Osol Journal for Medical Sciences

This review will focus on the effects of viral infections in pregnancy. Throughout gestation, viral infections are known to lead to adverse events including mortality of the fetus and mother, premature birth, miscarriage and congenital anomalies. The intricate immunological environment of pregnancy requires a fine balance in which the placenta must accept exposure to some allogeneic fetus while protecting against pathogens. Even though natural defense in the maternal-fetal interface prevents viral transmission, some viruses hijack poorly understood mechanisms that disrupt the integrity of the placenta, leading to vertical transmission and this can have severe consequences on fetal health. This review highlights the intricate relation of main viruses with pregnancy, including mechanisms in pathogenesis as well as maternal-fetal complications, and the cell and molecular substrate for trans placental infection. Key features of placental immune protection are trophoblast cells, innate immune populations, cytokine control, pathogen recognition and antimicrobial products, all being essential in preparing for new emerging challenges to the pregnant population.

Background: Tooth attrition is the loss of tooth structure as an outcome of wear, and it can have an adverse effect on both oral and general condition. For establishing preventative and therapeutic strategies, it should understand the prevalence in a particular community.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and severity of dental attrition and any potential relationships between gender, age, with dental attrition.
Methods: Cross sectional study was accomplished at the Dentistry Teaching Hospital, University of Baghdad. The total sample of the study was 99 patients, including 29 males and 70 females, divided into three groups according to their age: young age (18–30), middle age (31–50), and old age people (above 50).
Results: The prevalence among 99 participants was 94.94% with the highest prevalence was among the middle and old age groups. Regarding gender, the male reported the highest prevalence (100%).
Conclusion: Tooth attrition was highly common among the population being considered; the higher attrition scores were among males than females and the attrition is significantly increased with age.

Background: clear Aligner Therapy (CAT) has transformed orthodontic treatment by offering a comfortable, discreet, and removable alternative to traditional braces. Initially designed for minor tooth movements, but has expanded its reach thanks to the integration of various auxiliaries and advancements in biomechanics. The objective of this paper is to review the most essential auxiliaries that enhance its efficacy, control, and predictability.


Methods: an overall search was carried out over multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciELO, to identify literature on auxiliaries used in orthodontic clear aligner therapy published between 2000 and 2025. In addition, pertinent chapters from leading publications on invisible orthodontics discussing clear aligner therapy were included.


Results: to share the input collected from the scientific literature, the authors developed the following sections to structure the content: definition and types of auxiliaries, location of auxiliaries, function of auxiliaries, comparison between types and the role of each auxiliary.


Also, there are subdivisions in some sections to be explained more deeply in that subject matter.


Conclusion: CAT has been improved by using auxiliaries for better results with less relapse, like brackets, power ridges, elastics, TADs, and MARPE. The orthodontist selects the appropriate type according to each case to get better anchorage, especially in complicated orthodontic cases.

