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Background: Several, clinical and biochemical factors were suggested as risk factors for more severe forms of Covid-19. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α, CCL3) is a chemokine mainly involved in cell adhesion and migration. Intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) is an inducible cell adhesion molecule involved in multiple immune processes. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between baseline serum MIP-1α and ICAM-1 level in critically-ill Covid-19 patients and the severity of computed tomography (CT) findings., Methods: The study included 100 consecutive critically-ill patients with Covid-19 infection. Diagnosis of infection was established on the basis of RT-PCR tests. Serum MIP-1α and ICAM-1 levels were assessed using commercially available ELISA kits. All patients were subjected to a high-resolution computed tomography assessment., Results: According to the computed tomography severity score, patients were classified into those with moderate/severe (n=49) and mild (n = 51) pulmonary involvement. Severe involvement was associated with significantly higher MIP-1α and ICAM-1 level. Correlation analysis identified significant positive correlations between MIP-1α and age, D-dimer, IL6, in contrast, there was an inverse correlation with INF-alpha. Additionally, ICAM-1 showed significant positive correlations with age, D-Dimer,- TNF-α, IL6,while an inverse correlation with INF-alpha was observed., Conclusions: MIP-1α and ICAM-1 level are related to CT radiological severity in Covid-19 patients. Moreover, these markers are well-correlated with other inflammatory markers suggesting that they can be used as reliable prognostic markers in Covid-19 patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None declared., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Several studies have reported that different factors play an important role in the production of IgG after VOVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed at studying COVID-19 infection rates and severity in renal transplant recipients and vaccine responsiveness. comorbidity hemodialysis requirements, and immune suppression treatment regimens. In this cross-sectional study, IgG levels was measured in renal transplant recipients using automated benchtop immunoanalyzer Vidas at the Duhok Center for Kidney Disease and Transplantation. In this study group, only 30 individuals experienced the SARS-COVID-2 infection, with only three cases being severe. The most frequently reported symptoms of SARS-COVID-2 virus infection were fatigue (18/30) 60%, high temperature (17/30) 56%, headache (12/30) 40%, and poor endurance (11/30) 36.6%. The IgG titers were significantly different between the vaccinated 33.067 ± 2.5 versus unvaccinated individuals 23.916 ± 3.31with p value = 0.025. On the other hand, demographic characteristics of the cohort including: comorbidities, hemodialysis, different age groups, gender, infection/no-infection differences had no statistically significant impact on the IgG titers. Vaccination significantly increased the levels of protective IgG level in kidney transplant recipients. It is crucial to focus on increasing the acceptance of vaccination among kidney transplant recipients to prevent infections from other COVID-19 variants or pathogen outbreaks.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic poses a danger to public health across the world. Specific and sensitive testing is vital to tracking and containing the infected individuals. This study examines the characteristics of 705 patients based on gender and age groups, with a focus on their CT (Cycle Threshold) values associated with E- and RdRp gene amplification. Among the patient cohort, 58.87% were male, while 41.13% were female. Notably, all males and females tested positive for the E gene, achieving a 100% detection rate, whereas the RdRp gene exhibited a slightly lower positive rate of 93.4% in males and 89.6% in females. Statistical analysis through the chi-square test revealed no significant disparities between target genes and gender. Additionally, a one-way ANOVA test demonstrated no significant distinctions between target genes and age groups. This study's findings suggest that gender and age do not significantly influence CT values for E and RdRp gene amplification, and there is no preferred gene for detection, providing valuable insights into the molecular characteristics of the studied cohort.

Background: Several, clinical and biochemical factors were suggested as risk factors for more severe forms of Covid-19. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α, CCL3) is a chemokine mainly involved in cell adhesion and migration. Intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) is an inducible cell adhesion molecule involved in multiple immune processes. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between baseline serum MIP-1α and ICAM-1 level in critically-ill Covid-19 patients and the severity of computed tomography (CT) findings. Methods: The study included 100 consecutive critically-ill patients with Covid-19 infection. Diagnosis of infection was established on the basis of RT-PCR tests. Serum MIP-1α and ICAM-1 levels were assessed using commercially available ELISA kits. All patients were subjected to a high-resolution computed tomography assessment. Results: According to the computed tomography severity score, patients were classified into those with moderate/severe (n=49) and mild (n = 51) pulmonary involvement. Severe involvement was associated with significantly higher MIP-1α and ICAM-1 level. Correlation analysis identified significant positive correlations between MIP-1α and age, D-dimer, IL6, in contrast, there was an inverse correlation with INF-alpha. Additionally, ICAM-1 showed significant positive correlations with age, D‐Dimer,- TNF—α, IL6,while an inverse correlation with INF-alpha was observed. Conclusions: MIP-1α and ICAM-1 level are related to CT radiological severity in Covid-19 patients. Moreover, these markers are well-correlated with other inflammatory markers suggesting that they can be used as reliable prognostic markers in Covid-19 patients.

Introduction: COVID-19 has harmed the economic, academic, and clinical pursuits of dental educational institutions and dental students. As dental associations, health agencies, and regulatory bodies around the globe announced the need for social distancing and stricter safety measures, some dental schools worldwide have been adapting to accommodate for such changes.Methods: This review attempts to provide a general picture of the early responses of some dental schools worldwide to the COVID-19 crisis and identify some of the regulations that influenced dental schools' initial decisions. An analytical approach was used to assess changes to dental school curriculums in didactic (academic/non-clinical) and clinical education, examinations, administration, and dental school research. The assessment was based on a web-based search of a variety of online global references including research articles, reviews, letters, press releases, and surveys regarding the early effect of covid-19 on dental education at some dental institutions in the U.S, Europe, and Asia from late February to early July of 2020. The review also offered further recommendations to dental school administrators regarding the future of dental education during the early stages of a pandemic.Conclusions: Innovations in technology and blended educational methodologies will continue to influence how certain dental schools around the world adapt to the changes caused by COVID-19 and better prepare dental education institutions for potential future public health disruptions.Clinical significance: Dental schools will need to adapt their education system to improve didactic, preclinical, clinical, administrative, and research components of dental education in response to the changes caused by COVID-19 and future pandemics.