Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic multisystem autoimmune disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations encompassing almost all organs and tissues. Aimes of study determination of integrin- linked kinase 1(ILK-1) and anti-smith antibody(ASAB) levels in serum of Iraqi patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, in addition, that ILK-1 may be as a diagnostic marker of SLE disease, and study the effect of systemic lupus erythematosus on renal function in these patients. This study included 100 females’ patients with systemic lupus erythematosus attending to the Rheumatology Unit in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, (Baghdad), in addition to 30 healthy females as controller group were chosen without any chr

Serine Palmitoyltransferase SPT is the key enzyme in the de novo sphingolipids biosynthesis pathway in eukaryotes, including the intracellular parasite Leishmania. Previous studies showed that this enzyme SPT is expressed only in divided promastigote forms and it is non-essential in the amastigotes form of Leishmania major, which is known as the old world leishmaniasis. In this study we have studied the viability of new world lesihamniasis, Leishmania mexicana. Cytotoxicity test used to determine the effect of the SPT inhibitor myriocin which did not significantly affect the viability of the two forms of the in vitro cultures of the parasite p<0.05, procyclic promastigotes and amastigotes, in which cell viability for miltefosine trea

Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) mostly associated with renal and hepatic adverse effects, and the adjunct use of compounds with potent protective effects, like silymarin, may be one of the choices to avoid these effects. This project was designed to evaluate the protective effect of silymarin against the suspected renal and hepatic injury induced with long term use of NSAIDs; 220 patients with osteoarthritis were randomized into 5 groups and treated with either silymarin 300mg/day alone, piroxicam 20mg/day alone, meloxicam 15mg/day alone or the combination of each of them with silymarin for 8 weeks. The renal and hepatic functions were evaluated before starting treatment and after 8 weeks including assessm

BACKGROUND Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell disorder characterized by the infiltration of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow and the detection of a monoclonal immunoglobulin in serum and/or urine. Renal failure, anemia, hypercalcemia, and the presence of bone lesions are the hallmarks of the disease. The study aimed to evaluate the clinical, hematological, radiological, and immunophenotypic features of MM patients and to identify prognostic factors influencing survival outcomes. This cohort study included 77 newly diagnosed, untreated MM patients. Their clinical presentation, laboratory data, imaging results, and the expression of flow cytometry markers were analyzed in correlation with the 1-year overall survival (OS). The mean a

KE Sharquie, AA Noaimi, BAM Saleh, 2015

Sphingolipids are key components of eukaryotic membranes, particularly the plasma membrane. The biosynthetic pathway for the formation of these lipid species is largely conserved. However, in contrast to mammals, which produce sphingomyelin, organisms such as the pathogenic fungi and protozoa synthesize inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) as the primary phosphosphingolipid. The key step involves the reaction of ceramide and phosphatidylinositol catalysed by IPC synthase, an essential enzyme with no mammalian equivalent encoded by the AUR1 gene in yeast and recently identified functional orthologues in the pathogenic kinetoplastid protozoa. As such this enzyme represents a promising target for novel anti-fungal and anti-protozoal drugs. Given

Globalisation and rapid environmental change have created many challenges for public and private organisations across Iraq as a developing country, particularly in the higher education sector. This includes, for example, decreases in government funding; increased demand for higher education; a need for economic transformation, and related competitiveness of organizations. Such challenges require exceptional leaders and strategic planning in order to take action to improve. In Iraq, the higher education sector is still one of the main foundations in progressing the knowledge economy. Studies into leadership style, strategic planning processes, and the importance of leadership and organisational culture to an organisation’s success have bee