Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with various clinical types. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is significantly elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients compared with that of healthy controls. The aim of this study is to evaluate serum levels of GFAP in relation to disease activity in relapsing-remitting MS patients and to compare them with those of healthy controls. Method: This study involved 58 MS patients of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) type, 22 in an active stage of the disease and 36 in remission, and 50 healthy individuals as age- and sex-matched controls. Blood samples were taken from the patients at the MS Clinic of the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, and the serum levels of GFAP were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results: Mean GFAP serum levels in 22 patients presenting in the active state of the disease (6.47±3.39 ng/ml) and 36 cases in remission were (5.33±2.82 ng/ml) (p=0.074) were determined as indicated. When RRMS patients (n=58) were compared with the healthy controls (n=50, 1.89±1.21), the difference in serum levels of GFAP was statistically significant (p<0.001). The area under the curve of the serum measures of GFAP obtained through the receiver operating characteristics was 0.903, which was also statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: GFAP biomarker is an indicator of disease activity in RRMS patients, and its serum level may correlate with the state of remission or exacerbation.
Aqueous Two Phase System (ATPS) or liquid-liquid extraction is used in biotechnology to recover valuable compounds from raw sources. In Aqueous Two-Phase Systems, many factors influence the Partition coefficient, K, (which is the ratio of protein concentration in the top phase to that in the bottom phase) and the Recovery percentage (Rec%). In this research, two systems of ATPS were used: first, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000/Sodium citrate (SC), and the second, PEG8000/ Sodium phosphate (SPH), for the extraction of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The behavior of Rec% and K of pure (BSA) in ATPS has been investigated throughout the study by the effects of five parameters: temperature, concentration of polyethylene glycol (P
... Show MoreTuberculosis (TB) still remains an important medical problem due to high levels of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A series of innate immune mechanisms that create a cytokine network control the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and this response has the capacity to modify the host genomic DNA structure through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation which could constantly alter the local gene expression pattern that can modulate the metabolism of the tissues and the immune-response. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine regulator of the innate immune response to TB. This study aims to determine DNA methylation patterns of INF-γ gene promoter and measure serum IFN- γ level in newly diagnosed TB patient
... Show MoreLocal food samples investigated for the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Hash meat sample was used to isolate Escherichia coli and chicken meat (poultry) was used to isolate Salmonella typhi. Biochemical tests and API20E system used in order to identify these isolates. Two natural vinegar samples (dates & apple cider) were used in order to study its antibacterial activity against the two tested bacteria. Disc diffusion method was used, the results showed that two vinegar samples have antibacterial activity against the two tested bacteria. Date vinegar showed inhibition zone 19mm against E. coli & 9mm against S. typhi, while Apple cider vinegar showed diameter of inhibi
... Show Moreackground: Escherichia coli is one of the most
important bacterial pathogen that can cause several
disease to human being . In our study we try to
investigate the sensitivity resistance pattern of
Escherichia coli against three antibiotics ( Amikacin,
Nalidixic acid and Cephalexin).
Methods: For this purpose we collected 51 clinical
isolates of Escherichia coli from stool and urine of
outpatient and inpatient patients from different wards
of AL-SADER Teaching Hospital in AL-NAJAF
AL-ASHRAf, IRAQ, and tested by culture and
sensitivity test .
Results: The results appeared that Amikacin show
the highest percentage of sensitivity ( 66.66 % ) ,
while Cephalexin show the lowest percentage of
sensiti
Recently, Iraq has experienced more earthquakes, notice that its increased about 62% in 2024 in comparison with same period of 2023, the main aims of this study are to detect the causes and contributing factors of the earthquakes in Iraq. Natural disasters like earthquakes contributes to about 61 %. Also, they are responsible for 94% of all human deaths from natural disasters. The fundamental reasons of earthquakes occur in Iraq due to geological location, which lies on the boundary of the Arabian plate and the Iranian-Eurasian plate. There is much seismic activity in Iraq’s east and north because of the collision of the above plates. Another cause of earthquakes are faults and f
The modern and contemporary history of Libya has attracted the attention of researchers during the nineties of the last century and beyond.
The subject of ((Jewish activity in Libya 1911 AD - 1951 AD)), and the nature of follow - up economic and social activities and political participation has remained poor in terms of study and follow - up, because of the scarcity of sources, especially documentary ones. The research will reveal within its axes the most important of these activities.
4 Blood Res 2018;53:314-319. Received on August 11, 2018 Revised on August 30, 2018 Accepted on August 30, 2018 Background Iron overload is a risk factor affecting all patients with thalassemia intermedia (TI). We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship of serum ferritin (SF) and alanine ami- notransferase (ALT) with liver iron concentration (LIC) determined by R2 magnetic reso- nance imaging (R2-MRI), to estimate the most relevant degree of iron overload and best time to chelate in patients with TI. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 119 patients with TI (mean age years) were randomly se- lected and compared with 120 patients who had a diagnosis of thalassemia major (TM). Correlations of LIC, as determined by R2-MRI, with SF
... Show MoreBackground: The interest in herbal extracts as antimicrobial agents has increased over the past few years in endodontic therapy. Nasturtium officinale (watercress) is a promising plant with great medicinal values. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of watercress oil in combination with calcium hydroxide against Candida albicans as intracanal medicament. Materials and Methods: Candida albicans was isolated from patients with necrotic root canal or failed root canal treatment. The sensitivity of Candida albicans to different concentrations of watercress oil extract was determined by using the agar well diffusion method in comparison with calcium hydroxide paste. The agar plate method was used to determine the minimum fung
... Show MoreGingival carcinoma is a malignant neoplasm affecting the oral mucosa and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum water extracts have gotten a lot of attention because of their bioactive components, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which have a variety of pharmacological activities, including antiproliferative actions. This study aimed to evaluate the histological and molecular effects of Allium ampeloprasum (leek) water extract on the proliferation of the murine gingival cancer cell line. Histological evaluation was conducted to examine morphological changes induced by extract treatment. Molecular mechanisms underlying the observed histological changes were investigated
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