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.
Background: This study aimed to determine the cephalometric values of tetragon analysis on a sample of Iraqi adults with normal occlusion. Material and methods: Forty digital true lateral cephalometric radiographs belong to 20 males and 20 females having normal dental relation were analyzed using AutoCAD program 2009. Descriptive statistics and sample comparison with Fastlicht norms were obtained. Results: The results showed that maxillary and mandibular incisors were more proclined and the maxillary/mandibular planes angle was lower in Iraqi sample than Caucasian sample. Conclusion: It's recommended to use result from this study when using tetragon analysis for Iraqis to get more accurate result.
Background: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction that results in fluctuating muscle weakness as well as significant fatigue. Disease exacerbation is a critical condition, and the predisposing factors for it need to be identified to improve preventive measures.
Objectives: Our study aims to determine the predisposing factors for myasthenia gravis exacerbations in a group of Iraqi patients.
Subjects and Methods: A total number of 30 myasthenia gravis patients were admitted to the hospital with an exacerbation of their symptoms, determined as the development of functional disability, dysphagia, or respiratory fai
... Show MoreThe subject of the act and its transformations in the presentation is of great importance at the level of study, analysis and interpretation, and through that the researcher adopted the following title (The Dramatic Act and Its Transformations in the Iraqi Theatrical Show). The play of Black Astronomy was chosen as a sample for analysis, and the aim of the research came in order to achieve a special knowledge of the extent of the transformation that occurred between the dramatic structure of the act and theatrical embodiment and its multiple elements of operation in the Iraqi theatrical shows. It was limited to the show of the Iraqi theater in the year (2020) and included the theoretical framework that accommodated three sections. As for
... Show MoreBedsore (pressure ulcers)is a major nurse-careoutcome. There are many influences that can contribute to the progress of pressure ulcers, but the final common pathway to ulceration is tissue ischemia. This study aimed to detect some etiological factors that predispose to bedsore. The study was conducted on patients attending intensive care departments. Out of 82 inpatients who suffered from pressure ulcer, 54were males and 28were females. Specimens were collected during the period of September, 2019 –February, 2020 from different Hospitals (Alkadhimiya Teaching Hospital, General Hospital of AlshaheedAl-Sadr, and Medical City/ Ghazi Al-Hariri hospital) in Baghdad, Iraq. Simultaneously, other 20 specimens were collected as control fromin
... Show MoreBackground and objectives: P53 gene mutation and deletion are among the important molecular markers linked to lung cancer. In most cases, the inactivating mutations affecting both p53 alleles are acquired in somatic cells. Less commonly, the mutations are inherited ones. The aim of the present study was to analyze the frequency of having a wild and/or a mutated p53 gene in lung cancer compared to benign lung lesions and to relate these findings to different morphological types and grades of lung cancer.
Patients, materials and methods: In this retrospective study, the histopathology blocks of 30 lung cancer cases covering the period from2002 to 2007were obtained from the archives of the histopathology sec
Background: Periodontal disease increases local and systemic inflammatory responses in pregnant women, which may lead to premature delivery.
Objectives: To detect maternal serum levels of proinflammatory cytokine (Interleukine-6, Interleukin-8) with preterm delivery in pregnant women suffering from gingivitis.
Cases and methods: In this case-control study, a total of 85 pregnant women, were included in the study, of whom 55 had gingivitis: 25 preterm deliveries and 30 full-term deliveries. Thirty healthy pregnant women with healthy gingiva were in the control group. They were selected from Al-Ramadi Teaching Hospital for Gynecology and Pediatrics, from November 2022 to May
... Show MoreThe research aims to shed light on the recent experience in the Iraqi business environment, which is the experience of the merger. To evaluate a recent experience in an important sector of the Iraqi business sectors, namely the industrial sector to enable decision-makers to review that experience to judge the extent of its success and address some of the lapses that experience that by measuring synergies can be judged on the success of the merger experience or not. The research community is the governmental industrial sector. The research sample included six cases of merger (14) companies before the merger. The Holt method was used to predict the net sales and total cost values before the merger as if it were not merged. Th
... Show MoreBackground: Breast cancer is the leading female cancer worldwide and in Iraq .Some mutations, particularly in BRCA1, significantly increase the risk of the disease.
Objectives: To demonstrate the frequency of BRCA1 in a group of high risk women with “positive family history’’ of breast cancer; correlating the immune expression of BRCA1 with some parameters of known prognostic significance.
Patients and Methods: Eighty-two female patients diagnosed with breast cancer (50 familial and 32 non familial) were included in the study .The mean age of the patients was 48.07. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the BRCA1 oncogene expression, Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), Her 2 neu contents of the tumors.<
We describe here a case of a 70 yr old man with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis who presented with low grade fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight, bluish discoloration of the fingers and patches of gangrenous skin on the fingers. There was intense pain in the fingers which prevented him from sleep. Along with these symptoms he developed loss of sensation in the dorsum of left foot, then left foot drop. We give below full account of the case and review of the causes of vasculitis. We want to emphasize on the importance of identifying vasculitis as one of the complications of rheumatoid arthritis and intensive treatment of this complication, as it is a life-threatening complication.