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.
Background :Infectious disorders in general have high morbidity and mortality.. CNS infections include many disorders like bacterial meningitis, tuberculous and other subacute and chronic meningitis, viral meningitis, cerebral abscess, spinal cord infections, and others.
Objective: To assess our locality about prevalence of CNS infections , to have more awareness regarding CNS infections, and to try to find the proper way to reduce their prevalence and to treat them in appropriate way.
Method :We revised the records of all the cases of CNS infections excluding cases of spinal cord infections who were admitted in the wards of neuroscience hospital over the previous two years ( from July/2010 to June 2012 ),those were 132 cases.Seaso
Background: Oral diseases persist to be a major health problem all over the world. Various bacteria and fungi are found to be the possible pathogensresponsible for the oral diseases. Moringa oleifera it is an extraordinary nutritious vegetable tree with many different uses. These leaves have high medicinal value. In the present study, antibacterial and antifungal activities of aqueous extracts of plant Moringa oleifera in comparison to chlorohexidene gluconate and deionized water were determined. Materials and methods: The leaves of plant of Moringa oleifera were collected from College of Pharmacy; Baghdad, Iraq. Tested microorganism (bacterial and fungal) was isolated from different clinical specimens. In-vitroantimicrobial activity was pe
... Show MoreAnchusa strigosa L.: Hardy annual biennial or perennial herb, with hairs especially on the leaves., flowers generally regular. Commonly named (Lisan Althour) in Iraq, from Boraginaceae family. The plant contains phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, sterols, and terpenoids. The Whole plant part defatted with n-hexane for 24 hours. The defatted plant material extracted using absolute methanol by Soxhlet apparatus for 24 hours, the extract fractionated by solvents of different polarity: petroleum ether- chloroform - ethylacetate- and n-butanol respectively. The n-butanol fraction hydrolyzed with 10% HCl for 5 hours by reflex to break down the glycosidic linkage. Rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, genistein, and silybin were isolated
... Show MoreObjective: The study aimed to determine the sources and level of job stress experienced by nurses who were
working in intensive care units, and to find-out the relationship between work-related stress and some variables
such as age, gender, educational level, marital status, and years of experience in cardiac surgical intensive care
unit.
Metl]odo]ogy: A descriptive study was conducted on nurses working in the cardiosurgical intensive care units in
Baghdad hospitals. The study sample was selected purposively and consisted of (60) nurses who were working
in cardiosurgical intensive care units in Baghdad city (Ibm Al-Betar Hospital for Cardiac Surgery, Ibn A1-Nafis
Hospital for Cardiovascular Diseases, and the Iraqi Ce
The present study addresses adopting the organic and nutritious materials in dairy wastewater as media for cultivation of microalgae, which represent an important source of renewable energy. This study was carried out through cultivation of three types of microalgae; Chlorella sp., Synechococcus, and Anabaena. The results shows the success the cultivation of the Synechococcus and Chlorella Sp, while the Anabaena microalgae were in low-growth level. The highest growth was in the Synechococcus farm, followed by Chlorella and Anabaena. However, the growth of Synechococcus required 10 days to achieve this increase that re
... Show MoreSustainable human development means meeting the basic needs of society and striving for continuous improvement in quality, as it seeks to increase economic well-being while providing adequate housing and nutrition, as well as providing electricity, water, health and education services . Ten centuries ago, Islam highlighted the importance of the development effort and the necessity of its sustainability before the West took it in the 1970s. There are a number of challenges that greatly affect the reality of achieving and ensuring Millennium Development Goals. The research recommends the importance of fighting administrative and financial corruption, as this is one of the biggest challenges facing the possibility of advancing the economy and
... Show MoreA study carried out for study effect of furfural that extracted from corn cobs by using specialized reaction system laboratory on phytopathogenic fungi: Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium solani in addition to biocontrol fungus Trichoderma viride were isolated from infected plants and from their rhizosphere . The preparation results of different concentrations from stock solution in concentration 1% of furflural showed that The concentration was 100 ppm of furfural was inhibited the growth of P. aphanidermatum46.7 % and the was in concentration 400 ppm. while the concentration 500 ppm caused inhibition 50% and 41.1% of R. solani and F. solani respectively. Whereas the concentration 500 pp
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