Background: Several studies were carried out on association of infection with male infertility, which revealed great variations in the prevalence of genital infection in different parts of the world. This work was designed to study the effect of infection on semen parameters in a sample of Iraqi infertile males.
Methods: A sample of 400 infertile male patients attending the High Institute for Embryo Research and Infertility Treatment for laboratory investigations and treatment were selected. This study was carried out during the period Nov. 2002 to April 2003, inclusive. Seminal fluid analysis was performed on samples obtained by masturbation into a glass container after 48 to 72 hours from of abstinence from&

Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by persistent microalbuminuria and metabolic changes that decline renal functions. Researchers have been prompted to explore new biomarkers such as KIM-1 and nephrin that may enhance the identification of disease. Objective: To Evaluate biomarker levels of kidney injury molculre-1 (KIM-1) concentration and nephrin as early and sensitive markers of nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients. Method: One hundred T2DM patients were included in a cross-sectional study at the specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes, Baghdad. The first group includes 50 diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients, and the second group includes 50 T2DM patients without DN. Biochemical and clinical parameters were reported for pa

Background: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is one of the largest causes of mortality worldwide. Clopidogrel, antiplatelet drug, has been widely used for management of CAD. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of clopidogrel on the oxidative stress in CAD patients. Methods: One hundred CAD patients, who were followed-up for 5 days after receiving clopidogrel, and 50 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Parameters include catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant capacity (TOC), total protein, albumin, and globulins were determined before and after treatment with clopidogrel. Results: CAT, TAC, and Tp were significantly decreased (P<0.0001) in CAD patients compared to healthy control and

     In the Iraqi population, a high incidence (82.7%) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been reported among the suspected patient. Many investigators studied the microbial infectious present in Iraqi patients with RA; however, to the best of our knowledge, there is no previous study detected the CMV DNA and antibodies to RA disease. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the presence of CMV DNA and antibodies in Iraqi RA patients. A total of 58 blood samples were collected from patients with clinical signs of rheumatoid arthritis, along with 32 samples of apparently healthy individuals as a control group. These samples were tested for rheumatoid factor (RF), CMV IgM antibodies and viral DNA during the acute and

This paper highlights the main features of conjunctive adverbials and their occurrence in English academic prose. It accounts for the semantic roles of conjunctive adverbials, forms in which they are used, their positions within a sentence, and their frequency of occurrence in different registers with special reference to academic prose. It also tries to investigate possible differences in men's and women's use of conjunctive adverbials.
Keyword: conjunctive adverbials, linking adverbials, stance adverbials, circumstance adverbials, academic prose

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of mortality among women in Iraq forming 23% of cancer related deaths. The low survival from the disease is a direct consequence to the advanced stages at diagnoses. Aim: To document the composite stage of breast cancer among Iraqi patients at the time of diagnosis; correlating the observed findings with other clinical and pathological parameters at presentation. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study enrolling the clinical and pathological characteristics of 603 Iraqi female patients diagnosed with breast cancer. The composite stage of breast cancer was determined according to UICC TNM Classification System of Breast Cancer and the Ameri

Background Uric acid an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality is still disputed as several studies have suggested that hyperuricemia is merely associated with cardiovascular diseases because of confounding factors such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, use of diuretics and insulin resistance .Moreover, there is still no well-established pathophysio-logical link between hyperuricemia and the development of cardiovascular complications
Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the prevalence and the clinical correlation of hyperuricemia with cardiovascular risk factors in Karbalaa city in Iraq.
Subjects and method: The investigations were performed between October 200

     In this study, Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the causative agent of furunculosis in 64 (27.5%) out of 233 Iraqi patients presented with furunculosis. 16SrRNA gene was located in all isolates. Nevertheless, mecA and lukS-lukF genes were located in 60% and 4% of S. aureus isolates, respectively. Interestingly, the lukS-lukF carrying S. aureus isolates were mecA positive as well.

Interleukin-33 [IL-33] is a specific ligand for the ST2 receptor, and a member of the
IL-1 family. It is a dual-function protein that acts both as an extracellular alarmin cytokine,
and an as an intracellular nuclear factor participates in maintaining barrier function by
regulating gene expression of IL-33 modulating tumor growth and anti-tumor immunity in
cancer patients. The present study aimed to investigate the role of IL-33 serum level and gene
polymorphism in Iraqi women with breast cancer. Materials and methods: Blood samples
were collected from 66 Iraqi patient women diagnosed with breast cancer, which were divided
into two groups: pre-treatment [PT] and under treatment with chemotherapy [UTC] patients in

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 diffe