The Department of Biology at the College of Education for Pure Sciences at the University of Kerbala discussed a doctoral thesis entitled “The Role of Bacteria as a Cause of Acute Appendicitis in Kerbala and the Extent of Their Resistance to Antibiotics.” The thesis was presented by student Nada Jassim Muhammad Al-Karwi, under the supervision of Prof. Alaa Abdul-Hussein Al-Dami. The thesis aimed to isolate and identify bacteria associated with appendicitis and study their sensitivity to various antibiotics. It also aimed to compare the levels of some immune markers, such as IL-10, IL-1Ra, IL-1 MCP-1, IL-1 MIP-1α, and procalcitonin IL-8, between appendicitis patients and healthy individuals. Additionally, the study included a complete blood count to assess inflammatory markers such as white blood cells, lymphocytes, platelets, and red blood cells. The thesis also concluded that acute appendicitis is often caused by a bacterial infection, with Gram-negative bacteria being more common than Gram-positive bacteria, with Escherichia coli being the most prevalent. The age group between 16 and 30 years and males were found to be most susceptible to infection. Differences in symptoms were also observed among patients, with Gram-negative bacteria showing higher antibiotic resistance than Gram-positive bacteria. The study recommended expanding the scope of the study to include a larger number of patients and healthy individuals of different ages to determine the true incidence of appendicitis and avoid bias. It also proposes studying the role of HLA in determining susceptibility to appendicitis, and investigating the role and proportion of other microorganisms in causing the disease and their relationship to immune markers. The student received a grade of excellent.
