Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the new respiratory virus SARS-CoV2. It has a tropism in the lung tissues where excess target receptors exist. Periostin plays a role in subepithelial fibrosis associated with bronchial asthma. Since the Coronavirus's target is the human respiratory system, Periostin has been recently described as a valuable new biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of disease in patients with COVID-19 lung involvement. Objectives: To assess the level of Periostin in the serum of COVID-19 patients and to correlate its role in disease severity and prognosis. Subjects and Methods: Periostin serum levels were measured for 63 patients attending three main COVID-19 Control Centers in Baghdad, compared to 25 healthy subjects, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from January 2021 to April 2022. Results: Serum levels of Periostin among studied groups with (mild - moderate, severe - critical, post-COVID, and controls) were (17.3, 664, 597, and 48) ng/dl respectively. The serum concentration of Periostin was highly significant in (severe- critical and post-COVID) than in other groups. Conclusions: The elevated level of serum Periostin in COVID-19 patients correlated with disease severity and post-COVID lung complications. The high Periostin level is consistent with high inflammatory markers, which might be used as an indicator of COVID-19 severity and predict a bad prognosis.
Variation in DNA, and genes to a lesser or greater extent, can play an important role in most diseases; that is because this variation in will reflect and affect the function of DNA, and genes (combined genes and DNA or separately). This can be affected by environment, life style, as well as the inheriting from parents and previous generations. All these factors can contribute in human diseases. There are different alterations in genes, like imbalance and inequality in chromosomes, disorder in gene (deficiency in gene, which could be complex or single disorder), and cancer. In the last decades, scientists were focus on medicine and genetics; they pay an extensive attention to reach better understanding about diseases and their cause
... Show MoreThe haplotype association analysis has been proposed to capture the collective behavior of sets of variants by testing the association of each set instead of individual variants with the disease.Such an analysis typically involves a list of unphased multiple-locus genotypes with potentially sparse frequencies in cases and controls.It starts with inferring haplotypes from genotypes followed by a haplotype co-classification and marginal screening for disease-associated haplotypes.Unfortunately,phasing uncertainty may have a strong effects on the haplotype co-classification and therefore on the accuracy of predicting risk haplotypes.Here,to address the issue,we propose an alternative approach:In Stage 1,we select potential risk genotypes inste
... Show MoreBackground: The normal decline in systolic blood pressure during recovery phase of treadmill exercise dose not occur in most patients with coronary artery disease, in others recovery values systolic blood pressure may even exceed the peak exercise value. Objectives: Treadmill exercise test parameters indicating the presence and extent of coronary artery disease have traditionally included such as exercise duration, blood pressure and ST-segment response to exercise. The three –minute systolic blood pressure ratio is another important indicator of presence and significance of coronary artery disease is useful and obtainable measure that can be applied in all patients who are undergoing stress testing for evaluation of suspected is
... Show MoreBackground: Congenital cardiac defects have a wide spectrum of severity in infants. About 30-40% of patients with congenital cardiac defects will be symptomatic in the 1st year of life, while the diagnosis was established in 60% of patients by the 1st month of age.
Objectives: To identify the occurrence of specific types of CHD among hospitalized patients and to evaluate of growth of patients by different congenital heart lesions.
Methods: A retrospective study, done on ninety-six patients (51 male and 45 female) with congenital heart disease (CHD) admitted to central teaching hospital of pediatrics, Baghdad from 1st September 2009 to 30
Test anxiety for intermediate level The current study aims to measure the test anxiety of research’s sample and to identify the statistical differences of test anxiety, considering two variables gender and students classes level (first and third intermediate class). To do this, a stratified random sampling of (300) student from first and third intermediate classes had selected from both the karkh and Rusafa sides of Baghdad province for the academic year 2015-2016. The author tested the whole sample by using the test anxiety scale that had tested for its validity and reliability. The results revealed that the research’s sample as a whole was suffering from test anxiety, there were a statistical differences between male and female tha
... Show MoreThis study was conducted in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad in the field of sheep and goats in the Department of Animal Production. Effect of different concentrations of bovine albumin on some semen characteristics of frozen rams. Used in this experiment, 3 rams and their ages ranging from 2.5-3 years. The sample of the semen was diluted with Tris dilution with the addition of 10 ml of egg yolk per 100 ml, the sample by 1:1 with the tris and then the collection of sperm samples (Pooling) after the semen was divided into four treatments Control and bovine albumin at concentrations of 5, 7.5 and 10% and then complete dilution 10: 1, at 5C, dilution 20: 1, containing 5% glycerol per 100 ml. The results
... Show MoreBackground: There is plenty of evidence
suggesting that involvement of several groups of
viruses in the development and / or acceleration of
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM).
Objective: To analyze the T- cell proliferation in
the presence of Coxsackie virus B5 (CVB5), Polio
and Adenovirus antigens in addition to assessment
of Interferon- gamma (IFN-γ), Interleukins (IL-10
and IL-6).
Methods: In 60 Iraqi T1DM children with recent
onset of T1DM, Lymphocyte proliferation was
analyzed using Methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT)
assay by culturing Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes
(PBLs) with Coxsackie Virus B5 (CVB5),
Adenovirus, and Polio vaccine. Serum Interferon-γ,
IL-10 and IL-6 were quantified by sandw
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of cortisol, and it is related to BMI in the chronic diseases which may increase early cardiovascular disease (CVD) in old Iraqi. The subjects were 116 adults, aged 51-71 years. Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumferences (WC) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) were used as a measure of adiposity. Investigation showed highly significant difference between patients in BMI ranges, most of male were in an obese weight range (48.5%), as well in women. There were no significant correlations between serum cortisol concentration and age both gender groups. While there were highly significant correlations between cortisol level and BMI, waist, and WHR (except in female subjects), also there were highly signi
... Show MoreBackground: The present in-vitro study was undertaken to evaluate and compare fracture resistance of weakened endodontically treated premolars with class II MOD cavities restored with different bulk fill composite restorations (EverX posterior, Alert, Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill, and SDR). The type and mode of fracture were also assessed for all the experimental groups. Materials and Method: Forty-eight human adult maxillary premolar teeth were selected for this study. Standardized extensive class II MOD cavities with endodontic treatment were prepared for all teeth, except those that were saved as intact control. The teeth were divided into six groups of eight teeth each (n=8): (Group 1) intact control group, (Group 2) unrestored teeth with
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