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.
Chronic viral hepatitis is an important health problem in the world, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are the main causes of liver insufficiency. The study included 100 blood samples from patients with chronic viral hepatitis, fifty of them with HBV infection and 50 with HCV infection. Twenty apparently healthy age and gender matched subjects were included as a control group. Out of the 50 patients with HBV, 36(72%) were males and 14(28%) were females. Thirty two (64%) patients with HCV were males and 18(36%) were females. The mean age for HBV patients was 36.9 ± 15.8 year and for HCV patients it was 39.9 ±14.2 year. The results of the liver function tests showed no significant differ
... Show MoreA reversed-phase HPLC method with fluorescence detection for the determination of the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in 42 animal feeds, comprising corn (16), soya bean meal (8), mixed meal (13), sunflower, wheat, canola, palm kernel, copra meals (1 each) was carried out. The samples were first extracted using acetonitrile:water (9:1), and was further cleaned-up using a multifunctional column. Optimum conditions for the extraction and chromatographic separation were investigated. By adopting an isocratic chromatographic system using a mobile phase comprising acetonitrile:methanol:water (8:27:65, v/v/v), the separation of the four aflatoxins was possible within 30 min. Recoveries for aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 were 98 ± 0.7%, 95 ± 1.0%, 94
... Show MoreNew Schiff bases derivatives [IV]a-e is prepared via condensation of Derythroascorbic acid with p-substituted aldehydes in dry benzene. To obtain these derivatives, the 5,6-O-isopropylidene-L-ascorbic acid[I] was chosen as starting material, compound prepared from the reaction of L-ascorbic acid as starting material. Compound[I] was prepared from the reaction of L-ascorbic acid with dry acetone in the presence of hydrogen chloride. The esterification of hydroxyl groups at C-2 and C-3 positions with excess ofethyl α –chloroacetate in the presence of sodium acetate produce acorresebonding ester [II] , which was condensed with hydrazine hydrate to give new hydrazide [III] . The new Schiff bases [IV]a-e were synthesized by reaction of acid h
... Show MoreThis research aims to choose the appropriate probability distribution to the reliability analysis for an item through collected data for operating and stoppage time of the case study.
Appropriate choice for .probability distribution is when the data look to be on or close the form fitting line for probability plot and test the data for goodness of fit .
Minitab’s 17 software was used for this purpose after arranging collected data and setting it in the the program.
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... Show MoreBackground: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with unknown aetiology that may be associated with the defect in proliferation and differentiation of the keratinocytes related to inflammatory cell infiltration. According to published reports, it is universal in occurrence; its prevalence in different populations varies from 0.1% to 11.8%. Receiving Apremilast resulted in a strong reduction in interleukin 17 and interleukin 23, as well as reduced expression of other inflammatory cytokines and improvement of psoriatic lesions. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of Apremilast on levels of IL-17, IL-23, and lipids in obese psoriatic patients. Methods: Thirty obese patients with psoriasis were included in
... Show MoreIn order to understand the effect of the number of piles (N), the history response of dynamic pile load in piled raft system and deflection time history of piled raft under repeated impact load applied on the center of piled raft resting on loose sand, laboratory model tests were conducted on small-scale models. The results of experimental work are found to be dynamic load increase with increase height of drop, the measured repeated dynamic load time history on the center of piled raft was close approximately to three a half sine wave shape with small duration in about (0.015 Sec). The maximum peak of impact loads occurs in pile and deflection time history occur after at the time of the peak repeated impact loads, dynamic pile load
... Show MoreBackground: Oral Lichen Planus is a chronic inflammatory mucosal disease, presenting in various clinical forms .Both antigen-specific and non-specific mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of OLP. Apoptosis or programmed-cell death is a physiological process essential for the normal development and maintenance of homeostasis in many organisms. Fas is a cell-surface glycoprotein, 40-kDa, that belongs to the nerve growth factor / tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family. Fas is expressed in several tissues including blood, where its expression is upregulated on activated T and B lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Fas ligand is a type II transmembrane protein that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor family. The proto-oncogene c-Myc is
... Show MoreDiscretionary Punishment, Public Regulation, Interest
Background: Smoking is the major environmental risk factor that has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of periodontal diseases. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been associated with the immunopathology of periodontitis. Objectives: To determine the influence of smoking on salivary Interleukin-8 level from smokers and non-smokers with periodontitis and periodontally healthy control subjects.
Materials and Methods: Un-stimulated saliva samples were collected of 90 participants: 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers with chronic periodontitis, as well as 30 periodontally healthy control subjects. The clinical parameters such as the pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, plaque index, and gingiv
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