Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is an autoimmune, and inflammatory disease that is closely related to the destruction of cartilage and bone. DC-SIGN are important types of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), expressed on dendritic cells and macrophages, and have a central role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity, function as pattern recognition receptors, and as cell adhesion molecules. Recent evidence has demonstrated that DC-SIGN is involved in the pathophysiological of chronic inflammation, so DC-SIGN has been linked to several autoimmune and may play an essential indicator in the pathogenesis and progression of RA. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the serum level of DC-SIGN in RA patients, as well as the level of DC-SIGN based on demographic characteristics. Fifty Iraqi RA patients were enrolled in the study, and a control sample of 38 healthy individuals (ascertain by laboratory and clinical tests) were included and matched by gender, age, and ethnicity with the patients. The DC-SIGN concentration was calculated in the patients’ serum and compared to control using the ELISA assay and the results revealed significantly increased serum level of DC-SIGN (12.047 ± 1.114 vs. 6.863 ± 0.806 ng/ml) was recorded in RA patients compared to controls. When correlating results, it was shown that the concentration of DC-SIGN in the serum did not record a significant difference between gender and age, as well as the blood groups. To determine the impact of the therapeutic status in RA patients on the DC-SIGN level, it was found that the concentration of DC-SIGN level was higher in untreated patients compared to treated patients. Regarding viral infection, when an investigation was conducted in RA patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the serum level of DC-SIGN in RA patients with COVID-19 showed no change in concentrations compared to uninfected RA patients.
Background: Cervical lymph nodes are the most frequently enlarged and biopsied of all the peripheral lymph nodes and in most of the cases the enlargement results from benign infectious causes, however, the presence of cervical lymphadenopathy (LAP) requires accurate diagnosis to exclude more serious causes. The aim of this study was to analyze cases of Iraqi patients presenting with cervical LAP who underwent surgical lymph node biopsy to establish accurate diagnosis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 25 patients who presented with cervical LAP for whom surgical biopsy was performed to establish a definitive diagnosis. The investigated data included the demographic and clinical parameters in addition to the final his
... Show Moreهذا البحث يتحدى الافتراض القائل أن العراق بعد عام 2003 يجب دراسته بمعزل عن ديناميات التي سبقت عام 2003، اذ تبرهن هذه الدراسة على ان الشعبوية هي احدى الديناميات التي تمظهرت بصورة شعبوية استبدادية في النظام الديكتاتوري، نظرًا لأنه كان زعيم حزب علماني وعربي على نطاق واسع، لكنه استخدم الدين والقومية بشكل استراتيجي وانتقائي في ظروف معينة، مما خلق سياق الشعبوية الحديثة. الموجة الثانية هي الشعبوية العرقية والطائف
... Show MoreSocio-scientific issues provide a great platform to both engage students in scientific topics and assess their understanding of scientific concepts. Nancy R. Singer, Amy Lannin, Maha Kareem, William Romine, and Katie Kline report on the STEM Literacy Project, a three-year National Science Foundation grant that aimed to improve STEM teachers’ knowledge and integration of literacy in their classrooms. They describe teachers’ professional learning, scenario-based assessments and other strategies they incorporated in their STEM classrooms, and how writing enables students to understand real-world issues.
The development of better tools for diagnosis and more accurate prognosis of cancer includes the search for biomarkers; molecules whose presence, absence or change in quantity or structure is associated with a particular tumour or prognosis/therapeutic outcome. While biomarkers need not be functionally relevant, if cell survival, then they could also provide new targets for therapeutic drugs. In recent years attention has been applied to a group of proteins known as cancer testis antigens (CT antigens) [1]. These proteins are products of genes whose expression was normally confined to the testis, yet they are expressed in tumour cells. CT genes are bound to serve a wide array of roles in the testes, which have many highly differentiated cel
... Show MoreApical meristems, lateral buds, anthers of immature flowers and immature embryos of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) were cultured on MS media with different growth regulators and incubated for 6 weeks at 25-27?C with 16 hrs photoperiod for callus initiation. Results indicated that 1 and 0.1 mg/l of 2,4-D and BA were suitable for callus initiation when apical meristems and lateral buds were used. While 2 and 0.5 mg/l of both growth regulators were essential for immature embryos. It was noticed that using chickpea anthers of the MS medium must contain 1mg/l 2ip and 0.5 mg/l IAA. However, MS medium supplemented with 1-3 mg/l of BA and 2,4-D respectively was good for callus initiation from lateral buds, anther and immature embryos.
... Show MoreBackground: Historically the traditional medical program are divided into preclinical basic sciences course which taught separately (subject based) and clinical course which taught also as subject based, spoon feeding ,few delivery modes , no or few interactive session and the assessment solely based on examination and no weightage is given to the continuous assessment.Curricular reform: In the last few decades, there have been increasing pressures on medical educators for curriculum reform, and many accreditation bodies were established a guidelines for the medical schools. In many countries, the traditional approach has largely been modified towards a more integrated approach. An integrated approach is still subject centered but transc
... Show More1.
Embryonic Origin of Neural Tube Defects.
Insaf Jasim Mahmoud
2.
Etiology of Neural Tube Defectss.
Ali Abdul Razzak Obed
3.
Epidemiology of Neural Tube Defects in Iraq.
Mahmood Dhahir Al-Mendalawi
4.
Surgical Management of Neural Tube Defects.
Laith Thamer Al-Ameri
5.
Prevention of Neural Tube Defects in Iraq.
Mahmood Dhahir Al-Mendalawi
Obesity is an increasing health problem in developing countries and has grown into a major global epidemic. Recent studies suggest that colonization of the stomach with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) may affect gastric expression of appetite and satiety-related hormones, finding that patients cured of H. pylori infection have gained weight. Further exploration of the relationship between obesity and H. pylori infection is therefore warranted. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection in a sample of obese patients. A total of 69 obese females and 55 normal-weight females as a control group were included. Body mass indices (BMI) of all females were measured and tests for H. pylori performed. Subjects
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