Background: EOS (encoded by the IKZF4 gene) is a member of the zinc finger transcription factor IKaros family, and plays a critical role in Treg suppressor functions, and maintaining Treg stability. IL-6 is a soluble mediator with a pleiotropic effect on inflammation, immune response, and hematopoiesis. Aim: To estimate serum IL-6 level and EOS gene expression in Iraqi patients with psoriasis. Method: Twenty-two patients with psoriasis (8 females, 14 males) with age ranged 18-72 years, were recruited from Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Dermatology Clinic, Baghdad, and 24 healthy donors. The serum levels of IL-6 by ELISA and the gene expression of IKZF4 (EOS gene) by RT-qPCR technique. Results: The results showed a non-significant difference in the level of IL-6 in those treated with topical therapy and others treated with Etanercept compared to control. A non-significant increase in patients treated with topical therapy was reported compared to patients treated with Etanercept. There was a higher significant percentage of IKZF4 gene expression folding in psoriasis patients treated with Etanercept compared to control group, while no significant differences reported between patients treated with topical therapy, Etanercept, and the control group. Conclusion: Activation of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) with Etanercept enhances EOS expression and decreases IL-6 production more than topical treatment in patients with psoriasis.
Abstract
In this manuscript, a simple new method for the green synthesis of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) utilizing F. carica Fig extract as reducing agent for antimicrobial activities was reported. Simultaneously, the microstructural and morphological features of the synthesized Pt NPs were thoroughly investigated. In particular, the attained Pt NPs exhibited spherical shape with diameter range of 5-30 nm and root mean square of 9.48 nm using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), respectively. Additionally, the final product (Pt NPs) was screened as antifungal and antibacterial agent against Candida and Aspergillus species as well as Gram-positive Staphyllococcus aureus and G
... Show MoreObjective: The study the association of procalcitonin (PCT) and c-reactive protein (CRP) levels in COVID-19 patients and it's role as a guide in progress and management of those patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study analyzed 200 CIOVID-19 patients in a single privet center in Baghdad, Iraq from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Demographic data like age, sex, and clinical symptoms were recorded. High sensitivity CRP and PCT in the serum were measured via dry fluorescence immunoassay (Lansionbio-China). Results: Out of 200 patients, 50 had moderate Covid and 150 had severe disease. Mean serum PCT levels was 0.039±0.05 ng/mL in the moderate group (range 0.011-0.067) and 0.43±0.21 ng/mL in the severe group (range 0.21
... Show MoreTemporomandibular disorders (TMDs) were investigated in 143 pretreatment orthodontic patients (43 males and 102 females) whose age ranged between 10-25 years at the College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq. The study was undertaken to elucidate the prevalence and severity of TMDs in malocclusion patients and to defme the relationships between malocclusion and TMDs. The clinical signs and subjective symptoms were recorded according to the principles introduced by Helkimo (1974b). Subjective symptoms were reported by 65.7% of the patients with 22.40/0 described as severe, and the most common symptoms were TMJ sounds and feeling offatigue. Clinical signs were observed in 81.8% of the sample with 22.4 and 6.3% described as moderate and
... Show MoreBackground: Acromegaly is an uncommon, chronic, debilitating condition characterized by hyperinsulinism, insulin resistance, diabetes and prediabetes. One possibility for managing acromegaly's questionable influence on glucose homeostasis is the somatostatin analogues. Aim: To analyze the frequency and risk factors for impaired glucose homeostasis in acromegaly patients treated with depot long-acting octreotide (octreotide LAR), as well as the relationship between risk and treatment duration. Methods: The study included 52 Iraqi adults with acromegaly receiving octreotide LAR. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were collected, as well as the duration of Octreotide LAR administration. Growth hormone, IGF-1, and adenoma si
... Show MoreBackground: The COVID-19 infection is a more recent pandemic disease all over the world and studying the pulmonary findings on survivors of this disease has lately commenced.
Objective: We aimed to estimate the cumulative percentage of whole radiological resolution after 3 months from recovery and to define the residual chest CT findings and exploring the relevant affecting factors.
Subjects and Methods: Patients who had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed by RT-PCR test and had radiological evidence of pulmonary involvement by Chest CT during the acute illness were included in the present study. The radiol
... Show MoreMachine Learning (ML) algorithms are increasingly being utilized in the medical field to manage and diagnose diseases, leading to improved patient treatment and disease management. Several recent studies have found that Covid-19 patients have a higher incidence of blood clots, and understanding the pathological pathways that lead to blood clot formation (thrombogenesis) is critical. Current methods of reporting thrombogenesis-related fluid dynamic metrics for patient-specific anatomies are based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, which can take weeks to months for a single patient. In this paper, we propose a ML-based method for rapid thrombogenesis prediction in the carotid artery of Covid-19 patients. Our proposed system aims
... Show MoreBedside clinical teaching is a fundamental part of the medical education that offers invaluable opportunities for the students to build and improve their clinical and communication skills. However, there is a growing concern about the increasing refusal of patients to participate in clinical sessions, especially in certain settings where there are sensitive cultural traditions and decreased trust in institutions.
This paper discusses patient refusal duri
Background: The beneficial gut bacterium E. coli can cause blood poisoning, diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal and systemic disorders. Objective: This study amid to examines the antibiofilm activity of Laurus nobilis leaves extract on E. coli isolates and compares pre- and post-treatment gene expression of fimA and papC genes. Subjects and Methods: Ten isolates of E. coli were obtained from the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Baghdad, which was previously collected from Baghdad city hospitals and diagnosed by chemical tests, the diagnosis was confirmed using VITEK-2 System. The preparation of the aqueous and methanolic Laurus nobilis leaves extracts was done by using the maceration method and Soxhlet appara
... Show MoreThis study estimated seven heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr) in water (dissolved and particulate phase), sediments and some aquatic organisms including two species from aquatic plants (Ceratophyllum demersum&Phragmites australis); one species of clam (Psedontopeses euphratics) and two species from fish (Oreochromis aureus& Leuciscus vorax)in four sites within Mashroo AL- Musayyib channel project/ branch of Euphrates river, Babylon , medial of Iraq . This aims to show the concentration of these elements, their fate and the mechanisms of their transmission through the food chain in this lotic aquatic system ; also in addition to examining some physicochemical properties of ri
... Show MoreTime series is an important statistical method adopted in the analysis of phenomena, practices, and events in all areas during specific time periods and predict future values contribute to give a rough estimate of the status of the study, so the study aimed to adopt the ARIMA models to forecast the volume of cargo handled and achieved in four ports (Umm Qasr Port, Khor Al Zubair Port, Abu Flus Port, and Maqal Port(, Monthly data on the volume of cargo handled for the years (2006-2018) were collected (156) observations. The study found that the most efficient model is ARIMA (1,1,1).
The volume of go
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