Background: Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is gram-negative bacterium, which causes Legionnaires’ disease as well as Pontiac fever. Objective: To determine the frequency of Legionella pneumophila in pneumonic patients, to determine the clinical utility of diagnosing Legionella pneumonia by urinary antigen testing (LPUAT) in terms of sensitivity and specificity, to compares the results obtained from patients by urinary antigen test with q Real Time PCR (RT PCR) using serum samples and to determine the frequency of serogroup 1 and other serogroups of L. pneumophila. Methods: A total of 100 pneumonic patients (community acquired pneumonia) were enrolled in this study during a period between October 2016 to April 2017; 92 samples were collected from patients attended and admitted to Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein Medical City and 8 samples from those in the (Center of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation) in the Medical City of Baghdad. All patients were under therapy with antibiotics. Serum and urine specimens were obtained from all patients; urine samples were processed for urinary antigen test (rapid test). Serum samples were collected and submitted to DNA extraction for detection of L. pneumophila mip gene by q RT PCR assay. Results: The percentage of L. pneumophila in two hospitals in Bagdad was 30%. Of these 26% was serogroup 1 detected by urinary antigen testing (UAT). In the other hand, 23% of samples were positive by q RT PCR based mip gene, of these 19 % were serogroup 1 and 4% were another serogroup. The sensitivity of UAT is high (P value < 0.001), which means statistically highly significance than q RT PCR. Conclusion: LPUAT is a rapid tool for early diagnosis of Legionella infection, which highlights the need of using this test in hospitals and health institutions and there is a high prevalence of L. pneumophila in Iraq that refer to the necessity of considering this microorganism point of view in future studies for detection and treatment in pneumonic patients. Keywords: L. pneumophila, mip gene, quantitative real time PCR, urinary antigen. Citation: Gauad SA, Abdulrahman TR, Muhamad AK, Jawad AA, Hassan JS. Clinical utility of urinary antigen test and molecular method for detection of Legionella pneumophila. Iraqi JMS. 2018; 16(2): 207-215. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.16.2.13
Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of the educational program on nursing staff knowledge about infection control measures at the Intensive Care Unit in Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital.
Methodology: A pre-experimental design (one group design: pre-test and post-test) was used. This study was conducted in Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital for the period from ( 20th February to 5th March, 2020) on a non-probability (purposive) sample consisting of (25 nurses) working in ICU. A questionnaire was built as a data collection tool and consisted of two parts:
First part: The demographic characteristics of the nursing staff (age, gender, level of education, years of experien
... Show Morenovel spectrofluorimetric flow injection analysis (FIA) method was developed for the selective quantification of ascorbic acid via fluorescence quenching of serotonin hydrochloride. The system employs a custom-designed photometric array comprising 16 irradiation sources arranged in a dual-axis matrix—eight aligned horizontally and eight orthogonally, enabling multi-angle excitation and enhanced spectral resolution. Fluorescence signals were captured using a twin-pair solar cell detector, offering high sensitivity and minimal optical interference. The method exhibited a linear calibration range of 0.1–30 limit of detection (LOD) of 0.025 μ μ g/mL with a correlation coefficient (r mol /L, equivalent to 4.403 * 10 4 μ 2 ) of 0.9966, a g
... Show MoreAcute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) causes up to 40% mortality in humans and is difficult to treat. ARDS is also one of the major triggers of mortality associated with coronavirus-induced disease (COVID-19). We used a mouse model of ARDS induced by Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), which triggers 100% mortality, to investigate the mechanisms through which Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) attenuates ARDS. SEB was used to trigger ARDS in C3H mice. These mice were treated with THC and analyzed for survival, ARDS, cytokine storm, and metabolome. Additionally, cells isolated from the lungs were used to perform single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis. A database analysis of human COVID-19 patients was also performed t
... Show MoreBackground: The gene encoding a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 33 (ADAM33) is known to be associated with asthma in different ethnic groups. In Iraq, among the Arab ethnic background, this association has not yet been highlighted. Methods: One hundred and ninety-two asthmatics were examined; 118 males and 74 females (mean age 38.23 ± 9.13 years). The control group was 183; 110 males and the rest were females. The SNP of rs2280091 A/G (T1) was studied here to determine adam33 genotyping status using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP). The level of total IgE was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Significant differences (p = 0.004) in the frequencies of
... Show MoreTime affects all elements of the intellectual scene or the theatrical scene. It came along with the theatrical doctrines according to the conditions of those doctrines and their conceptual ideas or the method of their mechanisms in the application. While it is classically or realistically integrated, we see it in the expressionist doctrine inconsistent and its inconsistency makes it responsive for the deconstruction strategy. Hence the researcher entitled his study (deconstruction the theatrical time in the expressionist doctrine) so that deconstruction would be a field for his study. The study starts with an introduction presenting the research problem, importance and objective. The theoretical framework consisted of three s
... Show MoreBackground: Reliable detection the etiological agent of amoebic dysentery and extra-intestinal amoebiasis have Public health importance specially in asymptomatic human and animals, Since the acquisition of pet dogs in the recent period has become widespread in our city. Aim: To give correct perception of infection rate in asymptomatic individuals (human and domestic dogs) for the first aspect and about detection and diagnosis of the pathogenic species of Entamoeba histolytica from another morphologically similar and commensal one using the molecular technique in stool samples of asymptomatic individuals the second aspect. Methods: During the study period from the beginning of September 2020 to the end of February 2021, a total of 95 stool s
... Show MoreThe primary objective of root canal therapy is adequate biomechanical preparation of root canal system followed by 3D obturation.in clinics we are encountered with several anatomical variations, which we need to manage efficiently. One of the major factors responsible for failure of root canal therapy is missed canals. Recent technological advances have given the clinician opportunity to identify anatomical variations and treat them to satisfaction.
The goal of the study is to discover the best model for forecasting the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar by analyzing time series using the Box Jenkis approach, which is one of the most significant subjects in the statistical sciences employed in the analysis. The exchange rate of the dollar is considered one of the most important determinants of the relative level of the health of the country's economy. It is considered the most watched, analyzed and manipulated measure by the government. There are factors affecting in determining the exchange rate, the most important of which are the amount of money, interest rate and local inflation global balance of payments. The data for the research that represents the exchange r
... Show MoreMethicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the principal nosocomial causative agents. This bacterium has the capability to resist wide range of antibiotics and it is responsible for many diseases like skin, nose and wounds infection. In this study, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR was applied with ten random primers to examine the molecular diversity among methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in the hospitals and to investigate the genetic distance between them. 90 Isolates were collected from clinical specimens from Iraqi hospitals for a total of 90 isolates. Only 10 strains (11.11%) were found to be MRSA. From these 10 primers, only 9 gave clear amplification products. 91 fragment l
... Show MorePolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the main cause of female infertility. The role of insulin resistance in the development of polycystic ovary is actively discussed here. The study included patients with PCOS without insulin resistance (n = 48) and with insulin resistance (n = 39). The comparison groups were patients with no history of PCOS: a control group without insulin resistance (n = 46) and a group of patients with insulin resistance (n = 45). The following parameters were determined in patients: FSH, LH, TSH, T3f, T4f, PRL, E2, 17-OHd, Pr, AMH, Test total, Testf, DHEAS, DHEASs, SHBG, ACTH, cortisol, IRI, IGF-1, C-peptide, and glucose level. The HOMA-IR index and the LH / FSH ratio and t
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