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.
The electron correlation effect for inter-shell have been analysed in terms of Fermi hole and partial Fermi hole for Li-atom in the excited states (1s2 3p) and (1s2 3d) using Hartree-Fock approximation (HF). Fermi hole Δf(r12) and partial Fermi hole Δg(r12 ,r1) were determined in position space. Each plot of the physical properties in this work is normalized to unity. The calculation was performed using Mathcad 14 program.
In study carried out in the cold storage in college of Agric./Univ. of Baghdad at 8 ? C. shows that Alternaria , Pencillium , Rhizoctonia , Mucor , are the fungi that causes tomato fruits decay. This is the first record of Rhizoctonia and Mucor as a Tomato fruits rot under 8º c in Iraq. There is no fungal infection on cucumber fruits under 8 ? C. . Waxing tomato fruits reduced the severity of the fungi infection and gave shelflife (19 days) under 8 ? C. There is an infection with Mucor was found in tomato fruits kept in perforated polyethylene bages with 16 bores prevent the infection and the lowest severity and frequency of infection was found in waxed tomato fruits. Part of M.Sc thesis of the Second author.
The influx of data in bioinformatics is primarily in the form of DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. This condition places a significant burden on scientists and computers. Some genomics studies depend on clustering techniques to group similarly expressed genes into one cluster. Clustering is a type of unsupervised learning that can be used to divide unknown cluster data into clusters. The k-means and fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithms are examples of algorithms that can be used for clustering. Consequently, clustering is a common approach that divides an input space into several homogeneous zones; it can be achieved using a variety of algorithms. This study used three models to cluster a brain tumor dataset. The first model uses FCM, whic
... Show MoreIn this study, new derivatives of 3-C-spiro ring nucleoside analogues were synthesized. The structures of these derivatives were characterized by infrared spectroscopy,1 HNMR (some of them) and elemental analysis. The nucleoside derivatives were tested for inhibition of E-coli and were all found to be active.
Historic city centers are cultural archives where built forms and spatial practices hold the collective memory of generations. In Baghdad, the concept of Cultural DNA (C-DNA) is a tool to understand how cultural codes are the generative rules that shape the evolution and persistence of the historic urban fabric. This research explores the role of C-DNA as a trigger of urban morphogenesis in Rusafa, the historic heart of Baghdad, by looking into how cultural values underpin spatial continuity, change, and adaptability. The study uses Space Syntax methodologies with DepthmapX, supported by historical maps, surveys, and field observations, to analyze two morphological stages of Rusafa: 1850 and now. Through axial analysis, the research
... Show MoreIn this paper, we have extracted Silica from rice husk ash (RHA) by sodium hydroxide to produce sodium silicate. 3-(chloropropyl)triethoxysilane (CPTES) functionalized with sodium silicate via a sol-gel method in one pot synthesis to prepare RHACCl. Chloro group in compound RHACCl replacement in iodo group to prepere RHACI. The FT-IR clearly showed absorption band of C-I at 580 cm-1. Functionalized silica RHACI has high surface area (410 m2/g) and average pore diameter (3.8 nm) within mesoporous range. X-ray diffraction pattern showed that functionalized silica RHACI has amorphous phase .Thermogravemitric analysis (TGA) showed two decomposition stages and SEM morphology of RHACI showed that the particles have irregu
... Show MoreBackground/Aim: Psoriasis is a persistent systemic disorder characterised by chronic inflammation and linked to multiple comorbidities, including arthritis, cardiometabolic disorders, obesity and hyperlipidaemia. Objective of this study was to identify the relationship of abnormal lipid profiles and psoriasis, as well as to pinpoint factors that correlate with disease severity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the dermatology clinic over 6 months from the 1 August 2024 to the 1 February 2025. Patients aged 15 years and above with a diagnosis of psoriasis were enrolled. For each patient two sets of data were collected, demographical characteristics (age, sex, disease duration and the body mass index (BMI)) and the
... Show MoreTNF-α-induced osteoclastogenesis is central to post-menopausal and inflammatory bone loss, however, the effect of phytoestrogens on TNF-α-induced bone resorption has not been studied. The phytoestrogens genistein, daidzein, and coumestrol directly suppressed TNF-α-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. TRAP positive osteoclast formation and resorption area were significantly reduced by genistein (10(-7) M), daidzein (10(-5) M), and coumestrol (10(-7) M), which was prevented by the estrogen antagonist ICI 182,780. TRAP expression in mature TNF-α-induced osteoclasts was also significantly reduced by these phytoestrogen concentrations. In addition, in the presence of ICI 182,780 genistein and coumestrol (10(-5) -10(-6) M) augmente
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