The Department of Chemistry at Ibn Al-Haitham College of Education for Pure Sciences held the public defense of the PhD thesis entitled “The Diagnostic and Predictive Value of the NLRP3 Inflammasome and B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases,” presented by researcher Zeina Zamat Ghailan and completed under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Norhan Khalid Shafeeq.
The examination committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Zainab Muneeb Malik, with Prof. Dr. Bushra Hamid Ali, Prof. Dr. Anwar Farouq Muslim, Prof. Dr. Tamara Alaa Hussein, Prof. Dr. Iman Abdul-Ali Abbas, and Prof. Dr. Norhan Khalid Shafeeq serving as members, with the latter also serving as the thesis supervisor.
The thesis addresses an important topic in medical biochemistry and diagnostic research in cardiovascular diseases by investigating a panel of biomarkers associated with inflammation, cardiac stress, structural and functional alterations in the myocardium, as well as indicators of renal and hepatic dysfunction associated with cardiovascular conditions.
The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and predictive value of a panel of biomarkers in patients with cardiovascular diseases, with particular emphasis on the NLRP3 inflammasome and B-type natriuretic peptide, represented by NT-proBNP, in addition to MYL and LRG1. The biomarkers were investigated across three major cardiovascular conditions: atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
The research included the determination of NLRP3 inflammasome levels in the three disease groups to investigate their association with inflammatory processes involved in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. It also assessed NT-proBNP levels as an indicator associated with ventricular stress and disease progression.
The study further evaluated MYL levels to investigate their relationship with structural and functional changes in the myocardium, in addition to measuring LRG1 levels to explore its potential as a biomarker associated with vascular remodeling and inflammatory processes accompanying cardiovascular diseases.
To provide a more comprehensive assessment, the study also included the determination of serum indicators of renal and hepatic dysfunction in patients with the three cardiovascular conditions. This approach contributes to the investigation of systemic complications associated with cardiovascular diseases and provides a more integrated picture of the patients’ clinical and biochemical status.
The thesis also investigated the correlations between NLRP3, NT-proBNP, MYL, and LRG1 levels and the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers in differentiating among various cardiovascular disease conditions was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
The significance of the study lies in its emphasis on the potential value of multi-biomarker assessment rather than reliance on a single biomarker, an approach that may contribute to the future development of more integrated and accurate diagnostic models and support improved risk assessment and monitoring of cardiovascular disease progression.
Based on the findings, the researcher proposed several recommendations. These included the implementation of targeted screening programs for older adults and individuals with metabolic disorders or biochemical abnormalities through regular and systematic assessments aimed at the early detection of cardiovascular risk.
The study also recommended advancing the concept of disease-stage-based personalized therapy, whereby therapeutic strategies are tailored according to the biomarker profiles associated with different stages of disease, potentially contributing to improved therapeutic responses and more effective clinical interventions.
The research emphasized the importance of integrated multimodal diagnosis, combining biomarker assessment with medical imaging and clinical evaluation to improve diagnostic accuracy and enhance the ability to characterize and monitor disease status more reliably.
The researcher further recommended conducting large-scale, multicenter, longitudinal studies to validate the predictive value of these biomarkers and establish their clinical applicability, as well as to investigate their ability to predict long-term disease progression and complications.
In the field of modern diagnostic technologies, the study recommended the development of multi-biomarker point-of-care testing (POCT) platforms, which could provide rapid analytical tools to support timely clinical decision-making, facilitate continuous patient monitoring, and improve the management of cardiovascular conditions.
Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
The research directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Well-Being, particularly the targets related to reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases and strengthening prevention, early detection, and effective healthcare.
The study contributes to this goal by investigating biomarkers that may help improve the detection, diagnostic assessment, and prediction of cardiovascular diseases, which remain a major global health challenge requiring more accurate approaches to early identification and disease monitoring.
The research also contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9): Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure through its focus on innovative diagnostic approaches, particularly multi-biomarker assessment and point-of-care testing technologies, thereby supporting innovation in medical and laboratory applications.
Overall, the thesis reflects a scientific approach toward precision medicine and multi-biomarker diagnostics by integrating biochemical information with clinical assessment and medical imaging. This approach may contribute to the future development of more comprehensive and effective diagnostic models for cardiovascular diseases.
