PhD candidate (Hiba Jabbar Huweidi Aburghaif) discussion.

On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 9:00 AM, the PhD candidate (Hiba Jabbar Huweidi Aburghaif) successfully defended her dissertation in the discussion hall of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry/Clinical Biochemistry, titled:

**Evaluation of Serum Endothelin-1, Glutathione, Nitric Oxide, and Magnesium in Patients with Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Cataract Disease**

**Study Objective:**

This study aims to determine the levels of endothelin-1, nitric oxide, glutathione, and magnesium in the serum of individuals with diabetic and non-diabetic cataract and compare them with the levels in healthy individuals. The study also aims to elucidate the relationship between endothelin-1, nitric oxide, glutathione, and magnesium levels in diabetic and non-diabetic cataract patients. Furthermore, the study seeks to establish the cutoff values for endothelin-1, nitric oxide, glutathione, and magnesium in patients with diabetic and non-diabetic cataract.

**Results:**

The results of the study showed a significant difference in the mean levels of endothelin-1, nitric oxide, glutathione, and magnesium in diabetic cataract patients compared to healthy individuals (P < 0.001). The cutoff values for endothelin-1, glutathione, nitric oxide, and magnesium were 55.1, 7, 231.57, and 94.27 ng/mL, respectively. There was also a significant difference between non-diabetic cataract patients and healthy individuals in endothelin-1, glutathione, nitric oxide, and magnesium levels (P < 0.001), with cutoff values of 54.4, 10.4, 257.9, and 73.6 ng/mL, respectively. Additionally, there was a significant difference between the non-diabetic and diabetic cataract groups in serum endothelin-1, glutathione, and magnesium levels (P < 0.001), while no significant difference was observed in nitric oxide levels (P = 0.292). This study indicates that these biomarkers play a role in the development and progression of both diabetic and non-diabetic cataract and is the first of its kind in Iraq.

**The discussion committee consisted of:**

- Prof. Dr. Ria Suleiman Baban (Chair)

- Prof. Dr. Alaa Hussein Jawad (Member)

- Prof. Dr. Firas Abdullah Hassan (Member)

- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dhekra Hassan Madkour (Member)

- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abeer Abdul Ameer Mohammed (Member)

- Prof. Dr. Mohammed Imran Hamza (Member and Supervisor)

- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Majid Rashid (Member and Supervisor)

The dissertation was successfully accepted with distinction.