Background: 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-19 infection, and 44 were apparently healthy subjects as a control. The time of collection is from September 15 th to December 31 th, 2021. The optimal cut-off points (critical values) and prognostic relevance of D-dimer, Neutrophil-Lymphocyte count ratio (NLR), and neopterin were investigated using (ROC) curves analysis. Results: In severe patients hospitalized with COVID-19 the levels of D-dimer, NLR, and neopterin were statistically significantly higher than in control participants (P< 0.005). The D-dimer, NLR, and neopterin tests have areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of 0.920, 0.90, and 0.74 respectively, and their critical values for the differentiation between the severe patients and control were 0.22 μg/ml, 2.56, and 3.02 nmol/L. Conclusions: D-dimer, NLR, and neopterin levels in sever COVID-19 patients were higher than control, with values of greater than 0.22μg/ml, 2.56 and 3.02nmol/L respectively was linked to a severe COVID-19infection with good sensitivity and selectivity.
It is well known that monotherapy does not provide therapeutic response in all hypertensive. Somepatients show an excellent response, while in others there is a poor response. Combinationantihypertensive therapy is administered when blood pressure is inadequately controlled bymonotherapy to achieve a balanced and additive antihypertensive effect with minimum adverse effects.Both angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and dihydropyridine type of calcium antagonistsare well established and widely used in monotherapy. An understanding of differences in themechanism of action of these agents allows a logical approach for the use of these agents as acombination therapy. This study was designed to evaluate the possible beneficial
... Show MoreTo compare the corneal epithelial thickness profile in patients with dry eyes and keratoconus suspect with normal healthy eyes.
The study involved 120 eyes with an age range from 19 to 30 years. Forty eyes had normal corneal topography and no dry eyes. Forty eyes had dry eyes but had normal corneal topography. The last 40 eyes were keratoconus suspect and had no symptoms or signs of dry eyes.
Central epithelial thickness was not different statistically for all eyes. ( p-value: 0.1). The superior epithelial thickness was 53.5 µm ±3.1 in the control
Background: Plaque retention during fixed orthodontic therapy is an important cause of developing enamel demineralization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different brackets types on the count of Streptococcus Mutans in orthodontic patients using conventional fluoridated toothpaste. Materials and Methods: Plaque samples were collected from maxillary 1st premolar teeth of twenty right handed patients (using split mouth technique) before bonding, after 48 hrs of bonding using tooth brush only, and after 2 weeks of using fluoridated toothpaste. Stainless steel bracket was bonded on right first premolar while the left one was bonded with sapphire bracket. The calculation of the Streptococcus Mutans count was done usin
... Show MoreDiabetes mellitus is a common health problem worldwide counting about 1.2 million cases in Iraq in 2015. Taking in account of the patient’s beliefs about the prescribed medication had been reported to be one of the most important factors that affects adherence where holding positive beliefs about medications is a prerequisite for intentional adherence. The aim of the current study was to investigate and assess beliefs about medicines among type 2 diabetic patients and to determine possible association between this belief and glycemic control as well as some patient-specific factors. This study is a cross-sectional study carried out on 380 (mean age 56.58± 10.06 years) already diagnosed T2DM patients who attended the National Diabetes
... Show MoreObjective: Geographic differences in clinical and pathological aspects of ameloblastoma have been suggested, therefore the purpose of this study was to analyze cases of ameloblastoma in terms of clinical and radiographic manifestations, histopathological types, treatment modalities and recurrence rate and compare them with reports from other parts of the world. Methods: The medical reports of patients diagnosed with ameloblastoma were reviewed and the data concerning the age, gender, chief complaint, the anatomical site of the lesion, radiographic appearance, histopathological diagnosis, treatment approach and recurrence were retrieved. Surgical treatment consisted of either enucleation with curettage and peripheral ostectomy or resection;
... Show MoreBackground: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), presents an extra challenge in the management of patients with cancer, given the increase in morbidity and mortality in having both conditions. Cancer patients are well known to have a high risk of VTE; particularly; those who have had major surgery, chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. These groups of patients need to understand the risk factors and the prophylactic measures to prevent developing VTE. This review aims to provide an overview of the literature on cancer patients’ understanding of VTE and their experiences of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT).
Method: A scoping review wa
... Show MoreBackground: Liver metastasis significantly complicates cancer prognosis, yet easily accessible markers for its early detection and monitoring remain crucial. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate key hematological parameters as potential indicators for liver metastasis in Iraqi patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing hematological profiles between 90 patients (presumably with liver metastasis) and 30 healthy controls. White Blood Cell (WBC) count, Lymphocyte percentage, Neutrophil percentage, and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) were analyzed. Given non-normal data distributions (confirmed by the Shapiro-Wilk test), group comparisons were performed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test.
... Show Moreackground An autoimmune and inflammatory illness called rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks normal cells in your body. Interleukin-35 is a brand-new cytokine that belongs to the immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory IL-12 family. β -herpesvirus that produces inflammation and stays dormant in its host for life is the human cytomegalovirus. Human herpesvirus (HCMV) has been at the core of several RA-related theories. Objective The current study looked at the association between RA and serum IL-35 levels as well as the association between RA and CMV. Patients and methods Blood samples were taken in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital and Typical Rheumatology Unit from January 2022 to Mars 2022 for the curre
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