Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the association between polymorphisms in the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene at locations -308G/A, -857C/T, and -863C/A with the tendency of being non-responder to etanercept.

Patients and methods: Between October 2020 and August 2021, a total of 80 patients (10 males, 70 females; mean age: 50 years; range, 30 to 72 years) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving etanercept for at least six months were included. The patients were divided into two groups responders and non-responders, based on their response after six months of continuous treatment. Following polymerase chain reac

Introduction: Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli are most important bacteria in the pathogenesis of dental caries. Cariogenic microflora has been associated to the primary caregiver transmission and sugary diets.

Aim: This study aimed to relate S. mutans and lactobacilli in the plaque to demographic factors in Iraqi children.

Materials and methods: The study included 135 children aged 3-10 years. Samples of their dental plaque were taken from the upper second primary molars on the buccal surfaces using a clean toothpick. Each sample was stored in 1 ml of n

The effect of mental and physical health on the feelings of subject welfare is known as health-related quality of life. The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common respiratory diseases. Assessment of health-related quality of life is considered important in such chronic disease. The objective of the current study was to measure health-related quality of life in a sample of chronic obstructive pulmonary  patients in AL- Diwanyia city/Iraq. This study was carried out on 150 already diagnosed COPD patients who attended to the Center of Respiratory Diseases/AL-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital during September  2019 to January 2020. The Arabic version of St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire was used to asses

Background/Aim: Psoriasis is a persistent systemic disorder characterised by chronic inflammation and linked to multiple comorbidities, including arthritis, cardiometabolic disorders, obesity and hyperlipidaemia. Objective of this study was to identify the relationship of abnormal lipid profiles and psoriasis, as well as to pinpoint factors that correlate with disease severity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the dermatology clinic over 6 months from the 1 August 2024 to the 1 February 2025. Patients aged 15 years and above with a diagnosis of psoriasis were enrolled. For each patient two sets of data were collected, demographical characteristics (age, sex, disease duration and the body mass index (BMI)) and the

Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory dermatological condition, exhibits heterogeneous responses to anti-TNF therapies such as etanercept (ETN), underscoring the need for predictive biomarkers. This study investigated the association of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) gene promoter polymorphisms (rs1143623 C/G, rs752338864 C/G, and rs1143627 C/T) with ETN efficacy in 80 Iraqi patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients were categorized according to treatment response: responders achieved ≥ 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), whereas non-responders demonstrated ≤ 50% reduction. Post-treatment serum IL-1β levels were significantly higher in non-responders (50.35 ± 15.81 pg/mL) compared to respo

This study provides valuable information on secondary microbial infections in H1N1 patients compared to Seasonal Influenza in Iraqi Patients. Nasopharynx  swabs were collected from  (12 ) patients  infected with Seasonal influenza (11  from Baghdad  and 1 Patient from south of Iraq) ,and ( 22 ) samples from patients with 2009 H1N1 ( 20 from Baghdad and  2 from  south of Iraq). The results show that the patients infected with 2009 H1N1 Virus were younger than healthy subjects and those infected with seasonal influenza. And the difference reached to the level of significance     (p< 0.01) compared with healthy subjects.Two cases infected with 2009 H1N1 virus (9.1%) were fro

This paper aims to identify the approaches used in assessment the credit applications by Iraqi banks, as well as which approach is most used. It also attempted to link these approaches with reduction of credit default and banks’ efficiency particularly for the Gulf Commercial Bank. The paper found that the Gulf Bank widely relies on the method of Judgment Approach for assessment the credit applications in order to select the best of them with low risk of default. In addition, the paper found that the method of Judgment Approach was very important for the Gulf Bank and it driven in reduction the ratio of credit default as percentage of total credit. However, it is important to say that the adoption of statistical approaches for

Background: Intralesional injections of vitamin D and bleomycin have gained growing clinical interest in the treatment of recalcitrant plantar warts, with pain as a major limitation associated with their use. Objective: To assess the clinical outcomes of vitamin D and bleomycin in managing treatment-resistant plantar warts. Methods: An interventional comparative study conducted on patients diagnosed with recalcitrant plantar warts over 9 months and not treated for two months. Patients were divided randomly into two groups: group A (24 patients received intralesional vitamin D) and group B (24 patients received intralesional bleomycin). The clearance rate and pain score were estimated by visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: 48 patie

The PET scans provide images that pinpoint the anatomic location of abnormal metabolic activity within the body. A radionuclide suitable for labeling a wide range of radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography imaging is used also for local therapy of tumors. Among the possible methods for cyclotron production of radionuclide used in PET. We investigate the proton irradiation to produce the standard radionuclide (15O, 11C,1 3N, 18F) and some non-standard Radionuclide (76Br,124I,60Cu,66Ga,86Y and 89Zr). The total integral yield based on the main published and approved experimental results of excitation functions were calculated.

The current study was designed to investigate the effect of Tilletia smut spores on histopathological changes in liver and kidney in mice. Twenty animals were divided into two equal groups, 10 mice each, control group fed on normal diet and the treated groups were fed on a mixture of 50% normal diet with 50% wheat infected with Tilletia for 30 days. Histopathological sections taken from liver and kidney treated with Tilletia revealed several alterations. The changes in liver included, multiple granulomatous lesions, area of coagulation necrosis, vacuolar degeneration in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, proliferation of hepatocytes with formation of pseudolobull which initiates for procancer. Whereas in the kidney, the changes included