Objective(s): To measure serum C-reactive protein (CRP) titer as a predictive diagnosis of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection.
Methodology: Two hundred and ten patients with acute HCV infection and 234 apparently healthy individuals as
control group were enrolled in this study in Baghdad medical city (Teaching Laboratories). The patents include
74(35.2%) females and 136 (64.8%) males with mean age (27±16.5) years. The control group includes 114 (48.7%)
females and 120 (51.3%) males with mean age (26±5.8) years. Blood samples were collected from out patients from
Alfadul in Baghdad city. Sera were separated and stored at 20 0
C. The diagnosis of acute HCV infection was based on
detection of HC Ag and anti- HCV IgM and standard liver function tests. Determination of CRP titer was assessed by
semi-quantitative tube agglutination test. All data were statistically analyzed.
Results: Based on 95% percentile, the baseline CRP titer in healthy individuals was 1:8 (16mg/l) and for patients 1:512
(1024mg/l). There was a statistically significant increase in the mean CRP titer in patients with acute HCV infection
compared to healthy individuals (P< 0.001) .The validly of CRP titer 1: 64 as a cut –off value to predict HCV infection
provide a sensitivity and specificity of 100 % and 96% respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation
between CRP titer and liver function test values.
Recommendation:
Therefore, in further studies, we recommends the evaluation of C- reactive protein titer in patients with acute
hepatitis B Virus infection and patients with non–infectious diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus
and hyperlipidemia infection, and compare between them.
Background: Understanding the morphological characteristics between the floor of the maxillary sinus and the tips of the maxillary posterior roots is crucial in orthodontics involving diagnosis and treatment planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distances from the maxillary posterior root apices to the inferior wall of the maxillary sinus, thickness and density of maxillary sinus floor using cone-beam computed tomography images and the relationships between roots and maxillary sinus according to gonial angle and skeletal pattern. Materials and methods: Three-dimensional images of each root were checked, and the distances were measured along the true vertical axis from the apex of the root to the sinus floor, and the thickne
... Show MoreAge, hypertension, and diabetes can cause significant alterations in arterial structure and function, including changes in lumen diameter (LD), intimal-medial thickness (IMT), flow velocities, and arterial compliance. These are also considered risk markers of atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disease. A difference between right and left carotid artery blood flow and IMT has been reported by some researchers, and a difference in the incidence of nonlacunar stroke has been reported between the right and left brain hemispheres. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences between the right and left common carotid arteries and internal carotid arteries in patient
Objectives: to evaluate patient knowledge with hemodialysis and to determine the effectiveness of Self-regulation Fluid Program on Patients with hemodialysis self-efficacy for fluid adherence in Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital.
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First part: Demographic characteristics of the pati
... Show MoreThe hazardous metabolic effects of treating schizophrenia patients with olanzapine comprise serotonin 2C receptor (5-HT2C) antagonists. Metabolic side effects of antipsychotic drugs, including lipid abnormalities, disturbed glucose metabolism, and weight gain, can have a major impact on treating psychiatric patients. The intent of this study was to investigate whether there is an associated link between the genetic polymorphism at -759C>T in the promoter region of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor (HTR2C) gene and the metabolic syndrome driven by olanzapine in schizophrenia patients. A cross-sectional study that involved fifty hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. The patients were split into two groups (metabolic and non-metab
... Show MoreAll major organs may be impacted by the connective disease systemic lupus erythematosus, a separate risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Adhesion molecules like intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM) and vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM) can detect endothelial damage and dysfunction, which appear to play a crucial role. This study investigated whether people with SLE had elevated subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis risk factors. Traditional CAD risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia cannot entirely explain this elevation. It is thought that immunological dysfunction also increases CAD risk in SLE patients. The study aimed to assess early endothelial changes in SLE Iraqi female patients w
... Show MoreBackground: Early detection of subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is crucial and could influence patients' prognosis by aiding the clinician to candidate patients for better management.
Objective: To detect early LV systolic dysfunction in asymptomatic patient with chronic aortic regurgitation by two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.
Methods: Sixty one asymptomatic patients with chronic aortic regurgitation, with no ischemic heart diseases (by coronary angiography) or conductive heart diseases, no diabetes mellitus, no hypertension, and no other valvular heart diseases (group 1) and fifty age and sex-matched healthy subjects (
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This is a retrospective multicenter pharmacoeconomic analysis conducted at two large teaching governmental hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq which provided infliximab to patients with RA. Data were collected from patient’s medical records and face-to-face interviews with the patients from December 2021 to April 2022.
The study included 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The patients were categorized into two groups according to the type of infliximab they received over 30 weeks: 27 patients received
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