Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory, systemic rheumatic condition that mostly affects the axial skeleton. Tenascin-C (TN-C) is a hexameric glycoprotein of considerable size, upregulated in many inflammatory conditions, while Interleukin-17 (IL-17) a cytokine that plays an important role in SpA symptoms. Objective: to investigate the upregulation between the serum levels of TN-C and IL-17 in Iraqi axSpA patients and the disease characteristics. Patients and Methods: Seventy-four axSpA patients and 28 matched controls were studied. Fifty-four patients received a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) and 20 did not. Serum TN-C and IL-17 concentrations were determined using the ELISA technique. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was assessed. For statistical tests, Chi Square, Mann Whitney, Independent Samples T, and Pearson's correlation tests are used. Results: Patients mean age was 35.6±0.9 years, 65 males and 9 females, and disease duration was 5.18±0.6 years. 47.4% were smokers, 47% had inflammatory low back pain, and HLA-B27 was present in 91%. BASDAI mean was 6.1±0.4 in non-TNFi and 2.6±0.3 in those on TNFi. The serum TN-C concentration was significantly increased in patients, especially those on non-TNFi (79±9.6 pg/mL) compared to those on TNFi (69.1±3.2 pg/mL) and control (53±3.9 pg/mL) (p=0.003). Serum IL-17 was significantly elevated in those receiving TNFi (877.9±257 pg/mL) compared to non-TNFi (487.2±234 pg/mL) and control (182.4±36.6 pg/mL) (p=0.033). The TN-C significantly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.27, p=0.02) and with hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (r=0.26, p=0.02). TN-C and IL-17 were non-significantly related (r=0.14, p=0.2). Conclusions: axSpA Patients demonstrated high levels of serum TN-C, particularly in those not receiving TNFi, and high IL-17 levels in those receiving TNFi, suggesting that there is an association with tissue injury from the disease and stimulation of immunological and resident tissue cells. Patients who had not received TNFi showed significantly higher disease activity than others.
Background:The technology of nanoparticles has been expanded to many aspects of modern life. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were of many nanomaterials utilized in biomedical applications. The interactions between nanoparticles and proteins are believed to be the base for the biological effect of the nanoparticles. The oxidation reaction of many substances is catalyzed by oxidizing enzymes called peroxidases. The activity of salivary peroxidase is elevated with periodontal diseases. the aim ofthis study is to examine the action of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on salivary peroxidase activity.Material and method75 participants were enrolled in this study—Periodontitis group with 44 participants and the non-periodontitis group with 31 pa
... Show MoreBackground: Hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated, it's classified as either primary (essential) hypertension or secondary hypertension, and it increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and other cardiovascular diseases. Several classes of medications collectively referred to as antihypertensive drugs like beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, renin inhibitors and statins (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor. Statin medication may have some beneficial effects when subjects have dental plaque or signs of periodontitis as gingival bleeding. The purpose of this study were to as
... Show MoreObjective: To evaluate nurses' practices concerning isolation techniques for Adult Leukemic Patients (ALP).
Methodology: A descriptive study was carried out at the isolation rooms at leukemic wards in Baghdad Teaching
Hospitals, starting from Jan. 27th 2008 up to the 27th of Apr. 2008. To achieve the objectives of study, a non-probability
"purposive" sample of (50) nurse was selected out of four Teaching Hospitals in Baghdad city were selected according
to the criteria of the study sample.
The study instrument consisted of two major parts. It is based on the review of literature. First is concerned with
demographic data for nurses; and the second part is observational tool (checklist) is composed of (83) item. The conte
The relationship between chronic hepatitis B virus and Helicobacter pylori infection was evaluated to determine, seventy five patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (8-70 years) were investigated. The results were compared with the results of 50 healthy volunteers. Anti-H. pylori antibodies IgA and IgG were measured by Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in sera of patients and healthy groups. The percentage of anti-H.pylori IgA antibodies (26.67%) were significantly (P<0.01) higher than healthy control group. While, no significant difference was found between the percentages of anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies (48 %) in patient sera and these kind of antibodies in sera of healthy control group (P > 0.05). The present results indica
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory chronic disease with an autoimmune pathogenesis. To determine the role of Helicobacter pylori as a trigger agent, twenty five patients with rheumatoid arthritis of ages (15-47) years have been investigated and compared with twenty healthy individuals. All the studied groups were carried out to measure the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) IgM, anti-CCP antibody IgG and IgA by ELISA test and by measured anti-IgG antibody level of H. pylori by using ELISA and IFAT techniques. The present study showed significant differences (P< 0.05) of anti-H. Pylori in sera of RA patients than control group, this lead to suggest that H. pylori had a role in pathogenesis of RA.
Multiple myeloma is hematological disease produces many complications in the bone, kidney, neural and other complications. The study aims to measure serum biomolecules like fetuin-A and resistin and determined the possibility to use these biomarkers as disease predictor. blood samples were isolated from 58 patients and 24 sex and age-matched control, serum then isolated, and proper ELISA kit then used to a determined level of B2 microglobulin, resistin, and fetuin-A. The result demonstrated significant increase in B2 microglobulin, fetuin-A and resistin in patients compare to control (1.3470.714 vs. 0.9130.253), p = 0.000, (14.00310.352 vs. 9.2594.264), p= 0.005, (1.9673.595 vs. 0.6040.622), p = 0.009, respectively. &
... Show MoreFor many years it was argued that there may be a gender differences in adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This assumption was based on many possible factors such as hormonal or behavior differences, and it was not clearly identified since the female gender was not preferred to be enrolled in many clinical trials. The primary aim of this study was to assess the extent of possibly relevant gender differences in drug–ADRs regarding causality, severity, preventability, seriousness, expectedness and outcome. While the secondary aim was to assess for which group of drugs and for which ADRs gender differences are identified most often. The study was a retrospective one that depends on processing a specially selected group of data obtained from th
... Show MoreGlutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are enzymes that included, in a more range of detoxifying reactions by conjugation of glutathione, to electrophilic material. Polymorphisms n the genes that responsible of GSTs affect, the function of the GSTs. GSTs play an active role in protection of cell against oxidative stress mechanism. Polymorphisms of GSTP1 at codon 105 amino acids forms GSTP1 important site for bind of hydrophobic electrophiles and the substitution of Ile/Val affect substrate specially catalytic activity of the enzyme and may correlate with reach to different diseases in human like diabetes mellitus type2 disease. Correlation between these polymorphisms and changes in the parameters file of diabetic patients has also bee
... Show MoreBackground: Plaque retention during fixed orthodontic therapy is an important cause of developing enamel demineralization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different brackets types on the count of Streptococcus Mutans in orthodontic patients using conventional fluoridated toothpaste. Materials and Methods: Plaque samples were collected from maxillary 1st premolar teeth of twenty right handed patients (using split mouth technique) before bonding, after 48 hrs of bonding using tooth brush only, and after 2 weeks of using fluoridated toothpaste. Stainless steel bracket was bonded on right first premolar while the left one was bonded with sapphire bracket. The calculation of the Streptococcus Mutans count was done usin
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