BACKGROUND: Diffuse astrocytomas constitute the largest group of primary malignant human intracranial tumours. They are classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) into three histological malignancy grades: diffuse astrocytomas (grade II), anaplastic astrocytomas (grade III) and glioblastoma (grade IV) based on histopathological features such as cellular atypia, mitotic activity, necrosis and microvascular proliferation. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a 170-kDa transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor expressed in a variety of normal and malignant cells regulating critical cellular processes. When activated, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) triggers several signalling cascades leading to increased proliferation and angiogenesis and decreased apoptosis and hence associated with aggressive progression of the tumour. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) level is known to be a strong indicator associated with the aggressive behaviour of the tumour and acts as a prognostic factor for evaluating the survival rate. AIM: To evaluate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in different grades of astrocytoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded astrocytic tumours of 44 patients were collected from the archival material of pathology department of Ghazi Al Hariri Teaching Hospital during the period from June to December 2018. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were used to characterise the tumours histologically based on cellularity, nuclear hyperchromasia, polymorphism, mitotic activity, vascular proliferation and necrosis with or without pseudopallisading of tumour cells. Diagnosis and grading of astrocytic tumours in this study were made according to WHO criteria (2016). Using a monoclonal antibody to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and immunohistochemical analysis, the expression and distribution of epidermal growth factor receptor in astrocytic tumours were examined. RESULTS: The study included 1 case pilocytic astrocytoma (grade I), 20 cases diffuse astrocytoma (grade II), 5 cases anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III) and 18 cases of glioblastoma (grade IV). Expression of EGFR was found in 38.88% of the glioblastoma samples (grade IV). However, none of the astrocytomas of WHO grades I, II and III showed immunoreactivity for EGFR protein. Different patterns of immunoreactive cells and significant intratumor heterogeneity of EGFR expression were observed in glioblastomas. CONCLUSION: The immunohistochemical expression of Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was restricted only to high-grade astrocytic tumours, namely glioblastoma, thus may use to predict glioblastoma.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, in which the etiology is not well-understood; however, interactions between environmental and genetic factors in predisposed individuals have been recognized. As a consequence, immunological alternations occur and immune cells are involved, especially T and B lymphocytes that are activated to produce different immune components. Among these components are autoantibodies that react with self-antigens aside from non-self-antigens due to the proposed theory of molecular mimicry. Accordingly, the current study was designed to examine the profile of different autoantibodies in SLE patients by using the indirect membrane based enzyme immunoassay
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis; it is considered as one of the most common, infectious diseases and major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A prospective study was conducted to obtain more clarification about the impact of causative agent and its treatment to enhance autoantibodies production such as ANCA and BPI which used as diagnostic markers for several diseases, and to provide further insight into the classical risk factors (age and sex).Seventy patients with tuberculosis involved in this study, 35 of them were untreated and 35 with treatment administration these patients were attending to directorate of general health national reference laboratory in Baghdad during the period between November/ 2012 and
... Show MoreThe current study includes (130) T2DM patients (group P) [51 males and 79 females with an ages range (35 to 55) and ages mean 49.89 years], they are sub-grouped into three categories according to their HbA1c value. patients with HbA1c less than 7 are considered as good controlled diabetic patients (30 patients) (group P1), while patients with HbA1c between 7 and 8 are considered as medium controlled diabetic patients (40 patients) (group P2), and the patient whom their HbA1c more than 8 are considered as uncontrolled diabetic patients (50 patients) (group P3). The patients group results are compared to control healthy subjects (35 subjects) (group C) [14 males and 21 Females with age range 45.51 years] matched for age, gender and BMI wer