Aims: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, awareness, and health results of occupational hazards amongst Iraqi dentists and evaluate their preventive practices.
Materials and Methods: from March to June 2025, A descriptive cross-sectional survey utilizing a bilingual self-administered questionnaire was handed out manually and online among 201 dentists and senior students aged between 20-65 years, chosen by convenience sampling.
Results: The majority of participants were aged 23-29 years (45%), with a female predominance (60%). Most respondents (53%) had 1-5 years of experience. In physical hazards, musculoskeletal pain was widespread, with lower back pain being the most common at 67.7%. Exposure to infection and injury in biological hazards was also prevalent, and the most reported infection was herpes simplex at 5.5%. In chemical hazards and Allergic reactions to dental materials, bio-aerosols were reported by 39.3%, being the most frequent sensitizing material. Tension headache was commonly reported by 59.2% in regard to facial pain. There were also varying levels of stress reported. In regard to preventive methods, 85% take Hepatitis B vaccination, and most of them adhere to infection control and personal protective equipment.
Conclusion: Iraqi dentists face many occupational hazards, having multiple risks on their health, with psychological stress, musculoskeletal disorders and radiation exposure being the most prevalent. These issues are escalated by limited awareness, unsafe procedures, and inadequate preventive measures. The findings emphasize the urgent need for directed interventions, including improved training for occupational hazards prevention, reinforced regulatory compliance, and systemically organized wellness policies for enhanced workplace safety in dental practice.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess zinc levels in women with acne vulgaris and their relationship to the severity of the clinical acne lesions and the facial sites involvement with acne vulgaris
Methods: This study included 100 women aged 19-25 years. Fifty of them had acne, and 50 did not, serving as a control group. Serum zinc levels were measured using the Bromo-PAP-5 colorimetric method. Acne severity was assessed, and the most affected areas on the face were identified.
Result: The results showed a significant and highly significant decrease in zinc levels in women with acne (63.6 ± 16.7 μg/dL) compared to healthy women (control group), whose levels were (91.9 ± 8.8 μg/dL). Fifty percent of the patients had moderate acne. The most commonly affected areas on the face were the cheeks (60%), the forehead (30%), and the chin (10%). A significant correlation was found between acne severity and serum zinc levels.
Conclusion: The study suggests a link between low zinc levels and increased acne in some women. Therefore, zinc can be considered an important element for skin health and may be used as an adjunctive treatment for acne.

Background: Oxidative stress, as well as inflamed tissues and damaged sperm DNA, tend to be linked to the fertility problems in men, over half of all global cases can be linked to these causes. The molecules of lipid origin, such as Resolvin E1 (RvE1), aid in alleviating the swelling and restoring the balance of body tissues. Nevertheless, researchers have not studied the potential impact of RvE1 on male reproduction fully.


Objective: This study was conducted to determine Resolvin E1 in the blood and semen of infertile males, and then compare the results with healthy ones. Correlation between hormone levels, including testosterone, FSH, and LH, and outcomes in the two groups was also studied by the researchers.


Methods: Individuals who participated provided blood and semen. Blood levels of hormones such as FSH, LH and testosterone were also monitored and RvE1 was also monitored in blood and at the same time also in semen fluid. The practical aspect of the research will occur in the period between October 2024 and December 2024. Sampling was done in two locations: the High Institute of Infertility Diagnosis - Al-Nahrain University and the IVF AL-Abayechi clinic at Baghdad, Iraq.


Results: The 44 males were separated into three groups, including the normal sperm, reduced-motility (asthenozoospermic), and astheno-oligo-teratozoospermic (AOT). High concentrations of RvE1 were found in semen in the AOT cohort (p = 0.006), and the concentration of RvE1 in blood remained fairly stable across groups (p = 0.127). AOT men were found to have low sperm count, low sperm motility, and high percentages of abnormal morphology. After assessment of hormones, there was little difference in the measurements between groups. Finally, the hormonal markers also seemed to be very close across the analyzed groups.


Conclusion: The seminal levels of higher RvE1 might be due to localized inflammation or irritation but not a better fertility. This implies that RvE1 can be the indication of inflammation of the reproductive area, but it is not the evidence of healthier sperm. Further studies that involve larger samples are needed to support this assertion.

