All major organs may be impacted by the connective disease systemic lupus erythematosus, a separate risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Adhesion molecules like intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM) and vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM) can detect endothelial damage and dysfunction, which appear to play a crucial role. This study investigated whether people with SLE had elevated subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis risk factors. Traditional CAD risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia cannot entirely explain this elevation. It is thought that immunological dysfunction also increases CAD risk in SLE patients. The study aimed to assess early endothelial changes in SLE Iraqi female patients without previous coronary artery lesions by exploring a potential relationship between circulating VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 as risk factors for atherosclerosis and the relationship of CAD with SLE disease and its severity; further, the study explained the effect of the hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on the lipid profile levels of the patients. 92 female SLE patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe, according to the SLE disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2k), compared with 30 apparently healthy control individuals. All of them need a history of CAD. Serum VCAM-1, ICAM-1 level, VCAM-1/ICAM1 ratio, TC, HDL, LDL levels TC/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios were measured. sVCAM-1, sICAM-1 levels and VCAM-1/ICAM-1 ratio were significantly and gradually increased in patient groups compared with control. Serum TC, HDL and LDL levels were significantly reduced in the SLE patients compared to the control. At the same time, the TC/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios were significantly elevated with the severity of the SLE disease. sVCAM-1, sICAM-1 level and VCAM1/ICAM-1 ratio together with serum TC/HDL and LDL/HDL may improve coronary artery disease risk categorization in SLE patients without acute coronary syndromes. Furthermore, they were more sensitive in severe SLE instances than in moderate and mild ones, suggesting that they may be related to the extent of coronary lesions in SLE patients. VCAM-1 had a higher sensitivity than ICAM-1 in detecting and severity screening for CAD in SLE patients. Keywords: VCAM-1, ICAM-1, SLE, Atherosclerosis
Diabetes exacerbates frailty syndrome in elderly adults, with long-term protein and calorie deficiencies contributing to physical decline and worsening health outcomes.
To assess nutritional status and frailty amongst elderly people with diabetes mellitus and to find out the relation between these two variables.
An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 650 elderly with diabetes mellitus at two endocri
This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of seven calliphorid species of third- instar larvae that were collected from central Iraq. The purpose was to morphologically characterize these species and develop an identification key to differentiate them from closely related species. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) graphical images and high-resolution traditional optical microscopes were used to analyze the morphological characteristics of the species Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus, 1758), C. vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann, 1819), Ch. rufifacies (Macquart, 1844), Ch. megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830), and L. sericata (Meigen, 1826). An identification key was const
... Show MoreThe fauna of bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) from different regions of Iraq is surveyed in this study; there were 16 species, 13 genera that belong to four families which are collected in this investigation.
Also, all the species that are recorded for Iraq in previous investigations are revised; totally there are 110 species, 32 genera belonging to five families: Apidae, Andernidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae were listed.
Abstract Background: Augmentation cystoplasty is one of the surgical procedure for treatment of spastic neurogenic bladder that has a significant improvement in the cystometric parameters. Aim of study: The aim of this study is to describe cystometric findings pre and post augmentation cystoplasty in patients with spastic neurogenic bladder. Patients and methods: A prospective study including patients aged 6-18years with neurogenic bladder operated on for augmentation cystoplasty surgery with ilium segments due to a neurogenic bladder from the years 2020–2024. A urodynamic study was conducted before and 3 months after the surgical procedure. Non-probabilistic sample of consecutive cases. Descriptive statistics were presented using fre
... Show MoreBackground: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a significant role in the activation of adaptive immunity and may have an essential role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives: To assess the gene expression of TLR4 in individuals with RA compared to healthy individuals. Methods: From July to December 2022. A total of 100 individuals were encompassed in the study, consisting of 50 individuals diagnosed with RA, of whom 42 were females and 8 were males, with an average age of 45.22 years. Additionally, there were 50 healthy control participants, 40 of whom were females and 10 were males, with an average age of 45.64 years. To assess the TLR4 transcript levels, blood samples were collected from each participant, and RN
... Show MoreType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most frequent endocrinal disease commonly associated with thyroid disorders .The study is conducted at the Specialized Center for Endocrinology and Diabetes in Baghdad ,during December 2014 up to October 2015.This study was done to investigate the prevalence of anti- thyroid peroxidase (Anti-TPO) antibody in patients suffered from type 2 diabetes with thyroid disorders .The study groups included a total number of 80 subjects consisting of 60 type 2 diabetic patients divided into 20 hyperthyroidism subjects (group 1) ,20 hypothyroidism subjects (group 2), 20 euthyroidism subjects (group 3) and 20 healthy controls (group 4) . The fasting blood samples were analyzed for (T3,T4,TSH) by using Vitek Immuno d
... Show MoreMany stone tools were found on a hill south of the Hor Al-Dalmaj which is located in the central part of the alluvial plain of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The types of rocks from which the studied stone tools were made are not found in the alluvial plain, because it consists of friable sand, silt, and clay. All existing sediments were precipitated in riverine environments such as point bar, over bank, and floodplain sediments. The collected stone tools were described with a magnifying glass (10 x) and a polarized microscope after they were thin sectioned. Microscopic analysis showed that these stone tools are made of sedimentary, volcanic igneous and metamorphic rocks, such as: sandstones, limestones, chert, con
... Show MoreBackground: Sialosis described as a specific consequence of diabetes. In diabetic sialosis, the increased volume of the glands is due to the infiltration of adipose in the parenchyma. The B-scan ultrasonography is a generally accepted tool for determining parotid gland enlargement. Oral health is, to a greater extent, dependent on quality and quantity of saliva, both of which may be altered in diabetics. This study was established to detect the enlargement of parotid gland in diabetic patient and study the changes in physical properties of saliva and its relation with the salivary gland enlargement. Subjects, Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study with highly specified criteria with ages ranged (20-65) years, male and female subject
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