Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a collection of chronic, recurrent inflammatory illnesses of the gastrointestinal system, including Crohn's disease (CD). Infliximab is one of the biological medications used to treat CD. Therapeutic drug monitoring has evolved as a treatment in IBD, aiming to optimize benefit while meeting more demanding, objective end criteria. Objective: To determine the achievement of target trough level (TL), develop anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) to infliximab, assess response to therapy, and study TL relations with different variables. Methods: The present study was cross-sectional and conducted from May 2022 to November 2022. It included 40 CD patients allotted into 2 groups: group 1 patients ach

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early-onset CAD, also known as PCAD, is a severe form of CAD associated with high mortality and a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis is crucial to reducing complications. While hsCRP is an established biomarker for CAD, kalirin is a potential novel biomarker due to its role in promoting smooth muscle proliferation and endothelial dysfunction. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between serum kalirin and hsCRP levels with the presence and severity of PCAD and to compare the diagnostic value of both biomarkers. Method: The study recruited 92 participants into two groups: the PCAD group (46) included patients with confirmed CAD by an

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate serum levels of clusterin (CLU) in type 2 diabetics with and without cardiovascular disease and to explore possible correlations with insulin resistance and related progression of cardiovascular disease in Iraqi men.

Methods: Sixty-three T2DM patients, including forty-two with cardiovascular disease (CVD), were divided into three subgroups; twenty-one with myocardial infraction (MI), twenty-one with other CVD, and twenty-one without any cardiac complication. In addition, a group of twenty-one men served as healthy controls (HCs) for comparison purposes. The four groups were analyzed for parameters that included fasting serum glucose (FSG), l

Background: Quantitation of serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) provides useful information for the evaluation of certain cancers.
Objectives:to estimate serum immunoglobulins level before and after surgery, and to shed light on the correlation of immunoglobulins with progression of CRC.
Patients and Methodes. By single radial immune diffusion method IgG, IgA, IgM were estimated in 100 CRC patients preoperatively, and in 20 patients postoperatively compared with 35
patients control with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 50 healthy control.
Results: The study showed significantly increased the serum IgM level in patients group preoperatively (p<0.001) compared with control group. On the other hand, no sig

Background: With the start of the current century, increased the interest in the role of the adipose tissue derived substances that named adipokines in the inflammatory diseases of the human being including the inflammatory periodontal disease, but scientific evidences were not clearly demonstrate the association between these adipokines and periodontal pathologies. Materials and Methods: Forty two subjects male only with normal body mass index were selected for the study with an age ranged (30-39 years). Samples were divided into three groups of 14 subjects in each group based on clinical periodontal parameters; clinically healthy gingiva (group I), gingivitis group (group II) and chronic periodontitis patients group (group III), from whom

The non-specific response of immunity has developed as the initial barrier for human protection from invading pathogens, which comprises certain pathogen recognition receptors (PRR) for instance toll-like receptors (TLRs). Toll like receptor 2 (TLR 2) is capable of recognizing pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMP) coded by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To evaluate TLR 2 level in sera of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients. About 120 subjects, involving 80 patients with pulmonary TB including 40 multiple drug resistance (MDR), 20 recently diagnosed pulmonary TB (RD) and 20 recurrent TB patients named as old cases (OC), in addition to 40 apparently healthy individuals were studied as control group. Sera from 68 TB patients

Background: Studies discussing the correlation between biochemical markers of bone turnover and the diagnosis of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Iraqi women are rare. This study is devoted to find out the significance of serum osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OPN) levels with the incidence of osteoporosis and its major complication (fracture).Objectives: to investigate the significance of bone turnover biochemical markers; serum osteocalcin and serum osteopontin in evaluating osteoporosis for postmenopausal Iraqi women with and without history of vertebral fracture, as well as to explore the relationship of these markers with bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: Fifty seven postmenopausal women whose ages are fifty years old and over, cat

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is widespread and involved in the pathogenesis of the majority of stomach and duodenal diseases. Reduced stomach acidity facilitates the initial infection. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) are essential for the production of stomach acid. This study aimed to observe any changes in the levels of serum electrolytes (Na, K, and Cl) and serum vitamin C levels in a sample of Iraqi patients infected with H. Pylori. We studied 30 infected patients with H. Pylori and 30 matched healthy controls. The results revealed that the serum sodium, potassium, and chloride levels were significantly decreased (p = 0.002, 0.003 and 0.0001, respectivel

Abstract: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the widespread chronic liver diseases; it is ranging from simple fat buildup in the liver (steatosis) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) presence of inflammation and hepatocyte injury.                                                                                                                                        &nb

Background: To elucidate distinctive CT imaging features that allows a diagnosis of hepatic hydatidosis.
Patients and methods : The computed tomographic (CT) findings of 58 patients with sonographically detected cystic liver lesions were prospectively analyzed. These patients were
followed up until a final diagnosis was reached.
Results : By CT scanning we correctly localized and diagnosed 81 hepatic hydatid cysts in 50 patients. These were all proved by surgery or endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP). Stage III and II hydatid cysts were the commonest types (29 % and 25 % respectively ). 52 % of the cysts were 5-10 cm at presentation. At CT, we identified some ancillary imaging fea