Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, where the normal joint tissues attacked by body’s immune system, causing their inflammation. Cluster of Differentiation 69 (CD69) is a human transmembrane C-Type lectin protein encoded by the CD69 gene. It’s expression was induced by activation (in vivo and in vitro) of T lymphocytes and Natural Killer (NK) Cells. As CD69 early activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of some inflammatory diseases, its expression on peripheral blood T-lymphocytes must be evaluated.
Objective: To evaluate the expression of CD69 on peripheral blood T-lymphocytes in RA Iraqi patients. 
Patients and methods: This study carried out between March 2

mucosal secretions as well as in secondary granules of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Anti-Elastase antibodies, anti-Lactoferrin antibodies,anti-Cathapsin G antibodies and anti-Lysozyme antibodies, which belong to Perinuclear Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies(pANCA) have been described in several immunomediated diseases, including Rheumatoid Arthritis .
Objectives: Investigate the prevalence of anti-Elastase antibodies, anti-Lactoferrin antibodies,anti-Cathapsin G antibodies , anti- Lysozyme antibodies and rheumatoid factor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to healthy control.
Patients &Methods: The study involved 40 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients who were referred to Immunolog

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that results in a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible (synovial) joints. Many cases are believed to result from an interaction between genetic factors and environmental exposures. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with several autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and multip

Background: Since the introduction of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors including etanercept, their efficacy and safety in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been studied in many randomized controlled clinical trials. However, data regarding predictors of clinical response to anti-TNF therapy are still sparse.
Objective: To assess the predictors of response to etanercept in treatment of Iraqi patients with active RA.
Methods: An open label single group prospective study was conducted over 15 months on 190 Iraqi patients with RA. All the included patients were given etanercept at a dose of 50 mg by subcutaneous injection on
a weeklybases. Each patient was followed at regular intervals of bas

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a common chronic and destructive autoimmune arthropathy .Treatment with infliximab gives great improvement to a large numbers of patients with RA ,however, in some patients after prolonged treatment infliximab can induce anti-infliximab antibodies formation and result to loss of infliximab efficacy and active persistent disease.
Objective: to investigate the frequency of anti-infliximab antibodies in Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Patients and methods: fifty Iraqi RA patients(36 females and 14 males) compared with 50 control( 25 healthy control and 25 case control (patients with RA on other treatment) ) were included in this study from begging of March 201

Background: Researchers have found that interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays a crucial regulatory function in the onset and progression of a wide range of inflammatory disorders. One of the more prevalent inflammatory illnesses affecting people today is rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to compare the IL-6 levels of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to those of healthy controls and to examine the relationship between IL-6 and RA-related demographic and clinical factors.                                                                                                       

Background: Perinuclear Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies (pANCA) have been found in patients with rheumatiod arthritis. Cathepsin G was the major target antigen.The present study was to investigate the unknown target antigen of ANCA (Cathapsin G ) in patients with rheumatiod arthritis Objective: This study is to investigate the prevalence of anti-Cathapsin G and rheumatoid factor in Iraqi patients with rheumatiod arthritis.
Patienties&Methods: From1st January until 30 June of 2011 fourty five rheumatiod arthritis patients referred to the immunological department in the teaching laboratory of medical city and twenty five apparently healthy individual used as a control group were investeged to

Background: Cytokines have an essential contribution to the inflammatory response and the development of chronic inflammation. Therefore, it has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Interleukins are closely related to RA, and the exact role of some interleukins in the pathogenesis of RA is not yet known.
Objectives: To evaluate the levels of interleukins and their ratio, since the levels of interleukins 35 and 39 in RA patients have not yet been determined in Iraq.
Patients and methods: An ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was used to measure the levels of interleukins in the blood of 56 patients with RA and 44 healthy volunteers who were enrolled in the study from November 2021 to March 2022.

Background: Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL)of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)patients have a property of phenotypic and functional activation. Glutathione S- transferase pi (GSTπ) has been implicated in playing an important role in the initiation and progression of cellular activation.
Objectives: To determine the percentage of cellular expression of GSTπ in the lymphocytes of RA patients in comparison with controls and to explore the relation between its cellular expression and disease activity pattern.
Patients and Methods: This prospective study included46 RA patients and 17 healthy controls. Blood samples were taken and from all subjects PBL were isolated and then smeared on slides. The cellular reactivity for GSTπ was determin

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity plays a central role in causing disability both directly and via indirect effects mediated through joint damage. Evaluation of RA disease activity is therefore important to predict the outcome and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions during follow-up. Clinical disease activity index (CDAI) is new simple tool for measurement of disease activity.
Objectives: To assess validity and reliability of CDAI in comparison to disease activity score-28 joints (DAS28) in Iraqi patients with active RA.
Patients and Methods: Sixty nine Iraqi RA patients were included in this study. All patients were fulfilling the ACR classification criteria and active. Full history was taken and comple