Biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) have a role in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the differences between serum levels of such biomarkers in severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases and compare them with normal people and to evaluate the sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases effect on the severity of COVID-19. The study included 160 subjects, divided into two groups, a case group of 80 patients, and a control group of 80 normal persons. The case group was divided into two subgroups: 40 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 patients with non-severe disease. Blood IL-6 was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCT by an immunoassay, CRP by an immunoturbidimetric assay and NLR from CBC. The levels of IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the case group than in control group (p= 0.001, for all). However, there was no difference between these biomarkers level in the non-severe COVID-19 subgroup and the control group (p>0.05 for all). The proportion of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years, and in patients with chronic diseases (p=0.046 and p=0.001, respectively). We also found a strong correlation between such biomarkers and old age, and chronic diseases with the disease severity. There was a significant difference in the level of the three biomarkers (IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR) between patients’ subgroups and the control group. In conclusion, since the levels of these biomarkers are correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 disease, and there was a difference in the levels between the groups with severe and non-severe symptoms, we suggest a role of these biomarkers in predicting the severity COVID-19 disease and its poor prognosis.
Background. Alopecia areata (AA) is a common form of noncicatricial hair loss of unknown cause, affecting 0.1-0.2% of the general population. Most evidence supports the hypothesis that it is disease of the hair follicle of autoimmune nature mediated by T-cells, with important cytokine role. Objective of the Study. The objective of this study is to study the association and changes in serum levels of interleukin-15 (IL-15) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with AA in relation to the type, activity, and disease duration. Patients and Methods. Thirty-eight patients with AA and 22 individuals without the disease as controls were enrolled in this case-controlled study conducted in the Department of Dermatology in the Al-K
... Show MoreBackground Cadmium (Cd), one of the most abundant heavy metals, is extremely toxic to both humans and animals. hIt is well known that zinc (Zn) administration reduces Cd-induced toxicity and that metallothioneins can have a protective effect in biological systems to mitigate Cd toxicity. Objective The aim of the current study to determine if Zn administration affected the induction of MT-1 and MT-2 in the liver tissue in mice exposed to Cd. Materials and methods Metallothionein protein (MT) level in the tissue of male mice were detected using the anion -exchang high-performance liquid chromatography coupled (HPLC)assay and immunohistochemical staining. Results Single treatment to zinc or cadmium increase the level of MT in the liver, but zi
... Show MoreMoney laundering is consider a crime in legal perspective and aphenomenon of negative effects in economic and Social perspective for thevarious countries of the world by the diversity of their economies to make thebadly damaged in the banking service and its reputation in some cases may leadto bankruptcy of banks, and the fact that banks is one of the most importantcircles that revolve the illicit funds, Due to its branched the banking operations,speed and overlap and increase it's complicated with the progress of bankingoperations and the use of electronic services modern here's challenges atvarious levels between the application of the legislation to combat moneylaundering and between actual fact it must find ways and means of legislat
... Show MoreThe study of Shiranish Formation rocks in southern part of Iraq at Ansab area well (KH-6)
were carried out. The formation is tongued with tayarat formation, which bounded from top
and bottom, the upper tongue at thickness 49m. and tongued at depth (476-525m.) the lower
tongue at thickness 4m. tongued at (541-537m.).
The rocks of this formation were divided into three sedimentary microfacies:
1- Dolomitized formininferal Wackestone facies.
2- Dolomitized formininferal Mudstone facies.
3- Dolostone facies.
34 slides were investigated depending on mineralogical, compositional and biological
processes and compared diagenesis which reflect open marine shelf at lower part of formation
(F.Z.2) (S.M.F.8), but at the
Motifs template is the input for many bioinformatics systems such codons finding, transcription, transaction, sequential pattern miner, and bioinformatics databases analysis. The size of motifs arranged from one base up to several Mega bases, therefore, the typing errors increase according to the size of motifs. In addition, when the structures motifs are submitted to bioinformatics systems, the specifications of motifs components are required, i.e. the simple motifs, gaps, and the lower bound and upper bound of each gap. The motifs can be of DNA, RNA, or Protein. In this research, a motif parser and visualization module is designed depending on a proposed a context free grammar, CFG, and colors human recognition system. GFC describes the m
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Water pollution is one of the global challenges that the society must address in the 21st century aiming to improve the water quality, reduce human pollutants and ecosystem health impacts. In phytotoxicity test, the plant of Iresine herbstii was exposed to remove nickel from simulated wastewater using two different ratios (mass of plant to the mass of nickel) (,Rp/Ni) for 21 days with sub-surface batch system. During the exposure period, the removal of Ni concentrations (2, 5 and 10 mg/L) for two mass ratio (2,800 and 34,000) were (83.6%, 77.2%, 78.0%) and (86.8%, 97% and 95.6%), respectively. final result of the rate was found that the highest removal occurred, 97%, at a mass ratio of 34,000 and
... Show MoreSummary: The study focused on the role of the educational counselor in schools, as an integral part of the educational system that faces multiple challenges and difficulties. In this context, the counselor’s role becomes crucial in attempting to reduce or eliminate such difficulties, in addition to guiding students in an appropriate manner. Methodes: The study employed a descriptive field approach, using interviews and direct observation as tools to examine the actual role performed by school counselors. Results: The study concluded with several key findings, most notably the numerous challenges faced by counselors, including students’ negative behaviors, school dropouts, and the limited administrative support for counselors’ work. Fu
... Show MoreHealth and environmental factors as well as operational difficulties are major challenges facing the development of an anaerobic digestion process. Some of these problems relate to the use of sludge collected from primary and secondary clarifier units in wastewater treatment plants for laboratory purposes.
The present study addresses the preparation of sludge for laboratory purposes by using a mixture that consists of the digested sludge, which is less pathogenic, compared to the collected sludge from the primary or secondary clarifier, and food wastes. The sludge has been tested experimentally for 19 and 32 days under mesophilic conditions. The results show a steady methane production rate from the anaerobic dig
... Show MoreBackground: Smoking is the major environmental risk factor that has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of periodontal diseases. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been associated with the immunopathology of periodontitis. Objectives: To determine the influence of smoking on salivary Interleukin-8 level from smokers and non-smokers with periodontitis and periodontally healthy control subjects.
Materials and Methods: Un-stimulated saliva samples were collected of 90 participants: 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers with chronic periodontitis, as well as 30 periodontally healthy control subjects. The clinical parameters such as the pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, plaque index, and gingiv
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis is a worldwide inflammatory chronic autoimmune disease with varying severity. Due to no definitive cure for this disease, current therapies aim to decrease the pain and slow further damage. The interleukin (IL)‐36 cytokine was little known for its role in rheumatoid arthritis; this research aimed to evaluate the serum IL36 levels in RA patients compared to healthy controls. This study included 80 patients with rheumatoid arthritis registered at the Rheumatology Clinic in Baghdad teaching hospital. The patients were divided into three groups based on the treatments received. Group 1 included patients treated with biological therapy (etanercept, adalimumab), Group2 patients with non-biological treatment (methotr
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