It was aimed to understand the interleukin-4 (IL-4) role in etio-pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two approaches were adopted. In the first one, a quantitative expression of IL4 gene was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and such findings were correlated with some demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters, which included gender, duration of disease, disease activity score (DAS-28), rheumatoid factors (RFs), C-reactive protein (CRP) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) antibodies. In the second approach, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL4 gene (rs2243250) was inspected by DNA sequencing using specific primers. Fifty-one Iraqi RA patients (22 males and 29 females) were enrolled in the study. They were under therapy, which was a single weekly subcutaneous dose of 25 mg of etanercept (Enbrel) for a period of 3-5 years. The results of gene expression (2-??Ct) revealed an increased expression of IL4 mRNA (Mean ± SEM: 8.247 ± 2.442), especially female patients compared to male patients (11.545 ± 3.928 vs. 3.537 ± 1.530; p = 0.03). The expression was also subjected to variations that were related to clinical and laboratory findings. With respect to IL4 gene SNP, allele and genotype frequencies showed no significant differences between RA patients and controls. In addition, the SNP genotypes had no effect on IL4 gene expression. In conclusion, an up-regulation of IL4 gene expression was observed in RA patients, and it was more pronounced in female than male patients by approximately four folds, while no association between the IL4 SNP alleles or genotypes and RA was observed.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of human joints, especially the knee joint, due to significant weight of the body. This disease leads to rupture and degeneration of parts of the cartilage in the knee joint, which causes severe pain. Diagnosis of this disease can be obtained through X-ray. Deep learning has become a popular solution to medical issues due to its fast progress in recent years. This research aims to design and build a classification system to minimize the burden on doctors and help radiologists to assess the severity of the pain, enable them to make an optimal diagnosis and describe the correct treatment. Deep learning-based approaches, such as Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs), have been used to detect knee OA usin
... Show MoreChronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients display a highly variable clinical course, with progressive acquisition of drug resistance. We sought to identify aberrant epigenetic traits that are enriched following exposure to treatment that could impact patient response to therapy.
Epigenome-wide analysis of DNA methylation was performed for 20 patients at two timepoints during treatment. The prognostic significance of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) was assessed in independent cohorts of 139 and 1
The current study looked into heavy metal poisoning of the Euphrates river which runs from Al-Kifl to Kufa in Iraq. One of the goals of this research was to determine the pollution levels and the contamination sources. We looked at six heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr, Fe, and Mn) characteristics in sediment, taking samples from six sites along the Euphrates every season from March 2020 to January 2021. To assess pollution levels, three indices were chosen: enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (I-geo) and contamination factor (CF). According to EF, the Cd and Pb elements recorded considerable enrichment, very high enrichment and extremely high pollution at practically all sites in four seasons, while the remainder of the HMs recorde
... Show MoreGeodiversity is the variety within abiotic natural elements that include: rocks, minerals, landforms, soil types, and water resources. Recently ecologists and naturalists recognized that there is close relationship between geodiversity and ecosystems. Huwaiza marsh is located south eastern Iraq within Lower Mesopotamian plain. The main rock bed units which crop out north east of the studied area comprises many types of rocks: conglomerate, sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and claystone belong to Bai Hassan, Mukdadiya and Injana Formations. The general elevation of the area ranges around 5 meters (a. s. l.) near the marsh and increase northeast to more than 100 meters (a. s. l.) and the Land forms are: cuesta, oxbow lakes
... Show MoreThe current research aims to identify the risk management and its impact on the quality of service in the Salahalddin Sewerage Directorate, This is due to the great impact that the service provided by this institution plays in preserving health and the environment in the community, which has faced many administrative challenges, problems and issues as a result of the rapid and continuous environmental changes, and therefore, the adoption of administrative concepts such as risk management and knowledge of their impact on the quality of the municipal service is necessary to reach this service To the required levels. To achieve the research objectives, two main hypotheses have been formulated, the first of which is to find the extent of the li
... Show MoreThis research has been performed on the vegetative parts of the
Horsetail Equisetum arvense L. v.ilich grows naturally in Haj Umran , north of Iraq , to determine and estimate some active chemical compounds , besides studyi ng their inhi bitory effe(;tS upon some urinary tracts infections (UTI) bacteria through the
investigation on the inhibitory effects of water and ethanolic extracts of this plant .
The results revealed presr.:nr.:t: of some active chemical compounds such as: tannins, saponins, resins,
... Show MoreThe Arabic calligraphy, in the early days of Islam, was used for the purpose of decorating the walls of mosques from inside and outside. Hence, this decorative art must be actively involved in enriching the designs of Islamic fabrics and costumes because it has a highly qualified and aesthetically pleasing look and expresses the originality of the Arab spirit. The research is divided into two section: the first section included the following topics: First "A historical overview of the art of decoration in Islamic Arab thought". Second "linear formations of decorative designs, and the subject of intellectual aesthetic taste of the art of decorating. This section tackles two subsections: first "the beauty of thought between the function an
... Show MoreCyclophosphamide (CP) is a cytotoxic alkylating agent it's used associated with different side effects including lung toxicity. Vitamin B2 and vitamin B12 have lung-protective effects. This study was designed to evaluate lung-protective effects of both vitamins against lung toxicity induced by cyclophosphamide. seventy healthy adult albino male and female rats divided into seven groups each group containing ten rats were used in the present study and treated for seven days. On day eight rats were sacrificed and serum was obtained for glutathione and total antioxidant capacity measurement and lung extracted for immunohistochemical study; both vitamins significantly (P<0.05) increased glutathione and total antioxidant capacity in compar
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