Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is considered a parasitic contagion resulting from the flagellated parasite belonging to the genus of Leishmania. Also, cutaneous leishmaniasis is a zoonotic ailment transmitted through the bloodsucking sand-flies bite (belonging to the Phlebotomus genus). The disease's reservoirs included wild or semi-domesticated animals, in general rodents and dogs. Tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is one of the extracellular matrix proteins that have a role in vessel wall degeneration and aneurysm development. In addition, it belongs to the zinc-dependent endopeptidases family that are involved in the degradation of connective tissues proteins which are included in vascular integrity maintenance. The Genetic deviations in the TIMP-1 genes might impact their expression at the transcription level or the enzyme activity. Therefore, the present study aimed to detect the impact of TIMP-1 serum level and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs41454248 and rs1043428 among the cutaneous leishmaniasis patients’ group compared to the control group. Subjects: Seventy-five cutaneous leishmaniasis patients (39 males and 36 females) with the age mean 23.91 ± 13.14 years participated in this study, compared to the matched number, age, and gender of a healthy control group (75: 38 males and 37 females) with the age mean 22.84 ± 4.35 years. In the current study, the serum level of TIM-1 and rs41454248 and rs1043428 SNPs were studied among the cutaneous leishmaniasis patients’ group compared to the control group. Results: The findings of the TIMP-1 level referred to a significant decrease among the cutaneous leishmaniasis patients’ group compared to the healthy control group (26339.67 ± 900.79 vs. 33480.25 ± 1098.63). Such, the rs41454248 SNPs findings referred that the GG genotype and G allele were non-significantly increased frequency percentage in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients group compared to the healthy control group (29.33 vs. 18.67%, OR: 1.81, p = 0.180; 55.0 vs. 47.0%, OR: 1.38, p = 0.204 respectively). Also, the high OR value of GG genotype and G allele referred to this genotype and allele might be a risk factor for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Likewise, the findings of rs1043428 SNPs appeared that the CC genotype and C allele were significantly increased frequency percentage in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients' group compared to the control group (37.33 vs. 4.0%, OR: 14.30, p = 3.6 × 10−7; 57.0 vs. 21.33, OR: 4.82, p = 4.5 × 10−10). Also, the high OR value of CC genotype and C allele referred to this genotype and allele might be risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis. In addition, the CG genotype appeared a non-significant increased frequency percentage in the patients' group compared to the control group and the value of OR referred to might be a risk factor for cutaneous leishmaniasis (33.33 vs. 25.33, OR: 1.47, p = 0.370). In addition, the serum level of TIMP-1 with the rs41454248 was significantly decreased in GA and AA genotypes of the patients’ group compared to the control. While the level was non-significantly decreased in the GG genotype of the patients' group compared to the control group. Likewise, the level of TIMP-1 with the rs1043428 was non-significantly decreased in all genotypes (except TT genotype) of the patients' group compared to the control. Whereas, a significant decrease level was appeared in the TT genotype of the patients' group compared to the healthy control group. Conclusion: The current findings demonstrated a significant association between TIMP-1 serum level and genetic polymorphisms (rs1043428 and rs41454248) among cutaneous leishmaniasis patients.
Visceral leishmaniosis is one of the most fatal old-world neglected disease with estimated 90 thousand worldwide cases emerge each year. In Iraq, the cutaneous and visceral form are endemic but available chemotherapies are either toxic with diverse side effects, expensive available drugs or parasite …
The bile salt hydrolase gene (bshA), encoding bile salt hydrolase enzyme (EC 3.5.1.24) from probiotic isolate Lactobacillus acidophilus Ar strain which is responsible for assimilation cholesterol were studied in the present work. About 801 bp in length DNA fragment of Lb. acidophilus Ar strain was amplified by PCR techniques. Two restriction sites (PstI/SacI) were added to each end of that fragment for manipulation of DNA during cloning. Amplified fragment inserted into pJET1.2\blunt end vector and pMG36e vector respectively. pJET1.2\blunt end vector is overexpression plasmid for E. coli MC1022, and pMG36e vector is a shuttle vector which is able to replicate in both E. coli and lactic acid bacteria. The resulted constructs were named as pJ
... Show MoreThe current research aims to reveal the level of satisfaction of the mentors with the evaluation of their performance according to gender (male - female) and to formulate the predictive equation for the level of performance (dependent variable) from knowing the level of satisfaction with the evaluation (independent variable). (16 paragraphs) contains alternatives to the answer that measures the level of satisfaction (weak, medium, and high) (1,2,3), that is, with a hypothetical average of (32). It consisted of 100 educational counselors consisting of 45 males and 55 females, the results of the research concluded that the level of satisfaction with performance is below the mean when compared with the hypothetical average of the scale of s
... Show MoreBackground : Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of infertility in reproductive-age women , it is an important harbinger of metabolic disorders. It has been reported that hyperamylasemia can be used as marker of ovarian cancer patients . The current study was conducted to evaluate amylase activity and to estimate the correlation of this enzyme with insulin and insulin resistance in PCOS patients. Methods: This study was conducted on forty five patients with PCOS in comparison to twenty five women as control. Fasting blood sample was taken from each subject and analyzed for amylase activity , FSH,LH, Insulin , proteins, and blood sugar , meanwhile insulin resistance was determined by HOMA-IR index. Results: The result
... Show MoreThe clinical spectrum of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), an intracellular parasitic pathogen, ranges from a single sore healing to chronic crusty lesions with a manifestation of treatment resistance. The complicated interaction between Leishmania bodies and the early immune response, including innate and adaptive mechanisms, determines the evolution of nodules. This study examined the levels of the chemoattractant interleukin 8 (IL-8), pro-inflammatory nitric oxide (NO), and immunoregulatory macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) in the serum of subjects recently diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis, in parallel with patients being monitored during consecutive sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) treatment. A total of 161 serum samples of newly di
... Show MoreBlood samples of One hundred and twenty patients from different hospitals in Baghdad infected with hydatidosis in different sites of the body (Liver, Lung, multiorgans and kidney) were collected for this study. On the other hand, 30 healthy individuals were included as a control group. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of this disease on the serum protein profile of the patients using electrophoresis. The results revealed four different protein banding patterns with difference in number of bands and their molecular weights in comparison to the control group, and these differences depended on the site of infection. However the data showed a presence of the same band in all patients with different site of infection.
The present study aimed to determine the serum sex hormone levels among Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) patients before and after 3 months of oral administration of 5-α reductase inhibitor(finasteride). Forty BPH patients and 40 healthy men from Amara city were involved in this study, their ages were between 40-59 year. They were all subjected to direct estimation of hormones by MinVidas method including Testosterone (T), Estradiol (E2), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Prolactin (PRL), and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) before and after 3 months of treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) (the healthy individuals didn’t take finasteride).The results showed that T level was significantly lo
... Show MoreCutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease caused by Leishmania tropica parasite. Current treatments for this parasite are undesirable because of their toxicity, resistance, and high cost. Macrophages are key players against pathogens. Nitric oxide (NO), a molecule produce by immune cells, controls intracellular killing of pathogens during infection. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against various types of infectious diseases. It has the ability to stimulate oxygen species production. This study aims to analyze the macrophages activation through NO production and estimate the cytotoxicity based on the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release upon exposure to L. tropica and
... Show More