History

The current study involved 150 samples, 50 for Crohn’s patients, 50 for ulcerative colitis patients, and 50 control samples from Al-Kindy teaching hospital in Baghdad. The study aim to investigate the effect of zinc on fungal infection in IBD patients We isolated and named five different yeast species, including C. albicans, C. glabrata, tropicalis C. parapsilosis, C. and C., krusi C. parapsilosis, and Aspergillus, Penicillium, Muocer, Rhizopous, Saccharomycosis, and Cryptococcus. The most common fungus isolated from IBD patients, and the proportions were as follows (andida spp.74%, Aspergillus spp.12%, Penicillium spp. 6%, Mucor spp. 3%, Rhizopus spp. 2%, Saccharomyces spp. 2% and Cryptococcus spp.1%. Likewise, the most common species was Candida albicans isolated from Crohn's patients (Candida albicans 58.54%, Candida glabrata 26.86%, Candida tropicalis 12.2% and Candida krusi 2.44%), with a highly significant difference P. value (<0.001**). The findings of Zinc showed that the mean in CD and UC patients were 45.66±2.86 mg/dL and 48.78±2.59 mg/dL compared to those found in the control group 62.43±2.93 mg/dL with highly significant differences (p≤ 0.0001**). Moreover, Zinc in early and treated IBD patients had the mean values of 48.85±4.97 mg/dL in and 42.21±2.49 mg/dL in CD and 50.61±3.27    mg/dL and 45.79±4.25    mg/dL comparing UC with the control group 62.43±2.93 mg/dL with a highly significant difference (p≤ 0.0001**). Zinc serum level has a strong impact on fungal infections in IBD patients. Also, there was a highly significant difference among all under studied. According to the results, the PCR employing the fungi starter pair (ITS1, ITS4) created various molecular sizes (510-870) bp.