The PhD dissertation was discussed in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, presented by the student Raghed Ahmed Mohammed, a faculty member in the department, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Omar Farouk Abdul Rasheed and Prof. Dr. Nadera Salman Mohammed, entitled: "Genetic and Kinetic Study of ACE2 Enzyme and FurinLevel in Patients with COVID-19 Infection Severity" The thesis aimed to: Determine the concentration of ACE2 in the serum of COVID-19 patients and compare it with a control group. Assess the levels of Furin in the serum of COVID-19 patients and study its correlation with the severity of the infection. Analyze the kinetic properties of the ACE2 enzyme to understand its relationship with COVID-19 severity. Investigate the gene expression of the ACE2 enzyme in COVID-19 patients compared to a control group to understand its role in the progression of disease severity.
The study reached several important findings, most notably: Serum ACE2 levels were significantly elevated in patients with severe COVID-19 cases compared to those with mild cases and the control group. The study also revealed a significant increase in Furin concentration in patients with severe cases compared to mild cases, suggesting a potential role for this enzyme in exacerbating disease severity. Additionally, elevated levels of platelets, white blood cells, and D-dimer were observed in severe cases, indicating the possibility of using these markers to assess disease severity. Moreover, the gene expression of the ACE2 enzyme was significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to the control group.
These findings highlight the dual role of both ACE2 and Furin in determining the severity of COVID-19 infection. The dissertation was successfully defended, and the student received a grade of "Excellent." 
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