ضحى حيدر عبد الجواد العبودي

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented major challenges to global health, particularly among individuals with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, a group considered at high risk. Understanding the immune response in diabetic patients following COVID-19 vaccination is essential for improving outcomes and informing public health decisions. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate serum CD4 and CD8 marker concentrations in diabetic patients up to six months after receiving a second dose of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, or Sinopharm vaccines. Methodology A total of 180 blood samples were collected from diabetic volunteers (60 per vaccine type) at 2, 4, and 6 months following their second vaccine dose. CD4 and CD8 levels were assessed using the ELISA technique. Results Serum CD4 and CD8 concentrations were significantly higher in the Pfizer and AstraZeneca groups compared to the Sinopharm group throughout the six-month follow-up. At peak (2 months post-second dose), mean CD4 levels were 10.28±3.10 (Pfizer), 9.97±3.21 (AstraZeneca), and 6.01±1.32 (Sinopharm); CD8 levels were 934.63±82.02 U/ml (Pfizer), 860.50±95.54 U/ml (AstraZeneca), and 775.63±92.01 U/ml (Sinopharm). A gradual decline in both markers was observed in all groups over time, with the sharpest decrease noted in the Sinopharm group at six months. Conclusions Pfizer vaccination in diabetic patients induced higher CD4 and CD8 serum levels during the early post-vaccination phase compared to AstraZeneca and Sinopharm. However, all vaccine types showed a time-dependent decline, most prominently in Sinopharm recipients.

Abstract: Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen known for its remarkable ability to form biofilms, contributing significantly to its persistence in hospital environments and resistance to antimicrobial treatments. Biofilm formation in A. baumannii is a complex, genetically regulated process involving a network of genes responsible for adhesion, extracellular matrix production, and stress response. Key genetic determinants include the bap gene, which encodes the biofilmassociated protein, the csu operon involved in pilus-mediated surface attachment, and the ompA gene, which enhances adhesion and immune evasion. Additionally, quorum sensing regulators such as abaI play a crucial role in coordinating biofilm development. The presence of these genetic elements not only enhances the pathogen’s ability to colonize medical devices but also significantly increases its tolerance to antibiotics, leading to chronic infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Clinically, biofilm formation in A. baumannii is associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and wound infections, posing a major challenge for treatment. Conventional antibiotics often fail to penetrate biofilms effectively, necessitating alternative therapeutic approaches such as quorum sensing inhibitors, biofilmdisrupting agents, and combination therapies. Understanding the genetic basis of biofilm formation is crucial for developing targeted interventions to mitigate A. baumannii-associated infections. Future research should focus on novel anti-biofilm strategies, including gene-targeting therapies and the use of biofilm-resistant biomaterials in medical devices. Addressing this issue is essential for improving patient outcomes and controlling the spread of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii in healthcare settings.

Objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as COVID-19, is a pandemic infection that first appeared in Wuhan, China and is responsible for acute respiratory illness. The symptoms of this infection range from being mild and restricted to developing fever, cough, and loss of smell or taste, to severe life-threatening pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the severity could reach beyond that level and convert to a multi-organ failure or death. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is known to be the receptor that used by coronavirus to enter the cells, and hence, multi-organ infection could result. From that point, renal involvement, including impaired kidney function and electrolyte imbalance, is one of the complications that might develop. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients, 29 males and 31 females, were recruited in this study, where blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, sodium, potassium, and chloride were evaluated. Results: The results revealed elevated levels of BUN and serum creatinine and decreased levels of sodium and chloride and to some extent, potassium levels. Few samples were diagnosed with increased levels of serum electrolytes. Conclusion: The results revealed the presence of electrolyte imbalance and kidney dysfunction associated with COVID-19 infection. Further investigations need to be carried out to estimate to what extent the changes in these biochemical parameters could be risk factors for developing acute kidney injury (AKI) and eventually death.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate differences in serum levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-10 [IL-10], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], and interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]) in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) between hospitalized and mild SARS-COV-2 infected patients. Materials and Methods: the samples were collected from 60 SARS-COV-2 infected patients at the laboratories of Al Amal-Hospital for Communicable Diseases and Department of Public Health in the Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment from the first of January to the first of May with ages ranging from 20 to 80 years comprising 38 males and 22 females were included in the study. Fifty healthy individuals without any signs or symptoms of the disease were selected as a normal control group. According to the severity of the disease, infected individuals were grouped into three groups: mild cases (29), severe cases (18), and critical cases (13). Results: The results revealed that of the 60 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected patients, 13 patients had critical symptoms, 29 patients had mild symptoms, and 18 patients had severe symptoms of COVID-19 disease. Among 60 patients, the ages ranging from 20 to 80 years, of these 38 (63%) were males and 22 (37%) were females. A high significant elevation in the level of serum IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy control groups (IL-10 = 47.72 ± 12.53 and 0.91 ± 0.66 pg/mL, P < 0.001; TNF-α = 52.17 ± 13.75 and 0.98 ± 0.70 pg/mL, P < 0.001; and IFN-γ = 90.14 ± 58.23 and 0.49 ± 0.693 ng/mL, P < 0.001). The most important noticeable was a decrease in IFN-γ levels from mild to critical groups of patients with COVID-19 and serum levels of TNF-α and IL-10 were significantly increased in severe and critical COVID-19 patients compared with healthy controls. Conclusion: This study concludes that IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels might have a crucial role in determining the severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Keywords: COVID-19, cytokines, IFN-γ, IL-10, SARS-CoV-2, TNF-α

