A polymerase chain reaction assay based on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA) has been developed to detect Brugia malayi infection in an area of low endemicity in Malaysia. Blood samples from 239 subjects were tested: 192 amicrofilaraemic individuals, 14 microfilaraemic persons and 3 chronic elephantiasis cases from endemic areas and 30 city-dwellers (non-endemic controls). PCR products were examined by ELISA and Southern hybridization. In the PCR-ELISA, digoxigenin-labelled PCR products were hybridized to a biotin-labelled probe. This was followed by incubation in streptavidin-coated microtitre wells and detection using anti-digoxigenin-peroxidase and ABTS [2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)]. All microfilaraemic samples were positive by PCR-ELISA and Southern hybridization and all samples from non-endemic subjects and chronic elephantiasis patients were negative. The PCR-ELISA detected 12 times as many B. malayi infections as did thick blood film examination. Nineteen of the 194 samples from the endemic area gave positive results by both PCR-ELISA and Southern hybridization, and an additional 5 samples were positive by PCR-ELISA only. The PCR-ELISA was specific and sensitive, detected more infections, and was more reproducible than Southern hybridization.

EBV, is a member of the herpesvirus family and one of the most common human viruses, Epidemiological data suggest that EBV is associated with polytransfused blood βthalassemia and several autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. We examined the presence of IgM antibodies against EBV in serum of 35 Thalassemic patients, 75 autoimmune patients among as 35 rheumatoid arthritis patients, 20 Systemic lupus erythrematosus and 20 autoimmune hypothyroid diseases, and 20 healthy controls by ELISA assay then detected the predominant strain in positive samples. The results show that the highest EBV infection percent was in SLE 15% whilst the lowest infection percent was in Thalassemia 5.7%., and according to gender, the results showed that the highest infection percentage recorded in females with rheumatoid arthritis 30 %, whilst the infection does not appear in males with rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroid disease and females of thalassemia patients. On the other hand, this study reveals that EBV-1 is the predominant strain in autoimmune diseases and thalassemia in Iraq.

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Background: TORCH complex (Toxoplasma gondii, others, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus) infections in pregnant women may attribute to bad obstetric outcomes.Objective: To investigate the role of TORCH as an etiology of bad obstetric outcome using a molecular technique.Materials and Methods: The samples were collected from women with Bad Obstetric History attending clinics in Mosul and Baghdad hospitals in Iraq over a period from (15/4/2013) to (1/6/2014) and from (1/5/2017) to (1/11/2017). The women included in the study were with mean age of (26±6.1) years and a range of 22 to 39 years. Blood samples, throat and cervical swabs were collected from 300 women ELISA positive seroprevalence of TORCH for PCR testing.Results: DNA and RNA were extracted and Real-Time PCR indicates negative results for T.gondii, Rubella and HSV I&II, but were CMV positive in only four samples represented (1.3%) from total 300 positive samples in ELISA tests.Conclusion: ELISA test is considered as a preliminary and screening test for TORCH infections. Real Time PCR is an essential tool in the research laboratory. It has engendered wider acceptance than the conventional PCR due to its improved rapidity, sensitivity, reproducibility and the reduced risk of carry-over contamination

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Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver that caused by Hepatitis B virus (HBV) which is DNA virus that infects the human and some kinds of animals such as chimpanzees and birds. This disease considered as the major disease of mankind and a serious global public health problem. HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcAb, HBeAb and HBsAb are markers used to detect the presence and the stage of infection. The current study included (181) individuals from both sexes, (137) males and (44) females. By ratio 3.11: 1.The mean age of patients 2.4033 ± 0.83519 (range 18-73) years as follows < 20 (11.6%), 21–40 (47.5%), 41–60 (29.8%) and > 60 (11.0%) . These patients are 73 (40.4%) Blood donors from Central Blood Bank, 88 (48.6%) Chronic kidney failure at Ibn – Sina Teaching Hospital and 20 (11.0%) Thalassemic patients at Ibn – Alatheer Teaching Hospital, Nineveh Governorate / Iraq. For the period from July 2011 till May 2012.The results indicated that the number of serum patients infected with HBV was 90 (49.7%) using Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay technique. These patients had many markers named HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcAb, HBeAb and HBsAb with percentages 90 (49.7%), 47 (26.0%), 89 (49.2%), 53 (29.3%) and5 (2.8%) respectively. Ninety three patients infected with HBV ninety of them gave positive results using ELISA and rt-PCR technique, and three gave positive results using rt-PCR only inspite of their negative results in ELISA. We concluded that HBV infection remains a serious issue because it's prevalence is still significant among patients, all viral markers are very important for the diagnosis of infection, rt-PCR is a very sensitive scientific technique gave the exactly number of copies/ml in a closed system.

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