Objective(s): To measure serum C-reactive protein (CRP) titer as a predictive diagnosis of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection.
Methodology: Two hundred and ten patients with acute HCV infection and 234 apparently healthy individuals as
control group were enrolled in this study in Baghdad medical city (Teaching Laboratories). The patents include
74(35.2%) females and 136 (64.8%) males with mean age (27±16.5) years. The control group includes 114 (48.7%)
females and 120 (51.3%) males with mean age (26±5.8) years. Blood samples were collected from out patients from
Alfadul in Baghdad city. Sera were separated and stored at 20 0
C. The diagnosis of acute HCV infection was based on
detection of HC Ag and anti- HCV IgM and standard liver function tests. Determination of CRP titer was assessed by
semi-quantitative tube agglutination test. All data were statistically analyzed.
Results: Based on 95% percentile, the baseline CRP titer in healthy individuals was 1:8 (16mg/l) and for patients 1:512
(1024mg/l). There was a statistically significant increase in the mean CRP titer in patients with acute HCV infection
compared to healthy individuals (P< 0.001) .The validly of CRP titer 1: 64 as a cut –off value to predict HCV infection
provide a sensitivity and specificity of 100 % and 96% respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation
between CRP titer and liver function test values.
Recommendation:
Therefore, in further studies, we recommends the evaluation of C- reactive protein titer in patients with acute
hepatitis B Virus infection and patients with non–infectious diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus
and hyperlipidemia infection, and compare between them.
The possibility of using zero-valent iron as permeable reactive barrier in removing lead from a contaminated groundwater was investigated. In the batch tests, the effects of many parameters such as contact time between adsorbate and adsorbent (0-240 min), initial pH of the solution (4-8), sorbent dosage (1-12 g/100 mL), initial metal concentration (50-250 mg/L), and agitation speed
(0-250 rpm) were studied. The results proved that the best values of these parameters achieve the maximum removal efficiency of Pb+2 (=97%) were 2 hr, 5, 5 g/100 mL, 50 mg/L and 200 rpm respectively. The sorption data of Pb+2 ions on the zero-valent iron have been performed well by Langmuir isotherm model in compared with Freundlich model under the studied
Batch reactive distillation was studied in packed bed column. Esterification of methanol with acetic acid to produce methyl acetate and water with homogenous sulfuric acid as a catalyst was considered. This system was chosen because the reaction is reversible and the boiling point of reactant and products are different.
The reaction was carried out with and without distillation column and shows that the reactive distillation is more efficient from the conventional process (reactor and then separation). The conversion of acetic acid and concentration of methyl acetate increase by (30.43% and 75.14%) respectively at the best condition (reflux ratio 2, feed mole ratio 2 and batch time 90 minute).
The influence of various parameters, s
Despite the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) being the largest family of signalling proteins at the surface of cells, their potential to be targeted in cancer therapy is still under-utilised. This review highlights the contribution of these receptors to the process of oncogenesis and points to some likely challenges that might be encountered in targeting them. GPCR-signalling pathways are often complex and can be tissue-specific. Cancer cells hijack these communication networks to their proliferative advantage. The role of selected GPCRs in the different hallmarks of cancer is examined to highlight the complexity of targeting these receptors for therapeutic benefit. Our
... Show MoreThe purpose of this study was to determine the effect of lupine flour (L.f) and lupine protein concentrate (L.P.C) incorporation on chemical, nutritional and sensual qualities characteristics of biscuit (L.P.C) was prepared by isoelectric precipitation method. A standard recipe for biscuit preparation by wheat patent flour used as the control. Wheat flour in the control treatment was replaced with (L.f) and (L.P.C) at levels 10, 20 & 30%. Chemical composition of (L.f), (L.P.C) and biscuit treatments were studied. Results showed that protein contents were 35.35 & 75.80% for (L.F) and (L.P.C), respectively. While they amounted to 14.70, 16.16 & 18.61% for (L.f) incorporated biscuits and
... Show MorePsoriasis is a dermatological, chronic, immune-mediated condition. Psoriasis symptoms are not associated with physical burden only, but it may also have psychosocial effects on patients, diminished cognitive control, poor body image and impairments in everyday life. The value of quality of life is important since improving it is the principal goal for non-curative disease. The aim of the current study was to evaluate quality of life in a sample of Iraqi patients with psoriasis. This study is a cross-sectional study that involved 300 already diagnosed psoriasis patients who attended to the center of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical City/Baghdad. The mean age of patients was (35.156 ±10.549 years). The Arabic version of Dermatology Li
... Show MoreNanocrystalline ZnO/Zeolite type A composite was prepared by simple method of operation by . the precipitation of zinc oxide and loading on zeolite 5A in one step. Characterization was made by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence(XRF), N2 adsorption- desorption for BET surface area, and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results showed that zinc oxide was loaded on zeolite as noticed by the characteristic peaks and was of nano scale having an average diameter of 88.57nm. The percentage loading of ZnO on zeolite A was 28.37% and the surface area was 222m2/g. The activity of the prepared catalyst was examined in the desulfurization of double hydrogenated diesel fuel. The process was investigated in a
... Show MoreLeishmania major is a protozoan parasite that causes cutaneous Leishmaniasis disease in human beings and animals. The disease is prevalent in tropical and semitropical countries and has great health importance. The present study aimed to identify the histological changes in the organs infected with L. major and to provide a sophisticated diagnostic method for infection through detecting TGF-β cytokine by immunohistochemistry technique(IHC) from October 2020 to January 2021. A total of 40 samples of paraffin blocks were used for different organs including skin, spleen, liver, kidney, and heart of male and female BALB/c mice, aged 6-8 weeks, which were previously infected subcutaneously with L. major promastigotes at a dose of 1×107 promast
... Show MoreSince June 2020, an explosion in number of new COVID-19 patients has been reported in Iraq with a steady increment in new daily reported cases over the next 3 months. The limited number of PCR kits in the country and the increment in the number of new COVID-19 cases makes the role of CT scan examinations rising and becoming essential in aiding the health institutions in diagnosing and isolating infected patients and those in close contacts. This study will review the spectrum of CT pulmonary changes due to COVID-19 infection and estimate the CT severity score index and its relation to age, sex, and PCR test results