Background: Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is gram-negative bacterium, which causes Legionnaires’ disease as well as Pontiac fever. Objective: To determine the frequency of Legionella pneumophila in pneumonic patients, to determine the clinical utility of diagnosing Legionella pneumonia by urinary antigen testing (LPUAT) in terms of sensitivity and specificity, to compares the results obtained from patients by urinary antigen test with q Real Time PCR (RT PCR) using serum samples and to determine the frequency of serogroup 1 and other serogroups of L. pneumophila. Methods: A total of 100 pneumonic patients (community acquired pneumonia) were enrolled in this study during a period between October 2016 to April 2017; 92 samples were collected from patients attended and admitted to Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein Medical City and 8 samples from those in the (Center of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation) in the Medical City of Baghdad. All patients were under therapy with antibiotics. Serum and urine specimens were obtained from all patients; urine samples were processed for urinary antigen test (rapid test). Serum samples were collected and submitted to DNA extraction for detection of L. pneumophila mip gene by q RT PCR assay. Results: The percentage of L. pneumophila in two hospitals in Bagdad was 30%. Of these 26% was serogroup 1 detected by urinary antigen testing (UAT). In the other hand, 23% of samples were positive by q RT PCR based mip gene, of these 19 % were serogroup 1 and 4% were another serogroup. The sensitivity of UAT is high (P value < 0.001), which means statistically highly significance than q RT PCR. Conclusion: LPUAT is a rapid tool for early diagnosis of Legionella infection, which highlights the need of using this test in hospitals and health institutions and there is a high prevalence of L. pneumophila in Iraq that refer to the necessity of considering this microorganism point of view in future studies for detection and treatment in pneumonic patients. Keywords: L. pneumophila, mip gene, quantitative real time PCR, urinary antigen. Citation: Gauad SA, Abdulrahman TR, Muhamad AK, Jawad AA, Hassan JS. Clinical utility of urinary antigen test and molecular method for detection of Legionella pneumophila. Iraqi JMS. 2018; 16(2): 207-215. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.16.2.13
The genus of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz, 1829 is one of the most diverse and widespread genera of the family Buprestidae of some 700 described species distributed throughout the world. In Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan region, about 4 species had been recorded so far, many of these species are sympatric, share larval host plants, and are difficult to reliably separate morphologically. The current study investigates species limits and relationships among the recognized species occurring within the Erbil Province; mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (COX I) molecular analysis confirmed the monophyly of two Chrysobothris species, Ch. affinis (Fabricius, 1794) and Ch. chrysostigma (Linnaeus, 1758). Implications of the resultant larval mor
... Show MoreReishi Mushroom, Ganoderma, is considered one of important wood-decaying medicinal mushrooms. This study aimed to identify three samples of this genus in Mosul city in February and April 2019. Three species of Ganoderma were collected from three various trees including Eucalyptus, Morus, and Olea (olive) in Mosul City, Northern Iraq. Their identifications and their DNA sequences were genetically identified by using PCR techniques according to detect nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Results exhibited the finding of Ganoderma resinaceum, Ganoderma applanatum, and Ganoderma sp. This study is first attempt to identify Reishi Mushroom by molecular methods in Iraq. Thus, the current study is considered new good d
... Show MoreCarpal tunnel syndrome is a neurological disease that presented with paresthesias, pain, and numbness in the hand's median nerve compression. Vitamin D was assumed to affect both electrophysiological &clinical gradings, the study aims to assess the correlation between the deficiency of vitamin D and both electrophysiological and clinical gradings. This study was conducted in Ghazi Alhariri Hospital during the period from the first of November/2020 to the twenty-eighth of February/2021, fifty five individuals were referred to as Carpal tunnel syndrome patients, and compared to (55) control individuals, blood samples were withdrawn from the patients (3ml), centrifuged and kept in the freezer (-20°C) until the time of analysis of
... Show MoreInfection with Trichomonas vaginalis and its relation to some diseases have lately had much attention. The objective of this study was to assess the infection rate of T. vaginalis and its relation to pelvic inflammatory diseases, infertility, and vaginosis. The study also assessed some demographic, clinical, and immunological parameters in women infected with T. vaginalis. The study included 160 non-pregnant married women who attended some private clinics and public hospitals in Baghdad from October 2020 to February 2021. All participants had symptoms of vaginal discharge only or vaginal discharge with lower abdominal pain. The participants were divided into an infertility group (n = 61) and fertility group (n = 99). The participant
... Show MoreBackground: Bimaxillary protrusion is considered as one of the most important causes to seek the orthodontic treatment to get better esthetics. This study aimed to test the effect of orthodontic treatment in improvement the facial esthetics. Materials and Methods: Ten Iraqi Arab females having bimaxillary protrusion based on Class I malocclusions treated with fixed orthodontic appliance and extraction of the maxillary and mandibular 1st permanent premolars. Pre and post-treatment facial profile photographs were taken for each patients and the effect of treatment was tested in comparison with the pre-treatment photographs by using seven angular measurements. Results: After treatment, the upper and lower lip projections were decreased signifi
... Show Moreالخلفية: إن سمية الدواء والآثار الجانبية للعلاج الكيميائي تؤثر سلبا على مرضى سرطان الثدي. الأهداف: لتقييم فعالية التدخلات الصيدلانية في تحسين معرفة مرضى سرطان الثدي ومواقفهم وممارساتهم فيما يتعلق بالعلاج الكيميائي لسرطان الثدي.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is described as an abnormalities of renal function, existing for a long period of time. By reason of the early grades of Chronic kidney disease can be experiences no symptoms, its premature identification is strenuous. initial stage CRD can cause various complications, such as anemia, matabolyic disorders of bone mineral. The study was done to assess the effect the chronic renal disease stage on the Osteoprotegerin, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, Obestatin levels and some biochemical parameters in patients not undertaken dialysis therapy. In this case-control study fifty-five patients with Kidney failure and fourty healthy people were examined. Circulating concentrations of Osteoprotegerin, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D
... Show MoreBackground: Indeterminate colitis (IC), a term
originated by pathologists to characterize confounding
histopathlogic appearance of resected mucosa, has
become catch phrase for cases in which diagnostic
criteria at all levels elude classification as Crohn's
disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).
OBJECTIVES: evaluate the prevalence of pANCA
expression in the sera and its isotypes.
Patients and methods: PATIENTS GROUP
consisted of 60 patients (40 males and 20 females)
with indeterminate colitis and their age range was (19-
84 years). CONTROL GROUP consisted of 30 (15
males and 15 females) healthy volunteers and their
age range was (20- 66 years).
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic ( pANCA and cANCA)
te