a considerable number of hospital admissions in China since December 2019. Many COVID-19 patients experience signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and some are even in danger of dying. Objective: to measure the serum levels of D-dimer, Neutrophil-Lymphocyte count ratio (NLR), and neopterin in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 in Baghdad, Iraq. And to determine the cut-off values (critical values) of these markers for the distinction between the severe patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 and the controls. Materials and methods: In this case-control study, we collect blood from 89 subjects, 45 were severe patients hospitalized in many Baghdad medical centers who were diagnosed with COVID
... Show MoreThe objective of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare providers (HCPs) at personal and professional levels.
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. It was conducted using an electronic format survey through Qualtrics Survey Software in English. The target participants were HCPs working in any healthcare setting across Iraq. The survey was distributed via two professional Facebook groups between 7 April and 7 May 2020. The survey items were adopted with modifications from three previous studies of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avia