Objectives: Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is WNT/b-catenin pathway antagonist which plays a detrimental role in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This research aimed to assess serum DKK-1 levels in diabetic patients who have and have not developed DR and, compare them with the control subjects finding out whether we can use it as an indicator for DR early diagnosis and to find out which one of the widely used two groups of antidiabetic treatments had the greater effect on this biomarker and hence on the progression of DR. Methods: The study participants were divided into two subgroups: First, 70 patients (36 male, 34 female) with type 2 diabetes mellitus, among them 35 patients diagnosed with DR and 35 with no evidence of DR, and secondly, non-diabetic controls (11 male, 9 female) were selected from the patients attending Ibn AL-Haitham hospital for ophthalmology and a specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes. Venous blood samples of all participants were drawn after an overnight fast, and serum samples were stored at -20ºC until DKK-1 assay. Results: Serum DKK-1 showed significantly lower levels in diabetic patients with (6.1 ± 2 ng/mL) or without DR (14 ± 6.2 ng/mL) when compared to those of controls (34 ± 12.25 ng/mL) (p 0.05). Furthermore, serum DKK-1 levels were lower in the late stage of DR compared to the early stage 5.6 ± 1.7 and 7 ± 1.9 ng/mL, respectively. Furthermore, DPP-4 inhibitors cause a better increment in DKK-1 levels when compared to SU in the NDR group. Conclusions: Reduced serum levels of DKK-1 are related to the existence and worsening of DR and have the prospect to serve as an indicator for this condition.
Immunization is one of the most cost-effective and successful public health applications. The results of immunization are difficult to see as the incidence of disease occurrence is low while adverse effects following the immunization are noticeable, particularly if the vaccine was given to apparently healthy person. High safety expectations of population regarding the vaccines so they are more prone to hesitancy regarding presence of even small risk of adverse events which may lead to loss of pub
... Show MoreA mathematical eco-epidemiological model consisting of harvested prey–predator system involving fear and disease in the prey population is formulated and studied. The prey population is supposed to be separated into two groups: susceptible and infected. The susceptible prey grows logistically, whereas the infected prey cannot reproduce and instead competes for the environment’s carrying capacity. Furthermore, the disease is transferred through contact from infected to susceptible individuals, and there is no inherited transmission. The existence, positivity, and boundedness of the model’s solution are discussed. The local stability analysis is carried out. The persistence requirements are established. The global behavior of th
... Show MoreObjective: Assessment of health problems and identify demographical information to elderly. Methodology:
it is a descriptive study, data were collected by the researchers depended on the direct interview with the
elderly by using the study instrument (questionnaire) as well as review the records of the geriatric.
Results: The majority of study sample (66%) were males and (24.3%) were within age group (70-74) years,
(44.7%) were widows, and (41.7%) did not read and write. This study applied the international classification
of diseases(short-table) in (11) items, which stated that most of the elderly were complaining from
health problems: debility of hearing (80.65%), eczema or allergies (69.35%), debility of vision (66.9
Objectives: The study aims to assess the nutritional status, identify nutrition-related health problems and
find out the relationships between nutritional status and demographic characteristics of the pregnant
adolescents in Baghdad City.
Methodology: A descriptive study was carried out from April/20/2009 to June/30/2009 through a "Nonprobability"
purposive sample of (196) pregnant adolescents their age between (13–19) years who attend (14)
primary health care centers in Baghdad City seeking for antenatal care. The data were collected by the
investigator who interviewed the pregnant adolescents and filled out the constructed questionnaire formats
which designed for the purpose of the study. Internal consistency of
Hepatitis is one of the diseases that has become more developed in recent years in terms of the high number of infections. Hepatitis causes inflammation that destroys liver cells, and it occurs as a result of viruses, bacteria, blood transfusions, and others. There are five types of hepatitis viruses, which are (A, B, C, D, E) according to their severity. The disease varies by type. Accurate and early diagnosis is the best way to prevent disease, as it allows infected people to take preventive steps so that they do not transmit the difference to other people, and diagnosis using artificial intelligence gives an accurate and rapid diagnostic result. Where the analytical method of the data relied on the radial basis network to diagnose the
... Show MoreBreast carcinoma is one of the greatest popular neoplasms in females. It is a major reason of demise in the world, and it is the first cancer in ranking diagnosed in Iraqi women. This study aimed to determine aminoacyltRAN-synthetase complex interacting multifunctional protein 1 and liver enzymes levels in Iraqi females with stage II breast malignance, and study the effect of chemotherapy (after surgery) on these markers. This study included 50 females patients with stage II breast malignance (before and after surgery and second dose of chemotherapy) attending the Oncology Teaching Hospital in Medical City/ Baghdad, in addition to 20 persons as controller group were chosen without any chronic diseases. Their ages ranged from (30-55) years.
... Show MoreThe research aims to shed light on banking liberalization and explain its impact on attracting customers, especially since Iraq adopted this policy after (2003) due to the changes that occurred, as the Central Bank of Iraq granted flexibility to banks in setting the interest rate on deposits and loans as well as allowing the entry of foreign banks in the local environment. The research relied on the analytical method for the dimensions of banking liberalization represented by (liberating interest rates, liberating credit, legal reserve requirements, entering foreign banks, privatization) as well as the factors affecting the attraction of customers, and a number of Iraqi banks listed in the Iraqi Stock Exchange were selected as a
... Show MoreThis research aims to underscore the significance of women's emotional intelligence in enhancing the effectiveness of the Board of Directors, a crucial component of internal governance, particularly during crises. Despite strides made in recent decades in appointing women to senior roles in government, business, and education, challenges persist in improving women's leadership opportunities, especially in developing countries. The study utilizes statistical methods, including Pearson's correlation, to analyze the relationships between variables within a sample of banks listed on the Iraqi securities market, comparing periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019 and 2020). The goal is to measure the impact of female emotiona
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