Cytokines are signaling molecules between inflammatory cells that play a significant role in the pathogenesis of a disease. Among these cytokines are interleukins (ILs) 17A and 33, and accordingly, the current case-control study sought to investigate the role of each of the two cytokines in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Sixty-eight relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) Iraqi patients and twenty healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to determine serum levels of IL-17A and IL-33. Results revealed that IL-17A and IL-33 levels were significantly higher in MS patients than in controls (14.1 ± 4.5 vs. 7.5 ± 3.8 pg/mL; p < 0.001 and 65.3 ± 16.3 vs. 49.3 ± 20.0 pg/mL; p < 0.001, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that IL-17A was a very good predictor of MS (area under curve [AUC] = 0.869; 95% CI = 0.779 - 0.960; p < 0.001; cut-off value = 10.2 pg/mL; sensitivity = 80.8%; specificity = 75.0%). A similar prediction was presented by IL-33, but the AUC value was lower (AUC = 0.762; 95% CI = 0.63 - 0.89; p < 0.001; cut-off value = 56.4 pg/mL; sensitivity = 70.6%; specificity = 70.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis confirmed the significance of IL-17A and IL-33 in MS risk, and under three models of analysis, the estimated odds ratios for IL-17A (1.50, 1.49 and 1.50, respectively) and IL-33 (1.05, 1.05 and 1.06) were above 1.0. Patients stratified by gender (male and female), expanded disability status scale (EDSS: < 3 and ≥ 3) or medication (pre- and post-medication) showed no significant differences in serum levels of IL-17A and IL-33 for each stratum. However, with regard to response to medication, it was found that responding patients showed significantly higher levels of IL-33 than non-responders (70.9 ± 12.2 vs. 57.2 ± 18.2 pg/mL; p = 0.018). This difference was not observed when considering IL-17A. Pearson correlation analysis between IL-17A and IL-33 revealed that both cytokines were not significantly correlated. In conclusion, the study indicated that IL-17A and IL-33 were up-regulated in serum of MS patients, and this up-regulation was not influenced by age, gender, EDSS or medication status, but the elevated level of IL-33 was more pronounced in patients who responded to medication.
The recent development in statistics has made statistical distributions the focus of researchers in the process of compensating for some distribution parameters with fixed values and obtaining a new distribution, in this study, the distribution of Kumaraswamy was studied from the constant distributions of the two parameters. The characteristics of the distribution were discussed through the presentation of the probability density function (p.d.f), the cumulative distribution function (c.d.f.), the ratio of r, the reliability function and the hazard function. The parameters of the Kumaraswamy distribution were estimated using MLE, ME, LSEE by using the simulation method for different sampling sizes and using preli
... Show MoreEndoglucanase produced from Aspergillus flavus was purified by several steps including precipitation with 25 % ammonium sulphate followed by Ion –exchange chromatography, the obtained specific activity was 377.35 U/ mg protein, with a yield of 51.32 % .This step was followed by gel filtration chromatography (Sepharose -6B), when a value of specific activity was 400 U/ mg protein, with a yield of 48 %. Certain properties of this purified enzyme were investigated, the optimum pH of activity was 7 and the pH of its stability was 4.5, while the temperature stability was 40 °C for 60 min. The enzyme retained 100% of its original activity after incubation at 40 °C for 60 min; the optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 40 °C.
The paper reports the influence of annealing temperature under vacuum for one hour on the some structural and electrical properties of p-type CdTe thin films were grown at room temperature under high vacuum by using thermal evaporation technique with a mean thickness about 600nm. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of CdTe cubic phase at all annealing temperature. From investigated the electrical properties of CdTe thin films, the electrical conductivity, the majority carrier concentration, and the Hall mobility were found increase with increasing annealing temperatures.
Twenty isolates of Serratia marcescens were isolated from inflammation of the urinary tract (UTI)., These isolates were found to produce hemolysin as indicated by blood agar plates in which the hemolysis of red blood cell indicate a positive result. Isolates were selected according to their hemolysis activity by measuring absorbance of hemoglobin at 405 nm that released from red blood cell. Hemolysin was completely purified using 50-75% saturation of ammonium sulphate followed by ion exchange chromatography with DEAE-cellulose then gel filtration chromatography by sepharose 4B. Accordingly molecular weight for the purified toxin was estimated as 45 KD.
There is a continuous and massive need for newer cephalosporins that should have resistance against β-lactamases and can be used orally. An approach of using cephalexin, as a well-studied and potent antibacterial compound is considered to prepare new designed derivatives. These derivatives include the incorporation of amino acid moiety linked through an amide bond with the α-amino group of cephalexin. Certain aliphatic amino acids were used, such as glycine, alanine, valine and proline. The chemical structures of these derivatives were confirmed by IR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. All the synthesized compounds were subjected for preliminary evaluation of antimicrobial activity using well diffusion method, against certa
... Show MoreThis study aimed to determine the possibility of culturing genus Artemia in under laboratory conditions for locally culturing and producing. Different salinity concentrations were used, ranging from 5-40g/l . the results showed that the concentration 30g/l is the best for hatching. This concentration recorded hatching efficiency of 68800 nauplii/g cysts and hatching percentage of 45.86%, while the concentration 5g/l recorded less hatching efficiency and hatching percentage of 20266 nauplii/g and 13.5% respectively . Investigating the effect of salinity on individuals survival and growth using saline concentrations ranging from 30to 100g/l, revealed that the best percentage was 75.00% in the first week with 70g/l, whilst the best rates of
... Show MoreMulti-nationalities companies are the main companies in the progressed
countries that improve the current technology and, thus, become the main source of it.
These companies, in the first place, aim to increase the profits of its
investments to satisfy stock holders in the original countries to which these companies
belong.
It is a mean to interfere in the economic of countries especially the growing
ones and exploit their important natural resources. Since this research focus on the
dangers of these companies, mechanism of its work and its dangers on the most
important natural resources of our country which is oil; therefore, the research
confirm that this important natural treasure must be under an Iraqi cont
The tracking of satellites motion and their path around the earth is important things in the mechanical of satellites motion. Significant parameters for the determination of time entrance and existence of the satellite could be obtained from the shadow of the earth. In the present work the tracking and time determination for entry and exit from earth shadow have been studied. In the present work we built a software for tracking the motion of satellites in orbit around the earth and determine the change of both distance and speed as a function of time. The perturbations effect on the satellite has been neglected from the earth atmosphere drag and the earth gravity and other effects. The equation for calculating the shadow is solved using num
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