Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is disorder of diarthrodial joints characterized clinically by pain and functional limitation. Rheumatoid factor (RF) represents one of routine laboratory tests that done for all patients have joint complaints. Chloroquine phosphate (CQP) is a disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) used for patients suffer from knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in order to reduce their RF value and improves the disease status.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of chloroquine phosphate on rheumatoid factor (RF) level in serum of patients with knee osteoarthritis KOA) Design: case report.
Subjects and methods: RF value were assessed quantitatively by ELISA technique before and after tre

Background: Pulmonary involvement in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a serious extra articular manifestation.

Patients and Methods: 82 patients with RA and 40 control subjects were included in this prospective study. They were submitted to medical history, physical measurements (height, weight and BMI) and spirometric evaluation for FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁%, PEFR and FMF (FEF25-75%).Objective: The aim of the study is to detect pulmonary involvement, classify the type of involvement (whether obstructive, restrictive or mixed), and to find out whether pulmonary system was involved in the early stage of the disease and is asymptomatic and to determine the as

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary ailment that can cause severe pain and suffering to people who are affected. However, with continued investment in research and treatment options, we can make progress towards improving the lives of those with SCD. Over 40% of patients experience painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), so we must work towards finding solutions and providing support for those living with this condition, These episodes, a hallmark of SCD, significantly contribute to morbidity, mortality, and a diminished quality of life, while also incurring substantial healthcare costs. Chronic pain particularly affects older adolescents and adults with SCD, with over half reporting daily discomfort. Opioid-based analgesics, though sti

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic destructive inflammatory disease associated with destruction of joint connective tissues and bones, affecting 0.5%–1% of the population worldwide reporting higher prevalence of periodontitis among rheumatoid arthritis patients. The purpose of this study is to estimate level of salivary C-reactive protein in relation to the occurrence and severity of the periodontal disease and other oral parameters among group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis Material and methods: Fifty women patients with rheumatoid arthritis; twenty five on Methotrexate treatment and twenty five on combination treatment of Methotrexate and Etanercept selected as study groups with an age range (30-40) years old and

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the autoimmune diseases characterized by the synovial inflammation which causes organs and tissues damage especially synovial tissues and joints. The study included 50 serum samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when compared with 50 serum samples from healthy individuals as control with age range 35 – 60 years (41.3 ± 2.4 years vs. 41.0 ± 2.0 years, respectively). ELISA technique was used to assess the Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide IgG antibody (anti-CCP IgG Ab) level, anti-rheumatoid factor IgG antibody (anti-RF IgG) and anti-Cytomegalovirus (anti-CMV IgG) antibodies frequencies in the studied groups. The present findings demonstrated that all RA patients have 100% seropositive fr

Background: The genetic polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor (VDR) have an association with thalassemia development, additionally to the environmental elements that elicited the disorder in the genetically predisposed individuals. As well, VDR functions responsible for the regulation of bone metabolism, such its part in immunity. Aim: The sitting study intended to inspect the association between thalassemia disease and the genetic polymorphisms of VDR among the Iraqi population then compared these findings to other findings of thalassemia patients in other different ethnic populations. Materials and methods: The restriction enzymes Bsm-I and Fok-I were applied to determine the genetic polymorphisms frequencies of VDR by a Polymerase Chain Re

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases which occurs as a result of unknown reasons. This study was conducted at Baghdad Teaching Hospital/City of Medicine, where blood samples were taken from 60 Iraqi patients with RA (49 females and 11 males) and these patients were matched by age and sex with 20 healthy controls (16 females and 4 males). Patients with RA were diagnosed by a consultant rheumatologist according to ACR / EULAR criteria in 2010. In this study the patients were divided into four groups as follows; the first group consisted of 12 patients treated with methotrexate (MTX), the second group consisted of 10 patients treated with etanercept, the third group consisted of 18 patients treate

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are enzymes that included, in a more range of detoxifying reactions by conjugation of glutathione, to electrophilic material. Polymorphisms n the genes that responsible of GSTs affect, the function of the GSTs. GSTs play an active role in protection of cell against oxidative stress mechanism. Polymorphisms of GSTP1 at codon 105 amino acids forms GSTP1 important site for bind of hydrophobic electrophiles and the substitution of Ile/Val affect substrate specially catalytic activity of the enzyme and may correlate with reach to different diseases in human like diabetes mellitus type2 disease. Correlation between these polymorphisms and changes in the parameters file of diabetic patients has also bee

  The study aimed to estimate  the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)  and visfatin as a novel  pro inflammatory marker in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA ) according to the activity scores of disease to assess the possibility of introducing glucagon-like peptide-1 and visfatin in the diagnosis and monitoring of RA patients and to found the correlation  of visfatin level with GLP-1 and AIP in patients prone to atherosclerosis ,fifty  healthy individuals as control group (G1) and fifty rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (G2) were enrolled in this study with middle age  ranged (30 – 40) years and BMI ≥24 kg/m2. ESR ,RF, lipid profile, CRP,insulin, visfatin and GLP-1were determined. Results in t

Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Magnesium, Manganese, Chromium, Iron, Nickel, Cobalt, Vanadium and Germanium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) in blood serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, (30) patients (14male and 16female) with age range (37-60) years compared with normal tensive control. The analysis of results showed that the mean value of concentration (Magnesium,  Manganese and Nickel) were significantly higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to that of healthy, while the mean levels of serum (Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Chromium, Iron, Cobalt and Germanium) were significantly lower than controls. There were no significant changes in overall mean concentration of serum Vanadium in patients