Background: In December 2019, an episode of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2) was reported in Wuhan, China and has spread around the world, increasing the number of contagions. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are common herpesviruses that can cause persistent latent infections and affect the developing immune system.The study was conducted to explore the prevalence and reactivation of CMV and EBV antibodies in COVID-19 patients group in comparison to healthy group and to investigate the association between the presence of these viruses with each of severity of disease and oral hygiene. Materials and Methods: Eighty Five subjects were participated in this case control study (50 patients with COVID-19 and 35 healthy controls), their age range from 18 to 77 years. Oral health status was established by oral hygiene index. Serum obtained from patients and controls was analyzed using ELISA to assess levels of anti- CMV and anti- EBV antibodies. Results: The study revealed that the mean of anti-EBV IgG in patients was significantly elevated (p<0.01) than that in controls. Otherwise, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in levels of anti- EBV IgM, anti- CMV IgG and IgM between two groups (P>0.05). In addition there were no significant differences between patients and controls (p>0.05) in the number and percentage of anti-EBV and anti-CMV antibodies. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in the level of anti-CMV IgM in severe cases as compared to mild cases, (P<0.01). Furthermore, these results revealed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in levels of anti-viral antibodies in patients with good oral hygiene compared to patients with poor oral hygiene. Conclusions: Higher frequency of anti-EBV IgG among patients indicates that latent infection is more common in COVID-19 patients. While an increased percentage of anti-CMV IgM indicated reactivation of latent infection and is related to disease severity suggesting that COVID-19 can cause cellular immune impairment.
Little is known about hesitancy to receive the COVID‐19 vaccines. The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the perceptions of healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population regarding the COVID‐19 vaccines, (2) to evaluate factors influencing the acceptance of vaccination using the health belief model (HBM), and (3) to qualitatively explore the suggested intervention strategies to promote the vaccination.
This was a cross‐sectional study based on electronic survey data that was collected in Iraq during December first‐19th, 2020. The electronic surve
Background:-Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that often affects multiple vascular distributions in a single patient. The increased prevalence of renal artery stenosis in association with coronary artery disease has been well documented.
Objectives:-To examine in detail the prevalence of renal artery stenosis in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease.
Patients &methods:-Between April 2010 and February 2011, two hundred patients underwent coronary and renal angiography at the same session in Ibn Al-bitar Hospital for Cardiac Surgery. Clinical and procedural data for patients undergoing renal angiography were prospectively collected and entered into database specially designed for th
Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon that often extends to involve the remainder of the large intestine in a continuous manner. Intestinal amoebiasis can present as a chronic, dysenteric syndrome of diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain that can last for years and mimic ulcerative colitis.
Objective: Studying the prevalence of E..histolytica by using serological method ELISA for their detection, Investigate the possible role of E.histolytica as a cause of blood, diarrhea in non-ulcerative colitis group &Comparison between serological detection of E.histolytica and stool examination.
Patients and Methods: Retrospective and prospective study was conducted
Background: Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) is a lipid mediator appeared as a powerful activator that regulates the T-helper2 (TH2) and Type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), and functions as diagnostic marker and it has probable therapeutic targets for asthma.
Objectives: To define the role of Prostaglandin D2 biomarkers in disease severity, and to forecast disease risk and progression.
Patients and methods: A case control study was conducted on Forty four Iraqi asthmatic patients and 44 apparently healthy controls who were age and sex matched. Four ml of blood samples was taken from the study groups for the detection PGD2 using ELISA.
Results: The se
... Show MoreBackground: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for a high proportion of deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. The incidence of CVDs is largely attributed to several risk factors.
Aim of the study: To estimate the prevalence of common risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among secondary school students in Sulaimani city / Kurdistan-Iraq.
Subjects and Methods: One thousand and two hundred secondary school students between 16-18 years of age from eight secondary schools in the city of Sulaimani were selected to participate in this study. Students were selected randomly. The questionnaire form, which includes information about risk factors
... Show MoreBackground: Since declaring coronavirus disease 19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, a great concern was directed toward pregnant women and their fetuses. Despite the substantial impact of COVID-19 disease on pregnancy, there is a scarcity of national researches discussing this important issue.
Objectives: To study the relationship between peripheral blood abnormalities and COVID-19 in pregnant women.
Patients and methods: A case control study was conducted in the labour wards of Baghdad Teaching Hospital in the Medical complex / Baghdad /Iraq during the period from 1st of February till 31st of July, 2021. Fifty pregna
... Show MoreBackground: Many etiological factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Asthma like; viruses, bacteria and Chlamydia pneumoniae. This study focuses on the role of Chlamydia
pneumoniae in asthma pathogenesis.
Patients and Methods: The detection of Anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies IgA, IgM and IgG in patients by ELISA, for 35 patients, 18 asthmatic patients, 12 patients with chest infection with no history of asthma, and 5 apparently healthy as control subjects.
Results: The results showed that 80% and 70% of the patients were negative for anti- Chlamydia pneumonia antibodies IgA and IgM respectively, while significantly (p<0.05) high number (73%) of patients were positive for IgG, of which