Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common human pathogen that causes severe infections in newborns and immunocompromised patients. Conjunctivitis or corneal epithelial keratitis is caused by HSV type 1 all over the world and at all times of the year. The present study was aimed at detecting HSV in patients suffering from conjunctivitis. One hundred and ten (110) clinical samples (90 patients and 20 controls, both males and females) of eye conjunctiva swabs were collected from patients of different ages. The samples were analyzed using qPCR and ELISA techniques. The qPCR results revealed that HSV was present in 47 (52.2%) of the 90 patients who were infected. Of these patients, 25 (48.0%) were males and 22 (57.8%) were females, indicating that females are more susceptible to infection. According to the results by age group, patients over 50 years old had a higher rate (81.8%), making young adults more susceptible to infection. The prevalence of HSV-positive results by ELISA was observed in 29 (32.3%) individuals, including 16 (30.7%) males and 13 (34.2%) females, indicating that females are more susceptible to infection. Adults over the age of 50 (54.5%) are more susceptible to infection, according to the age group’s HSV-positive outcomes. HSV type 1 infection is highly prevalent among Iraqi conjunctivitis patients, with a statistically significant difference when compared to controls, based on the two techniques. The findings of this study indicate that qPCR is more accurate and reliable than the ELISA technique for detecting HSV type 1.
The alterations in glyoxylate reductase and hydroxy-pyruvate reductase concentrations in the sera and the genetic alterations associated with calcium oxalate kidney stones in Iraqi patients were not studied previously so this study aimed to focus on these points. This study included 80 subjects; they were 50 patients with calcium oxalate stones compared to 30 apparently healthy controls. Biochemical investigations for kidney functions (creatinine, urea, and uric acid), were performed on the sera of both groups. Also, complete blood count, random blood sugar, and blood group tests. Furthermore, urine had been collected for General Urine Examination to visualize oxalate crystals in the urine of the patient. Also, the GRHPR
... Show MoreWorldwide, hundreds of millions of people have been infected with COVID-19 since December 2019; however, about 20% or less developed severe symptoms. The main aim of the current study was to assess the relationship between the severity of Covid-19 and different clinical and laboratory parameters. A total number of 466 Arabs have willingly joined this prospective cohort. Out of the total number, 297 subjects (63.7%) had negative COVID-19 tests, and thus, they were recruited as controls, while 169 subjects (36.3%) who tested positive for COVID-19 were enrolled as cases. Out of the total number of COVID-19 patients, 127 (75.15%) presented with mild symptoms, and 42 (24.85%) had severe symptoms. The age range for the partic
... Show MoreBackground: osteoporosis is characterized by a reduction in bone mineral density, skeletal microstructure breakdown, increased bone fragility, and fracture susceptibility. Osteopenia is the preceding step to osteoporosis because it causes a decrease in bone mass, osteoporosis reduces a person's quality of life. Periostin (encoded by Postn), its name is derived from the fact that it was first detected in periosteal osteocytes and osteoblasts. Periostin deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis and weak bones. Study objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine periostin levels in serum of Iraqi patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia, and it is also possible to consider periostin as a diagnostic factor to follow the progression o
... Show MoreTopic management is the awareness of how speakers deal with initiating, developing, changing, and ending a topic and how they fix the relationship when a misunderstanding occurs. It is such an important unit of conversation as it includes the transition from one strategy to the other to be accomplished in a systematic and orderly manner. These strategies are impaired in dementia patients thus lead to communication breakdown. This study aims at detecting the dementia patients' topic management strategies in selected speeches and answering the questions of which of these strategies are fully or partially detected in these speeches. The researchers use a qualitative method to examine the speeches of those patients and they adopt an eclectic
... Show MoreThis study was aimed to investigate the association between thyroid disorder and Helicobacter pylori infection in 122 patients (100 females and 22 males )and for comparison, 60 healthy individuals (31females and 29 males),who had no thyroid disorder, were also included in the study. Blood samples were collected from both patients and the healthier individuals. Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) technique through using Vitek Immuno Diagnostic Assay System (VIDAS) was applied to measure levels of the thyroid hormones (tri-iodothyronine T3, tetra-iodothyroxine T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). From the results obtained, patients were classified into three groups: 40 were
... Show MoreThe aim of the current study is to in evaluate the role of SOD activity in the previously reported oxidative stress in our laboratory(1), in the patients with different brain tumors. SOD activity was assayed according to riboflavin/NBT method and its specific activity was calculated in patients with benign and malignant brain tumors and control. Moreover the specific activity was compared in these samples according to gender and the occurrence of disease.Non significant elevation (P > 0.05) in SOD specific activity was observed in tissue of malignant tumors in comparison to that of in benign brain tumors. While a highly significant decrease (P < 0.001) of the specific activity was found in sera of malignant patients group in comparison to t
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to determine serum IL-33 levels and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) .Forty patients with moderate activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and forty healthy individuals as control group were enrolled in this study, age (25-45) years. Disease activity was assessed in patients by erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor(RF) .Also lipid profile(cholesterol TC, triglyceride TG, low density lipoprotein LDL-C, very low density lipoprotein VLDL and high density lipoprotein HDL-C), AIP, and IL-33 were determined in all subjects. The results revealed a significant increase in ESR,CRP and RF , TG, VLDL,AIP and IL-33,while is a significant decrease in HDL concentration in patients gr
... Show MoreBackground: Prolactin is a hormone, as well as a cytokine which is synthesized and secreted from the anterior pituitary gland and various extra pituitary sites including immune cells under control of a superdistal promoter that contains a single nucleotide polymorphism -1149 G/T. Rheumatoid Arthritis has been associated with increased serum prolactin levels.Objectives: To investigate the association of the extra pituitary -1149 G/T promoter polymorphism among Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients and prolactin levels.Methods: We tested 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 40 healthy individuals. The DNA samples were genotyped using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction fragment Length Polymorphism method and the levels of prolacti
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