This study was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq from December 2021 to May 2022. The goal was to determine the effect of Toxoplasma gondii on liver function by examining the relationship between Toxoplasma infection and hormones. One hundred and twenty male patients with Chronic liver disease (CLD) (age:14-75 years) and 120 control males (age: 24-70 years) participated in this study. Serum samples were taken from all individuals and were then analysed for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. Hormonal tests were conducted for all participants which included (Cortisol, testosterone, prolactin, insulin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH). Biochemical tests included (Prothrombin time PT, international normalized ratio INR and albumin); liver enzymes evaluated were (aspartate aminotransferase AST, alanine aminotransferase ALT, alkaline phosphatase ALP and gamma-glutamyl transferase GGT) and interleukins (Interleukin 13 IL-13 and transforming growth factor TGF). According to the anti-Toxoplasma antibodies results, 32 (26% of the control group) of the participants tested positive for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, compared to 60 (50%) of the CLD patients. Four sub-groups were formed in response to prior results: Control-Toxoplasma positive, control-Toxoplasma negative, CLD-Toxoplasma positive and CLD-Toxoplasma negative. The seropositive status of T. gondii did not affect the following hormones: cortisol, testosterone,insulin and TSH while it was related significantly to prolactin. The results of liver enzymes showed that T. gondii positive status was significantly related to all enzymes among CLD patients except the GGT enzyme T. gondii positive status was not correlated with the other biochemical (PT, INR, and albumin) and immunological parameters (IL-13 and TGF).
Prostate cancer is an important and potentially fatal disease in humans. Both genetic and environmental risk factors are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer among Asian pop
The relation between anemia and inflammatory immune response has lately had much attention. This research was conducted from October 2018 until April 2019, including (110) children below 12 years from both gender in some Hospitals, Primary Health care centers, Public Primary Schools and Kindergarten in Baghdad, Iraq. The objective of this study is to determine the possible correlation between iron deficiency anemia and inflammatory immune response among children infected with Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia lamblia. Blood samples were taken from all groups to measure hemoglobin level, serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
... Show MoreBreast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This work was conducted to estimate the roles of oxidative stress, vitamin B12, homocysteine (HCY), and DNA methylation in BC disease progression. Sixty BC patients (age range 33–80 years) and 30 healthy controls were recruited for this study. Patients with BC were split to group 1 consisted of stage II BC women (low level), and group 2 consisted of patients in stages III and IV (high level). Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3), HCY, and vitamin B12 levels in the study groups were measured. Also, the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) global DNA methylation levels were evaluated. The results showed a significant
... Show MoreAim: To determine the expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-2) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the difference in its expression level between positive and negative HPV-16 (human papilloma virus- 16) OSCC patients. Methods: This study was conducted on 33 biopsies obtained from patients with OSCC and 10 normal oral mucosa as controls. In situ hybridization (ISH) was used to investigate the presence of HPV-16, while immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to estimate the expression level of TIMP-2. Results: The TIMP-2 was expressed in 27 (81.8%) of OSCC sections with no significant difference between its expression level in HPV-16 positive and HPV-16 negative OSCC cases (p=0.058). TIMP-2 was found to be hig
... Show MoreBackground: Despite the importance of vaccines in preventing COVID-19, the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines is lower among RA patients than in the general population. Objective: To determine the extent of COVID-19 knowledge among RA patients and their attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenology approach was performed through face-to-face, individual-based, semi-structured interviews in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, rheumatology unit. A convenient sample of RA patients using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was included until the point of saturation. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: Twenty-five RA pa
... Show MoreThe aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of listening to music or Quran in reducing cancer patients’ anxiety before chemotherapy administration. Reducing anxiety in people with cancer, prior to chemotherapy administration, is a crucial goal in nursing care.
An experimental comparative study was conducted.
A simple randomization sampling method was applied. Two hundred thirty‐eight people with cancer who underwent chemotherapy were participated. They are assigned as Quran, music and control groups.
Out of 150 clinical samples, 50 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified according to morphological and biochemical properties. These isolates were collected from different clinical samples, including 15 (30%) urine, 12 (24%) blood, 9 (18%) sputum, 9 (18%) wound, and 5 (10%) burn. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) assay revealed that 25 (50%) of isolates were resistant to gentamicin (≥16µg/ml), 22 (44%) of isolates were resistant to amikacin (≥64 µg/ml), 21 (42%) of isolates were resistant to ertapenem (≥8 µg/ml), 18 (36%) of isolates were resistant to imipenem (4- ≥16µg/ml), 43 (86%) of isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone (4- ≥64 µg/ml), 42 (84%) of isolates were resistant to ceftazidime (1
... Show MoreBackground: With the start of the current century, increased the interest in the role of the adipose tissue derived substances that named adipokines in the inflammatory diseases of the human being including the inflammatory periodontal disease, but scientific evidences were not clearly demonstrate the association between these adipokines and periodontal pathologies. Materials and Methods: Forty two subjects male only with normal body mass index were selected for the study with an age ranged (30-39 years). Samples were divided into three groups of 14 subjects in each group based on clinical periodontal parameters; clinically healthy gingiva (group I), gingivitis group (group II) and chronic periodontitis patients group (group III), from whom
... Show MoreBackground: Hyperthyroidism is a serious public concern, due the continuous increase in its prevalence and its impact on the mortality rates. Autoimmune hyperthyroidism is seen as a thyroid gland problem. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are crucial for the growth and development of hyperthyroidism, it was shown that the level of several pro-inflammatory cytokines were higher in the hyperthyroidism patients. Objective: This work was aimed to assessment the concentration of certain cytokine in hyperthyroid patients. Materials and Methods: Sixty hyperthyroidism patients and 30 healthy individuals with age range from (30-65) years old were enrolled in this study through their presence at the National Center for Diabetes Treatment and Research in Bag
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