Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease that is characterized by swollen skin patches. Normally, these skin patches are dark, swollen, itchy and scaly. The single application of the innate TLR7/8 ligand Imiquimod (IMQ) in mice easily induces a dermatitis that closely resembles human psoriasis, critically dependent on the axis of IL-23/IL-17. Artemisia dracunculus prepared as an ointment and has been used topically to mice before imiquimod application. The results of the current study showed that A. dracunculus ointment can significantly reduce psoriasis area and severity index in (A. dracunculus ointment + imiquimod group as compared with both control group and (vehicle ointment + imiquimod) group.

Objectives: Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is WNT/b-catenin pathway antagonist which plays a detrimental role in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This research aimed to assess serum DKK-1 levels in diabetic patients who have and have not developed DR and, compare them with the control subjects finding out whether we can use it as an indicator for DR early diagnosis and to find out which one of the widely used two groups of antidiabetic treatments had the greater effect on this biomarker and hence on the progression of DR. Methods: The study participants were divided into two subgroups: First, 70 patients (36 male, 34 female) with type 2 diabetes mellitus, among them 35 patients diagnosed with DR and 35 with no evidence of DR, and s

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is widespread and involved in the pathogenesis of the majority of stomach and duodenal diseases. Reduced stomach acidity facilitates the initial infection. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) are essential for the production of stomach acid. This study aimed to observe any changes in the levels of serum electrolytes (Na, K, and Cl) and serum vitamin C levels in a sample of Iraqi patients infected with H. Pylori. We studied 30 infected patients with H. Pylori and 30 matched healthy controls. The results revealed that the serum sodium, potassium, and chloride levels were significantly decreased (p = 0.002, 0.003 and 0.0001, respectivel

Background: CA19-9 is among a group of mucin glycoprotein sialosyl lewis antigen (SLA) having come to be recognized as a circulating cancer associated antigen for gastrointestinal cancer. Basic research into cancer causation will be a powerful determinant of intervention in the transformation process reinforcing the need for developing effective molecular tumor biomarkers for early detection of malignant evolution in tissues of organs i.e. stomach, colon and rectum. In this study, we make a comparsion between the levels of CA19-9 in sera and tissues of patients with these diseases to see if their levels are proportional and if it is a tumor marker that affect with malignant cells in tissues of these org

The production of reactive oxygen species in most diseases including osteoarthritis (OA) is confirmed to be the most destractive process to human cells.  To investigate the role of free radicals in patients with OA and by comparing lipid peroxidation marker maloan dialdehyde (MDA) and Vit E as one of the potent antioxidant in Sera of (OA) patients with those in healthy population.  The study includes 34 patients with knee OA diagnosed by doctors using different diagnostic parameters techniques , 18 females and 16 males and their age ranged 45 – 78 years , in addition to  32 healthy control 16 males and 16 females. The result revealed a significant elevation in serum MDA sera in both patient groups ( male and female)

Clinical index is needed to predict the outcome of pregnancy after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) for infertile patients. Growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8), also known as myostatin, is one of transforming growth factor-â superfamily localized in antral follicles in normal and PCOS ovaries but its function in female reproductive system is still unknown. Aim of the study is to assess the correlation between levels of GDF8 in follicular fluid (FF) with outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF/ICSI) in women with and without PCOS. A prospective case control study was performed enrolling (40) patients with PCOS and (40) non-PCOS women (male infertility) undergoing IVF/ICSI. The collect

To find the effect of interaction of the two elements , phosphorus and zinc, in some of the characters of two varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum Var. Intisar) (Triticum aestivum Var. Ipa 95), An experiment was conducted in pots in the green house of the Department of Biological Science. / College of Education (Ibn-Al-Hiatham), for the season 2007/2008 using three levels of Phosphorus (0, 400, 800, mg / pot) and four levels of zinc (0, 10, 15, 20 mg / pot).  The experiment showed that the effect of the interaction of phosphorus and zinc was positive which increased the values of the features studied (length of plant, relative growth rate, nitrogen content, concentration of phosphorus and concentration of zinc) in the two varieties

Background: Cytokines are the messengers of the immune system.They are mostly secreted by macrophages and lymphocytes and their production is induced in response to injury or infections.
Objective: Biopsy speciemens from the middle body of the stomach were obtained from 18 patients with gastric carcinoma, 32 patients with atrophic gastritis, 50 patients with chronic gastritis and 20 healthy subjects and IL-8 and IL-1B levels were detrmined.
Methods: Sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was used to determine the IL-8 and IL-1B levels.
Results: IL-8 and IL-1B levels were significantly higher in gastric carcinoma patients than patients with atrophic gastritis and both significantly higher than healthy subjects.
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