Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder, the etiology and pathogenesis of which have been suggested to be influenced by cytokines. Two main clinical types of IBD are recognized, namely ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The present study examined serum levels of two cytokines (IL-17A and IL-23) in 60 IBD patients (30 UC and 30 CD) and 30 healthy controls. The levels were correlated with age, gender, cigarette-smoking status, disease duration, family history, disease extension, symptoms, extra-intestinal manifestations, and medication. The results depicted that IL-17A level was significantly higher in UC and CD patients compared to control (45.2 ± 23.3 and 47.5 ± 34.4 vs. 15.6 ± 7.5 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.001). Serum level of IL-23 was similarly increased in UC and CD patients compared to control (64.1± 23.7 and 62.5 ± 27.3 vs. 25.2 ± 11.1 pg/ml, respectively). However, the level of both cytokines showed no significant variation between UC and CD patients (p = 0.713 and 0.777, respectively). Distributing UC and CD patients into subgroups according to some characteristics revealed that IL-17A level was significantly increased in UC male compared to female patients (57.3 ± 18.2 vs. 34.5 ± 22.5 pg/ml; p = 0.005). It was also significantly increased in smoker UC patients compared with non-smoker patients (51.9 ± 19.4 vs. 31.6 ± 25.5 pg/ml; p = 0.022). Smoker CD patients also showed a significantly increased level of IL-23 compared to non-smoker patients (72.7 ± 28.5 vs. 52.2 ± 22.6 pg/ml; p = 0.038). In the case of family history, IL-23 level was significantly decreased in UC patients with a family history of IBD compared to CD patients with a family history (84.5 ± 24.3 vs. 50.4 ± 17.0 pg/ml.; p = 0.042). In conclusion, the present data suggest a role for IL-17A and IL-23 in the etiology and pathogenesis of UC and CD.
Background: Prostatic adenocarcinoma is the most widely recognized malignancy in men and the second cause of cancer-related mortality encountered in male patients after lung cancer.
Aim of the study: To assess the diagnostic value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and its quantitative measurement, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), in the identification and localization of prostatic cancer compared with T2 weighted image sequence (T2WI).
Type of the study: a prospective analytic study
Patients and methods: forty-one male patients with suspected prostatic cancer were examined by pelvic MRI at the MRI department of the Oncology Teaching Hospital/Medical City in Baghdad
... Show MoreBackground: Cleaning and shaping of root canals successfully requires high volumes of irrigation solutions that can only be applied to the apical third of root canal after enlargement with instrument, so the aim of this study was to evaluate and to compare the efficiency of Maxi-I-probe (side-vented needle), in the amount of root canal irrigant penetration for five different master apical file sizes (MAF) and four different degrees of coronal and middle thirds flaring. Materials and Methods: Two hundred resin blocks with simulated root canals were used in this study and divided into 5 major groups (40 for each) based on the size of master apical files (#20, #25, #30, #35, and #40). Each major group was subdivided into 4 subgroups depending
... Show MoreThe use of heavy ions in the treatment of cancer tumors allows for accurate radiation of the tumor with minimal collateral damage that may affect the healthy tissue surrounding the infected tissue. For this purpose, the stopping power and the range to which these particles achieved of Nitrogen (N) in the skin tissue were calculated by programs SRIM (The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter),(SRIM Dictionary) [1],(CaSP)(Convolution approximation for Swift Particles )[2]which are famous programs to calculate stopping power of material and Bethe formula , in the energy range (1 - 1000) MeV .Then the semi - empirical formulas to calculate the stopping power and range of Nitrogen io
... Show MoreBackground: Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of amoebic dysentery and hepatic abscesses. Despite the efficacy of metronidazole in alleviating infectious diseases, the global dissemination of drug-resistant parasites raises the possibility that Punica granatum could serve as an effective natural alternative treatment. Objective: To evaluate the effect of P. granatum methanolic and aqueous extracts of various parts against E. histolytica trophozoites in an in vitro setting. Methods: Various concentrations (0.14, 0.7, 1.4, and 2.8 mg/ml) of P. granatum extracts of the flowers, leafs, peels, and seeds were chosen for this purpose. A culture medium containing 0.05x106/ml E. histolytica trophozoites was treated with different
... Show MoreElectronic banking services appeared as a result of laying the foundations for the application of electronic automation in the banking field, and despite the clear expansion in its adoption and implementation as an inevitable necessity imposed by international and national developments, its application was not ideal according to the level that was expected to occur after the abandonment of traditional banking services, which produced some risks Which is evident in the absence of a legal system, whether at the level of proving and authoritative electronic banking services such as electronic signature, Or at the level of protecting the confidentiality of these services and ensuring that they are not exp
... Show MoreThe purpose of this study was to know the effect of adding different percentages of soy protein a humidifier to mix Sarcoma Barker component of the beef mixture Alkhalt added Alber elderly chicken with five ratios were manufacturing Alberkr discs for sensory evaluation
All modern critical approaches attempt to cover the meanings and overtones of the text, claiming that they are better than others in the analysis and attainment of the intended meanings of the text. The structural approach claims to be able to do so more than any other modern critical approach, as it claimed that it is possible to separate what is read from the reader, on the presumed belief that it is possible to read the text with a zero-memory. However, the studies in criticism of criticism state that each of these approaches is successful in dealing with the text in one or more aspects while failing in one or more aspects. Consequently, the criticism whether the approach possesses the text, or that the text rejects this possession, r
... Show MoreIt has become clear to see the role of the small and medium enterprises in the economy, and for the continuity of these projects it is necessary to supply finance from the banks, How ever the latter suffers risk of lending.
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... Show MoreSince the nineties of the last century, Iraqi youth have been exposed to Mexican soap operas dubbed into classical Arabic, and the stories and ideas presented by these series were almost new to all the minds of the youth at that time, a culture completely different from the culture we have of social relations, and since the number of episodes was more than Of the 100 episodes, exposure to these series has left young people confused by the addiction to all their ideas and stories. They differ from the foreign films (mostly American) that we used to watch, and they only take two hours (at most). These films contain diverse stories and may be forgotten. Memory includes events and characters in their entirety at times, and you may remember th
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