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 s

Background: Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gingiva and bone supporting the teeth. Smoking, which is an important risk factor for periodontitis, induce oxidative stress in the body and cause an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of smoking on periodontal health status by estimating the levels of salivary SOD level in non-smokers (controls) and light and heavy smokers and to test the correlation between the SOD enzyme level and the clinical periodontal parameters in each group. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 75 male, with age ranged from 35 to 50 years. Clinically, the perio

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Ischemic heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Lack of blood supply to the brain can cause tissue death if any of the cerebral veins, carotid arteries, or vertebral arteries are blocked. An ischemic stroke describes this type of event. One of the byproducts of methionine metabolism, the demethylation of methionine, is homocysteine, an amino acid that contains sulfur. During myocardial ischemia, the plasma level of homocysteine (Hcy) increases and plays a role in many methylation processes. Hyperhomocysteinemia has only recently been recognized as a major contributor to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) owing to its eff

Background : Although development and progress in various diagnostic methods, but still identification of remnants of skeletal and decomposing parts of human is one of the most difficult skills in forensic medicine . Gender and age estimation is also considering an important problem in the identification of unknown skull. The aims of study: To estimate volume and dimension of maxillary sinus in individuals with dentate and edentulous maxillae using CT scan, and to correlate the maxillary sinus volume in relation to gender and age. Materials and Methods : This study included 120 patients ranged from (40-69 years), divided into two groups, dentate group with fully dentate maxilla and edentulous group with complete edentulous maxilla, and e

To overcome  the  problems  which  associated  with  the standard  multiple  daily  doses (MDD)

of aminoglycosides (AGs) like high incidence of toxicity(nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity)(5-25%) and high cost, an alternative approach was developed which was single daily dose (SDD).This new regimen was designed to maximize bacterial killing by optimizing the peak concentration/minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)ratio and to reduce the potential for toxicity. The study includes 75 patients selected randomly, 50 of them received SDD regimen of age range of 17-79 years and the remaining received MDD regimen of age range of 13-71 years. The study was designed to evaluate the safety of SDD regim

Background: Periodontal diseases are bacterial infections of the gingiva, bone and attachment fibers that support the teeth and hold them in the jaw. α-amylase is an enzyme, produced mainly by parotid gland and it seems to play a role in maintaining mucosal immunity. Aims of the study: Determine the salivary levels of α-Amylase and flow rate and their correlations with clinical periodontal parameters(Plaque Index , Gingival Index , Bleeding on Probing , Probing Pocket Depth , and Clinical Attachment Level ) and the correlation between α-Amylase with flow rate of study groups that consist of ( patients had gingivitis and patients had chronic periodontitis with different severities(mild ,moderate ,severe) and control group . Ma

This study was done at Al-Balad City Hospital on 60 diabetic patients (25 male and 35 female). The study included Fasting Blood Sugar and fungal diagnosis (systemic and superficial fungus). The results showed that the high concentration of blood sugar belonged to the group > 70 years among the diabetic patients with high significant differences in comparison with other groups P<0.001 . The result showed that percentage of female systemic fungus infection was higher than male systemic fungus infection ( female 63% and male 24%) and vice versa about superficial fungus infection (female 37% and male 76%) . Data showed that the percentage of nail fungus infection among female diabetic patients was higher than the percentage of male diabetic p

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorder affecting women in reproductive age. No single etiologic factor fully accounts for the spectrum of abnormalities in the polycystic ovary syndrome. Different changes in hormonal, metabolism and the inflammatory markers as squealy of PCOS with adverse effect on the women life. OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome and levels of C-reactive protein, human interleukin and hormonal and metabolic alteration in women with PCOS PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty women with Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other thirty women without PCOS were included. Venous blood samples were taken in early follicular phase of menstrual cycle [day

Background: The diagnosis of prostatic pathology may be of challenging , as some  difficult and suspected, atypical  cases may lack basal cell layer by routine H&E sections . Antibodies against 34BE12(HMW-CK) and p63 aid the diagnosis of such cases , to distinguish benign from  malignant prostatic lesions.

Objective: to identify basal cells in atypical prostatic lesions ,and distinguish benign from malignant prostatic lesions.

Type of the study:  A retro-spective  study.

Methods:  115cases of  paraffin embedded prostatic tissue blocks ,diagnosed as : 76 cases were benign prostatic hy