Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder of the joints that is characterized by extra-articular involvement in addition to inflammatory arthritis. Joint and periarticular tissue loss brought on by inflammation results in functional impairment. To lessen the significant daily challenges that patients confront and to ensure better outcomes, early detection and treatment are essential. The study's objective was to establish the use of human β-defensin-2 (HBD-2) as a RA diagnostic marker. A total of 60 RA patients and 30 healthy controls participated in the research. The ELISA technique was used to measure serum HBD-2. The following tests were performed: complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), renal function test, and liver function test. In comparison to the healthy control group, the RA group exhibited a substantially higher blood HBD-2 levels (p ≤0.001). Additionally, there was no significant association between serum HBD-2 and urea, creatinine, AST, ALT, and ESR (P>0.05). When RA was distinguished from the group of healthy individuals, the area under the curve (AUC) demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.990, p = 0.001). (0.9667). As a result, serum HBD-2 may be used as a reliable RA diagnostic marker.
Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between levels of certain seminal biochemical parameters and serum reproductive hormones, on the one hand, and sperm function tests, on the other hand, in asthenospermic patients. Patients and Methods: Sixty asthenospermic patients and twenty fertile men as a control group were included in this study. Semen samples were collected to perform seminal fluid analysis. Total protein, cholesterol, calcium, creatine kinase, and fructose were measured in the seminal plasma. Blood samples were collected for hormonal assay of serum reproductive hormones: testosterone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Results: The results revealed a significant positive correla
... Show MoreBackground: Salivary biomarkers, a non-invasive alternative method to serum and tissue based biomarkers and it is consider as an effective modality for early diagnosis. Salivary microRNA 21, a nucleotide biomarker, was reported to increase in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This study was conducted to measure the fold change of microRNA 21 in stimulated saliva and to study its association with smoking and occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods: A 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma who used to be smokers was included in addition to 40 control subjects (20 smokers and 20 non- smokers health looking subjects). Stimulated saliva was collected under standardized condition. Salivary microRNA 21 wa
... Show MoreTo investigate the effects of losartan and enalapril on serum uric acid in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome, one hundred and twenty six newly diagnosed mild hypertensive patients, having markers of metabolic syndrome included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (60 patients) was given losartan (50 mg/ day) and group 2 (66 patients) enalapril (20 mg/ day) for a duration of 2 months. A control group of seventy apparently healthy individuals were included. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of metabolic syndrome related to the American National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III. Serum uric acid levels were measured bef
... Show MoreThis study was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq from December 2021 to May 2022. The goal was to determine the effect of Toxoplasma gondii on liver function by examining the relationship between Toxoplasma infection and hormones. One hundred and twenty male patients with Chronic liver disease (CLD) (age:14-75 years) and 120 control males (age: 24-70 years) participated in this study. Serum samples were taken from all individuals and were then analysed for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. Hormonal tests were conducted for all participants which included (Cortisol, testosterone, prolactin, insulin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH). Biochemical tests included (Prothrombin time PT, international normalized ratio INR and albumin); liver enzymes
... Show Moreprotein oxidation through oxidative stress, which represents the overall status of the protein in the cell/tissue. Due to their increased levels of AOPPs were reported during T2DM. The aim of this study was to assess AOPP level in T2DM subjects with foot ulcer (DFU) and explore its correlation with infection. Type 2 diabetic patients (n=108) and healthy subjects (n=25) were enrolled in this study. The T2DM group was subdivided to diabetic patients without complications (n=25) and eighty-three (83) of them have diabetic foot. They were sub- grouped into two groups according to presence Osteomyelitis and abscess, and in reliance on medical analysis of WBC count and CRP. Group of diabetic without superficial or deep ulcer and no osteomyelitis
... Show MoreABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular complications such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, sudden death, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. A proper non-expensive tool is required for detection of this pathology. Different electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria were investigated; however, the results were conflicting regarding the accuracy of these criteria. OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of three electrocardiographic criteria in diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in adult patients with hypertension using echocardiography as a reference test. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a hospital-based cross sectional observational study which included 340 adult patients with a his
... Show MoreMedicinal plants are a source for a wide variety of natural active compounds and are used for the treatment of diseases throughout the world. Conocarpus erectus L. widely planted all over Iraq and has different secondary metabolites, which has been used in treatment of anemia, cancer, fever and diarrhea. The present study aims to estimate the antibacterial activity of Conocarpus erectus leaves extracts on some microorganisms collected from patients with burn infection. The study began with the collection of Conocarpus erectus leaves in June 2018 from the trees in university of Baghdad. Maceration method was used to prepare aqueous extract, while Soxhelt apparatus was used to prepare methanolic extract. The results of phytochemical test show
... Show MoreSUMMARY. The objectives of the present study were to assess the possible predictors of COVID-19 severity and duration of hospitalization and to identify the possible correlation between patient parameters, disease severity and duration of hospitalization. The study included retrospective medical record extraction of previous coron avirus COVID-19 patients in Basra hospitals, Iraq from March 1st and May 31st, 2020. The information of the participants was investigated anonymously. All the patients’ characteristics, treatments, vital signs and laboratory tests (hematological, renal and liver function tests) were collected. The analysis was conducted using the SPSS (version 22, USA). Spearman correlation was used to measure the relations
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