Background: Rituximab is a chimeric IgG1 kappa immunoglobulin that has been genetically modified to incorporate human constant region sequences together with murine light- and heavy-chain variable region sequences. People use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain malignancies. Objective: The study aimed to assess the potential association between the serum levels of Factor I, CD59, interleukins (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN)-γ and the response to Rituximab treatment in Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the rheumatology center at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Ninety adult patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are receiving  Rituximab intravenous i

Background: Polymorphisms in the TNF-α gene affect the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Objective: To investigate the associations between (-806 T/C) and (-857 T/C) SNPs with rheumatoid arthritis severity and susceptibility in a sample of Iraqi patients. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq. Twenty healthy controls and 63 patients confirmed to be newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were included. Those are divided into two groups (patients and controls), and the patients were further subdivided into severe and mild-moderate groups. Samples from those participants were analyzed for clinical and inflammatory parameter measurements. Genotyping by the Sanger method was performed to stu

This study aimed to investigate the ability of clove and cinnamon extracts to make pathogenic multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae more sensitive to the host’s immune system and thereby interrupt the bacterial infection process in the rat model. Therefore, 60 Wistar male rats were used in this study. The phytochemical constituents of the plant extract were analysed using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Then, the capability of the plant extracts, as prophylactic and treatment, against K. pneumoniae in rats was studied by estimating the complete blood counts (CBCs) and the serum concentrations of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) before and after the treatment. The results showed that

Background BK polyomavirus is one of the common post-transplant viral infections, affecting ∼15% of renal transplantation recipients (RTR), leading to graft loss in more than half of cases. Objectives Study the rate of detection of BK virus (BKV) in RTRs in Pap-stained urine cytology specimens. Methods A single center study, urine samples were collected from 99 RTR patients, with 15 Living Donors (LD) and 15 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were taken as controls. And urine cytology smears were Pap stained for detection of decoy cells (DCs). Results Out of the 99 RTRs, 27 (27.3%) patients were decoy positive, 8 out of these 27 patients had uncommon DCs, and 5 out of these 27 cytology positive patients (18.5%) had biopsy proven B

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a form of the use of visible red and Near-infrared (NIR) light at low power, where a laser light photon is absorbed at the electronic level, without heat production. PBM can be applied in wide range of treatment to help the wound, inflammation, edema, and pain reduction. However, there is a lack of scientific documentation regarding its actual effects. Objectives: This study assesses the impact of PBM on the release of M1-related cytokine in monocyte cells with particular emphasis on interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Tumour Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α). Methods: Tamm-Horsfall Protein 1 (THP-1) macrophages M1 cells have been exposed to the light from the diode laser of 850nmat different doses (0, 0.6, 1.2 and 3.

Background: Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine expressed by inflammatory and endothelial cells. It has a crucial role in initiating, regulating, and mobilizing monocytes to active sites of periodontal inflammation. Its expression is also elevated in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli and tissue injury, both of which are linked to atherosclerotic lesions. Aim of the study: To determine the serum level of MCP-1 in patients with periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in comparison to healthy control and evaluate the biomarker's correlations with periodontal parameters. methods: This study enrolled 88 subjects, both males and females, ranging in age from 36-66 years old, and divided into four groups: 1<

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

The current work was designed to investigate serum angiopoietin like protein-8 and hyaluronic acid among Iraqi hemodialysis patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to find relationship between them, as well as if these patients are at risk of kidney fibrosis. Subjects & Methods: in this study, serum samples were obtained from (60) Iraqis patients with end stage renal diseases (ESRD)on hemodialysis (HD) (30 patients with T2DM (G2) and 30 patients withoutT2DM (G3)) in addition to (30) healthy individuals as a control group (G1), their ages ranged from (35-65) years. The patients attended the Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad. Results: the results in this study showed a highly a significant elevation inserum angiopoietin li

Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are said to be inherited in a multifactorial fashion, i.e. genetic-environmental interaction. Maternal nutritional deficiencies had long been reported to cause NTDs, especially folate deficiency during early pregnancy. More attention had been paid to the exact mechanism by which this deficiency state causes these defects in the developing embryo. The most significant of all researches was that connecting reduced folate and increased homocysteine level in maternal serum on one hand and the risk of developing a NTD baby on the other hand. Objectives : to determine the significance of homocysteine level in Iraqi mothers who gave birth to babies with NTDs as compared to normal controls. Patients, Materials