Asmaa Baqer Al-Obaidi
@nahrainuniv.edu.iq
microbiology department college of medicine
Al-Nahrain University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
virology
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Mervet B. Jasim, Asmaa B. Al-Obaidi, Enas Adnan Abdulrasul, and Haider Faisal Ghazi
IOS Press
The antibody that crosses transplacentally from mother to fetus is very important origin of protective passive immunity against infection neonatal with enterovirus. Important varieties of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) are responsible for infections in newborns. The purpose from this study is to investigate in the prevalence of Coxsackie B virus in a sample of Iraqi women with miscarriage and potential role of miscarriage risk. METHODS: Between November 2022 and June 2023, we included 91 parturient women (gestational age: 4–20 weeks) who were between the ages of 15 and 40. Every participant completed a questionnaire, and blood was drawn to assess maternal antibodies against CVB3. RESULTS: The blood seropositive rates were 46 out 91(50.54%), 2 out 46 were IgM positive (4.34%), (8–12 weeks) 23 from 46 (50%) (p-value 0.0294) gestational age more frequent among aborted women that positive for anti-coxsackie B antibody, The 25–35 age group was significantly overrepresented (51/91, 56%) compared to other age groups. CONCLUSION: This investigation posits Coxsackie B virus (CBV) as a possible etiology for miscarriage in the Iraqi female population. Further studies employing larger cohorts and robust methodologies, beyond the current detection technique, are warranted to corroborate these observations and elucidate the potential mechanisms by which CBV might induce miscarriage.
Safa H Ali ,, Sawsan Satti ,, Alaa H Ali ,, and Asmaa B Al-Obaidi
Diyala Journal of Medicine
Background: BK polyomavirus that is acquired in early childhood as BKPyV is near ubiquitous in adults with a seroprevalence of >80%, it has been found as the main cause of hemorrhagic cystitis in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients, due to immunosuppression regimen that lead to the activation of the virus from the latency status and lead to increased viral shedding in urine (viuria).
 Objective: To investigate the frequency of BK Polyomavirus antigen excretion in urine of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with and without chemotherapy and compare it with normal controls. 
 Patients and Methods: A case-control study conducted from December 2021 to May 2022 in Baghdad, Iraq on leukemia patients of Central Pediatrics Hospital (Al-Eskan ). Urine samples and urine sediment smears were collected from 60 acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. And compared with 60 apparently healthy age and sex-matched children, BK polyomavirus antigen in urine was detected using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay and urine cytology were Pap stained for the detection of decoy cells (DCs).
 Results: Positive BKPyV antigen in urine was seen in 55 (91.7%) of Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients and 39 (65.0%) in controls (p=<0.001) and all the patients were decoy negative. There was no significant effect of the positivity of antigenuria on neither leukocytes level nor on the occurance of relapse in leukemia patients. 
 Conclusion: The very high frequency of BKPyV in the urine signifies the importance of reactivation of this virus in ALL patients with and without chemotherapy.
Husam Lazim and Asmaa Al-Obaidi
Egypts Presidential Specialized Council for Education and Scientific Research
Asmaa B. Al-Obaidi, Zainab A. Ali, Sarmad Abdul Rasool Almashta, and Haider Faisel Ghazi
ALUNA
The aim: To identify the relation between EBV infection/reactivation and multiple sclerosis, compared to the normal controls. Materials and methods: A case-control study conducted in 120 MS patients, aged between 12-42 years, and 120 apparently healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers as controls. Viral DNA was extracted from 100μl of plasma samples, and then viral DNA was detected and quantified by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). Serum samples were used for the detection of anti-EBNA-1 IgG. Results: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction of EBV showed absence of EBV viremia in all MS patients and control. However, anti EBNA-1 IgG antibody was positive in 51.7% (62/120) of MS patients and 39.2% (47/120) of controls, (P=0.035). The median of anti EBNA-1 IgG level in MS patients and controls were 81.08 U/ml and 67.73 U/ml, respectively (P=0.043). Additionally, EBNA-1 antibody was significantly higher in younger age groups. Patients with the first-line and second-line treatment showed no significant differences in anti EBNA-1 IgG levels, while the median level in patients without treatment (newly diagnosed) was higher. Conclusions: EBNA-1antibody could play a significant role in development of MS, as it is significantly higher in MS patients than in controls, especially at younger age groups, at early stages of the disease and in female patients.
