This study is carried out to investigate the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) infections in cattle using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting IS1111A transposase gene. A total of 130 lactating cows were randomly selected from different areas in Wasit province, Iraq and subjected to blood and milk sampling during the period extended between November 2018 and May 2019. ELISA and PCR tests revealed that 16.15% and 10% of the animals studied were respectively positive. Significant correlations (P<0.05) were detected between the positive results and clinical data. Two positive PCR products were analyzed phylogenetically, named as C. burnetii IQ-No.5 and C. burnetii IQ-No.6; and then recorded in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) under an accession numbers of MN473204.1 and MN473205.1. Comparative identity of the local strains with NCBI-BLAST strains/isolates revealed 97% similarity and 0.1-0.6% of total genetic mutations/changes. NCBI-BLAST Homology Sequence reported high significant identity (P<0.05) between the local, C. burnetii IQ-No.5 and C. burnetii IQ-No.6; strains and C. burnetii 3345937 (CP014354.1) Netherlands isolate at 99.10% and 99.06%, respectively. The current study concluded that the percentage of infected cows with coxiellosis is relatively high, and Coxiella should be listed as abortive pathogen. Therefore, additional studies should be performed including different animals, samples, and regions.
The present study was designed to estimate the active ingredients in the aqueous extract of fennel Foeniculum vulgare L. fruits and test the effects of different concentrations of the extract on serum estrogen and prolactin levels in female rats. The work was conducted to prepare the aqueous extract in the laboratory, while the secondary active substances in the extract were estimated using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technology. The experiments were conducted in the animal house of the College of Science, Tikrit university,on a total of 12 adult albino virgin female rats divided into four groups, each having three rats.The aqueous extract of the fruit plant was administrate
... Show MoreBackground: Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL)of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)patients have a property of phenotypic and functional activation. Glutathione S- transferase pi (GSTπ) has been implicated in playing an important role in the initiation and progression of cellular activation.
Objectives: To determine the percentage of cellular expression of GSTπ in the lymphocytes of RA patients in comparison with controls and to explore the relation between its cellular expression and disease activity pattern.
Patients and Methods: This prospective study included46 RA patients and 17 healthy controls. Blood samples were taken and from all subjects PBL were isolated and then smeared on slides. The cellular reactivity for GSTπ was determin
To determine the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and reproduction disorder (recurrent spontaneous abortion), twenty women patients who undergo spontaneous abortion during first trimester of pregnancy (20-38) years and have been investigated from 2015/12/1 -2016/3/1 and compared to fifteen healthy individuals. All subjects were carried out to measure anti-H. pylori IgA and anti- H. pylori IgG antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There was significant elevation (p≤ 0.05) in concentration of anti- H. pylori IgG Abs (6.30± 0.99) compared to control group (4.48± 0.61) and IgA Abs (5.42 ± 0.90 U /ml) as compared to control group (3.92 ± 0.41 U/ml). The percentage of H. pylori IgG and IgA was 20% and 25
... Show MoreProstate cancer is the commonest male cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Over many decades, prostate cancer detection represented a continuous challenge to urologists. Although all urologists and pathologists agree that tissue diagnosis is essential especially before commencing active surgical or radiation treatment, the best way to obtain the biopsy was always the big hurdle. The heterogenicity of the tumor pathology is very well seen in its radiological appearance. Ultrasound has been proven to be of limited sensitivity and specificity in detecting prostate cancer. However, it was the only available targeting technique for years and was used to guide biopsy needle passed transrectally or transperineally
... Show MoreSummary:
Background: The incidence of cancer of the cervix is comparatively low in Iraq, as in most other Islamic countries. Pre invasive lesions of the uterine cervix can be detected by Pap smears in their preclinical course, a fact which documents the significant role of cervical cytology in gynecological practice.
Objective: To emphasize the role of cervical cytopathology (Pap smears) in the detection and follow up of various cervical lesions that may predispose to cervical carcinoma with special emphasis on Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplastic (CIN) conditions or dysplasias.
Patients and Methods: This retrospective study M’as performed on 1500 women aged 20 years and above who attended the private clinical laboratory of th
Leishmaniasis is a global illness that is endemic in many countries, including Iraq. The characteristic of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the development of skin ulcers that are controlled by the immune system. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a cytokine generated by the innate immune response to CL infection, can influence disease clearance in the human host. The effect of this pro-inflammatory cytokine in CL ulcer development during the infection is not well established. In this study TNF-α level was detected in the patients who suffered from cutaneous leishmaniasis. This level was also assessed in the newly diagnosed patients and others who were undergoing different stages of pentostam treatment. Notably the result
... Show MoreInvasive aspergillosis is a severe infection that occurs in patients with prolonged neutropenia, following chemotherapy,transplantation,or immunosuppressive protocols .Galactomannan ( GM) is a molecule ,found in the cell wall of Aspergillus species and is released in the blood during growth .The detection of GM in the blood is used to diagnose the invasive Aspergillosis in humans using ELISA assay.
Objectives: To detect Galactomannan antigen in in the serum of immunocompramized patients suspected to have invasive aspergillosis.
Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 50 patients from the hematology&oncology department,of Baghdad teaching hospital and pediatric oncology wards ,from March 2013 to October 2013.The patien
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value and accuracy of longitudinal strain in detection of coronary artery disease compared to coronary angiography. Results: The left ventricular longitudinal strain-speckle tracking showed evidence of stenosis of left anterior descending artery, circumflex artery and right coronary artery in (86.1%), (76.4%), and (84.7%) respectively. For the stenosis in left anterior descending artery, the current study showed that the longitudinal strain was a good predictor for presence of significant stenosis with a sensitivity of (93.8%), specificity (75%) and accuracy (91.7%) compared with coronary angiography. For the stenosis in right coronary artery, the left ventricular longitudinal strain had
... Show MoreBackground: Uncontrolled tumor cell proliferation is a reality in tumor cells, and the progression from a normal cell into a transformed cell probably includes genetic events affecting checkpoints in the cell cycle machinery.
Materials and methods: This study investigated the immunoexpression of p16INK4a in the paraffin sections from 43-cancers of colorectal tissue (CRC),26-hyperplastic polyps and adenomas(CRHPA) and 35-normal tissues (CRN),using immunohistochemical assay. We correlated the expression patterns with tumor histopathological type, site of the tumor, distance metastasis according to the TNM system.
Results: In colorectal cancer (CRC) patients’ p16INK4a,immunoexpression was detected in 32
In this paper, an attempt was made to measure and interpret the impact of several variables on global maritime transport, including: OECD industrial productions, high growth rates of some developing countries, and growth in world GDP. These variables contribute to higher rates of maritime transport revenues of 800 billion dollars annually; in the form of numerical sequences. The dry canal in Iraq was assumed to transfer 99 million tons of goods annually. This was made sure through the economic feasibility of the difference between maritime and land transport through railways. The effect of geographical and anthropological nature of Iraq on this project was studied too. Our findings indicated that the project will not drive growth
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