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.
This study evaluated the effect of spore suspension and fungal filtrate against different developmental stages of Tribolium castaneum third and fifth larval instars and adults. Two isolates of entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae were used (commercially (Met 52 EC), and domesticly). For the two isolates, the effectiveness of various conidial concentrations were (1 × 104 ; 1 × 106 ; 1 × 108 conidia/ ml) and various concentrations of fungal filtrate (100,75,50%) were evaluated. It is observed that the fungal filtrate at a concentration of 75% and the conidial concentration of 1 x 108 conidia /ml for both isolates were the most effective in causing the highest mortality rates to the third and fifth instar larva and adult
... Show MoreIn present study the effect of soil extracts of different types of soil on ability of two clinical isolates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus to form biofilm. The extract of soil was done by using sterile phosphate buffer saline and analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic (FTIR). Spectrophotometric method was used to check ability of the studied isolated bacteria to form biofilm on polystyrene microtiter plates. The data of FTIR showed very little difference was observed among extracts of three types of soil (soil contaminated with hydrocarbons; garden soil collected from gardens of al-jadrea, Baghdad and containers soil), but the highest difference was observed in the extract obtained from peat moss clay soil.
... Show Moresome ecological (physical and chemical varible) of water samples were studies monthly from December 2008 to May 2009 at two stations( St.1) Al - Chibayesh marsh and (St.2) Abu – Zirik marsh which are located in the south of Iraq . These variables included : Temperature, pH, EC, Dissolved oxygen , Total alkalinity, Nitrate, Sulphate, and phosphate, Si-SiO2 and Ca ,Mg, Cl, The marsh Considered as fresh water and alkaline. Abu-Zirik less than Al-Chibayesh.
Electronic banking services appeared as a result of laying the foundations for the application of electronic automation in the banking field, and despite the clear expansion in its adoption and implementation as an inevitable necessity imposed by international and national developments, its application was not ideal according to the level that was expected to occur after the abandonment of traditional banking services, which produced some risks Which is evident in the absence of a legal system, whether at the level of proving and authoritative electronic banking services such as electronic signature, Or at the level of protecting the confidentiality of these services and ensuring that they are not exp
... Show MoreAbstract: This study was aimed to investigate the effect of two doses of pregabalin (PGB) on hormonal level and sexual activity in female albino rats. Ninety female rats with age (9-10 weeks) and weight (200±20 g) were divided into three major groups of thirty rats. First group was considered as control G1, the second G2 and third G3 groups were exposed to PGB into two doses 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight per day respectively. Each major group was divided into three subgroups (subgroup A, B, and C of each has ten rats), the treatments last for one month for subgroup A, two months for subgroup B, and three months for subgroup C. Five rats from each subgroup were placed separately into two breeding cages with two isolated males and wait
... Show MoreThe field efficacy of Actellic (organophosphate), Neporex (insect growth regulator) and
Ficam (carbamate), at the application rates of 2-4, 0.4-0.8 and 0.1-0.2 g AI/m2 respectively,
was studied against the larvae of Musca domestica L. Results of treatments involving horse
manure indicated that Actellic and Neporex produced sharp decrease of larval numbers (close
to zero) for 21d. But there was a slight recovery in larval numbers 14 d following treatment
with Ficam. The populations of predator mites were not affected due to insecticidal
applications.
A simple, fast, inexpensive and sensitive method has been proposed to screen and optimize experimental factors that effecting the determination of phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHE.HCl) in pure and pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on the development of brown-colored charge transfer (CT) complex with p-Bromanil (p-Br) in an alkaline medium (pH=9) with 1.07 min after heating at 80 °C. ‘Design of Experiments’ (DOE) employing ‘Central Composite Face Centered Design’ (CCF) and ‘Response Surface Methodology’ (RSM) were applied as an improvement to traditional ‘One Variable at Time’ (OVAT) approach to evaluate the effects of variations in selected factors (volume of 5×10-3 M p-Br, heating time, and temperature) on
... Show MoreThe plant Conyza canadensis, which belongs to Asteraceae (Compositae) family and known as Canadian horseweed. It was used as traditional medicine in China, Pakistan, India, and Africa for the treatment of various diseases causing by bacteria, fungi, or viruses. The plant has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer pharmacological activity. This study provides the first phytochemical investigation of the plant in Iraq and is concerned with extraction, fractionation, isolation, and purification of some of the important phytochemicals detected in the plant-like phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Also, the literature survey has revealed that the plant has a substantial antimicrobial activity, so it w
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