Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune diseasecharacterized by chronic inflammationthat affects joints and cartilage. Bone complications such asRA-relatedosteoporosis are one of the most extra-articular manifestations. Many inflammatory mediators are released during RA disease pathophysiology; these mediators stimulate osteoclast genesis of bone by direct effects on RANKL and OPG. The study aimedto measure RANKL, OPG in RA patients treated with Etanercept only and other groups treated with Methotrexate onlyat baseline and after three months to evaluate bone state. An observational case-control prospective study was done on 30 RA patients who received MTX, 30 RA patients who received ETN, and 30 healthy,age-matched control groups. The

Chitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42 

Background: Despite the importance of vaccines in preventing COVID-19, the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines is lower among RA patients than in the general population. Objective: To determine the extent of COVID-19 knowledge among RA patients and their attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenology approach was performed through face-to-face, individual-based, semi-structured interviews in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, rheumatology unit. A convenient sample of RA patients using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was included until the point of saturation. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: Twenty-five RA pa

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic disease characterized by low bone mass and micro architectural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in an increased risk of fractures and has touched rampant proportions. Osteocalcin, one of the osteoblast-specific proteins, showed that its functions as a hormone improves glucose metabolism and reduces fat mass ratio. This study is aimed to estimate the osteocalcin and glucose level in blood serum of osteoporotic postmenopausal Women with and without Type 2 Diabetes.Materials and methods: 60 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis divided into two groups depending on with or without T2DM, 30 patients for each. Serum samples of 30 healthy postmenopausal women were collected as control group. Ost

Background: The estimation of ferritin and related variables by complete serum iron profile, for Iraqi hashimoto’s patients to see the effect of thyroid hormone insufficiency, which may lead to deficiency of ferritin iron stores, this may be quite useful during the diagnosis and treatment of hashimoto’s patients. Patients and Method: The study was performed at National Center of Teaching laboratories of Medical city institute in Baghdad. Fifty newly diagnosed patients with hashimoto’s and forty apparently healthy controls. Diagnosis based on thyroid profile analysis including:Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Thyroxine (totalT4) and Triiodothyronine (total T3), estimation of antibodies against thyroperoxidase, iron profile including:

The aim of this research to show the role of some enzymes in pathological mechanism of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease. Sixty patients with RA and matched number of apparently healthy volunteers were included in the study. Spectrophotometric methods were used to determine Peroxy nitrite (ONOO), Nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide synthase activity (NOS) cycloxygenase-2 activity (COX-2), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in serum of both groups. Colorimetric assay kits were used to determine Iron. Rheumatoid factor (RF) was determined using Imuno-Latex kit. ONOO, NO levels, and NOS activity were significantly higher in the patients compared to the control group. Conversely, Iron level, SOD

The current study included the collection of 175 samples of blood (Urea-blood) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis from Al–Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital, Baghdad Teaching Hospital and Al-Imamian Al-Kadhimyain Medical City in Baghdad from both sexes with different ages at the period between 1/10/2016-1/2/2017. Bacterial growth results showed that 80% of urea for bacterial transplantation were positive results, while the number of samples showing no bacterial growth was 20%. The bacterial isolation evaluate for morphological testes and biochemical microscopy, as well as identification by Api system. The highest frequency of inflectional bacteria was E. coli (41.97%), followed by E. cloacae (21.25%), P. aeruginosa (12.5%), Salmonella (10%), K

      Eight-hydroxyguanosine  (8-OHdG) is considered as one of the principle forms of oxygen radicals that stimulated the oxidative stress and has been extensively utilized as a biomarker for oncogenesis. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the alteration in the levels of 8-OHdG, antioxidant profile and proinflammatory cytokines levels in patients with lung carcinoma. Blood samples were collected from 40 cases with lung cancer (stage III) admitted before the treatment, for health examination at the Nanakaly Hospital in Erbil city and 45 healthy samples of controls with ages ranging between 38-69 years for both groups. Circulating concentration of 8-OHdG, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 were evaluated by

Objective: Atorvastatin therapy is now recommended for reduction of cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM), based on convincing evidence of reductions in mortality and vascular events in major clinical outcome trials. The aim is to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on proinflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6), HbA1c andleptin in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Sixty fivenewly diagnosed T2DM patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups; group I treated with metformin only; in group II atorvastatin was added with metformin. Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled as control group. While maintaining their usual eating habits, fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results