On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the College of Medicine at the University of Baghdad discussed a master’s thesis in microbiology entitled (Detection of active human cytomegalovirus in patients with multiple myeloma), by student Aya Atheer Abdel Razzaq. The discussion committee, headed by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Maarouf Muhammad, and the membership of both Prof. Dr. Asmaa Baqir Salem, A.M. Dr.. Aladdin Siham, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Shatha Farouk Abdullah, and Prof. Dr. Ali Muhammad Jawad Al-Muzaffar. The study aims to detect the phosphoprotein 65 antigen in cytomegalovirus in the plasma of patients with multiple myeloma using ELISA, measure the concentration of cytomegalovirus using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and prove the existence of a link between active cytomegalovirus and multiple myeloma. The researcher found that the rate of infection of multiple myeloma patients with cytomegalovirus is 20%, in terms of antigen phosphoprotein 65, and 18%, the rate of virus concentration in the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The researcher concluded that early detection of CMV in patients with multiple myeloma, especially before a marrow transplant, is crucial, and this will help in taking rapid measures to use antiviral drugs in the standard disease regimen. She indicated that antigen detection may be possible, simple, and cost-effective and could be used primarily as a test for active cytomegalovirus rather than real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction because it is expensive. The discussion committee praised this thesis, which included valuable information presented about the virus and its relationship to multiple myeloma. The student was awarded a grade of distinction after conducting a public discussion, taking into consideration her use of scientific references.
