Assessing ST18 gene polymorphisms (rs17315309, rs2304365) in Iraqi patients with Pemphigus vulgaris.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease characterized by blistering of the skin, mucous membranes, and oral cavity. Genetics are implicated in its etiology, with the ST18 gene identified as a potential risk factor for pemphigus in certain populations, suggesting its role as a novel molecular target for therapeutic intervention. This study aimed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs17315309 A/G and rs2304365 C/G in the ST18 gene among Iraqi/Arabic patients with PV. A total of 90 Iraqi subjects participated in this study, including 45 patients diagnosed with PV and 45 healthy controls. SNP analysis was performed using High-Resolution Melt Analysis (HRMA) with Eva Green I Dye. For SNP rs17315309 A/G, the distribution of heterozygous genotypes showed highly significant differences between the patient and healthy groups (P = 0.005), with the mutant G-allele being significantly more prevalent in patients than in the healthy group (P = 0.001). In contrast, for SNP rs2304365 C/G, the distribution of heterozygous and mutant genotypes did not differ significantly between patients and healthy individuals (P = 0.8 and P = 0.3, respectively), with the mutant G-allele also showing no significant difference (P = 0.4). Our data indicate a significant association between PV and the rs17315309 A/G SNP in the ST18 gene among the Iraqi population of Arabic origin. However, no association was found between patients with PV and the rs2304365 C/G SNP in the same gene.

An overview of neuro-ophthalmic disorders at Jenna Ophthalmic Center, Baghdad, Iraq (2021-2022).

Neuro-ophthalmic disorders are often documented individually for each illness, with little data available on their overall incidence and pattern. The overall incidence of neuro-ophthalmic illnesses in Iraq is still not recorded. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, demographic, and etiological features of patients seeking consultation at an Iraqi neuro-ophthalmology clinic. A prospective cross-sectional observational research was conducted at the Janna Ophthalmic Center in Baghdad, Iraq. The center serves a diverse patient population from various governorates. All newly diagnosed patients with neuro-ophthalmic disorders who visited the neuro-ophthalmological clinic, regardless of gender or age group, were included. The neuro-ophthalmologist established a diagnosis for each case by reviewing the patient's medical history, doing physical examinations, administering specific tests, and, in certain cases, using neuroimaging methods. The duration of the study was extended from March 2021 to November 2022. Among the 6440 patients evaluated, 613 cases were confirmed at the neuro-ophthalmology clinic. Ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION, AION, and PION) was the most prevalent diagnosis, accounting for 17.61% of newly reported cases in the field of neuro-ophthalmology. This was followed by sixth nerve palsy. Diabetes mellitus affected 42.7% of the cases, followed by hypertension, which affected 39.3% of the participants. The incidence of neuro-ophthalmic diseases tended to be high. Ischemic optic neuropathy and sixth nerve palsy, traumatic/compressive optic neuropathy, and papilledema were the most common neuro-ophthalmic disorders reported.

Assessing the mental health needs of Yazidi adolescents and young adults in an Iraqi Kurdi IDP Camp: a focus group study.

BACKGROUND: Internally displaced people (IDP) in Iraq are 1.2 million (as March 2023). Protracted refugee status endangers the mental health, especially of minorities who survived persecution and conflict, such as the Yazidis. This study aims to identify the mental health needs of Yazidi adolescents and young adults (AYA) in the IDP camp of Bajed Kandala (Iraqi Kurdistan). METHODS: A focus group discussion (FGD) study was conducted between April and August 2022. The FGDs involved AYAs, as well as the staff of the clinic of the Bajed Kandala camp. An inductive approach was adopted referring to the 'theme' as the unit of content analysis of the text. All FGDs were recorded and transcribed. The analysis was carried out independently by two researchers. The inter-rater agreement was assessed through the Cohen's k. RESULTS: A total of 6 FGDs were conducted. The participants were 34 of whom 21 (61.8%) females with a median age of 18.5 years (IQR 17.0-21.0). A total of 156 themes were found as relevant to the objective of this study. Four main areas and twelve subareas of needs in mental health were identified. The interrater agreement over the main area and subareas was good (κ = 0.78 [0.95CI 0.69-0.88], κ = 0.82 [0.95CI 0.73-0.91], respectively). The four areas had a similar frequency: Activities (28.2%), Individual (27.6%), Social relationships (22.4%) and Places/setting (21.8%). The subareas 'community' and 'internal resources' were labelled as negative 85.7% and 61.9% of the time, respectively. These sub-areas referred to stigma and self-stigma towards mental health. The subarea 'female condition' was always considered as negative, as well as the subareas 'camp' and 'tent' referring to housing as an important social determinant of mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Community stigma and self-stigma are two still important factors preventing the achievement of mental well-being. Alongside these, a gender gap in mental health was identified in the FGDs. These factors should be taken into account in order to guide future mental health interventions in refugee camps.

