Leishmaniasis is a group of parasitic diseases caused by Leishmania spp., an endemic infectious agent in developing countries, including Iraq. Diagnosis of cutaneous lesion by stained smears, serology or histopathology are inaccurate and unable to detect the species of Leishmania. Here, two molecular typing methods were examined to identify the promastigotes of suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis samples, on a species level. The first was species-specific B6-PCR and the second was ITS1-PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using restriction enzyme HaeIII. DNA was extracted from in vitro promastigote culture followed by amplification of kDNA by B6 or amplification and digestion of LITSR/L

Background: five clinical phases were described in patients with chronic (HBV) infection: HBeAg- positive HBV infection, HBeAg- positive chronic HB, HBeAg negative HBV infection, HBeAg-negative CHB and occult HBV infection. Aim: This study aimed to determine the incidence of the unclassified phase (gray zone) in chronic hepatitis B patients and its significant in the clinical practice. Patients and methods: The study was conducted retrospectively on 109 patients' who have HBsAg positive for more than 6 months. The data recorded include; HbeAg and anti-HBe Ab, ultrasound of the abdomen, HBV DNA load and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), accordingly; we classify the patients to known clinical phases. Patients who were unfit one of these phases

Oryza sativa japonica (ofada rice) is largely grown in Aramoko, Abakaliki and Ofada are communities and consumed by both the poor and rich in Nigeria. A total of twenty ofada rice farmlands were identified in each study area and rice samples were randomly collected, thoroughly mixed to make a representative sample from each farmland. Soil samples were collected in each farm to a depth of 5-15cm from at least eight different points and thoroughly mixed together to form a representative sample. The samples were thereafter taken to the laboratory for preparation and spectroscopic analysis. A well-calibrated NaI(Tl) gamma-ray detector was used in spectrometric analysis of the samples and descriptive statistics was used to analyze th

In vitro antifungal susceptibility test of itraconazole was carried out against 38 isolates from nails, skin, oral cavity, vagina and wounds, This study was done in Ramadi Teaching Hospital in period from January to August 2010. According to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard (NCCLS ) M 27- A by using the broth dilution method. Inoculum size was 1-5X10³ CFU/ ml, while final concentrations of itraconazole ranged from 0.025 – 6.4 μg / ml by using RPMI – 1640 broth media and the fungus was incubated at 35 ^oC.  No resistant stain was recorded. MIC ranged from 0.05 – 6.4 μg / ml and the Mean ± SEM was 0.89 ± 0.28. MIC for nail isolates was 0.05 –

Background Molluscum contagiosum is skin disease caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) usually causing one or more small dome shaped umbilicated papules with symptoms that maybe self-resolve. MCV was once a disease primarily of children, but it has evolved to become a sexually transmitted disease in adults. It is believed to be a member of the pox virus family. In addition to the classic presentation of the disease; it can also come in different clinical forms that simulate large number of dermatolological disease.
Objective: To study different clinical forms of Molluscum contagiosum presentation in different age groups of Iraqi patients.
Method:This clinical descriptive study was performed in the outpatient department of

The conviction that herbal drugs have enormous health benefits has led to increase the rate of their consumption by Nigerians. The aim of this study was to assess the carcinogenic property of some popularly consumed anti-diarrheal herbal drugs via polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) quantification. Three prevalent anti-diarrhea herbal drugs , Odunmo herbal drug (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Bacopamonnieri), Orogun herbal mixture (Hibiscus sabdariffaI and Hedera helix), and Alora herbal syrup (Aloe vera and Hibiscus sabdariffaI) were bought for the purpose of this study and they were coded as samples A, B, and C, respectively. The ultrasonic extraction of the herbal drugs was carried

Background: Morganella morganii is one of the important nosocomial pathogens that may cause urinary tract infection and bacteremia.Methods: The above bacterium was identified from 250 bacterial strains which were isolated from 220 urine samples of patients with urinary tract infection. Antimicrobial susceptibility, by using disk diffusion method, of isolates was tested against some antibiotics.Results: Two M. moganii strains were isolated from female catheterized urinary tract patients, and identified by conventional biochemical tests and API20E system at the first time in Iraq. Both of them produced urease and hemolysin. Antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that these strains are resistant to, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cephalothin, g

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between GRIN2A rs387906637 polymorphism and susceptibility to epilepsy. Blood samples were collected from 85 volunteers, dividing into 60 epilepsy patients (34 males and 26 females) and 25 healthy subjects (19 males and 6 females).The DNA was extracted and GRIN2A rs387906637 polymorphism was analyzed by Real-time PCR using two probes and primers. The results showed no significant differences between patients and control samples; therefore, there are no allelic and genotypic correlations of this SNP with epilepsy. This study indicated that GRIN2A rs387906637 polymorphism is not a risk factor for epilepsy in the studied set of patients.

Objectives: To study the prevalence of rs1799964 (-1031 T/C) and rs361525 (- 238 G/A) SNPs and their effect on the disease activity, severity, and cytokines production in newly diagnosed Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Patients and Methods: sixty-three patients were diagnosed by a specialist physician while attending the rheumatology unit and twenty control participated. The inflammatory markers were measured and PCR amplification and sequencing were performed to demonstrate TNF-α SNPs. Results: Regarding (-1031 C/T) SNP, the TT genotype and allele C were significantly present in the controls, and the CT genotype was distributed significantly in the patients. The TT genotype was mostly distributed in the mild-moder