Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19, a respiratory syndrome. It causes inflammation and damages several organs in the body. miRNAs play a role in regulating the infection resulting from SARS-CoV-2. MicroRNA-155, a kind of microRNA linked to viral defences, can affect the immune responses during COVID-19. Objectives: Examination of the involvement of microRNA-155 in the development and severity of COVID-19, as well as finding the correlation between microRNA-155 and viral load (copies/mL) in severe cases of the disease. Materials and Method: A case-control research study was performed between October 2022 and June 2023. It included a cohort of 120 hospitalised individuals with severe cases of COVID-19, together with 115 individuals with mild cases of COVID-19 and apparently healthy individuals. A real-time PCR procedure was applied to determine microRNA-155 expression in the studied groups and the viral load (copies/mL) in severe cases of the disease. Results: MicroRNA-155 was expressed in severe cases threefold more than its expression in mild cases of COVID-19 and healthy individuals. Also, a strong association was demonstrated between microRNA-155 and viral load (copies/mL) in severe COVID-19. Conclusion: MicroRNA-155 could be used as a biomarker for severe COVID-19 conditions and could have a role in disease severity and infectious particles of the virus. Since it is positively correlated with viral load (copies/mL) in severe cases of the disease
The goal of this study was to investigate the protein peroxidation role by measuring serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in type 2 diabetic patients with or without retinopathy and comparing them to controls to see if circulating AOPP levels can be used as a detection biomarker for DR. And see which of the two widely used antidiabetic treatment groups had the most impact on this oxidative stress marker. The groups were divided into two subgroups: 1) 70 type 2 diabetic patients (36 male, 34 female), 35 with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and 35 with no evidence of DR, and 2) non-diabetic controls (11 male, 9 female) were chosen from Ibn AL-Haitham Hospital for Ophthalmology and a Specialized Center for Endocrinology and Dia
... Show MoreABSTRACT Background: One of the methods used in the treatment of maxillofacial fracture is intermaxillary fixation(IMF), the most common type is the Erich arch bar with interdental wiring. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of intermaxillary fixation on gingival health condition among a group of patients with facial fracture in relation to salivary physical properties. Materials and methods: Thirty patients with an age range of (17-37) years old with facial fractures and indicated for IMF. Plaque index and gingival index (Loe, 1967) were used to assess both of them before application and after removal of IMF. Unstimulated saliva sample collection was carried out under standardized conditions according to Navazesh and Kum
... Show MoreBackground: Osteoporosis is an extra-articular complication of rheumatoid arthritis that results in increased risk of fractures and associated morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Objective: To evaluate changes in bone mineral density in a sample of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on biological (anti tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha) and non-biological agent disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Patients and Methods: A cross sectional study enrolled 60 RA patients diagnosed by rheumatologist according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (2010 ACR/EULAR) classification criteria for RA. Thirty patient on biological agent (anti TNF alpha) and 30 patient on non-biological agent (D
... Show MoreBackground: The skin functions as a barrier to the external environment, damage to this barrier following a burn disrupts the innate immune system and increases susceptibility to bacterial infection. Objective: This study was carried out to determine the bacterial isolates and study their antimicrobial susceptibility in burned wound infections at one burn's hospital in Baghdad.Type of study:Cross-sectional study.Methods: The bacteria were identified at species level by using Analytic Profile Index (API) system and The antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to Kirby-Bauer (disk diffusion) technique.Results: Over a period of one year (from October 2014 to October 2015). Out of 848 patients with different degrees of burns
... Show MoreExogenous levothyroxine dose modulation and euthyroidism achievement is a persistent challenge in clinical settings. This study strives to assess the adequacy of treatment and identify the patients’ factors that can be used to estimate the euthyroid levothyroxine dose. A secondary objective was to assess vitamin D supplementation impact on thyroid status.
A review of a prospectively collected information from 142 female patients from Baghdad Center of Nuclear Medicine from June 2019 until March 2020 who were receiving levothyroxine for different causes was done. After a follow-up period, the patients’ thyroid tests were assessed and the euthyroid doses for each cause category were statistically analyzed. Thyroid function was
... Show MoreBackground: Sex variations in coronary artery disease (CAD) are well documented. However, sex differences in coronary artery calcium (CAC) and its role in the detection of coronary artery stenosis remain controversial. Objective: To assess the impact of sex variation on coronary artery calcification and its efficacy in predicting coronary artery stenosis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study including 230 consecutive patients with suspected CAD (120 men and 110 women) referred for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). The study analyzed sex-based differences in the sensitivity and specificity of coronary artery calcification (CAC) for detecting moderate to severe stenosis across various coronary arteries
... Show MoreThe dose rate for bremsstrahlung radiation from beta particles with energy (1.710) MeV and (2.28) MeV which comes from (32P and 90Y) beta source respectively have been calculated through six materials (polyethylene, wood, aluminum, iron, tungsten and lead) for first shielding material with thickness (x=1) mm which are putting between beta sources and second shield (polyethylene, aluminum and lead) with thickness (1, 2 &4) mm have been calculated. The distance between beta source and second shield is constant (D=1) cm. This dose rate was found by program called Rad Pro Calculator (version 3.26). The results of dose rate of beta particles were plotted as a function to the atomic number (Z) for first shield materials for each
... Show MoreBackground: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the roots of the maxillary posterior teeth and the maxillary sinus using spiral computed tomography, and measured the distances between the roots of the maxillary posterior teeth and the sinus floor. Materials and Methods: The sample of the present study was a total of 120 Iraqi subject (60 males & 60 females) aged (20-60) years old, who admitted to spiral Computed Tomography scan unit in AL-Zahraa hospital in AL-Kut city to have Computed Tomography scan of the brain and paranasal sinuses who had complaints of headaches or with suspicion of sinusitis but without pathological findings in maxillary sinuses. From November 2012 to April 2013, CT sagittal reconstruc
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