Correlation Between the Estimated and the Measured Serum Apolipoprotein –B100 in Kurd Subjects: A Trend to Establish a New Formula

Apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) provides a good assessment of atherogenic lipoproteins (very low, intermediate, and low-density lipoproteins (VLDL, IDL, and LDL)). There is evidence that polymorphism of ApoB100 was observed in many conditions and it links with obesity, diabetes mellitus hypertension, and chronic inflammation, which could be related to the broad field of the atherothrombotic process, and could be one of the leading causes of coronary artery disease (CAD). It can be computed using a formula that makes use of a measurement of non-high-density lipoprotein levels. This study aimed to derive an estimated equation of ApoB100 from the measured ApoB100 levels specific to the healthy subjects of Kurd race/ethnicity in the Kurdistan region of Iraq taking into consideration the gender-based effect and the status of fasting and postprandial effects. A total number of 45 healthy subjects (23 males and 22 females) were enrolled in the study. The following measurements were achieved: anthropometric indices, blood pressure, lipid profile, including ApoB100, and blood sugar. The biochemical measurements were carried out at fasting and postprandial states. Specific equations were derived for calculating the levels of ApoB100. Significant differences in the anthropometric indices, blood pressure, and lipid profile were observed between males and females. The calculated ApoB100 levels were significantly less than the measured ApoB100 levels in both genders and fasting and postprandial states. The estimated equations for ApoB100 for females have differed from that for males at fasting and postprandial states. The levels of ApoB100 can be determined instead of measuring it in the laboratory by using a specific equation for healthy Kurd people. These equations are gender and race/ethnicity based. The established equation of estimated ApoB100 levels in males differed from that in females which is attributed to the cardio-metabolic factors and higher levels of systolic and mean arterial blood pressures among males. Apo B level is a quantitative index of plasma atherogenic lipids in hypertensive patients who presented with dyslipidemia

Estimation of Serum Calcium on the Severity and Mortality in COVID-19 Infections in Sulaymaniyah City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Coronaviruses (COV) are a large family of viruses that cause infections ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases. Mild to severe respiratory illnesses have been linked to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has been classified as a pandemic disease by the World Health Organization. It has been demonstrated that the severity of COVID-19 is highly positively linked with hypocalcemia. Furthermore, calcium imbalances among other electrolytes are linked to the prognosis of COVID-19. Objectives: This study demonstrates a connection between serum calcium levels and COVID-19 as biomedical indicators of COVID-19 infections in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baxshin Hospital for about two months from February 2022 to April 2022. The work was conducted with a total of 40 patients including 22 males and 18 females. The patients’ ages ranged from 22 to 80 years old. By analyzing a sample from a nasopharyngeal swab and performing real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), all of the patients tested positive as having COVID-19 infection. Serum calcium was determined from the blood samples of the patients in order to evaluate their serum calcium levels. The statistical package for social science (SPSS) was utilized to examine the obtained data. Results: The study revealed a level of calcium between 6.10 and 9.86 mg/dL in male and female patients. The majority of the female patients (61%) displayed low levels of serum calcium, and 33% of the males had a low level of calcium. It can be seen that the highest rate of male patients (66.6%) exhibited a normal level of serum calcium, while 33.3% showed decreased serum calcium. Based on gender and age groups, a statistically significant difference in calcium levels was observed. Conclusions: This study discovered that infection with COVID-19 has some significant laboratory abnormalities, including hypocalcemia, showing that serum calcium might be employed as a prognostic marker in the clinic