Peripheral nerve injury is a serious and significantly disabling disorder that affects the daily life of patients as well as their quality of life. Reaching an accurate injury classification helps to find the optimal treatment, which in turn leads to a reduction of disabilities and, in many cases, regaining functionality. This study aims to characterize the electrodiagnostic findings in patients with traumatic peripheral nerve injuries of the upper limbs presenting to Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital in Baghdad. A total of 50 adult patients, with (40) men and (10) women; mean age (39.8± 11 years), with a total of (55) peripheral nerve injuries (duration of 3 months to 20 years). NCS and EMG were done for all patients. Axonotmesis or partial nerve injury was diagnosed in 45 (81.8%) nerves, neurotmesis or complete nerve injury in 2 (3.6%), and intact nerves were found in 8 (14.5%). Electrodiagnostic studies showed important informative details regarding traumatic peripheral nerve injuries. A pattern-based analysis of CMAPs, SNAPs and EMG findings can reliably differentiate between injury groups and thus lead to the optimum choice of management. To our knowledge, this is the first study to introduce a pattern-based EDX approach to traumatic upper limb nerve injuries in an Iraqi population, highlighting its importance for both clinical decision and regional epidemiological data.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) represents a prevalent urological condition in aging men, characterized by prostate enlargement as well as lower urinary tract symptoms. We investigated the link between the VDR gene variant rs2228570 (A>C, G, T) and the risk for BPH in Iraqi patients. A total of 3 patients with BPH, as well as 10 healthy individuals (50–70 years) recruited in Baqubah Teaching Hospital, Diyala, participated in this investigation. The genomic DNA was extracted and amplified by PCR, and then sequenced by Geneious software. Three genotypes (AA, AG, GG) were found. We found a significant association between genotype distribution and risk of BPH. The GG genotype and G allele were more common in the controls with a significant protective effect (P = 0.001; OR = 29.00). Conversely, the AA genotype and A allele were common in the patients with a significant risk factor (P = 0.026). No significant effect was identified for the AG genotype (P = 0.862). Hardy–Weinberg testing revealed equilibrium for both populations without any evidence for genetic instability. In sum, these findings indicate that the VDR gene rs2228570 can be involved in the susceptibility towards BPH, underscoring its value in terms of testing genetic risk as well as preventing its occurrences

Objective: Thyroidectomy is an essential component in the treatment of thyroid cancer. But taking out the thyroid gland can have a big effect on metabolic balance because it stops the body from making thyroid hormones. The goal of this study was to look at the metabolic changes that happen following thyroidectomy in people with thyroid cancer. It focused. on the function of the liver and kidneys, the regulation of glucose, the lipid profile, the levels of electrolytes, and the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL).


Methods: We looked at 50 people who had their thyroids removed and compared them to healthy people of the same age. Six months after surgery, blood samples were taken. We assessed biochemical markers like liver enzymes (ALP, AST, ALT), fasting blood glucose, 1ipid profi1e, electrolytes (Na, Ca), renal parameters (urea, creatinine), and LPL activity. We used SPSS v27 and GraphPad Prism v[9 for statistical analysis. We used T-tests or Mann-Whitney U-tests as needed and also did correlation analysis.


Results: Patients had high alkaline phosphatase levels (mean: 125 U/L), borderline impaired fasting glucose levels (mean: 101 mg/dL), and very high levels of dyslipidemia (mean total cholesterol: 300 mg/dL; triglycerides: 356 mg/dL). There was a small drop in LPL activity (mean: 8.4 U/L). Hyponatremia and hypocalcemia were examples of electrolyte abnormalities that were probably caused by temporary hypoparathyroidism. Most of the kidney parameters were normal; however, there were small increases in urea and creatinine levels. Age was more strongly linked to changes in metabolism than sex.


Conclusion: Thyroidectomy causes major metabolic problems, especially with the metabolism of lipids and glucose. To lower long-term hazards, especially in elderly patients, it is best to keep an eye on metabolism all the time and use hormone replacement solutions that are tailored to each person

Background: Normal thyroid function is essential for neonatal growth and brain development. In a newborn infant with severe disease, endocrine regulation of hormones can be affected by abnormal metabolism. The assessment of thyroid parameters results in the recognition of a dysfunction and its association with disease severity.


Objective: This study aimed to assess thyroid function profiles in critically ill neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) compared with healthy controls. Additionally, we aimed to detect the presence of TD and its possible association with critical illness.


Methods: A case-control study was performed in 100 neonates, comprising 50 sick neonates and 50 healthy controls. We measured thyroid function tests (T3, FT4 and TSH) within 48 h of NICU admission and documented the absence of clinical data such as GA and BW. Statistical analysis was done by Student’s t test and Mann–Whitney U test, where p 0.05).


Results: Critically ill neonates had mean T3, FT4, and TSH levels of 2.3, 1.0, and 8.7, compared with 2.5, 1.1, and 8.9 in controls. Differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The general profile of overall thyroid status was similar in the two groups but isolated cases with significantly elevated TSH encourage a close follow-up and screening.