Background: Diabetes mellitus patients are usually considered a high risk population for SARS – COV2 infection and shown blunted immune responses when vaccinated with different types of vaccines. Aims: The study aimed to compare the humoral immune response at one to six months post the second dose of BNT162b2, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, and BBIBP-CorV vaccine in diabetes people. The humoral immune response was assessed by determining SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG antibodies, and SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody inhibition %. Materials and methods: A total of 180 participants with diabetes were eligible for analysis. chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLI) quantify SARS-COV-2 spike protein IgG antibody and Enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) was used to SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody inhibition % at most during the six months after the second dose of vaccination. Results: BNT162b2 vaccine induce a highest levels of anti-S IgG antibody and NAB IH5% (25.66±1.67 AU\mL, 76.32±11.6% respectively), followed by ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (11.53±2.11 AU\Ml, 69.62±14.53 % respectively) and BBIBP-CorV (51.32±11.6 AU\Ml, 7.84±2.41 % respectively) (p<0.001) after six months post second dose of vaccination. The impaired antibodies response by BBIBP-CorV vaccine suggests that the vaccine may be less effective in generating a robust immune response in diabetes patients. Furthermore, Sex, Age, and duration were significantly correlated with levels of antibodies. Conclusions: The long-term humoral immunogenicity of several COVID-19 vaccinations in individuals with diabetes is clarified by this study. After six months, BNT162b2 exhibited better humoral immune responses followed by ChAdOx1nCoV-19 and BBIBPCorV vaccines. Sex, age, and duration after vaccination were correlated with IgG antibody levels and NAB-IH%. These results emphasize the significance of taking into account the type of vaccine and the patients' long-term immune responses when developing an effective COVID-19 immunization strategy.

COVID-19 рandemic disease continues to sрread over all countries. There is increasing evidence that the SARA-COV-2 virus can cause damage to both the рeriрheral and central nervous systems through either direct or indirect mechanisms, рotentially leading to long-term neurological effects. Рrolonged COVID can cause clinical symрtoms such as anxiety, deрression, fatigue, brain fog with cognitive dysfunction and memory рroblems. Brain fog, a colloquial term for cognitive Imрairment (CI) , has emerged as a significant long-term neurological comрlication following COVID-19 infection. Recently, several studies have indicated that these cognitive symрtoms can рersist for months to over a year рostinfection, affecting the quality of life of survivors. This article reviews the mechanisms of coronavirus invasion of the brain and how brain fog occurs after long-term Covid disease.

أقامت كلية الطب بجامعة الكوفة معرضًا للبوسترات التوعوية حول مخاطر المخدرات والإدمان، وذلك في عمادة الكلية، بهدف نشر الوعي الصحي والنفسي بين الطلبة وتسليط الضوء على الآثار السلبية لهذه الظاهرة على الفرد والمجتمع. وتضمّن المعرض مجموعة من البوسترات التثقيفية التي تناولت أخطار تعاطي المخدرات وتأثيراتها الجسدية والنفسية والاجتماعية، فضلًا عن تقديم معلومات إرشادية حول سبل الوقاية وطرق الحد من انتشار هذه الظاهرة في المجتمع. وحضر المعرض عميد الكلية الأستاذ الدكتور أحمد عذاب معيان الزبيدي، إلى جانب عدد من التدريسيين والطلبة الذين اطّلعوا على البوسترات التوعوية وما تضمّنته من معلومات علمية وتثقيفية تهدف إلى تعزيز الوعي الصحي وترسيخ السلوكيات الإيجابية بين فئة الشباب. من جانبه أكّد الدكتور الزبيدي على أهمية تكثيف الجهود التوعوية داخل المؤسسات التعليمية، لما لها من دور كبير في حماية الشباب من مخاطر المخدرات والإدمان، وتعزيز ثقافة الوعي الصحي والسلوكيات الإيجابية بين الطلبة. كما أشاد بالمبادرات الطلابية والأنشطة التثقيفية التي تسهم في بناء مجتمع واعٍ قادر على مواجهة هذه الظاهرة والحد من آثارها السلبية على الفرد والمجتمع.

كرّم عميد كلية الطب بجامعة الكوفة، الأستاذ الدكتور أحمد عذاب معيان الزبيدي، الطالبات الفائزات في المسابقة القرآنية الجامعية للعام الدراسي 2025–2026، التي نظمها قسم النشاطات الطلابية في كلية التربية. وقد حصلت الطالبة نورهان نعمة تركي على المركز الأول في مسابقة الحفظ على مستوى الجامعة، فيما نالت الطالبة زهراء حاكم المركز الثالث ضمن المسابقة ذاتها. يأتي هذا التكريم دعمًا وتشجيعًا للطلبة على حفظ كتاب الله العزيز، وترسيخ المبادئ الإسلامية الأصيلة في الوسط الأكاديمي، بما يسهم في بناء شخصية علمية متوازنة تخدم مجتمعنا العراقي العزيز. في ختام التكريم، عبّر الدكتور الزبيدي عن اعتزازه بالمستوى المشرف الذي حققته الطالبات، مشيدًا بجهودهن ومثابرتهن في خدمة القرآن الكريم، ومؤكدًا حرص عمادة الكلية على دعم مثل هذه الإنجازات التي تعكس القيم العلمية والأخلاقية لطلبة جامعة الكوفة. كما جرى تقديم شهادات تقديرية وهدايا رمزية للفائزات، متمنيًا لهن دوام التوفيق والنجاح في مسيرتهن العلمية.