Association of IL-4 polymorphism with severe periodontitis in a sample of Iraqi population.

INTRODUCTION: Specific bacterial plaque and environmental factors cannot be considered the only cause of periodontitis. Still, several genetic factors affect the host response to the bacteria, like gene polymorphisms in anti-inflammatory cytokines. Several studies have reported that clones of T-helper 2 lymphocytes (TH2) are generated in response to dental plaque in periodontitis patients, while in healthy individuals, they are regulated by T-helper 1 (TH1) lymphocytes. Accordingly, such patients consistently produce more IL-4 (TH2) in response to bacterial stimulation, whereas healthy controls with intact periodontal tissues produce a significantly higher level of TH1.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes among samples of females in Al-Suwaira city, Wasit Governorate, Iraq.

Introduction: Adverse pregnancy outcomes pose serious health risks to both periconceptional women and newborns. This study aimed to investigate the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) toward adverse pregnancy outcomes among women of reproductive age in Al-Suwaira, Wasit governorate, Iraq. Methods: During November 2021 to February 2022, cross-sectional research of randomly selected women was performed. The KAP was evaluated with a standard, self-administered questionnaire. The outcomes were described using a descriptive analysis. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 118 women. Participants had good knowledge and positive attitudes and practices toward adverse pregnancy outcomes. The findings revealed that the majority of participants were between the ages of 20 and 25 (n = 57, 48.3%) and had a Bachelor's degree (n = 106, 89.8%).Knowledge gaps were discovered in the areas of the danger of pregnancy at a young age of less than 17 years (30.5%), the link between lack of maternal education and poor births (24.6%), and the influence of drug misuse on the fetus (17.8%). The participants learn more around pregnancy-related risk factors via internet (n = 38, 32.2%) and university (n = 34, 28.8%). Conclusions: The participants in this study had good knowledge, positive attitude, and positive practice regarding adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, there were some knowledge gaps. Therefore, to raise awareness among local women, it seems advisable to strengthen and strictly apply awareness-raising plans.

Predictive modeling of multi-class diabetes mellitus using machine learning and filtering iraqi diabetes data dynamics.

Diabetes is a persistent metabolic disorder linked to elevated levels of blood glucose, commonly referred to as blood sugar. This condition can have detrimental effects on the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves as time passes. It is a chronic ailment that arises when the body fails to produce enough insulin or is unable to effectively use the insulin it produces. When diabetes is not properly managed, it often leads to hyperglycemia, a condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels or impaired glucose tolerance. This can result in significant harm to various body systems, including the nerves and blood vessels. In this paper, we propose a multiclass diabetes mellitus detection and classification approach using an extremely imbalanced Laboratory of Medical City Hospital data dynamics. We also formulate a new dataset that is moderately imbalanced based on the Laboratory of Medical City Hospital data dynamics. To correctly identify the multiclass diabetes mellitus, we employ three machine learning classifiers namely support vector machine, logistic regression, and k-nearest neighbor. We also focus on dimensionality reduction (feature selection-filter, wrapper, and embedded method) to prune the unnecessary features and to scale up the classification performance. To optimize the classification performance of classifiers, we tune the model by hyperparameter optimization with 10-fold grid search cross-validation. In the case of the original extremely imbalanced dataset with 70:30 partition and support vector machine classifier, we achieved maximum accuracy of 0.964, precision of 0.968, recall of 0.964, F1-score of 0.962, Cohen kappa of 0.835, and AUC of 0.99 by using top 4 feature according to filter method. By using the top 9 features according to wrapper-based sequential feature selection, the k-nearest neighbor provides an accuracy of 0.935 and 1.0 for the other performance metrics. For our created moderately imbalanced dataset with an 80:20 partition, the SVM classifier achieves a maximum accuracy of 0.938, and 1.0 for other performance metrics. For the multiclass diabetes mellitus detection and classification, our experiments outperformed conducted research based on the Laboratory of Medical City Hospital data dynamics.

