Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a public health problem in Iraq. Healthcare providers have set a plan to eradicate the virus by 2030. Objectives: The current study aimed at evaluating the public knowledge in Duhok city, Iraq, about HBV. Methods: A total of 168 subjects were recruited and the data were collected via a self-reporting questionnaire. The subjects were asked about the modes of transmission, symptomatology of HBV, and vaccination. Results: Totally, 168 persons were recruited in the current study and they were asked 11 questions. In total, 58.6% of the questions were answered correctly; 75% of the participants knew that HBV is transmitted more easily than HIV; 35.2% of the females thought that HIV is transmitted more easily than HBV, which was significantly higher than that of males (20.2%) (P = 0.03). The same trend was found among villagers who thought that HIV is more easily transmitted than HBV (29.5% versus 22.4% for urban residents; P = 0.02). It was also found that only 33.9% of the subjects knew that HBV can be transmitted by toothbrush. In addition, the majority of illiterate participants (75.9%) thought that HBV can be transmitted by food (P = 0.05). Conclusions:The current study results showed the average levels of knowledge about HBV among participants. More studies are needed to evaluate the level of knowledge after implementing educational programs.

Objectives: To find out the utility of using permanent maxillary first molar as a forensic tool for sex determination, and to compare tooth size for both side in the same sex in Kurdish people. Materials and Methods: The study sample comprised 120 casts of Kurdish peoples (67 females and 53 males) from Sulaimani city - Iraq, with age ranging from 13-33 years. The bucco-lingual (B-L) and mesio-distal (M-D) linear measurements of the maxillary first molars were calculated using digital vernier calipers. Percentage of sexual dimorphism was calculated. Results: The mean values of B-L and M-D parameters were greater in males than females and greater on right side compared to with left side. The mean values of B-L parameters showed statistically significant differences between males and females with p ˂0.05.The differences in B-L and M-D parameters between the right and the left side were statistically significant in males. Sexual dimorphism amounted to 3.48%, 2.83% for the right and left bucco-lingual diameter respectively as compared to 1%, 0.91 % for right and left mesio-distal diameters of the maxillary first molars respectively. Conclusion: The result of the study showed that the bucco-lingual diameters of permanent maxillary first molars exhibiting significant sexual dimorphism in Kurdish sample and can be used as adjunct in sex determination.

Background: To find out the various types of upper labial frenum attachment in both ethnic groups, to compare the various types of upper labial frenum attachment between both ethnics and sexes in the groups and to estimate the presence and measurement of medium diastema in both ethnics and sexes in the groups. Subject and Methods: A cross sectional study encompassed 307 Arab and Kurdish secondary school students aged 15-19 years in Zakho city. Kurdish group included 176 teenagers (82 males and 94 females). Arab group included 131 teenagers (55 males and 76 females). By using dental mirrors, Williams periodontal probes and gloves each subject was examined in term of evaluation of the frenum attachment level and measurement of the medium diastema then recording the data in a designed questionnaire. Results: The results revealed that frenum classes; I (frenum fibers are attached up to mucogingival junction), II (frenum fibers are inserted within attached gingiva), III (frenum fibers are extending into inter dental papilla), IV (frenum fibers cross the alveolar process and extend up to palatine papilla), were found in (36.6%, 58.8%, 3.1%, 1.5%) respectively of Arab teenagers and in (34%, 57.3%, 6.2%, 2.2%) respectively of Kurdish teenagers. There were no significant differences in frenum classes neither between Arab males and females nor between Kurdish males and females, while the difference was significant in frenum classes between Arab and Kurdish teenagers. The diastemas (0mm, 1mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm) were found in (81.6%, 4.5%, 9.1%, 0.7%, 3%, 0.7%) respectively of Arab teenagers and in (88.6%, 0.5%, 3.4%, 3.4%, 0.5%, 1.7%) respectively of Kurdish teenagers. Conclusions:The study concluded that the majority of both Arab and Kurdish teenagers have no diastema and the majority of them have class II frenum attachment. Arab teenagers have more proportions of class I, II and IV frenum attachment, except class III, and more proportions of having diastema than Kurdish teenagers.

Objective This population-based study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Duhok City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Methods We analyzed the national COVID-19 database that contains data regarding COVID-19 testing, management, and clinical outcomes in Duhok. For this study, different subdistricts within each district of Duhok were considered distinct clusters. Blood samples were collected from and questionnaires were administered to eligible and consenting participants who were members of different families from the subdistricts. Immunoassays were conducted to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and the associations between certain variables were investigated. Results The average number cases of COVID-19 before November 2020 was 23141 ± 4364, which was significantly higher than the average number of cases between November 2020 and February 2021 (3737 ± 2634; P = 0.001). A total of 743 individuals agreed to participate and were enrolled in the study. Among the participants, 465/743 (62.58%) were found to have antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Among the participants with antibodies, 262/465 (56.34%) denied having any history of COVID-19-related symptoms. The most common symptom was fever (81.77%), followed by myalgia (81.28%). We found that antibody levels increased steadily with age (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.117; P = 0.012). A significant association was found between antibody levels and the presence of symptoms (P = 0.023; odds ratio = 1.0023; 95% confidence interval = 1.0002-1.0061). Conclusions A significant reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases was observed. This might be due to the high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Duhok. However, infection-prevention measures should be followed as it remains unclear whether acquired immunity is protective against reinfection. It expected that the infection rates during the next wave will not be as high as the first wave due to the high infection rate in the society.

e16553 Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in men and the third most common cause of cancer death in males. Several studies have shown that use of commonly prescribed medications, is associated with improved survival in various malignancies, including PC. There has not been any large population-based study, examining the effects of these and other commonly prescribed medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), on the rate of PC diagnosis, PC advanced disease and PC-specific death. Methods: A retrospective population-based study using data from the institute of clinical evaluative sciences, including all male patients aged 65 and above in Ontario who have had a negative first prostate biopsy between 1994 and 2016. We assessed the impact of commonly prescribed medications on PC outcomes. The analyzed medications included Statins (hydrophilic and hydrophobic), most commonly used diabetes drugs (metformin, insulins, sulfonylureas, and thizolidinedions), PPIs, 5 alpha reductase inhibitors, and alpha blockers. Time dependent Cox regression proportional hazards models were performed to determine predictors of PC diagnosis, PC advanced disease (defined as usage of hormonal therapy), and PC-specific death. Medication exposure was time varying and modelled as “ever” vs. “never” use or as cumulative exposure. Results: A total of 21,562 men were analyzed over a mean (SD) follow-up time of 8.06 (5.44) years. Overall, 5,187 patients (24%) were diagnosed with PC, 7861 (36.5%) had died, and 647 (3%) died of PC. On multivariable analysis usage of hydrophilic statins modelled as “ever vs. never” was associated with a lower diagnosis rate (OR 0.832, 95% CI 0.732-0.946, p = 0.005) and a significantly decreased PC-specific death (OR 0.676, 95% CI 0.528-0.871, p = 0.0024). In contrast, Pantoprazole was associated with a higher rate of advanced PC disease when modelled as cumulative exposure of 6 months (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.003-1.06, P = 0.031), and PC-specific death, when modeled as “ever vs. never” (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.02-1.576, p = 0.031). Conclusions: Hydrophilic statins were associated with a clinically and statistically significant lower PC diagnosis and PC-specific death, while pantoprazole was associated with a higher rate of advanced PC disease and PC-specific death.