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Background: Saliva is a fluid secreted by the salivary glands and it is divided in to serous and mucus components. Despite its physiological roles in lubricating the oral cavity and digestion, it also acts as a simple diagnostic tool reflecting body's systemic diseases. The aim of the present study is to determine malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in saliva and serum of apparently healthy individuals and to find if there is an association between dental caries, periodontal disease and salivary MDA. Subject and Methods: This cross sectional study involved sixty fourparticipants who were medical students attending Duhok College of Medicine. Clinical information and all relevant data were obtained according to a questionnaire. Both salivary and serum MDA levels were measured manually in unstimulated saliva and sera of participants using Thiobarbuturic acid method. Results: Malondialdehyde is measurable in saliva of apparently healthy individuals and was significantly lower than serum MDA level (p<0.001). There was a statistically highly significant positive correlation between both salivary and serum MDA levels (p=0.0007). Moreover, both Salivary and serum MDA levels were significantly positively correlated with weight and BMI (p=0.03, p=0.03 and p= 0.04 and 0.05) respectively. There were no significant correlations between salivary MDA with dental caries index (dmft score) and periodontal disease index. Conclusions: Based on the current results, salivary MDA is significantly positively correlated with serum MDA, weight and BMI. No significant association of salivary MDA with dental caries and periodontal disease were observed.

Background: Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is common complication of cataract surgery, neodymium:yttrium aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy is standard treatment. Although, it is non-invasive, it carries risk of complications. AIM: to study intra-ocular pressure changes (IOP) and its correlation with energy, shot numbers, size and visual outcomes of capsulotomy; and finding the commonest type of opacification. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Duhok Eye Hospital from April 2018 to April 2019; 100 patient participants were examined for visual acuity, IOP measurement, and slit lamp examination. Results: 60 males and 40 females (67%) were from 60 to 79 years, 53 right and 47 left eyes. The mean visual acuity and refraction were found to be higher one week post capsulotomy compared to pre capsulotomy, P value being less than 0.001. Most of female's jobs were housewives (37.0%), while males' jobs were ranged from (48.0%) retired (8.0%) workers to (7.0%) office workers. A higher mean in IOP was found two hours post-capsulotomy, P value being 0.025 when it was compared with IOP pre-capsulotomy and IOP one week post capsulotomy. A positive relation between shot numbers and increase IOP two hours post capsulotomy was recorded, P value 0.049. Conclusions:The commonest type of PCO was membranous. 59.0% of patient's ha the best corrected visual acuity of 6/6-6/12. IOP rise the was most frequent complication that reached a maximum two hours post capsulotomy, it was associated with shots number. and was normalized within a week.

Background: Altered immune response and improper neutrophils chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and adhesion might be the principal causative factor for increased susceptibility to periodontal pathogens and oral complications in diabetic patients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between C-reactive protein and salivary IgA with periodontal disease and the severity of dental caries with the glycemic control state of patients with diabetes mellitus. Patients and Methods: This study was carried out on 91 subjects, 61 patients with diabetes mellitus, and 30 apparently healthy subjects (as a control group). The patient groups were regularly attended Duhok Diabetes Center, Duhok City, Kurdistan Region (Iraq) for diabetes management. The healthy controls were recruited from the staff and sub staff of Azadi Teaching Hospital. Fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) were measured. The whole saliva collection was performed by an unstimulated method for five minutes in a graduated test tube to recognize the salivary secretion rate and then stored at -20 0 C for IgA estimation. Periodontal Index was used to determine the periodontal disease status. Each tooth was scored according to the condition of the surrounding tissues. Results: Significantly higher Hs-CRP (9.2 vs 3.3 µg/ml), fasting plasma glucose (215.4 vs 98.9 mg/dl) and HbA1c (8.5 vs 4.9 %), (P < 0.001 for all parameters, together with lower hemoglobin (13.6 vs 14.5 gm/dl, P=0.03) levels were found in diabetic patients compared to control group, A significantly higher mean salivary IgA level in diabetic patients compared to controls (312.4 vs 177.3 mg/dl, P<0.001), associated with a significant high periodontal index (1.68 vs 0.81, P = 0.003). Conclusion: Elevated serum Hs-CRP and salivary IgA in patients with diabetes mellitus as inflammatory response sequences raise inflammation potential in the periodontium. Further, the results confirm that periodontal index was associated with poor glycemic control.

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Background: It is well known that Nigella sativa seeds have been widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Little is known, however, about their effect on angiotensin II receptor type I. Studying of such impact will be valuable in producing herbal medicines with much less side effects compared to conventional drugs. Objective: The aim of the current research was to study the blocking effect of hydromethanolic (NS.HM) and aqueous (NS.Aq) extracts of Nigella sativa on angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor type I (AT1) in isolated rat's aorta. Materials and Methods: Seed's powder was soaked in 50% hydromethanol and distilled water separately for 48 hrs, then filtered through Whatman filter papers. The solvents were evaporated to yield the crude extracts (NS.HM and NS.Aq). The effect of different concentrations (1, 2, 3 & 4 mg/ml) of NS.HM and NS.Aq extracts on isolated rat's aorta contracted with various doses of Ang II (0.3, 1.0, 3.0, 10, 30 & 100 µM) were evaluated. Results: NS.HM at concentrations 3 and 4 mg/ml, caused a very high significant (P< 0.001) inhibitory effect on the dose-response curves (DRCs) in aortic rings at doses 3 and 10 µM of Ang II as compared to the control, and a highly significant (P< 0.01) inhibition at doses one µM (for 3 mg/ml), and 1 and 30 µM (for 4 mg/ml). Furthermore, NS.HM at concentrations 1 and 2 mg/ml did not produce any significant right shifting. On the other hand, NS.Aq extract at concentration 4 mg/ml caused a very high significant (P< 0.001) right shifting DRC at doses 3 and 10 µM, and highly significant (P< 0.01) shifting at 30 µM of Ang II. Besides, significant right shifting (P< 0.05) was observed in the DRC in the presence of the extract at dose one µM as compared to the control. Nevertheless, no right shifting in the DRC of Ang II at concentrations 1, 2, and 3 mg/ml of NS.Aq was noticed. Conclusions: We conclude that Both NS.HM and NS.Aq extracts have an anti-hypertensive effect through blocking the AT1 receptors, although NS.HM extract is more potent in blocking effect on AT1R than NS.Aq. In addition, the anti-hypertensive effect of both NS.HM and NS.Aq extracts on the aorta are concentration-dependent.

Background: EuroScore (ES) models have been used over the last twenty years for risk assessment before coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) with variation in their ability to assess the overall complications after surgery, the intensive care unit (ICU) stay and heart performance after revascularization in different areas over the world. Objective: To assess the performance of the EuroSCORE in prediction of post-CABG complications at Azadi Heart Center (AHC). Patients and Methods: This correlation study was conducted at AHC, Duhok, Kurdistan Region (Iraq). The study participants were 50 patients (38 males and 12 females) who underwent CABG surgery; informed consent was obtained from all of them for participation in this study. EuroScore II (ES II) model has been assessed before and after CABG, and its correlations with short-term (up to one month) post-operative outcomes were studied. Results: Patients were grouped into low, moderate and high-risk groups each with frequency of 26, 21 and 3, respectively. There was significant correlation between the pre-operative ES II and the post-operative ejection fraction (EF%) in the high-risk group, while there were non-significant correlations with the short-term overall complications and the ICU stay postoperatively. Conclusions: ES II can be used in AHC to predict post-operative EF%, the higher the ES II, the lower post-operative EF%. However, ES II is not valuable to predict other short-term post-operative complications following CABG surgery.