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.
Helicobacter pylori (HP) colonizes the gastric mucosa and causes gastric and extra-gastric disorders. Several liver diseases, such as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, seem to be caused by the gastrointestinal tract, which is primarily determined by the presence of bacteria like Helicobacter pylori. The study aims to evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and liver diseases by measuring liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and hematological parameters among patients with gastritis and without Helicobacter pylori infection. A total of 1,325 patients who had gastritis diagnosed by gastroscopy were included in our study. They were divided into the HP– group (340 women, 323 men) and the HP+ group (330 women,
... Show MoreBackground: Tumors of the oral cavity are under
estimated in general dental and medical practice,
some authors describe it as the forgetting disease,
others wondering if the attention paid to this disease
compared to its fatality (The 5-year survival rate is
about 50%) is enough for disease control? However;
this disease deserves a comprehensive assessment by
all dental and medical fields assumed to examine the
oral cavity regularly, especially otolaryngologist.
Objectives: To find out the sensitivity and specificity
of clinical examination in diagnosing oral tumors and
premalignant conditions by otolaryngologist.
Methods: Across sectional retrospective study was
conducted in the:
-study design:
Background: Oral carcinogenesis is a molecular and histological multistage process featuring genetic and phenotypic markers for each stage, which involves enhanced function of several oncogenes and/or the deactivation of tumor suppressor genes, resulting in the loss of cell cycle checkpoints. The progression towards malignancy includes sequential histopathological alterations ranging from hyperplasia through dysplasia to carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. The p16 gene produces p16 protein, which in turn inhibits phosphorylation of retinoblastoma, p16 play a significant role in early carcinogenesis. Human papillomavirus is a well established heterogeneous virus and plays an important role in oral cancers. The aims of the study were to
... Show MoreThis study aimed to evaluate oral health (OH) and periodontal diseases (PD) awareness in the Iraqi population.
This study was a questionnaire‐based online survey of two weeks duration. The questionnaire was built using a Google platform and was distributed randomly via social media (Facebook and Telegram). The questionnaire consisted of a demographic data section and two other main sections for the evaluation of OH and PD awareness. Each response was marked with “1” for a positive answer and “0” for the other answers. For each respondent, answers were summed to give
This study was initiated to examine the tomato-infecting viruses belonging to the Tobamovirus and Potexvirus genera in Iraq. Field observations and surveys were carried out for three successive cropping seasons (2020/21 to 2022/23) in selected tomato production areas. The purpose was to identify the main viruses associated with tomato epidemics and assess the impact of different tomato cultivars on disease occurrence. A total of 700 tomato leaf samples were collected from seven governorates (Baghdad, Diyala, Babylon, Najaf, Kerbala, Nasiriya, and Basrah) and tested using pathogen-specific immunostrip kits. The survey showed a presence of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Pepper mild mottle virus (
... Show MoreIt is clear that correct application of antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the incidence of infection resulting from the bacterial inoculation in a variety of clinical situations; it cannot prevent all infections any more than it can eliminate all established infections. Optimum antibiotic prophylaxis depends on: rational selection of the drug(s), adequate concentrations of the drug in the tissues that are at risk, and attention to timing of administration. Moreover, the risk of infection in some situations does not outweigh the risks which attend the administration of even the safest antibiotic drug. The aim of this study was to comp
... Show MoreIt is clear that correct application of antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the incidence of infection resulting from the bacterial inoculation in a variety of clinical situations; it cannot prevent all infections any more than it can eliminate all established infections. Optimum antibiotic prophylaxis depends on: rational selection of the drug(s), adequate concentrations of the drug in the tissues that are at risk, and attention to timing of administration. Moreover, the risk of
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