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.
Endothelin-I (ET-I) is one of the potent vasoconstrictors secreted from endothelial cells when needed. Many studies revealed the elevation of serum ET-I with human diabetes and microangiopathies. Since insulin resistance is a case of mixed diabetic and pre-diabetic cases, many risk factors beyond obesity and inflammation are proposed. The current study aims to demonstrate the association between serum ET-I and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sera of 73 subjects were enrolled currently (control= 35 subjects, and 38 with T2DM for more than 7 years), aged (40-60) years old, with distinct body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 for control volunteers and (BMI) ≥ 25 for obesity and diabetes
... Show MoreBackground: Several studies linked the development of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) to genetic variations in the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene, though a disparity in findings was underlined among children with different ethnic origins. Objective: This study examined the relationship between MDR1 variants (rs2032582 and rs2032583) and the risk of developing SRNS in Iraqi patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). Methods: This case-control study included children with steroid-sensitive INS (SSNS; n=30) and SRNS (n=30) from the Babylon Hospital for Maternity and Pediatrics. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the participants’ genotypes. Results: The rs2032582 genotypes and alleles were not associated
... Show MoreBack ground: Spectral analyses of solutions have long been applied to various body fluids for the purpose of clinical study as well as research .Human saliva can be easily obtained by non invasive .In this study typical spectra (for UV and IR) of saliva of oral cancer Squamous cell carcinoma patients were determined under average conditions and evaluated in relation to the spectra of normal specimens. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients of oral cancer Squamous cell carcinoma and seventeen age matched healthy subject were included in this study .Chewing - Stimulated Saliva was collected in plastic test tube and stored at -20° C. Bach of saliva samples were used for UV and IR measurements. Results: Many differences between the IR spect
... Show MoreAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive disorder that affects cognitive brain functions and starts many years before its clinical manifestations. A biomarker that provides a quantitative measure of changes in the brain due to AD in the early stages would be useful for early diagnosis of AD, but this would involve dealing with large numbers of people because up to 50% of dementia sufferers do not receive formal diagnosis. Thus, there is a need for accurate, low-cost, and easy to use biomarkers that could be used to detect AD in its early stages. Potentially, electroencephalogram (EEG) based biomarkers can play a vital role in early diagnosis of AD as they can fulfill these needs. This is a cross-sectional study that aims to demon
... Show MoreTo determine the relationship between hepatitis C virus infection and Diabetic mellitus type 2 , twenty patient's with diabetic mellitus type 2 aged (30-61) years old have been investigated from 01/11/2014 to 01/02/2015 and compared with fifteen parentally healthy individuals. All the studies groups were carried out to measure anti-HCV Abs by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), There was significant elevation (P≤0.05) in the HCV Abs compared with control groups .The percentage of HCV Abs was 15% and there was highly significant (P≤0.01) differences between studied group, while there was non-significant differences (P≥0.05) between patients groups according to age and gender compared with control groups. These results indicated
... Show MoreThis study investigates the levels of gaseous and particulate pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, and CO₂) emitted during charcoal-grilling activities in five selected restaurants in the Al-Karkh district of Baghdad, with a focus on their environmental and health implications. Developing countries, including Iraq, face severe pollution-related challenges exacerbated by inefficient combustion processes inherent to traditional cooking practices. Restaurants that rely on charcoal grilling are a significant source of both indoor and outdoor air pollution, posing acute and chronic health risks to workers and patrons. This research documented measured amounts of pollutants released from burning coal using two types of particulate matter (PM2.5; PM10)
... Show MoreBackground: The American Joint committee on Cancer in their 8th edition staging manual regarded perineural invasion as one of the most important prognostic factors for Lip and Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma, it also incorporated tumor depth of invasion in defining tumor size category in the new staging system. This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of perineural invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma and the effect of approaching tumor depth in this process. Materials and Methods: fifty-four formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks of radical resections of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma were cut and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain, then evaluated for perineural invasion, with estimation of tumor depth of i
... Show MoreBackground: Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL9) has an important role recruiting the T-lymphocytes and immune response after infection by inducing T-cells accumulation around the areas associated with infections. However, this role is poorly known in relation with Toxoplasma gondii infection and also in association with thyroid hormones, which the present study is focused on. Methods: Eighty-seven women were included in this study for the period between September 2021 and February 2022. Blood samples of uninfected healthy pregnant, in addition to aborted and pregnant women infected with toxoplasmosis, were collected. Sera were then obtained and stored at -10°C. Toxo-latex agglutination test was done, followed by detec
... Show MoreCeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic inflammation that essentially affects the small intestine and is caused by eating gluten-containing foods. This study sought to determine gene expression of NLRP3 Inflammasome in peripheral blood of Iraqi CD children using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. Thirty children with CD (12 males and 18 females) were enrolled in the study and their age range was 3-15 years. The diagnosis of the disease was confirmed by serological examinations and intestinal endoscopy. A control sample of 20 age-matched healthy children was also included. The children were stratified for age, gender, body max index (BMI), histological findings, and marsh classification. Furthe
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