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.
Objectives: In developing countries like Iraq, diarrhea was responsible for 70% of deaths among pediatrics. This study was designed to determine Iraqi mothers’ knowledge and malpractices associated with diarrhea management in pediatrics.Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was done on a convenient sample of mothers in Baghdad – Iraq. Data collection was done using a validated questionnaire specifically designed for this study.Result: Most participants preferred to consult physicians or pharmacists about pediatrics diarrhea management. Breastfeeding was stopped by 19% of participants, whereas 35% of mothers who depend on formulated milk discontinued it. Only 30% of participants use oral rehydration solution therapy always as a
... Show MoreThe present article discusses innovative word-formation processes in Internet texts, the emergence of new derivative words, new affixes, word-formation models, and word-formation methods. Using several neologisms as an example, the article shows both the possibilities of Internet word-making process and the possibilities of studying a newly established work through Internet communication. The words selected for analysis can be attributed to the keywords of the current time. (In particular, the words included in the list of "Words of 2019") there are number of words formed by the suffix method, which is the traditional method of the Russian word formation. A negation of these words is usually made thro
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The current research aims to examine the effect of the Adi and Shayer model on the achievement of fifth-grade students and their attitudes toward history. To achieve the research objective, the researcher has adopted two null hypotheses. 1) there is no statistically significant difference at the level of (0.05) between the average score of students of the experimental group who study the history of Europe and modern American history according to the model of Addie and Shayer, and the average scores of the students of the control group who study the same subjects according to the traditional method in the test of post-achievement. 2) There was no statistically significant difference at the level (
... Show MoreBackground: Smoking is considering a major risk factor for development and progression of periodontal disease. Investigations regarding the association between smoking and periodontal disease have consistently demonstrated negative periodontal effects and greater probabilities of established periodontal disease among smokers in comparison with non smokers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on periodontal health status and on the salivary levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), and to correlate the clinical parameters of periodontal health with the biochemical findings in smokers and non-smokers. Materials and methods: Unstimulated saliva sample was collected
... Show MoreBackground: Oral carcinogenesis is a molecular and histological multistage process featuring genetic and phenotypic markers for each stage, which involves enhanced function of several oncogenes and/or the deactivation of tumor suppressor genes, resulting in the loss of cell cycle checkpoints. The progression towards malignancy includes sequential histopathological alterations ranging from hyperplasia through dysplasia to carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. The p16 gene produces p16 protein, which in turn inhibits phosphorylation of retinoblastoma, p16 play a significant role in early carcinogenesis. Human papillomavirus is a well established heterogeneous virus and plays an important role in oral cancers. The aims of the study were to
... Show MoreThis study aimed to evaluate oral health (OH) and periodontal diseases (PD) awareness in the Iraqi population.
This study was a questionnaire‐based online survey of two weeks duration. The questionnaire was built using a Google platform and was distributed randomly via social media (Facebook and Telegram). The questionnaire consisted of a demographic data section and two other main sections for the evaluation of OH and PD awareness. Each response was marked with “1” for a positive answer and “0” for the other answers. For each respondent, answers were summed to give
One of these plants utilized in traditional medicine is Lactuca seriolla Linn., which belongs to the Asteraceae family. It goes by a variety of common names in the world, including prickly lettuce, wild lettuce, jagged lettuce, and Kahu and khas. The work aimed to isolate and characterize some bioactive constituent(s) from the aerial part of Lactuca serriola utilizing Combiflash NEXTGEN and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Lactuca serriola (aerial part) was extracted with 80% ethanol, then fractionated with hexane. Then 250 mg of hexane extract was mixed with 4 g of silica gel and loaded in cartilage, then bounded to the gold column of combi flash using a solvent system comprised of ethyl acetat
... Show MoreVehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are considered an emerging technology in the industrial and educational fields. This technology is essential in the deployment of the intelligent transportation system, which is targeted to improve safety and efficiency of traffic. The implementation of VANETs can be effectively executed by transmitting data among vehicles with the use of multiple hops. However, the intrinsic characteristics of VANETs, such as its dynamic network topology and intermittent connectivity, limit data delivery. One particular challenge of this network is the possibility that the contributing node may only remain in the network for a limited time. Hence, to prevent data loss from that node, the information must reach the destina
... Show MoreThe study aimed to assess the expression of CD49d and CD26 in newly diagnosed CLL patients and find their correlation with clinical Binet stage, and other clinical parameters. This study was conducted on 51 newly diagnosed CLL patients based on lymphocyte count > 5×109/L and immunophenotyping. The expression of CD49d, and CD26 were investigated using eight-color flow cytometer. The expression of CD49d and CD26 were detected in 56.9 %, 68.8 % of CLL patients, respectively. The correlation between CD49d expression and CD26 expression was statistically significant (p < 0.001) with high concordance rate between them. The positive expression of both CD49d and CD26 had statistically significant association with clinical Binet staging (p < 0.001,
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