Understanding Caspase-3 (CASP-3) and interleukin-32 (IL32) roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection is critical to linearize the pathogenesis of the virus as well as the resultant disease which may uncover novel therapeutic targets in treating COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to evaluate caspase‐3 (CASP3) and interleukin 32 (IL32) roles and their correlation with the disease severity among patients. The case-control study (140 patients and 60 healthy controls) was performed with molecular and ELISA assays. CASP3 and IL32 serum levels were determined along with other clinical data of patients. CASP3 levels were classified as significantly higher (p < 0.001), while IL-32 levels were significantly lower in production (p
... Show MoreCoronavirus 2 is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which leads to severe acute respiratory illness. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been linked to leukocyte infiltration and chemokine activation during inflammatory responses. Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) family are thought to dampen the proinflammatory effects of these MMPs. The molecular pathways of lung fibrosis are mediated by MMPs and TIMPs. In this study, we sought to investigate the probable link between MMPs, specifically MMP-3, TIMP-2, and COVID-19. The study included 58 COVID-19 patients and 30 apparently healthy individuals matched in terms of age and sex. Multiplex real- time PCR was used to detect the ORF1ab, E, and N genes of
... Show MoreA disease of the reproductive system known as "infertility" is characterized by the inability to conceive after twelve months or more of sexual activity. This study was carried out to investigate the level of the DAZ protein in “Azoospermia” Iraqi patients. One hundred and fifty human blood samples were collected from different regions in Baghdad governorate include (private medicals Labs and “high institute for infertility diagnosis” assisted reproductive techniques and Kamal Al- Samara'ay IVF Hospital). The control group (fertile) consists of 50 males with an age range between 22-51 years old, while the patient (infertile group) consists of 100 sample males with ages ranging between 25-51 years old. The correlation of mean age for
... Show MoreBackground: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common joint disorder leading to considerable pain and locomotor disability in lower limb function. Locomotor disability, which is difficulty in activities of daily living related to lower limb function, can be the consequence of KOA, so early diagnosis and management may improve quality of life.
Objective: To assess the contribution of radiological osteoarthritis of the knees to disability in the activities of daily living related to lower limb function.
Methods: One hundred twenty Iraqi KOA patients (104 females and 16 males) who were attending to Rheumatology Unit, Full history was taken and complete clinical exami
... Show MoreUromodulin is the most abundant protein ordinary excreted in urine which could be used as a biomarker to diagnose kidney diseases. However, evidence suggests that it regulates salt transport, protects against urinary tract infection and kidney stones, and has a role in kidney damage and innate immunity. This study aimed to understand the association of uromodulin gene rs13332878 with chronic kidney disease. More than 100 people were selected for the study and the samples collected from the under study subjects were divided into two groups. 70 chosen subjects were under the dialysis with kidney failure, and aged between 18-88 years. The second group included 30 samples from healthy individuals, used as control. One of t
... Show MoreInhaled corticosteroids are the most effective controllers of asthma, although asthmatics vary in their response. FKBP51 is a major component of the glucocorticoid receptor which regulates its responses to corticosteroids. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the role of FKBP5 gene polymorphism in asthma susceptibility and corticosteroid resistance.
DNA was extracted from the blood of 68 asthmatic
One of the most opportunistic mycosis globally is the Candida ssp., which is considered as the most agent that cause nosocomial urinary tract infections (UTIs), oral candidiasis and genitourinary candidiasis. This study included 100 samples of Iraqi subjects suffering from urinary tract infections. Identification of Candida have been done by different methods such as; characteristic of colony on culture, gram stain, and microscopically. This study aimed to isolation and identification of Candida spp from urine sample of UTI patients and find the relevance of ages and blood group of patients with the infections rate, also determine the effect of age on ESR and CRP levels in the patients. The results showed the higher frequency of
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a common health problem that has a worldwide distribution. Apart from the direct effect of the virus on the liver, there are many extrahepatic manifestations among which the probable effect on bone turnover associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association between treated and untreated chronic HBV infection with BMD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which included a total of 48 patients with chronic HBV (28 patients treated with tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate [TDF] antiviral drug and 20 patients have not yet started treatment). Other age- and sex-matched 30 apparently healthy individuals were recruited to represent the hea
... Show MoreHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem. It is estimated that there are 240 million HBV carriers in the world, of whom roughly 600,000 die annually from HBV-related liver disease. A total of 150 individuals were included in this study, 130 individuals of them had hepatitis B infection (patients group); HBs-Ag was detected in their sera by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and was confirmed by real time PCR analysis to detect the viral genetic material, the others were control. Most of HBV patients in this study were located within 20-40 years group with a percentage of 47.7% and within the 40-60 years group with a percentage of 38.5%. Acute infection was confirmed by detection of anti-HBc IgM
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