Asmaa Baqer Al-Obaidi
@nahrainuniv.edu.iq
microbiology department college of medicine
Al-Nahrain University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
virology
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Husam Lazim and Asmaa Al-Obaidi
Egypts Presidential Specialized Council for Education and Scientific Research
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.