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.
With the World Health Organization reporting over 30,000 deaths and 200,000 to 400,000 new cases annually, visceral leishmaniasis is a serious disease affecting some of the world's poorest people. As drug resistance continues to rise, there is a huge unmet need to improve treatment. Miltefosine remains one of the main treatments for leishmaniasis, yet its mode of action (MoA) is still unknown. Understanding the MoA of this drug and parasite response to treatment could help pave the way for new and more successful treatments for leishmaniasis. A novel method has been devised to study the metabolome and lipidome of
Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is inflammation of the sacroiliac joints and spine, associated with clinical symptoms such as pain and stiffness in the vertebral column, after which, in a considerable number of individuals, new bone growth occurs. Objective: The current research study attempted to find out whether the presence of SNPs in TNF receptor [TNFRSF1A (rs767455), TNFRSF1B (rs1061622)] encoding genes could influence patients' outcomes to etanercept in a specimen of Iraqi AS patients. Patients and methods: Sixty patients with established AS receiving only etanercept were selected to be enrolled in this research with a mean age of 40.75 ± 8.67 years, 51 patients of them were males and only 9 patients were females. Patients we
... Show MoreBackground: periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing destruction of the tooth supporting structures, initiated by dental plaque and modified by environmental and genetic risk factors. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is responsible for the production of prostaglandin E2, an important mediator in the chronic periodontitis (CP) pathogenesis. Polymorphisms in COX-2 gene have linked to CP in different populations. Aim: To study the association between Cyclooxygenase-2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs689466 (-1195A/G SNP) and chronic periodontitis in a sample of Iraqi population. Methods: One hundred Iraqi subjects divided into two groups: case group consisted of 70 CP patient (35 males and 35 females) with age range 30-55 year
... Show MoreThis study aimed at isolating uropathogenic Escherichia coli from urinary tract infections (UTIs) of human and cattle to examine the molecular diversity and phylogenetic relationship of the isolates. A total of 100 urine samples were collected from UTIs of human and cattle. The isolates identification was done using routine diagnostic methods and confirmed by Vitek2. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested against 10 antimicrobials. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to identify the genetic diversity among E. coli isolates from human and animal origin by using five different octamer primers. The gelJ software for the phylogenetic analysis created Dendrograms. Out of 50 human urine samples, E.
... Show MoreThyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4) play an important role in growth, development, and physiology of the kidney. The kidney has a central role in metabolism and clearance of these hormones as well as thyroid – stimulating hormone (TSH). Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a state of irreversible deceleration in renal function results in alterations in internal milieu, which affects the synthesis and secretory rate of hormones. To evaluate the thyroid hormone levels in non-dialyzed patients with chronic renal failure (CRF); 24 patients with CRF aged 30-70 years, mean±S.d. (48.458 ± 13.569) and 48 healthy volunteers who served as controls aged 30-70 years (43.104 ± 12.387) were studied for their thyroid function status u
... Show MoreColorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy and one of the top ten common cancers worldwide with approximately 2 million cases. There are multiple risk factors that could lead to CRC emergence; of which are genetic polymorphisms. Excision repair cross-complementing group 2 (ERCC2) gene encodes for ERCC2 enzyme which plays a crucial role in maintaining genomic integrity by removing DNA adducts. Several studies suggested that there could be a link between genetic polymorphisms of ERCC2 gene and the risk of CRC development. Hence the present study aims to validate the relationship between the following ERCC2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs13181, rs149943175, rs530662943, and rs1799790) and CRC susceptibility. A t
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