Background: Cystinosis is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease with high morbidity and mortality. It is caused by mutations in the CTNS gene that encodes the cystine transporter, cystinosin, which leads to lysosomal cystine accumulation. It is the major cause of inherited Fanconi syndrome, and should be suspected in young children with failure to thrive and signs of renal proximal tubular damage. The diagnosis can be missed in infants, because not all signs of renal Fanconi syndrome are present during the first months of life. Elevated white blood cell cystine content is the cornerstone of the diagnosis. Since chitotriosidase (CHIT1 or chitinase-1) is mainly produced by activated macrophages both in normal and inflammatory conditions which suggest that cystinosis should be included within the differential diagnosis of disorders associated with increased plasma chitotriosidase activity. This study is aimed to estimate serum chitotriosidase level, as a screening marker and therapeutic monitor for cystinosis disease in Iraqi children with cystinosis.
Subjects and Methods: The present study is a case-control study that included samples of 30 children with nephropathic cystinosis, compared to 25 healthy control children from those attending at The Genetic Rare Diseases Center / AL-Emamain AL-Kadhimain Teaching Hospital, Baghdad-Iraq.
Results: Our results reported that cystinotic children had a marked elevation of serum chitotriosidase activity, compared to age-matched healthy children, besides a significant associated with leukocyte-cystine content for cystinotic patients.
CHT1 as a Novel Biomarker
Conclusion: Estimation of serum chitotriosidase activity might aid in monitoring the therapeutic benefits of cysteamine therapy, as well as the prognosis of the disease when WBC cystine assessment is not available.
Key Words: Cystinosis, Cysteamine, Chitotriosidase.
The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) is a devastating invasive pest of palm trees, invading the Iraqi date palm tree in 2015 for the first time in Safwan county, Basrah province. The Red Palm weevil has been categorized as a quarantine pest of date palm trees worldwide. In this study, a five years monitoring program has been achieved by scouting the invasive pest RPW population in Safwan county by using visual sampling and Pheromone baited traps.
The results indicated that the number of infested palms, increased from 12 trees in 2015 to 111 in 16 orchards in 2016. The number of the infested palms was minimized to 3 trees in the county in 2019 due to the management protocol of the Ministry of Agriculture
Fourteen morphologically varied Ricinus communis L. seeds were collected from different localities in Egypt, El-Sudan and Saudi Arabia. Seed morphology and ITS barcoding analysis were performed to assess their diversity and phylogenetic relationship. Sequence’s alignment of nrITS region from different accessions display high levels of genetic similarities. Cluster analysis could not group different accessions according to their geographical distribution. Nevertheless, the genetic barcodes are interestingly matched with the morphological features of the Ricinus seeds. In conclusion, seed morphology proved to be a valuable tool in evaluating biodiversity and phylogenetic relationship in plant species with different loca
... Show MoreThe current study included the isolation, purification and cultivation of blue-green alga Oscillatoria pseudogeminata G.Schmidle from soil using the BG-11liquid culture medium for 60 days of cultivation. The growth constant (k) and generation time (G) were measured which (K=0.144) and (G=2.09 days).
Microcystins were purified and determined qualitatively and quantitatively from this alga by using the technique of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa Kits). The alga showed the ability to produce microcystins in concentration reached 1.47 µg/L for each 50 mg DW. Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) aged two months were irrigated with three concentrations of purified microcystins 0.5 , 3.0 and 6.0
... Show MoreGlass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement provides an effective alternative to conventional steel in concrete structures due to its corrosion resistance. Nevertheless, the lower elastic modulus of GFRP necessitates careful consideration of serviceability behavior in GFRP-reinforced concrete members. This study presents a numerical sectional analysis model for predicting the flexural response and ultimate capacity of hybrid reinforced concrete beams incorporating embedded GFRP profiles in combination with either mild steel or GFRP reinforcement bars under monotonic static loading. The proposed model employs realistic nonlinear stress–strain relationships for concrete and steel, together with secant moduli of elasticity
... Show MoreIn this study, Yogurt was dried and milled, then shaked with distilled water to remove the soluble materials, then again dried and milled. Batch experiments were carried out to remove hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. Different parameters were optimized such as amount of adsorbent, treatment time, pH and concentration of adsorbate. The concentrations of Cr6+ in solutions are determined by UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Maximum percentage removal of Cr6+ was 82% at pH 2. Two equilibrium adsorption isotherms mechanisms are tested Langmuir and Freundlich, the results showed that the isotherm obeyed to Freundlich isotherm. Kinetic models were applied to the adsorption of Cr6+ ions on the adsorbents, ps
... Show MoreA calamitic symmetric liquid crystalline consisting of an azo group containing 5H-Thiazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole moiety compound[III] was synthesized via sequence reactions starting from reaction terephthaldehyde with mercaptoacetic acid and thiosemicarbazide in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid to synthesized 5,5'-(1,4-phenylene)bis(5Hthiazolo[4,3-b][1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-amine)[I] then the azo compound [II] synthesized by coupling between diazonium salt of the compound [I] with phenol at (0-4) ̊C., after that the compound [III] was synthesized by the reaction of the compound [II] with methyl bromide in alkaline media. The compounds are characterized by melting points, FTIR and 1HNMR spectroscopy. The mesomorphic behavior was stu
... Show MoreRehabilitation robotics has developed into an interdisciplinary field which uses mechanical design and control theory and optimization techniques together with information technologies to create better recovery results for people who suffer from motor disabilities. The present review assesses rehabilitation robotics research through engineering application studies which use more than 120 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024. The discussion covers four main areas which include control strategies that start from basic PID methods and extend to sophisticated adaptive and intelligent control systems. The study utilizes bio-inspired and metaheuristic optimization methods to enhance system functionality and develop control paths
... Show MoreThis study appears GIS techniqueand remote sensing data are matching with the field observation to identify the structural features such as fault segments in the urban area such as the Merawa and Shaqlawa Cities. The use of different types of data such as fault systems, drainage patterns (previously mapped), lineament, and lithological contacts with spatial resolution of 30m was combined through a process of integration and index overlay modeling technique for producing the susceptibility map of fault segments in the study area. GIS spatial overlay technique was used to determine the spatial relationships of all the criteria (factors) and subcriteria (classes) within layers (maps) to classify and map the potential ar
... Show More