Assessment of antimicrobial drugs employed at government-operated hospitals in central and northern provinces of Iraq.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To document the clinical patterns of antibiotic prescriptions in government hospitals, where the majority of physicians possess a degree-based training. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: A Retrospective cross section study carried out between 1/7/2022 and April 2023 that enrolling 300 patients from governmental hospitals from different provinces of Central and northern Iraq. The research form contained 15 fields divided into three sections. The first section contains social information such as age, gender, field of work, Residence and education. The second part consists of diagnosis and lab. Finding. The third part related to antibiotic uses: Number of AB prescribed, duration of using, type of use, route of administration, AB interaction, dose administration of AB, indication of Ab, and Class of AB. RESULTS: Results: A total of 300 eligible patients, 165 patients (55.0%) were male and 135 (45.0%) were female, patients were <20 years ages were 117 (39.0%), 25 (8.3%) from the 20-29 years age group, 40-49 years ages were 28 (9.3%) and >50 years ages were 105 (35.0%) were which belong to the pediatric population. The 198 patients (66.0%) were used cephalosporins and 106 (53.5%) of them used alone. A 13-19% percentage of patients had used penicillin, carbapenem, anti-fungal, and aminoglycoside in combination form. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The implementation of clinical guidelines, the provision of direct instruction, and the regular dissemination of antibiogram data have the potential to encourage a more judicious consumption of antibiotics.

Iraqi Population Trusts in Electronic Healthcare Records: A Cross-sectional Study.

This study investigated the perceptions of Iraqi patients regarding Electronic Healthcare Records (EHRs) in terms of trust and propensity to share and exchange medical and personal information and data within the healthcare ecosystem. During the period of April to June 2022, a researcher-assisted questionnaire was disseminated to adult Iraqi patients attending public or private healthcare facilities in a subset of Iraqi governorates. Data collection was followed by descriptive and inferential analyses. In total, 552 respondents filled out the questionnaire. The findings revealed that 71.6% of respondents were conversant with EHRs and trusted them as data collection and storage systems. In addition, 10% of respondents did not want their EHRs to be shared between healthcare professionals and institutions. However, only 3.6% of participants were willing to share all of their personal information with healthcare professionals. Female respondents were considerably more willing to share their full names with healthcare professionals than male respondents, despite the society's reputation for conservatism. The findings of this study highlighted the necessity of tailoring initiatives to enhance patients' trust in EHRs and their interactions with healthcare professionals other than medical physicians.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in some vegetables-Erbil City-Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Heavy metals can have significant impacts on human health due to their toxicity and potential to accumulate in the body over time. Some heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, are particularly harmful even at low concentrations. The estimation of hazards of vegetable intake to human health as well as explore the of heavy metals accumulation in different vegetables (cucumbers, tomato, eggplant, and bell peppers) collected in Erbil city from different source locally and imported from nearby country are conducted. The heavy metals concentration (cooper, zinc, lead and cadmium) was measured and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrophotometry. The maximum concentration of Pb was 27.95 mg/kg and the minimum was 6.49 mg/kg; for Cd, the concentration was 1.43 and 0.99 mg/kg, 74.94 and 5.14 mg/kg for Zn; and for Cu, the result was 56.25 and 8.2 mg/kg for the maximum and minimum, which they are within limits described by Food Agricultural Organization, but more than health limits and health risks calculated by mean of hazard quotient (HQ) techniques for Cu and Pb which they are more than 1. The local sample that collected in Erbil city show less concentration of heavy metals and low HQ in comparison with imported samples. The carcinogenic risk study shows elevated risk of accumulative consuming of edible part of those plant which they exceed the permissible limit that is 10-6.

Moderating role of political stability and economic policy uncertainty between country governance practice and stock market performance. A comparative analysis of Pakistan and Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The objective of the study is to explore the relationship between country governance practices along with political stability and Economic policy uncertainty, and stock market performance of two different economies, Pakistan and Kurdistan region of Iraq. To meet our objectives, we used the 25 years past data from 1996 to 2021. Data is collected from the DataStream database. The regression analysis is used as the method of estimation for linear and moderation effect. Our results show that regulatory quality, rules of law and political stability has significant positive relationship with stock market performance of Pakistan, but all the governance indicators have significant positive relationship with stock market performance of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Moreover, political stability has significant moderating impact between the governance practices and the performance of the stock markets of both economies indicating that the governance practices perform well with the political stability that leads to rise in the stock market indices of selected countries. Economic policy uncertainty has significant negative moderation impact due to creating the risk in both economies that decrease the performance of the stock markets of the selected economies. Finally, our study advocated some implications for the investors to increase their confidence on the stock of high political stability and low economic policy uncertainty economies. Government can take significant measures to control the uncertainty of the policy and portfolio managers can adjust their risk on the ground of the political stability and efficient governance practices countries.

