Molecular and Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Goats' Blood and Milk in Iraq.

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most acute parasitic and zoonotic infections, which causes severe economic losses in animals due to abortion and reproductive problems worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted in Baghdad province to detect the prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in blood and milk samples of 384 adult female goats using the serological indirect-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The positive iELISA results were 20.57% in sera and 5.99% in milk samples. Regarding cross-classification results, the iELISA results revealed that 5.73% of goats were positive by testing both sera and milk samples, 14.32% and 0.26% were positive for testing sera and milk only, respectively, and 79.69% were negative by testing sera and milk. Targeting the B1 gene, the total positive results of the PCR assay showed that 13.92% and 30.43% of blood and milk samples, respectively, were positive at 546bp. Concerning cross-classification results, the total positive goats by testing of both sera and milk was 8.86%, while 5.06% of goats were positive only for testing of blood, and 86.08% were negative for testing of both samples. At the same time, no positive PCR results were detected in milk samples. In conclusion, there is a wide prevalence and incidence of Toxoplasmosis among goats in study areas. Furthermore, studies are essential to detect the parasite in different ages and sexes of goats and other domestic and wild animals using ELISA as a reliable, automated, and rapid test and PCR as a highly confirmative test.

Cumulative Effect of Subclinical Mastitis on Immunological and Biochemical Parameters in Cow Milk.

Mastitis is a complex and multifactorial disease that leads to chemical, physical, and bacteriological changes in milk, which is associated with great economic losses. This study was carried out on lactating cows to investigate the effect of subclinical mastitis (SCM) on milk production through the estimation of immunological and biochemical characteristics of milk. Therefore, a total of 200 apparently-healthy lactating cows were randomly selected from different areas in Baghdad and Maysan provinces in Iraq from April to July 2021, and 100 ml of fresh milk was directly collected from each cow. Milk samples were examined by the California mastitis test (CMT), and IgG concentration in milk was estimated by the ELISA method. Moreover, the changes in biochemical parameters and enzymatic parameters were analyzed to determine the prevalence of SCM. Based on the results of the CMT test, the prevalence of SCM was 41.5% with a significant increase in a mild degree of severity (61.45%). IgG antibodies increased significantly in positive cows (4.92± 0.21 µg/ml). Significant prevalence of infection was observed among cows ≥5 years old compared to those <5 years, crossbred ones compared to natives, and those with lower milk production without udder/milk abnormalities, compared to cows with normal milk production. However, a significant difference was observed between the two regions under investigation (i.e., Baghdad and Maysan provinces of Iraq). Results of biochemical and enzymatic parameters showed significant increases in the concentration of Cl, FFA, and Na, and a reduction in LAC and TP, though not in Ca and K. The pH of mastitis milk was significantly higher. Although no significant difference was observed in the values of ALT and LDH, AST was increased in mastitis milk. In conclusion, this study is one of the first reports on the estimated concentration of IgG in mastitis milk samples in Iraq. Increases in the concentration of SSCs and IgG in milk can apply to the detection of intra-mammary infections.

Longitudinal health utilities, symptoms and toxicities in patients with ALK-rearranged lung cancer treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a prospective real-world assessment.

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (tkis) have dramatically improved the survival of patients with ALK-rearranged (ALK+) non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc). Clinical trial data can generally compare drugs in a pair-wise fashion. Real-world collection of health utility data, symptoms, and toxicities allows for the direct comparison between multiple tki therapies in the population with ALK+ nsclc. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, outpatients with ALK+ recruited between 2014 and 2018, treated with a variety of tkis, were assessed every 3 months for clinico-demographic, patient-reported symptom and toxicity data and EQ-5D-derived health utility scores (hus). Results: In 499 longitudinal encounters of 76 patients with ALK+ nsclc, each tki had stable longitudinal hus when disease was controlled, even after months to years: the mean overall hus for each tki ranged from 0.805 to 0.858, and longitudinally from 0.774 to 0.912, with higher values associated with second- or third-generation tkis of alectinib, brigatinib, and lorlatinib. Disease progression was associated with a mean hus decrease of 0.065 (95% confidence interval: 0.02 to 0.11). Health utility scores were inversely correlated to multiple symptoms or toxicities: rho values ranged from -0.094 to -0.557. Fewer symptoms and toxicities were associated with the second- and third-generation tkis compared with crizotinib. In multivariable analysis, only stable disease state and baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status were associated with improved hus. Conclusions: There was no significant decrease in hus when patients with ALK+ disease were treated longitudinally with each tki, as long as patients were clinically stable. Alectinib, brigatinib, and lorlatinib had the best toxicity profiles and exhibited high mean hus longitudinally in the real-world setting.