Background: Rituximab is a chimeric IgG1 kappa immunoglobulin that has been genetically modified to incorporate human constant region sequences together with murine light- and heavy-chain variable region sequences. People use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain malignancies. Objective: The study aimed to assess the potential association between the serum levels of Factor I, CD59, interleukins (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN)-γ and the response to Rituximab treatment in Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the rheumatology center at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Ninety adult patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are receiving Rituximab intravenous infusions were included. The enrolled patients were divided into a responder group (45 patients) and a non-responder group (45 patients). The response to Rituximab was assessed according to the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). Results: The serum levels of Factor I and CD59 were significantly higher in the non-responders group in comparison to the responders group. In addition, the serum IL-6 and IFN-γ levels were significantly elevated in the non-responders group in comparison to the responders group. The estimated marker serum levels showed a strong, significant correlation with the 6-month change in DAS28. Conclusions: In Rituximab nonresponder RA patients, serum levels of Factor I, CD59, Factor H, IL-6, and IFN-γ are higher, and they have good potential to be used in the assessment of the response to Rituximab therapy.
Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical abdominal emergency. Its clinical diagnosis remains a challenge to surgeons, so different imaging options were introduced to improve diagnostic accuracy. Among these imaging modality choices, diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) is a simple, easily available, and cost effective clinical tool. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of DMS, in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis compared to the histopathology report, as a gold standard. Between May 2015 and May 2016, 215 patients with suspected appendicitis were examined with DMS. The DMS findings were recorded as positive and negative for acute appendicitis and compared with the histopathological results, as a gold standard
... Show MoreIGF-1 is a protein produced by the liver in response to growth hormone stimulus.One important key in effectively preventing and treating osteo arthritis, is establishing a healthy balance of IGF-1. Leptin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue, acting as a sensor of fat mass in part of a negative feedback loop that maintains a set point for body fat stores. Leptin plays an important role in &nbs
... Show MoreBackground: Due to the variations in tooth anatomy and size among different populations, this study aimed to compare the mesiodistal width of primary second molars in Iraqi children with the mesiodistal width of stainless-steel crowns from different companies. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 intact maxillary and mandibular primary second molars selected from boys and girls’ Iraqi children aged 8-9 years collected from different primary schools in Baghdad city. The mesiodistal dimensions of the selected teeth and the available maxillary and mandibular stainless-steel crowns from three different companies were measured by using a 3-D scanner, and then the whole measurements were calculated usin
... Show Moredue to the presence of chemoresistance and the risk of tumor recurrence and metastasis. There is a pressing necessity to develop efficient treatments to improve response for treatment and increase prolong survival of breast cancer patients. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted interest for its features as a noninvasive and relatively selective cancer treatment. This method relies on light-activated photosensitizers that, upon absorbing light, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) with powerful cell-killing outcomes. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a transcription factor, plays a key role in cancer development by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Inhibiting NF-κB can sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapeuti
... Show MoreThis study aimed to know the concentration of elements content in dairy products. Nine samples collected from the local market in Baghdad, two samples of milk and seven of yoghurt.The results were followed: The ratio of Aluminum In Aluminum cans That is used for storage milk and industrialize yoghurt is about 95.5% ,this ratio is against [1] which said that pureness of Aluminum used in Aluminum cans should not be less than 98-99% . and the ratio of Cadmium reached to 0.001% which is also against [1] which assure that the Aluminum cans should be clean from that element, mean while the concentration of Iron, Copper and Zinc were within the standard level. The highest concentration of Iron was in treatment B2(canon yoghurt)it was 9.95 m
... Show MoreThe study was conducted to determine the effect of of cumin (Cuminum cyminum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) powder on performance in Japanese quails. 630 bird (7 birds for each treatment) nine weeks of age were used. Experiment was continued for 12 weeks divided to six periods and the birds distributed randomly on nine combinations of cumin and ginger, three levels of each plant powder namely, 0, 0.5 and 1%. T1 (Control) contain the slandered diet (0% of cumin and 0% of ginger), T2: (0% of cumin and 0.5% of ginger), T3: (0% of cumin and 1% of ginger), T4: (0.5% of cumin and 0% of ginger), T5: (0.5% of cumin and 0.5% of ginger), T6: (0.5% of cumin and 1% of ginger), T7: (1% of cumin and 0% of ginger), T8: (1% of cumin and 0.5% of ginger),
... Show MoreUrinary tract infections (UTIs) mean microbial pathogens in the urethra or bladder (lower urinary tract). Important risk factors for recurrent UTI include obstruction of the urinary tract, use of a bladder catheter or a suppressed immune system. This study aims to isolate and identify bacteria from patients with TCC-bladder cancer or patients with a negative cystoscope and estimate antibiotic susceptibility patterns and evaluate some of the virulence factors. From a total of 62 patients with TCC-BC or negative cystoscope, only 35 favorable bacterial growths were obtained, including Escherichia coli (UPEC), a significant bacterial isolate, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The percentage of multi drug-resistance bacteria
... Show MoreMutations in genes encoding proteins necessary for detoxifying oxidative stress products have been predicted to increase susceptibility to lung cancer (LC). Despite this, the association between waterpipe tobacco smoking (WP), genetic polymorphisms, and LC risk remains poorly understood. This is the first study to explore the relationship between WP tobacco smoking and these genetic factors. Previously, we investigated the association of GSTP1 SNPs (rs1695-A/G and rs1138272-C/T) with LC in Iraqi males who smoke WP. Here, we expanded our analysis to include GSTM1 (active/null) and GSTT1 (active/null) genotypes, both individually and in combination with GSTP1 SNPs. Multiplex PCR and RFLP-PCR assays were utilized to determine the genotypes of
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