During infection, T. gondii disseminates by the circulatory system and establishes chronic infection in several organs. Almost third of humans, immunosuppressed individuals such as HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients, and organ transplant recipients are exposed to toxoplasmosis. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the possibility that Toxoplasma infection could be a risk factor for COVID-19 patients and its possible correlation with C-reactive protein and ferritin. Overall 220 patients referred to the Al Furat General Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq were enrolled from 2020–2021. All serum samples were tested for T. gondii immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) antibodies, C-reactive protein and ferritin levels. In patients with COVID-19, the results revealed a high positivity percentage for anti-Toxoplasma IgG. In COVID-19 patients infected with T. gondii, the C-reactive protein and ferritin levels were higher than the controls. The ferritin level was high in COVID-19 patients infected with toxoplasmosis compare with COVID-19 patient without toxoplasmosis in different gender and age while the level of CRP had no significant differences in COVID-19 patient with or without toxoplasmosis. These finding suggest that the incidental rate of toxoplasmosis could be considered as an indication to the high risk of COVID-19.
Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is caused of 85% of all lung cancers. Among the most important factors for lung tumor growth and proliferation are the tyrosine kinase receptors that coded by the epidermal growth factor recep-tor (EGFR) gene. Activation of EGFR ultimately leads to developing of lung cancer. The present study was undertaken with an objective to detect EGFR mutations in bronchial wash from Iraqi patients with NSCLC before treatment. Methods: DNA was extracted from bronchial wash samples collected from 50 patients with NSCLC by using a Qiamp DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Then, EGFR mutations were determined by using real-time RCR combined with two technologies, Amplification Refractory Mutation System (
... Show MoreBackground: Salivary biomarkers, a non-invasive alternative method to serum and tissue based biomarkers and it is consider as an effective modality for early diagnosis. Salivary microRNA 21, a nucleotide biomarker, was reported to increase in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This study was conducted to measure the fold change of microRNA 21 in stimulated saliva and to study its association with smoking and occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods: A 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma who used to be smokers was included in addition to 40 control subjects (20 smokers and 20 non- smokers health looking subjects). Stimulated saliva was collected under standardized condition. Salivary microRNA 21 wa
... Show MoreBackground: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is caused of 85% of all lung cancers. Among the most important factors for lung tumor growth and proliferation are the tyrosine kinase receptors that coded by the epidermal growth factor recep-tor (EGFR) gene. Activation of EGFR ultimately leads to developing of lung cancer. The present study was undertaken with an objective to detect EGFR mutations in bronchial wash from Iraqi patients with NSCLC before treatment. Methods: DNA was extracted from bronchial wash samples collected from 50 patients with NSCLC by using a Qiamp DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Then, EGFR mutations were determined by using real-time RCR combined with two technologies, Amplification Refractory Mutation System (
... Show MoreABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular complications such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, sudden death, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. A proper non-expensive tool is required for detection of this pathology. Different electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria were investigated; however, the results were conflicting regarding the accuracy of these criteria. OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of three electrocardiographic criteria in diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in adult patients with hypertension using echocardiography as a reference test. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a hospital-based cross sectional observational study which included 340 adult patients with a his
... Show More(Sepak takraw) is a game that mixes football and volleyball, it is played on a court similar to a badminton court, in which players have the right to play the ball with any part of the body except the arm and hand. The object of the game is to return the ball to the opponent's court and score a point. Since it is a newly emerging game, all aspects related to it must be studied and covered in order to reach the highest levels, and it is known that each game or sporting activity has its own physical and motor capabilities, which is important to determine the level of technical performance, as the game's abilities contribute to mastering the skills. The importance of research in determining standard levels of physical and motor abilities for y
... Show MoreBreast cancer is one of the most widespread cancers,depending on World Health Organization, cancer calculated for approximately 7.6 million incidences in 2008, whoever expected elevation in incidence is about 13.1 million in 2030. So that the current research investigates vitamin D role in the occurrence of this disease and explains if vitamin D has a positive effect on the incidence of disease, as well as measuring parathyroid hormone and estrogen levels. Three groups were included in this analysis: control healthy women, benign and malignant breast tumor women. All cases that were selected at the beginning of the disease diagnosis. According to statistical values vitamin D showed highly significant (P<0.001) decrease in benign (3.74±2.33
... Show MoreReactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is one of the most advanced recent high compressive strength concrete. This work explored the effects of using glass waste as a fractional replacement for fine aggregate in reactive powder concrete at levels of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%. Linear and mass attenuation coefficients have been calculated as a function of the sample's thickness and bremsstrahlung energy. These coefficients were obtained using energy selective scintillation response to bremsstrahlung having an energy ranging from (0.1-1.1) MeV. In addition, the half-value thickness of the samples prepared has been investigated. It was found that there is a reversal association between the attenuation coefficient and the energy of the bremsstrahlu
... Show More