Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious disease of the liver and signifies a major worldwide health concern. HBV Genotyping is vital for further epidemiological study, predicting the disease outcome and response to treatment. The current study aimed to determine hepatitis B virus genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and to validate possible associations with the baseline characteristics of the disease. A total of 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were enrolled in this study. Liver function tests, hepatitis B virus markers and DNA viral load were done using routine standardized procedures. HBV genotyping was performed using real time PCR. Genotype D was the most predominant in 64 (71.1%) of samples, while mixed D and A (2; 2.2%). There was highly significant association between HBV genotypes and HBV DNA load (p = 0.001), but not with age, gender, marital status, duration of chronicity and liver function tests. The percentage of HBeAg negativity in genotype D patients was higher in comparison to positive HBeAg. Studying the genotypic pattern of Chronic HBV infection in relation to other baseline test and epidemiological data can predict disease progression and treatment decision
Background: In type 2 diabetes mellitus there is a progressive loss of beta cell function. One new
approach yielding promising results is the use of the orally active dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4)
inhibitors for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Objective: This study aims at comparing the possible occurrence of macrovascular & microvascular
complications in Iraqis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using two combinations of drugs
metformin + glibenclamide and metformin + sitagliptin.
Methodology: Sixty eight T2DM patients and 34 normal healthy individuals as control group were
enrolled in this study and categorized in to two treatment groups. The group 1 (34 patients ) received
metformin 500 mg three times daily
The health care industry is witnessing an increasing trend in the use of generic medicines because of their presumed low cost compared with innovator medicines. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the performance of the copy drug Osveral®and its innovator drug deferasirox (Exjade®).
A prospective observational study including 223 patients receiving the branded medicine Exjade®and 101 patients receiving the copy Osveral®was carried out. Data were assessed for a 1-year period and included clinical symptoms, serum ferrit
Background: Breast Cancer is the most common malignancy among the Iraqi population; the majority of cases are still diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prospects of cure. Early detection through promoting public awareness is one of the promising tools in its control. Objectives: To evaluate the baseline needs for breast cancer awareness in Iraq through exploring level of knowledge, beliefs and behavior towards the disease and highlighting barriers to screening among a sample of Iraqi women complaining of breast cancer. Methodology: Two-hundred samples were enrolled in this study; gathered from the National
There are a few studies that discuss the medical causes for diabetic foot (DF) ulcerations in Iraq, one of them in Wasit province. The aim of our study was to analyze the medical, therapeutic, and patient risk factors for developing DF ulcerations among diabetic patients in Baghdad, Iraq.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of respiratory airways characterized by distinctive history of respiratory symptoms due to variable airflow obstruction which reverses either spontaneously or in response to certain medications. Acetylcholine is a parasympathetic neurotransmitter which plays fundamental roles in the development of persistent asthma. Treatment guidelines recommend using medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids in addition to another controller bronchodilator instead of using high doses inhaled steroid alone for treatment of moderate to severe persistent asthma. The inhaled long acting muscarinic antagonist, tiotropium, was approved recently to control unresponsive asthma to inhaled corticosteroid with or without a long
... Show MoreBackground: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Iraq and the United Kingdom. While the disease is frequently diagnosed among middleaged Iraqi women at advanced stages accounting for the second cause of cancer-related deaths, breast cancer often affects elderly British women yielding the highest survival of all registered malignancies in the UK. Objective: To compare the clinical and pathological profiles of breast cancer among Iraqi and British women; correlating age at diagnosis with the tumor characteristics, receptor-defined biomarkers and phenotype patterns. Methods: This comparative retrospective study included the clinical and pathological characteristics of (1,940) consecutive female patients who were diagnosed with invasive b
... Show MoreBackground: Several studies linked the development of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) to genetic variations in the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene, though a disparity in findings was underlined among children with different ethnic origins. Objective: This study examined the relationship between MDR1 variants (rs2032582 and rs2032583) and the risk of developing SRNS in Iraqi patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). Methods: This case-control study included children with steroid-sensitive INS (SSNS; n=30) and SRNS (n=30) from the Babylon Hospital for Maternity and Pediatrics. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the participants’ genotypes. Results: The rs2032582 genotypes and alleles were not associated
... Show MoreObjective: We hypothesized that attacking cancer cells by combining various modes of action can hinder them from taking the chance to evolve resistance to treatment. Incorporation of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with oncolytic virotherapy might be a promising dual approach to cancer treatment. Methods: NDV AMHA1 strain as virotherapy in integration with aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) using low power He-Ne laser as PDT in the existing work was examined against breast cancer cells derived from Iraqi cancer patients named (AMJ13). This combination was evaluated using Chou–Talalay analysis. Results: The results showed an increased killing rate when using both 0.01 and 0.1 Multiplicity of infection (MOI) of the virus when combined with a dose of 617
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