Premarital Screening is Pivotal in Reducing the Births of Babies Affected with Thalassemia Major in Iraq.

Thalassemia major is one of the health problems in Iraq, especially in Kurdistan. Pre-marriage mandatory preventive screening program was established in Kurdistan in 2008, which allowed us to study the prevalence of different hemoglobinopathies among newly married young adults in this region. A total of 1154 subjects (577 couples) attending the Koya district, premarital Health center, were screened using red cell indices. Those who had mean corpuscular volume (MCV)<80 fl and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)<27 pg had high-performance liquid chromatography and iron studies. Out of 1154 individuals that were evaluated, 183 (11.9%) had low MCV and MCH. Of the former 183 subjects, 69 (5.97%) had ß-thalassemia trait, 10 (0.86%) had δß-thalassemia trait, and no other hemoglobinopathies were recorded in our study. There was second-degree consanguinity in 4.7% of all 577 couples. In two couples, both partners had ß-thalassemia trait and both were consanguineous. Both couples decided to separate after counseling. Based on the current study, the role of the premarital screening program in decreasing the number of new thalassemia major cases among the Kurdish population is laudable. Therefore, mandatory premarital screening is advised in all parts of Iraq.

Evaluation of normal range of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin d in iraqi healthy adults: demographic and socioeconomic effects.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To determine the normal range of serum levels of total 25(OH)VD in Iraqi healthy adult subjects and to relate its level with demographic profile and socioeconomic status.. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out at Iraq and the samples were collected during the period from August 2019 to January 2020. It included 649 adult subjects apparently healthy, from three governorates (Baghdad, Al-Anbar and Al-Basrah), Investigations included serum measurement of total 25(OH)D in all included individuals by using ELISA technique. Age, gender, marital state, blood pressure, smoking, sunshine exposure (%), hours of exposure/day, percentage of body surface area exposed, body mass index (BMI) subgroups, waist circumference (WC) subgroups, diet type, sport type and time, geographic factor (governorate) were measured and / or calculated and the levels of 25(OH)D were studied according to each of these factors. RESULTS: Results: The mean ± SD level of 25(OH)D in total (n=649) studied Iraqi subjects was (16.29 ± 8.22 ng/ml), with women were significantly deficient than men (15.76 ± 6.89 ng/ml, 17.14 ± 6.85 ng/ml; p < 0.01 respectively). However, there was no significant differences in mean values of serum 25(OH)D levels among studied governorates, subgroups of BMI, WC, marital status, smokers and nonsmoker and subgroups of age. The mean value of serum 25(OH)D was found to be decreased in January, October and November as well as according to diet and sport types. There was significant positive correlation between total 25(OH)D and sun exposed surface area, sun exposure duration and with sun exposure area. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The mean (±SD) value of serum total 25(OH)D in Iraqi healthy subjects was 16.29 ng/ml (±8.22) reflecting the actual body status of this vitamin with lower concentration in women than in men. Type and time of sport and diet type were the major vitamin D dependent factors.

Assessment of Academic Resilience and Its Associated Factors Among Pharmacy Students in Twelve Countries.

OBJECTIVE: Academic resilience, a critical determinant of academic achievement, is affected by various factors. There is a paucity of large-scale international assessments of academic resilience among pharmacy students. Therefore, this study aimed to assess academic resilience among pharmacy students in 12 countries and to evaluate factors associated with their academic resilience levels. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey-based study was conducted among randomly selected pharmacy students in 12 countries: Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Jordan, Nigeria, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates. After pilot testing, the validated 30-item academic resilience scale (ARS) was used for the assessment. The data were collected between November 1, 2022 and April 15, 2023. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed, as appropriate. RESULTS: A total of 3950 were received from the 12 participating countries. The mean age was 21.68 ± 2.62 years. About two-thirds of the responses were from female participants and those studying for Bachelor of Pharmacy degrees. Overall, the findings show moderate academic resilience, which varied across countries. The median (IQR) of the total ARS-30 was 114 (103-124). Females exhibited lower negative affective and emotional response subscale levels than males. There were significant cross-country variations in the ARS-30 and all subscales. The highest overall levels were reported for Sudan, Pakistan, and Nigeria and the lowest were reported for Indonesia and Türkiye. Students in private universities tended to have higher overall ARS levels than public university students. Higher academic performance was significantly associated with ARS levels, whereas those with excellent performance exhibited the highest ARS levels. Students with exercise routines had higher ARS levels than those without exercise routines. Finally, students who were engaged in extracurricular activities had higher ARS levels than those who did not participate in these activities. CONCLUSION: The study offers insights into the factors affecting academic resilience in pharmacy students across several countries. The findings could guide interventions and support activities to improve resilience and academic outcomes.

