Bacterial meningitis is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide. It is crucial for clinical and public health care, as well as disease control, to identify the meningitis-causing agent promptly. Between June 2021-February 2022, a total of 100 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples were collected from suspected cases of meningitis admitted to Raparin Paediatric Teaching Hospital, Erbil city-Iraq. Cytochemical, cultural, and biochemical tests were conducted, and confirmed by molecular techniques. Bacterial culture findings were positive in 7% of CSF samples and just one positive among blood samples. The most common pathogens found by cultural characteristics and VITEK 2 Compact System were Staphylococcus sciuri in two

       The gene expression of the most important structural genes ica A and D of biofilm, sarA, and sigB regulatory genes of some methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were examined using the real-time polymerase chain reaction after 24 hours of growth. The results revealed that the isolates with strong biofilm production had the highest gene expression of the structural icaA and D genes. Whereas the isolates that showed moderate and weak biofilm production, recorded the lowest gene expression. The results of the regulatory genes sarA, and sigB fluctuated among all MRSA isolates. Isolate No. 64 recorded the highest gene expression

     The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) gene plays a critical role in breast cancer development and progression. HER2 overexpression characterizes a biologically and clinically aggressive breast cancer subtype. In this study, 60 samples from Iraqi women with breast cancer were collected and investigated for HER2 protein in the tissue by immunohistochemistry. Also, 20 samples from healthy Iraqi women were used as a control. The results showed that 18 (30 %) patients expressed the HER2 protein. A molecular study for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was conducted on samples metastasizing to lymph nodes. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify e

This text and guide discusses the surgical and medical management of congenital heart diseases in both adult and children. It describes the disease, pathology, treatment, complications and follow-up with extensive use of didactic material to educate the reader to the practicalities of the subject. It details the novel research via an extensive literature review, while covering all aspects of the surgical and medical treatment of congenital heart disease. It includes review of the laparoscopic techniques and epidemiology of each disease involved and their prevalence to provide the reader with the full clinical picture. Clinical and Surgical Aspects of Congenital Heart Diseases: Text and Study Guide provides a thorough practical reference fo

Background: Thrombasthenia is an inherited genetic disorder affecting platelets, which is characterized by spontaneous muco-cutaneous bleeding and abnormally prolonged bleeding in response to injury or trauma. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnosis and treatment of thrombasthenia in Children Welfare Teaching Hospital. Type of the study: A cross-sectional study. Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 66 patients with thrombasthenia from the first of October 2013 till the first of July 2015.The diagnosis of the disease was done by a wide spectrum of characteristics including family history, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests.. Results: The common manifestations of the disease at time of diagnosis wer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. A total of 110 Iraqi Arab individuals were included in this study; 60 individuals of them had prostate cancer with increased levels of TPSA (patients group); their age range 52-90 years. They were referred for diagnosis and treatment to the National Al-Amal Hospital for oncology in Baghdad during the period from July 2017 to October 2017. While the other 50 apparently healthy subjects were the control group, their age range similar to patients group. Sera and blood samples were collected from all patients and controls than used to assess for the level of IL-18 and DNA extraction, respectively. The polymorphisms were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-single specific

Background: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a significant role in the activation of adaptive immunity and may have an essential role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives: To assess the gene expression of TLR4 in individuals with RA compared to healthy individuals. Methods: From July to December 2022. A total of 100 individuals were encompassed in the study, consisting of 50 individuals diagnosed with RA, of whom 42 were females and 8 were males, with an average age of 45.22 years. Additionally, there were 50 healthy control participants, 40 of whom were females and 10 were males, with an average age of 45.64 years. To assess the TLR4 transcript levels, blood samples were collected from each participant, and RN

Reishi Mushroom, Ganoderma, is considered one of important wood-decaying medicinal mushrooms. This study aimed to identify three samples of this genus in Mosul city in February and April 2019. Three species of Ganoderma were collected from three various trees including Eucalyptus, Morus, and Olea (olive) in Mosul City, Northern Iraq. Their identifications and their DNA sequences were genetically identified by using PCR techniques according to detect nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Results exhibited the finding of Ganoderma resinaceum, Ganoderma applanatum, and Ganoderma sp. This study is first attempt to identify Reishi Mushroom by molecular methods in Iraq. Thus, the current study is considered new good d

Objectives: To identify the frequency and types of microsatellite instability among a group of sporadic CRC patients and to correlate the findings with clinicopathological characteristics. Methods: During an 8-month period, all patients with sporadic CRC who attended to two teaching hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq were recruited to this cross-sectional study regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or tumor characteristics. Demographic, clinical, and histopathological features were recorded. DNA was extracted from FFPE-blocks of the resected tumors and normal tissues. PCR amplification of five microsatellite mononucleotide repeat loci (BAT25, BAT26, NR-21, NR-24, and MONO-27) and 2 pentanucleotide repeat control markers (Penta C and Pent