RESUMEN
Background: The most current threat to global health is the continuous spread of a respiratory disease known as COVID-19 Disease 2019 in recent years. COVID-19 was recognized in December 2019. It was quickly determined that a novel COVID-19 virus, which is structurally linked to the virus that causes the severe acute respiratory syndrome, was to cause (SARS). Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of effect between the rs179008 (A/T) SNP polymorphism in TLR7 gene and blood group on the severity of COVID-19. Methods: The study included 90 patients divided into three groups mild, moderate, severe, and experimental research work was conducted during the period of sample collection extended from November 2021 to February, PCR-RFLP technique was used to determine SNP rs179008 polymorphism in TLR7 in the blood. Results: A present study found non-significant differences between patient groups for TLR7 rs179008 (A, T) allele were (p=0.79152) for mild to moderate and severe, (p=0.84872) for mild and moderate and (p=0.58741) for mild and severe. When comparison (AA, AT, TT) genotypes in three groups found a significant difference between mild and moderate groups (p=0.036) for the AA genotype. Found (A blood group) more frequency than other groups but observes no significant difference between patients' group. Conclusion: We conclude that the (AA) genotype for TLR7 rs179008 polymorphism was a risk factor and effect on severity of COVID-19 infection, so (AA) can consider an independent risk factor for development of COVID-19.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Uric acid (UA) is crucial for sperm metabolism as it protects seminal plasma against oxidative damage. Zinc also plays a central role in sperm metabolism. The current study was designed to investigate the role of zinc supplementation on qualitative and quantitative properties of seminal fluid, in parallel with the UA level and urate pathway enzymes in the semen of patients with asthenozoospermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial of 60 asthenozoospermic subfertile men. The current study, which was conducted during one year, involved 60 fertile and 60 asthenozoospermic subfertile men belonging to Hilla City, Iraq. Semen samples were obtained from the participants before and after treatment with zinc supplements. The levels of UA, xanthine oxidase (XO), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NU) activities were determined in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of both groups. RESULTS: UA levels (P=0.034) and 5'-NU activity (P=0.046) were significantly lower but ADA (P=0.05) and XO (P=0.015) activities were significantly higher in infertile men than in healthy men. Treatment with zinc sulfate induced an increase in UA (P=0.001) level and 5'-NU activity (P=0.001), but a decrease in ADA (P=0.016) and XO (P=0.05) activities. CONCLUSION: Zinc supplementation restores UA levels and the activities of enzymes involved in the urate pathway (XO and ADA) in the seminal plasma and spermatozoa of patients with asthenozoospermia, to reference values. Supplementation of Zn compounds enhances the qualitative and quantitative properties of semen (Registration number: NCT03361618).