Research practice, satisfaction, motivation, and challenges among university academics in Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Researchers in universities and academic institutions must be in a leading position in generating research evidence to inform and direct national policies and strategies, improve service delivery, and achieve the main objectives. This study aimed to determine the factors that promote or hinder research productivity and quality among university academics in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 949 university academics from all public universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The authors developed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, challenges, satisfaction, and motivation for conducting research. Data were collected using a Google form. Frequencies, percentages, and the Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Most university academics (94.6%) believed that research was part of their job, but only 51.6% were satisfied with their role as academic researchers. The lack of financial motivation was the main reason for dissatisfaction, while the main incentive to conduct research was the passion for science. Around 21% of the university academics had not published any research, while 53.1% published 1-5 articles. Half of the participants (49.7%) lacked training in writing research proposals, and the majority (86.1%) have not applied for international grants. Approximately half of university academics (46.9%) shared their research findings with stakeholders, and the primary method was by sharing their published papers (59.4%), followed by seminars (42.2%). One of the important challenges in conducting research was the lack of funding (62.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The academics at universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are passionate about their role as researchers, but face many challenges in conducting effective research. A strategic plan is needed to provide an encouraging environment for university academics regarding infrastructure, financial, and technical support. More studies are needed to identify the root factors of academic staff needs and challenges.

Association between dental clinical measures and oral health-related quality of life among Iraqi schoolchildren: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between dental clinical measures and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) together with the potential mediating role of sociodemographic factors and oral health behaviours on this association in a group of Iraqi children. METHODS: The target population for this cross-sectional study consisted of 372 primary school children aged 8-10 years in the city of Kut, Iraq, during the year 2022. The participants were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique. Detailed information about the children was collected through a comprehensive questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, oral health-related behaviors, the Arabic version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire for 8-10-year-olds (CPQ8-10), and parental knowledge regarding oral health. Additionally, clinical dental evaluations were conducted, which included assessments of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (DMFS, dmfs) as well as teeth (DMFT, dmft). Simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), bleeding on probing (BOP), and the community periodontal index (CPI) were also recorded for each participant using the recommended methodology by the World Health Organization (WHO). The statistical analysis included the Chi-square test, independent t-test, and simple and multiple linear regressions. RESULTS: The mean age of the children was 9.0 (± 0.82) years. About one-third of children reported brushing at least two times per day and consuming a sweet snack once a day. Visiting a dentist during the past year was reported by 21% of children. Oral health behaviours demonstrated a significant association with the total CPQ8-10 scores (p < 0.001). Based on adjusted effects (ß and 95% CI) from the multiple linear regressions, untreated dental caries (dt > 0, DT > 0) had a negative impact on the total CPQ8-10 score (adjusted ß = 2.3 (95% CI: 0.67 to 3.91) and 3.4 (95% CI: 2.14 to 4.56), respectively). Decayed surfaces (DS), and teeth (DT) were associated with the total score of the CPQ8-10 and all its subscales (adjusted ß range = 0.1 (95% C.I.: 0.03 to 0.19)-1.0 (95% CI: 0.72 to 1.26) and 0.2 (95% CI: 0.004 to 0.40)-1.2 (95% CI: 0.91 to 1.67), respectively). There was an association between oral hygiene index and total CPQ8-10 scores (adjusted ß = 1.8 (95% CI: 0.62 to 3.02)), especially the functional limitations and emotional well-being subscales. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study emphasizes the negative impact of dental caries and poor oral hygiene on children's OHRQoL. This association is highlighted more when considering that over two-thirds of these children do not comply with favourable levels of oral health behaviour. Enhancing the level of OHRQoL among these children, therefore, necessitates comprehensive programs for decreasing the volume of unmet oral health needs and improving children's adherence to recommended oral health behaviours.