Noora M Kareem, Dalya Basil Hanna, Asmaa B Al-Obaidi, and Haider Faisel Ghazi
Africa Health Research Organization
Background: Cancer of the urinary bladder is the second most common genitourinary cancer, multiple carcinogenic factors have been attributed including viral infections, a high percentage of human polyomaviruses were found in bladder cancer tissues which might play a role in the process of carcinogenesis. Objectives: Detection of polyomavirus(PV) antigen and DNAquantification in cancerous and non-cancerous urinary bladder tissues. Patients and methods: Retrospective study included thirty urinary bladder cancer tissues, nine with cystitis, and six normal bladder urothelium.Polyomavirus large T antigen (PV LTAg) was detected in these tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and quantification of BK polyomavirus DNA in the tissue by real time-PCR. Results: PV LTAg was positive in 56.7% of bladder cancer tissues, and in only one 11.1% of inflammatory tissues, while none of the normal tissues showed positive signal (p=0.005), real time-PCR detected BK polyomavirus DNA in 18 (60%) of bladder cancers, 2 (22.2%) of inflammatory tissues, p=0.003. Conclusion:High rate of occurrence of PV LTAgand DNA in bladder cancer tissues could raise the possibility of the role of this virus as an oncogenic virus in bladder tumorgenesis.
Arwa Mujahid Al-Shuwaikh, Dalya Basil Hanna, Asmaa B. Al-Obaidi, and Ghaith Ali Jasim
GP Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
The pathogenic roles of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in acute leukemia have been of great interest. Patients with leukemia should be evaluated for viral infection, so they could be diagnosed for optimal therapy. In the current study, we aimed to determine the frequency of HHV-6 and EBV in a sample of Iraqi patients with acute leukemia in children and adults before chemotherapy. Fluorescent probe-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) method was used to quantify copies of HHV-6 and EBV DNA in 20 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AML), and 40 cases of hematological stable control subjects. Also, the effects of viral infection on hematological parameters were investigated. Results show that (47.5%) 19 out of 40 of patients at diagnosis recorded positive to one of the investigated viruses. Thirteen (32.5%) and 12 (30%) out of 40 patients with acute leukemia had positive EBV and HHV-6 viremia, respectively, while none of control group shows positive result with highly significant differences between patients and control groups (P<0.001). The mean EBV and HHV-6 viral load was (7737.615±9106.838 copies/ml) and (94393.58±214528.9 copies/ml), respectively. In this study, there was no significant association between viral infection and hematological parameters (P>0.05).In conclusion, infections or co-infections with EBV and HHV-6 could be a factor in the development of acute leukemia but further studies are required to establish whether there is a real association.
Sattar G. Ajeel, Asmaa B. Al-Obaidi, Zena M. Qaragholi, and Haidar A. Shamran
Africa Health Research Organization
Background: Patients in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were considered immunocompromised, especially those on hemodialysis (HD) procedure which seemed to produce alterations of the immune status. BK polyomavirus (BKV) was found to be an aggravating factor of renal failure, and interest in immunosuppression has increased due to BKV infection. Objective:This study aimed to investigate thepossible association between BKV with ESRD with and without dialysis. Subjects and Methods:A case-control study included 150 serum samples collected from 50 patient with ESRD on dialysis,50 without dialysisand50 apparently normal subjects with normal renal function as control.Quantitative Real time PCR(RT-PCR) was done for detection of BKV viral load. Results: twenty (40%) out of the 50 dialysis patients were positive for BKV by RT-PCR and, eight (16%) were positivein patients without dialysis, while none of the controls was positive. There were highly significant differences (p<0.001)on comparing between the mean viral load in patients who had dialysis was 2.16X10 5 copies/ml of BK viralDNA, and those without dialysis1 22X10 3 copies/ml of BK viralDNA. Conclusion: These results strongly indicated the role of BKV infection (quantitatively and qualitatively) in ESRD particularly in patients with dialysis; this put dialysis as a potential risk factor for BKV infection in those patients.