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.
In this study, 191 specimens of insects that infect species of the Fabaceae family, including:
Bacterial contamination of AL-Habania reservoir was studied during the period from February 2005 to January 2006; samples were collected from four stations (AL-Warrar, AL-Theban regulator, middle of the reservoir and the fourth was towards AL-Razzaza reservoir). Coliform bacteria, faecal Coliforms, Streptococci, and faecal Streptococci were used as parameters of bacterial contamination in waters through calculating the most probable number. Highest count of Coliform bacteria (1500 cell/100ml) was recorded at AL-Razaza during August, and the lowest count was less than (300 cell/100ml) in the rest of the collection stations for all months. Fecal Coliform bacteria ranged between less than 300 cells/100ml in all stations for all months to 700 c
... Show MoreBack ground: Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the
middle and south of Iraq, it involves mostly infants. The
disease is observed mainly among rural areas that are far
from equipped medical centers. Therefore, there is a need
for anon- invasive, cost- effective, reliable, easily
available and fast method of diagnosis of this dngerous
disease.
Objective: The aim was to compare the validity and
predictive values of the recombinant K39 antigen (rK39)
test with that of the indirect fluorescent antibody test
(IFAT) test (the usual laboratory method) in the detection
of visceral leishmaniasis.
Methods: A Cross-sectional study was done in ALMansour Pediatric Hospital (in AL-Rusafa), and Central
Pediatric
A theoretical model is developed to determine time evolution of temperature at the surface of an opaque target placed in air for cases characterized by the formation of laser supported absorption waves (LSAW) plasmas. The model takes into account the power temporal variation throughout an incident laser pulse, (i.e. pulse shape, or simply: pulse profile).
Three proposed profiles are employed and results are compared with the square pulse approximation of a constant power.
In the present work, radon gas concentrations in different surface soil samples in Baghdad governorate were measured using RAD-7 detector. The results have been shown that, the Radon gas concentrations ranged between (41.67±1.78Bq/m3), to (185.67±4.22Bq/m3), a map showing the distribution of the concentration of radon in selected areas was defined to identify areas with high pollution level. The reason for the high concentration of radon is that these surface soil samples are taken from agricultural areas. It is also known that fertilizers contain uranium levels as well as areas bombed in wars in the country. It is worth noting that all radon concentrations in Baghdad governorate are below the recommended minimum of 200-300Bq/m3) (Inte
... Show MoreTax is an important financial resource that the state depends on in all its economic, political, and social fields. Nevertheless, the role of the tax is highlighted in raising tax revenues and influencing economic variables, such as savings, consumption, investment, and employment. The tax was taken as an important tool to stimulate investment in industrial projects because of this activity's important role in raising the efficiency of economic development and reviving the national economy, as many industrial investment laws were enacted and the most important thing included was exempting industrial projects from all taxes and fees (5-10) years, and an exemption Profits from income tax for a period of 5 years starting from the year in which
... Show MoreAbstract In light of the changing conditions that prevail in society, and the intense competition that institutions and countries are forced to face, especially after the opening of markets, and the transformation of the world into what is called a small village, entrepreneurship has emerged as an important tool for dealing with the developments of societies, whether it is related to individual business projects or Economics for national business, leadership was the key to any driving force towards achieving growth. Today, women are no longer captive to a specific orientation, but rather all horizons and fields of work have been opened to them, and they have been able to occupy the most important economic, voluntary, service, and
... Show MoreThe interest of many companies has become dealing with the tools and methods that reduce the costs as one of the most important factors of successful companies, and became the subject of the attention of many economic units because of the impact on the profits of company, and since the nineties of the last century the researchers and writers gave great attention to this subject, especially in light of the large competition and rapid developments in cost management techniques, as well as the wide and significant change in production methods that have been directed towards achieving customer satisfaction, all this and more driven by economic units in all sectors whether it is service or productivity to find methods that would reduc
... Show MoreEnvironmental Tax is deemed as one of the most important tools that can be used to eliminate the problem of oil –based environment pollution resulted out of oil products processes and this has been significantly approved by the experience in those leading countries in the field of protecting the environment against pollution whereas oil-producing countries which are rather awkward in maintaining the environment such as Iraq , suffer from notorious environmental effects pertaining to oil product processes.
The problem of the research is represented the increased and constant rise in the volume of the environmental pollutants resulted from the processes managed by the intern
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