Background: Cardiovascular complications represent one of the consequences of chronic autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), which has significant rates of morbidity and mortality. Dyslipidemia can be brought on by steroid medications, which are frequently given to SLE patients and are considered to be one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Objectives: This study attempted to investigate a potential association between circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) as risk factors for atherosclerosis and their relationship to cardiovascular risk.

Patients and methods: A total

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic multisystem autoimmune disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations encompassing almost all organs and tissues. Aimes of study determination of integrin- linked kinase 1(ILK-1) and anti-smith antibody(ASAB) levels in serum of Iraqi patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, in addition, that ILK-1 may be as a diagnostic marker of SLE disease, and study the effect of systemic lupus erythematosus on renal function in these patients. This study included 100 females’ patients with systemic lupus erythematosus attending to the Rheumatology Unit in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, (Baghdad), in addition to 30 healthy females as controller group were chosen without any chr

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune disease, with a wide range of clinical symptoms. Some studies have indicated the association between RANKL, Sclerostin, PD-1, and vitamin D concentrations and the pathogenesis of SLE. The current study aimed to evaluate the role of RANKL, Sclerostin, PD-1 and vitamin D in the pathogenesis of SLE. The study included 180 females diagnosed SLE patients and healthy control (60 females as early diagnosed patients without treatment, 60 females as patients under treatment with (prednisolone, and hydroxychloroquine), and 60 females healthy as a control group, with ages ranging from 20 to 45 years. The serum concentration levels of RANKL, Sclerostin, PD-1 and vitamin D were assessed by E

      Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial chronic autoimmune disease, with a wide spectrum of effect. The main feature of the disease is the production of a wide variety of autoantibodies as a result of immune tolerance loss. The work aims to evaluate the miRNA-146a gene polymorphism potential association with disease activity and chronicity changes in SLE patients. The study included 100 SLE patients and 50 matched controls. The systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) was assessed. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of miR-146a gene (rs2910164) polymorphism was assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing technique in patients and control. 100 SLE pati

Systemic lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology affecting multiple organ system. Reactive nitrogen and oxygen species are claimed to play a role in this disease. However, the potential of Nitrosative/Oxidative Stress to elicit an autoimmune, response remain till now largely unexplored in humans. This study was done to investigate the status and contribution of nitrosative/oxidative stress in Iraqi patients for systemic lupus erythematosus. Blood samples from 19 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 19 age-and sex- matched apparently healthy controls were evaluated for serum levels of nitrosative/oxidative stress markers including nitric oxide, peroxynitrite and malondialdehyde. Nitric oxide levels were

     Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial chronic systemic autoimmune disease. It is characterized by a lack of immune tolerance to autoantigens such as nuclear antigens. The aim of the study is to assess the interferon-alpha (IFN-α) serum level in Iraqi patients with SLE and determine its potential relation to different clinical and laboratory parameters and disease activity. 100 SLE patients were all females and with a mean of age 31.3 ± 10 years (16-63years) and disease duration of 5.8 ± 3.7years (1 month to 15 years). The average of SLEDAI score ranged from 2 to 22 with a mean of (8.53 ±3.42). Proteinuria, ESR, creatinine and AST were significantly higher (65% vs. 10% and 0.62±0.11 vs. 0.70±0.14 mg/dl resp

     Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease with unknown etiology, though genetic and environmental factors appear to play a role in its pathogenesis. In particular, infectious processes are linked to the onset and exacerbation of SLE. The aim of the current study was to understand the relationship between some biochemical factors in SLE patients. 105 blood samples from both genders were collected.  ELISA technique was used for detecting specific procalcitonin, vitamin D and calcium. The results of this study showed that SLE patients recorded the lowest percentages of calcium (7.36 ± 0.10 mg/dl) than control (11.97 ± 2.12 mg/dl), and vitamin D (7.79 ± 0.58 pg/ml) than control (22.10 ± 4.8