Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic inflammatory disease affecting mainly the spine and sacroiliac joints. Since the copper-to-zinc ratio (Cu/Zn) indicates an inflammatory response, the change in ratio is expected to correlate with axSpA. This study compared levels of Cu/Zn in the serum of axSpA patients. Serum samples were obtained from 53 patients with axSpA divided according to biological treatment into cohorts A and B, and 28 healthy control as cohort C. Serum levels of Cu and Zn were determined first by a fully automated chemistry analyzer TC-Matrix Plus, then the ratio was obtained. The elevated serum Cu concentration means of cohort B (189.32 ± 13.808 µg/dL) compared to cohort A (168.85 ± 7.244 µg/dL) and cohort C (155.68 ± 3.707 µg/dL) with 0.029 p-values. Reduced Zn concentration means of cohort B (79.74 ± 4.344 µg/dL) compared to cohort A (91.26 ± 4.159 µg/dL) and cohort C (100.93 ± 6.161 µg/dL) with 0.031 p-values. The Cu/Zn mean of cohort B was (2.54 ± 0.25) compared to the Cu/Zn mean of cohort A (1.968 ± 0.125) and cohort C (1.679 ± 0.104) with 0.002 p-values. Due to the results suggesting that the differences between cohorts were associated with inflammatory responses since there was a similar change in ESR levels; however, the differences between cohorts A and B are due to the anti-inflammatory therapy (TNF inhibitor) that cohort A was treated with. Keywords: Axial spondyloarthritis; copper-to-zinc ratio; copper; zinc; inflammation.
The clinical spectrum of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), an intracellular parasitic pathogen, ranges from a single sore healing to chronic crusty lesions with a manifestation of treatment resistance. The complicated interaction between Leishmania bodies and the early immune response, including innate and adaptive mechanisms, determines the evolution of nodules. This study examined the levels of the chemoattractant interleukin 8 (IL-8), pro-inflammatory nitric oxide (NO), and immunoregulatory macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) in the serum of subjects recently diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis, in parallel with patients being monitored during consecutive sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) treatment. A total of 161 serum samples of newly di
... Show MoreBackground: The present study involved the following parts, the first part is evaluation of the levels of glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c), creatinine, uric acid(UA) and albumin in patients with diabetic nephropathy comparison with the group of healthy as a control group. The second part is the measurement and evaluation of oxidative stress represented in the malondihydehyde(MDA) as a biomarker of oxidative stress as well as the identification of vitamins C and E as an antioxidant in patients with diabetic nephropathy(DN) compared with the healthy group. Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate oxidative stress by calculate malondialdehyd as biomarker and evaluate some vitamins such as vit C and vit E as antioxidants in diabetic neph
... Show MoreBackground: The most crucial mechanism of genetic variation in N. meningitidis is the slipped strand mispairing, this mechanism generates Phase variation using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and is commonly used by the N. meningitidis to escape the immune system despite its function in eradicating the pathogenic and commensal bacteria. Some of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) that located within the genome works as phase variation while other SSRs have no role in generating phase variation mechanisms. Therefore, Aim: the main goal of the current in silico study was to detect the probability of SSR to enroll with phase variation for the entire N. meningitidis genome. Methods: Different criteria were used to judge SSR as
... Show MoreAnastatica Hierochuntica L. Used As an Alternative of Conjugated Estrogen (Premarin) in Rabbit Females
There are risks and benefits with all medicines and estrogen replacement is no exception. In fact, estrogen replacement is one of the most controversial topics in Endocrinology. Anastatica hierochuntica L. is a popular treatment for the management of female reproductive disorders. The present research highlights the effect of aqueous extract of plant against conjugated estrogen(Premarin) in rabbits. Femal oryciolagus cuniculus rabbits were divided into four groups: the 1 st group, rabbits were orally administered (using a feeding solution )with daily dose(5 mL distilled water)for two months, the 2nd group, the rabbits were treated with conjugated estrogen (50 µg/kg b.w, body weight )for one month. The 3rd group, the rabbits were treated w
... Show MoreThere are risks and benefits with all medicines and estrogen replacement is no exception. In fact, estrogen replacement is one of the most controversial topics in Endocrinology. Anastatica hierochuntica L. is a popular treatment for the management of female reproductive disorders. The present research highlights the effect of aqueous extract of plant against conjugated estrogen(Premarin) in rabbits. Femal oryciolagus cuniculus rabbits were divided into four groups: the 1 st group, rabbits were orally administered (using a feeding solution )with daily dose(5 mL distilled water)for two months, the 2nd group, the rabbits were treated with conjugated estrogen (50 µg/kg b.w, body weight )for one month. The 3rd group, the rabbits were treated wi
... Show MoreObjectives: The study aims to assess and evaluate the caregivers knowledge about management of the children with growth hormone deficiency and to find out the relationship between caregivers kowledge and caregivers age, gender, number of individual in house hold, Date of treatment started ,Caregivers level education and economic status Methodology: Quazi expermental study design was carried out at (Child's Central Teaching Hospital, Medical City of Al Imamian Al Khadhmain Teaching Hospital, and National Centre for Treatment and Research of Diabetes,Specialized Center for Endocrine Diseases and Diabetes, and Department of Medical City Children Welfare Teaching Hospital started from
... Show MoreA ventricular septal defect (VSD) is defined as a communication between the left and right ventricles or between the left ventricle and the right atrium. VSDs are amongst the most common abnormalities of the heart. They can be present in isolation or in association with other congenital cardiac abnormalities. This is study done with the aim to evaluate the types, size, associated CHD with ventricular septal defect in children and adolescent in two cardiac centers (Medical City Complex cardiac clinics, Ibn Al Nafaes teaching hospital) in Baghdad - Iraq
AA Noaimi, IRAQI JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE, 2013 - Cited by 1
Background: Although the issue of anemia after renal transplantation (RT) has received increasing attention lately, the data on the exact prevalence of post-transplantation anemia (PTA) in the Iraqi patients are limited. Objective: In this study we sought to determine the prevalence of PTA among Iraqi patients and to correlate the renal allograft function measurements and the use of immunosuppressant with the prevalence of anemia. Patients and Methods: One hundred and twelve (74 male, 38 female) kidney transplant recipients (KTR) attending the kidney transplant center at surgical specialties hospital were studied. All patients were on maintenance, combined immunosuppressive therapy. The renal function tests [blood urea, serum cre
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