The 5' untranslated region variant rs3811050 C/T of the interleukin-38 encoding gene is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Iraqi women.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-38, the latest member of the IL-1 cytokine family, is proposed to have a pathogenic role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is encoded by the IL1F10 gene, which harbors single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may predict the risk of autoimmune diseases. Among them are 5' untranslated region (UTR) SNPs, which play a key role in post-transcriptional control, but have not been studied in Iraqi RA patients. METHODS: Two novel IL1F10 5'UTR SNPs (rs3811050 C/T and rs3811051 T/G) were explored in RA and control women (n = 120 and 110, respectively). SNPs were genotyped using TaqMan assay. An ELISA kit was used to measure serum IL-38 concentrations. RESULTS: A reduced risk of RA was associated with rs3811050 T allele and CT genotype (corrected probability [pc] = 0.01 and < 0.001, respectively), while there was no significant association with rs3811051. Haplotype analysis demonstrated that C-T haplotype was associated with a 1.65-fold greater risk of RA, whereas a reduced risk was linked to T-G haplotype. IL-38 concentrations were higher in patients than in controls (p < 0.001). In addition, IL-38 showed acceptable performance in distinguishing between RA and control women (p < 0.001). When IL-38 concentrations were stratified according to SNP genotypes, no significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: The rs3811050 variant was more likely to affect RA susceptibility in Iraqi women, and the T allele may play a role in reducing disease risk. IL-38 concentrations were elevated in RA patients, but were not affected by the rs3811050 and rs3811051 genotypes.

The first molecular investigation of Besnoitia besnoiti infections among cattle in Mosul, Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Bovine besnoitiosis (elephant skin disease) caused by Besnoitia besnoiti is a costly endemic disease in the Middle East, Asia, and tropical and subtropical Africa and is also emerging as a significant problem in Europe. This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of B. besnoiti in blood and skin biopsies of cattle as well as evaluating the risk factors associated with the infection among cattle in Mosul, Iraq. METHODS AND RESULTS: To achieve this aim, four hundred and sixty apparently healthy cattle of different breeds, ages, and sexes were sampled from seven different locations in Mosul, Iraq. Blood and skin biopsies were carefully collected from each cattle, and these samples were subjected to molecular analysis. The detection of B. besnoiti was molecularly confirmed by the presence of 231 bp of ITS-1 in the rDNA gene of the protozoan. Besnoitia besnoiti DNA was present in 74 (16.09%; 95% CI = 13.01-19.72) and 49 (10.65%; 95% CI = 8.15-13.80) of the blood and skin biopsies, respectively, that were analyzed. Age, breed, and sex were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the occurrence of B. besnoiti among cattle in the study area. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study will serve as baseline data in the epidemiology, prevention, and control of the protozoan among cattle in Iraq.

Health and well-being of young mothers displaced by conflict: Experiences from South Sudan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Giving birth during adolescence is linked to a variety of negative outcomes, including poor health and well-being. Girls who have been displaced by conflict are at increased risk for becoming young mothers. While prevalence rates and health outcomes have been documented, rarely have the complex personal narratives of early motherhood been examined from the perspectives of mothers themselves, particularly in the Global South. This study relies on in-depth, inductive, narrative analysis of qualitative interviews with 67 young mothers and 10 relatives in South Sudan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) who had been displaced by conflict. This study provides deep insights into the contributing circumstances and consequences of young motherhood from sexual and reproductive health and well-being perspectives, with additional insights on mothering in humanitarian crisis.

Increased Serum Terminal Complements Complex Levels in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Children.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a widespread neuropsychiatric disorder in both children and adolescents, which is associated with social isolation and poor academic performance. Complement proteins are regarded as a major player in inflammation and disease development for several neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar diseases. As clarified by previous data, increased levels of complement molecules and other immunological markers as cytokines were demonstrated in these disorders. Limited studies have investigated complement proteins particularly terminal complement complex or membrane attack complex (C5b-9) among ADHD patients. The present research aims to elucidate the association between C5b-9 complex protein and ADHD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Sera were collected from Al-Hussain Teaching Medical City in Holy Karbala, Iraq, during 2019-2020. Sera were tested for C5-b9 using commercial kits by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: In 90 participants included in the study, a significant increment in C5b-9 levels among ADHD patients (P=0.019) was observed. Patients with positive C5b-9 levels had a 2.76 times higher risk of developing ADHD than control subjects. The diagnostic utility for C5b-9 was statistically significant with 71.11% sensitivity, 55.6% specificity, and a high negative predictive value (97.3%). Conclusion: The study concluded elevation of the C5b-9 terminal complements complex levels in ADHD patients, which could point to the association of complement proteins as inflammatory markers with the ADHD disease process.