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: Osteoarthritis is a complicated, chronic disorder of cartilage and bone, associated with homeostasis of bio-elements. The current study aims to assess the role of serum progranulin levels among Iraqi patients with knee osteoarthritis. Patients and Methods: The study encompassed 50 patients aged 52.50 ± 3.12 years (25 males and 25 females), admitted to the at the Baghdad Medical City through the period from November 2021 to March 2022. All individuals were identified by physicians in a Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic and the clinical data was collected along with the assess¬ment of biochemical parameters. Fasting serum glucose, lipid profile, calcium, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, vitamin D3, and p
... Show MorePsoriasis is one of the skin’s chronic inflammatory diseases. Psoriasis etiology isn’t exactly known. Recently, it has been suggested that the imbalances in oxidant-antioxidant status happening because of the increase in reactive oxygen species production (ROS) and/or deficient function regarding the antioxidant system might be included in psoriasis pathogenesis. The major goal is to evaluate the antioxidant defense status in patients experiencing psoriasis and oxidative stresses represented by malondialdehyde (MDA) level and evaluate liver enzymes and vitamin D3. There are some tests of biochemical parameters and vitamins (GSH, MDA, VitD3, SOD, GPx, CAT, AST, ALT, and ALP) are conducted on 35 patients experiencing psoriasi
... Show MoreObjective: To investigate the relation between dyslipidemia and insulin resistance where it is one of the metabolic
disorders in patients with type-ΙΙ diabetes mellitus and compare the results with the control group.
Methodology: Blood samples were collected from (35) patients with type-ΙΙ diabetes mellitus, besides (35) healthy
individuals as a control group were enrolled in this study. The age of all subjects range from (20-50). Serum was
used in determination of glucose, insulin, lipid profile (cholesterol (Ch), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein
(HDL-Ch), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-Ch) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), for patients and control
groups. Insulin resistance (IR) was calculated acco
During 2011, 1900 clinical specimens and 240 hospital environment specimens were collected from four hospitals in Baghdad. 128 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii were obtained from clinical and environmental specimens in a percentage of 6.05% and 5.42%, respectively. The highest percentage of isolation, 83.62% was of sputum specimens and lower percentage of burns specimens 5.22%. The lowest incidence was of age range (71-80) years old group whereas the highest incidence was of age range (31-40) years old group. Also we found that the incidence was higher in males (66.96%) than that of females (33.04%) and the frequency of positive A. baumannii isolates was higher in intensive care units (ICUs). Results revealed eleven different resistot
... Show MoreBackground: Various studies conducted in many parts of the world suggest that there is lack of public awareness and knowledge of various aspects related to diabetes. With proper education, awareness, earlier detection and better care, many complications and co-morbidities can be reduced in diabetic population.Objectives: to evaluate the level of awareness of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients regarding their disease and its' complications.Methods: Cross – sectional survey was conducted during November and December 2011, in the Medical centers of Al Baladiat, Mustansyria and Zuafranya, including 145 type 2 diabetic patients (58.6 % males, 41.4% females) who were subjected to self–structured questionnaires regarding different aspects of
... Show MoreABSTRACTBackground Subclinical hypothyroidism is mild thyroid hormone deficiency, defined by elevation of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration despite a normal free T3, free T4 level, can be distinguished by clinical and circumstantial observations from other conditions that cause this constellation of laboratory findings. The aim is to find the prevalence, anthropologic, and metabolic changes associate subclinical hypothyroidism(SH) in adult patients presented to obesity research and therapy unit (ORTU Objective: To find the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) in adult obese patients presented to obesity research and therapy unit (ORTU) in AL-Kindy College of medicine and to describe the anthropologic and metabolic
... Show MoreBackground: Dental calculus is mineralized dental plaque formed on teeth and dental prosthesis surfaces in the oral cavity. Urinary stone is a crystal aggregation formed in urinary system due to minerals saturation present in urine. The structure of dental calculus is similar to that of urinary stone. Objective: To assess oral hygiene and gingival status in patients with urinary stone. And compared with healthy subjects. Patients and Methods: Sixty participants, 25-40 years, were involved in this study who were divided into study and control group. The study group involved patients with urinary stone while the control group involved healthy subjects. Clinical parameters including plaque, calculus and gingival indices were recorded for al
... Show MoreThe major function of the kidney is the filtration and secretion of the final products of metabolism and the excess of electrolytes. The term kidney failure denotes inability of the kidneys to perform excretory function leading to retention of nitrogenous waste products from the blood. Biosensor are most accurate, with a rapid diagnosis ,more costly method than the traditional method to avoid any biological changes in blood sample that lead to changes optical characteristic (refractive index and absorption) of blood sample. The current study was designed to single mode more Sensitivity than multi mode for Biomarkers were recorded for Albumin 5447.06, 5193.93 and Urea sample 2623.14, 1998.44 in sm and mm respectively .
... Show MoreCOVID-19 is a unique viral infectious illness that causes a variety of symptoms and health hazards, particularly to the respiratory system and has been declared a worldwide pandemic. The disease is characterized by a cytokine release in severe conditions. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine, mediates an important immunomodulatory process. Also, vitamin D was identified to have a role in the innate immunity of individuals. Our study was designed to find the role of IL-6 and vitamin D in COVID-19 patients, as well as, to see whether there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and cytokine syndrome development. The study included 90 COVID-19 patients and 30 control people from Baghdad, Iraq. The age of the participants was non-s
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