BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a proangiogenic factor that exerts different effects over stem cell survival growth, apoptosis, and adhesion. Its impact on leukemogenesis has been established by many studies. AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of plasma HGF activity on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients at presentation and after remission. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional prospective study of 30 newly-diagnosed, adult, and AML patients. All patients received the 7+3 treatment protocol. Patients’ clinical data were taken at presentation, and patients were followed up for 6 months to evaluate the clinical status. Plasma HGF levels were estimated by ELISA based methods in the patients at two intervals first at diagnosis and the 2nd time after remission of disease. Plasma HGF levels were only measured once in twenty healthy control individuals. RESULTS: A statistically significant lowering in the median levels of HGF after remission induction therapy has been found when compared with those before treatment (p = 0.006) and in the group of patients who achieved complete remission in comparison with those before treatment (p = 0.005). Furthermore, a significant reduction was also demonstrated after treatment in patients presenting with extramedullary involvement (p = 0.003) and in the alive group (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Plasma HGF estimation can be a useful parameter in predicting treatment outcomes in patients with AML, and it can add potentially useful information to risk stratification parameters.
Gaucher disease (GD), which is due to a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase, is a rare genetic disorder. It is characterized by a wide variety of clinical manifestations and severity of symptoms, making it difficult to manage. A cross-sectional hospital-based genetic study was undertaken with 32 pediatric patients. We recruited 21 males and 11 females diagnosed with GD, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.91:1. The mean age of the study population was 8.79 ± 4.37 years with an age range from 8 months to 17 years. We included patients on clinical evaluation from 2011 to 2019. An enzyme assay test was used to measure β-glucosidase enzyme activity in leukocytes and the GBA gene s
Objective: To investigate and prove that aspirin
protects, or at least attenuates amikacin ototoxicity in
humans.
Method: This study was conducted in 60 patients that
completed all
requirements .The patients were divided into two
groups:
• Control group: receive placebo treatment.
• Drug–treated group: They receive aspirin
coated tablets (1.5gm/ day), 500mg 8 hourly.
Both groups had similar aspects regarding the gender,
age and weight. The duration of therapy was 7 days
and dosage of amikacin was 1gm/day (500mg 12
hourly).
Results: Comparison of Audiometry test in
Ear/Nose/Throat (E.N.T.) Department (Pure Tone
Audiometry) at 1000 Hertz (Hz), 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz,
and 8000 Hz showed sig
Background: 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 MoreA condense study was done to compare between the ordinary estimators. In particular the maximum likelihood estimator and the robust estimator, to estimate the parameters of the mixed model of order one, namely ARMA(1,1) model.
Simulation study was done for a varieties the model. using: small, moderate and large sample sizes, were some new results were obtained. MAPE was used as a statistical criterion for comparison.
Background: Treatment of invasive prolactinoma, which has several characteristics including invasive growth into cavernous sinuses and formation of giant adenomas compressing adjacent neural structures, resulting in neurological dysfunction, has been very challenging. There are relatively few reports available describing long-term treatment outcome.
Aims of the study: In this study we evaluate the results of cabergoline administration as initial treatment during 4 years follow up period.
Methods: We prospectively categorized 36 patients into four groups according to the results of 3 months of cabergoline treatment: group 1, tumor volume reduction (TVR) ˃25% with normaliz
... Show MoreThis study provides valuable information on secondary microbial infections in H1N1 patients compared to Seasonal Influenza in Iraqi Patients. Nasopharynx swabs were collected from (12 ) patients infected with Seasonal influenza (11 from Baghdad and 1 Patient from south of Iraq) ,and ( 22 ) samples from patients with 2009 H1N1 ( 20 from Baghdad and 2 from south of Iraq). The results show that the patients infected with 2009 H1N1 Virus were younger than healthy subjects and those infected with seasonal influenza. And the difference reached to the level of significance (p< 0.01) compared with healthy subjects.Two cases infected with 2009 H1N1 virus (9.1%) were fro
... Show MoreAbstract
The grey system model GM(1,1) is the model of the prediction of the time series and the basis of the grey theory. This research presents the methods for estimating parameters of the grey model GM(1,1) is the accumulative method (ACC), the exponential method (EXP), modified exponential method (Mod EXP) and the Particle Swarm Optimization method (PSO). These methods were compared based on the Mean square error (MSE) and the Mean Absolute percentage error (MAPE) as a basis comparator and the simulation method was adopted for the best of the four methods, The best method was obtained and then applied to real data. This data represents the consumption rate of two types of oils a he
... Show MoreBackground and Aim: The use of food dyes can cause certain diseases, such as anemia and indigestion, along with other disorders, tumors, and even cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the chemical nature and toxicity of some commercial dyes locally used in processed foods compared with standard food dyes. Materials and Methods: Three types of standard and commercial food color additives (Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine) were extensively examined. The chemical structures and functional groups of the dyes were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The melting temperatures of the dyes were also determined by chemical thermal analysis. The acute toxicity test to evaluate the standard and commercial
... Show MoreBackground: Appendectomy is still one of the most commonly performed emergency surgical procedures worldwide.Avoiding delays in the diagnosis in these patients may play a role in reducing observed morbidity.Aim of study:To analyze the clinico-pathological profile and outcomes of patients undergoing emergency appendectomies to determine risk factors influencingcomplicaions.Type of the study: A prospective analytic studyPatients and Methods: The study involves 108 patients underwent emergency appendectomies at Al-kindy teaching hospital from April 2014 to March 2015. Appendicitis was categorized into two groups perforated andnonperforatedappendicities. A comparison between them was made in regard to Gender, Age, clinical presentation, inve
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