... Show MoreCardiovascular diseases CVD are responsible for the majority of death in many countries, the term cardiovascular disease CVD includes several diseases such as: coronary artery diseases (angina, myocardial infaraction MI, atherosclerosis) and stroke. These diseases cause elevation of TC, TG, LDL, VLDL, and MDA levels in plasma and decrease of HDL levels and PON activity in plasma, because of elevation in lipid peroxidation (LPO) activity. Catechins is a water extract of green tea composed of: (-)epicatchin EC, ECG, EGC, EGCG, (+) catechin C and GC, these compounds play great roles against chronic diseases such as CVD. The effect of catechins extract on the preceding biochemical parameters was investigated in 40 volunteer male
... Show MoreAbstract Objective: The underlying molecular basis of ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) has not yet been studied among Iraqi people. This study determined the frequency and types of some cardiovascular genetic risk factors among Iraqi patients with IHDs. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study recruiting 56 patients with acute IHD during a 2-month period excluding patients >50 years and patients with documented hyperlipidemia. Their ages ranged between 18 and 50 years; males were 54 and females were only 2. Peripheral blood samples were aspirated from all patients for troponin I and DNA testing. Molecular analysis to detect 12 common cardiovascular genetic risk factors using CVD StripAssay® (ViennaLab Diagnostics GmbH, Austria) was performed
... Show MoreThe study was conducted at research station A, department of field crops, college of agricultural engineering sciences, university of Baghdad during summer 2021 to evaluate the effect of boron and some growth regulators on some growth criteria and yield of soybean crop (cv. shimaa). The experiment was carried out according to split plots by using randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plots included three concentrations of boron (75, 150 and 225) mg.L-1, the sub-plots included three levels of growth regulators, spraying kinetin (100 mg. L-1), spraying ethrel (200 mg.L-1) and spraying kinetin (100 mg.L-1) + spraying ethrel (200 mg.L-1) as
... Show MoreBackground: In the past, an association between Tuberculosis (TB) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) was widely accepted, today the potential public health and clinical importance of this relationship seems to be largely ignored. The national clinical and policy guidance in the UK on the central of TB, for example, does not consider the relationship with DM.Objectives: To determine the risk of association between diabetes mellitus and pulmonary TB.Methods: A retrospective study conducted in Ibn Zuhr hospital for chest diseases from Jan 2008 – sep 2010 , included in the study 402 patients with TB divided into diabetic & non diabetic, 96 (23.8%) were diabetic while other 306 were TB not diabetic.Results: Risk of TB among DM patients were cle
... Show MoreThere has been a great deal of research into the considerable challenge of managing of traffic at road junctions; its application to vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) has proved to be of great interest in the developed world. Dynamic topology is one of the vital challenges facing VANET; as a result, routing of packets to their destination successfully and efficiently is a non-simplistic undertaking. This paper presents a MDORA, an efficient and uncomplicated algorithm enabling intelligent wireless vehicular communications. MDORA is a robust routing algorithm that facilitates reliable routing through communication between vehicles. As a position-based routing technique, the MDORA algorithm, vehicles' precise locations are used to establish th
... Show MoreBackground: Errors of horizontal condylar inclinations and Bennett angles had largely affected the articulation of teeth and the pathways of cusps. The aim of this study was to estimate and compare between the horizontal condylar (protrusive) angles and Bennett angles of full mouth rehabilitation patients using two different articulator systems. Materials and Methods: Protrusive angles and Bennett angles of 50 adult males and females Iraqi TMD-free full mouth rehabilitation patients were estimated by using two different articulator systems. Arbitrary hinge axis location followed by protrusive angles and Bennett angles, estimation was done by a semiadjustable articulator system. A fully adjustable articulator system was utilized to locate th
... Show MoreMethotrexate (MTX) is one of the most effective medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Aserum of 60 Iraqi male patients suffering from RA as (G1) was newly diagnosis and the same patient in G1 after taking MTX as G2 and 40 Iraqi male healthy control as G3. Nesfatin-1 (Nf-1) is belong to the adipokine family withpleiotropic effect. Nf-1 has been found in different tissues, including stomach, pancreas, bone cells, cartilage and heart. Retinol binding protein (RBP4) was known as transpoter of retinol from its storage sites in the liver to the extrahepatic tissues. Moreover, RBP4 acts as adipokine and contributes in the pathophsyology of prototypic inflammatory disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The results showed a significant increas
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