Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer-related mortality worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing among many nations. Aim of the study: Investigate the predictive value of carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA242) in comparison to the CEA biomarker and to estimate the significance of CA242 as prognosis maker in colorectal cancer patients. Methods: a case-control study with a total of 150 individuals, 100 patients (59 males, 41 females) and 50 healthy controls (26 males, 24 females). using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) to determine the serum levels of CA242 and CEA. The study was carried out at the gastroenterology consultation clinic of the oncology teaching hospital between November 2020 and February 2021in Baghdad, Iraq. Result: Patients with colorectal cancer had significantly higher CA242 levels than healthy controls (p >0.001) with a significant positive correlation between CA242 and CEA (r = 0.866, p >0.001). The CA242 ROC curve study revealed an AUC of 0.933, a sensitivity of 89%, a specificity of 88%, and a cutoff value of 45 U/ml. CA242 can serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer.
Background: Endometrial Cancer (EC) is the malignant tumor originating from endometrium cell (lining of the uterus). EC incidence and mortality have increased in recent years. Routinely used methods for EC diagnosis and treatment are histopathological tissue culture after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, however there is still not enough efficient treatment for recurrence or progression of this disease. So, there is a critical need for further EC identification by new biological ways for the prognostic diagnosis of it. Objective: This study aimed to look for ways by which could help in diagnosis of EC before the hysterectomy. Materials and Methods: 55 patients with EC and 57 healthy women were involved in this study (up to 45 years)
... Show MoreThis study was designed to determine the correlation between Y chromosome azoospermia factor (AZF) subregions microdeletions and oligozoospermia in infertile men. Subjects included 50 infertile men with oligozoospermia who had been referred to the Fertility Center and infertility treatment in Kamal Al-Samarrai Hospital\Baghdad health office-Iraq. DNA was extracted from blood samples. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 3 loci spanning the AZFa, AZFb and AZFc subregions of the Y chromosome using sY84, sY127 and sY254 and were performed. The frequency of deletions involving AZFa subregion of the Y-chromosome was found in twelve of the patients (24%) in oligozoospermic infertile Iraqi men. While the other subregion (AZFb and AZ
... Show MoreThe present study aims at assessing the effects of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on thyroid hormone and leptin by evaluating the level of: leptin hormone along with thyroid hormone in CKD patients. The study has been conducted on 70 subjects, 50 patients with an age range between 20-50 years (25 males and 25 females) who were diagnosed to have CKD stage-5, and 20 normal controls whose ages ranged between 20-48 years (10 males and 10 females), who attended the Nephrology and Transplant Center in Medical City of Baghdad- Iraq from April 2018 to July 2018. The study showed a highly significant (P<0.01) increase in TSH level in CKD patients in comparison with controls. While T3 and T4 levels observed highly significant decrea
... Show MoreBackground: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease. It is one of the major causes of disability in developed and developing countries. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) as part of immune system has a role in the disease process.Objectives: To investigate whether there is an association between HLA class II-DRB and OA.Methods: A case control study with 26 patients with osteoarthritis and 22 apparently healthy obese control persons matching in ethnicity were enrolled in this study during the period between October 2012 till March 2013. Direct interview was done with each patient and HLA typing was done by molecular method using Sequence Specific Primer (PCR-SSP) method using One Lambda Kit-USA. Results: The results showed that fem
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to investigate thyroid function and Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in (Chronic kidney disease) CKD patients by evaluating their levels in CKD patients, 50 patients were diagnosed to have CKD stage-5, their ages ranged between 20-50 years (25 males and 25 females) who attended the Nephrology and Transplant Center in Medical City of Baghdad- Iraq, they were recruited from April 2018 to July 2018 and were enrolled into the study. The control group consisted of 20 healthy individuals, their ages ranged between 20-48 years (10 males and 10 females). The study showed non-significant (p>0.05) increase in AMH level in CKD patients compared to the control group. On the other hand, TSH was recorded a highly significant (
... Show MoreInfection of the gastric mucosa with Helicobacter pylori is strongly associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori virulence factors include a variety of proteins that are involved in its pathogenesis, such as VacA and CagA. Another group of virulence factors is clearly important for colonization of H.pylori in the gastric mucosa. These include urease, motility factors (flagellin), and Superoxide dismutase (SOD). Because of this organism's microaerophilic nature and the increased levels of reactive oxygen in the infected host, we expect that other factors involved in the response to oxidative stress are likely to be required for virulence. Superoxide dismutase is a near
... Show MorePsoriasis is a common, chronic, immune-mediated skin disease with systemic pro-inflammatory activation. This study was designed to estimate the level of two cytokines, Interleukin-36 (IL-36) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10), in psoriasis female patients. The study was accomplished on 50 Iraqi patients with psoriasis who were referred to the consulting clinic at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital during the period from November 2018 to March 2019. These patients were diagnosed under the supervision of dermatologists. For the purpose of comparison, the study included 30 healthy women as a healthy control group. The serum levels of cytokines were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent technique (ELISA).The results of this study show
... Show MoreBiodiesel production from microalgae depends on the biomass and lipid production. Both biomass and lipid accumulation is controlled by several factors. The effect of various culture media (BG11, BBM, and Urea), nutrients stress [nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), magnesium (Mg) and carbonate (CO3)] and gamma (γ) radiation on the growth and lipid accumulation of Dictyochloropsis splendida were investigated. The highest biomass and lipid yield of D. splendida were achieved on BG11 medium. Cultivation of D. splendida in a medium containing 3000 mg L−1 N, or 160 mg L−1 P, or 113 mg L−1 Mg, or 20 mg L-1 CO3, led to enhanced growth rate. While u
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Debate is a teaching strategy in nursing education that enhances students' critical thinking. Although debate can be an effective teaching strategy, it is not without limitations. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of debate as a teaching strategy in nursing. Also, evaluating debates and choosing topics are highlighted.