Introduction and Aim: The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-39, a member of the IL-12 family plays a key role in the inflammatory response by modulating immune cell activity and inflammation. A literature search shows no study undertaken for the effect of IL-39's on arthritis so far. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of IL-39 in rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods: This study involved 80 patients with rheumatoid arthritis registered at the Rheumatology Clinic at Baghdad teaching hospital. The patients were divided into three groups based on treatments received. Group 1 included patients who were not on any treatment for arthritis, Group 2 with patients on hydroxychloroquine and or prednisone treatment, and Group 3 that received Enbrel® (etanercept) and HUMIRA® (adalimumab) treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. A control group was included in the study. Patients in all groups were assessed for their serum IL-39 concentration, C - reactive protein, Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACCP) and ESR. Results: The patient age and BMI were not significantly different between the groups receiving treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis. A significant increase in the interleukin 39 concentration was observed in treatment groups (G1, G2, G3) as compared to normal healthy controls regardless of whether they were positive or negative for the anti-CCP test. Conclusion: This study showed that the serum interleukin IL-39 levels significantly increased in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis thus suggesting that IL-39 could be considered as a potential inflammatory biomarker of RA.
Information on the scorpions' fauna of Iraq is limited especially in Thi Qar Province. The scorpion specimens of the present study were collected from the desert area which is located between the provinces of Thi Qar and Al-Muthana (Al-Kata'a region). The Scorpio kruglovi (Birula, 1910) redescribed in this study was found in this area. The diagnostic characters are given and the important features are figured.
Keys for 22 species representing ten genera Thripidae collection carried out during 1999-2001 in different localities in the middle of Iraq. Of them four species are described as new to science, Frankliniella megacephala sp. nov; Retithrips bagdadensis sp. nov; Chirothrips imperatus sp. nov; Taeniothrips tigridis sp. nov; Another thirteen species are recorded for the first time in Iraq; Thrips meridionalis (Pri.); Microcephalothrips abdominils (Crawford); Scolothrips pallidus (Beach); Scritothrips mangiferae Pri.; Frankliniella tritici Bagnall; Frankliniella schultzie Trybom; Frankliniella unicolor Morgan; Retithrips aegypticus Mar
... Show MoreBackground: Atherosclerosis is well known related to age and certain cardiovascular diseases. Aging is one reason of arteries function deterioration which can cause loss of compliance and plaque accumulation, this effect increases by the presence of certain diseases such as hypertension and diabetes disease. Aim: To investigate the reduction of blood supply to the brain in patients with diabetes and hypertension with age and the role of resistive index in the diagnosis of reduced blood flow. Method: Patients with both diseases diabetic and hypertension were classified according to their age to identify the progression of the disease and factors influencing the carotid artery blood flow. By using ultrasound and standard Doppler techniq
... Show MoreThe current research aims to shed light on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which helps to report financial and non-financial information by economic units in general and listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange in particular. The research was based on a main premise that apply the criteria of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) would provide useful information to users to help them make appropriate decisions. To achieve the goal of the research, the descriptive analysis method was used, and quantitative analysis was used. At the level of the descriptive analysis method, a desk survey was conducted. As for the quantitative analysis, it relied on applied data through a questionnaire form (Questioners) as a research tool, and the
... Show MoreBackground: Alternative natural therapy by plants extracts had opened wide door for the use of natural products as an alternative therapy instead of many antibiotics and drugs , which had many harmful side effects.Also, an increased interest has been centered on the industrial wastes, especially plant raw materials which contain phenols (e.g. Pomegranate peel and Bay leaves) which is a sources of natural antioxidants ,which are on the contrary of synthetic antioxidants that had restrict use due to their health risks , carcinogenesis and toxicity .
Objectives :This study was done to fi
... Show MoreBackground: A diverse group of bacteria live in biofilms in the oral cavity. On dental surfaces biofilms form plaque that is potentially involved in caries and periodontal diseases. Periodic studying of plaque microflora and their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns strongly affects the clinical practice in plaque-induced oral diseases. Materials and methods: Dental plaque samples were collected from 22 patients having ages ranged between 33 and 49 years with gingivitis that met the study criteria. Plaque, gingival and gingival bleeding indices (PI, GI, GBI) were measured for each patient. Laboratory procedures included microbiological examination of plaque samples followed by antibiotic sensitivity testing using disc diffusion method were
... Show MoreThe expenditures of the general budget, in its operational and investment divisions, are a basic factor in the economic and social growth of any country, and its impact on various economic activities such as income, employees , and the standard of living of members of society. This was based on a basic premise: Does increasing or decreasing investment expenditures have an effect on increasing or decreasing the tax proceeds, What is the level of relationship between them? and to achieve the goal of the research, an inductive and analytical method was chosen to measure the impact of the investment budget expenditures on the tax outcome quantitatively using the financial data obtained from The General Authority for Taxes, Ministry of Financ
... Show MoreThis study was aimed to determine the mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon 3 and 7 of estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) gene in women with breast cancer from Iraq. Different samples (blood, fresh tissue with blood from same patient, and formalin fixed paraffin embedded, FFPE) were collected from women with breast cancer. Molecular analysis exon 3 and 7 in ESR2 has been studied by using PCR. It was found exon 3 and 7 in ESR2 were revealed as a single band with size 151 and 157 bp, respectively. There was no SNP in exon 3 has been identified. While three novel polymorphisms (ACT, AGG and GCA) were detected in exon 7, the type of those polymorphisms deletion for ACT and AGG while substitution polymorphism for GCA. From this
... Show MoreObjective:To Evaluate of Estradiol and Prolactin hormones levels for Breast Cancer women in
Baghdad City.
Methodology: The current study was conducted on 60 breast cancer women and 40 apparently
healthy subjects to evaluate the levels of estradiol and prolactin "hormones in the serum" of
({premenopausal & postmenopausal}) breast cancer and healthy controle women. Estradiol and
prolactin hormones estimated for all cases by using the IMMULITE 2000 instrument that performs
chemiluminescent immunoassays results are calculated for each sample.Data were analysed using
SPSS-18.data of two groups was comparison by the student's t-test.
Results: The results showed a non significant""(P>0.05) elevation in the –mean