Background: Among different air pollutants, cigarette smoke contains toxic chemicals, mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds, which can adversely affect male fertility. In this study, semen parameters and reproductive hormonal concentrations of subfertile smokers were compared with subfertile non-smokers.
Objectives: evaluation of the effect of cigarette smoking on male fertility by evaluating several semen parameters as well as some reproductive hormones in a group of smoker and non smokersubfertile Iraqi subjects.
Patients and Methods: At the male infertility clinic of Al-yarmuk teaching hospital, Almustanseria medical college, Baghdad, Iraq from the 1st of October 2010 to the end of June 2011, 88 men (49 non-smokers, and 39 smoker

Background:

This study is to evaluate plasma levels of several cytokines in preeclamptic pregnancies compared to those of healthy pregnancies. Ninety pregnant women with preeclampsia (37 mild & 53 severe) and thirty healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were taken and plasma levels of IL-8, IL-10, and IFN-? were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Preeclamptic women and their severe cases but not mild cases had significantly (P<0.05) increased levels of plasma IL-8, and IFN-? as compared with healthy pregnancies. By contrast, plasma levels of IL-10 was significantly (P<0.05) increased in healthy pregnant women as compared to all groups of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is associated with an imbalance betwe

     Cytokines are polypeptides with several functions that are produced by a variety of bodily cells. They are clinically significant for illness diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are the most important cytokines for cell division and proliferation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is produced in excess in mesenchymal, epithelial, and especially in tumor cells. In this study the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and VEGF were detected for 41 colorectal cancer patients and 41 healthy control group at Nanakaly Hospital by comparing their serum concentrations for patients paining from colorectal carcinoma (CRC) with those of the control subjects. The result shows a s

             The economical units in the world face great and rapid challenges in all aspects, a matter that requires facing these challenges throughout continuous improving and developing in their performance to keep their competitive position "place".

       The Benchmarking Technique is one of the modern managerial tools that are proved to be successful in application throughout making continuous comparisons between products or services and the best – performance levels the compete with it . This is achieved to develop its performance and give it the competitive criterion with which it faces its competitors.

Background: Rituximab is a chimeric IgG1 kappa immunoglobulin that has been genetically modified to incorporate human constant region sequences together with murine light- and heavy-chain variable region sequences. People use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain malignancies. Objective: The study aimed to assess the potential association between the serum levels of Factor I, CD59, interleukins (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN)-γ and the response to Rituximab treatment in Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the rheumatology center at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Ninety adult patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are receiving  Rituximab intravenous i

Background: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by relapsing and remitting episodes of inflammation limited to the mucosal layer of the colon.Loop ileostomy might be helpful in the management of the disease.

Objective: To evaluate the role of loop ileostomy in the management of ulcerative colitis.

 Methods: Between Januarys 2008 and January 2018, patients with fulminant ulcerative colitis resistant to medical therapy had been referred to our surgical unit and were included in our study. Assessment of the patients’ medical status (serum electrolytes, total serum protein, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, general stool exam,and abdominal ultrasound

Background: The altered status of some essential trace elements observed in diabetes could have deleterious influences on the health of the diabetics. Objectives: To estimate and study the potential role of serum Selenium in type 1, type 2 diabetics and healthy subjects; and its relation with lipid profile and glycemic index. Methods: A case control designed study was carried out at the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiria University; on a total of 94 participants formed of 32 type 1 diabetics, 32 type 2 diabetics and 30 healthy control participants. Data collected about age, sex and BMI; also, blood samples examined for FPG, HbA1C, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride and sera were

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune disease, with a wide range of clinical symptoms. Some studies have indicated the association between RANKL, Sclerostin, PD-1, and vitamin D concentrations and the pathogenesis of SLE. The current study aimed to evaluate the role of RANKL, Sclerostin, PD-1 and vitamin D in the pathogenesis of SLE. The study included 180 females diagnosed SLE patients and healthy control (60 females as early diagnosed patients without treatment, 60 females as patients under treatment with (prednisolone, and hydroxychloroquine), and 60 females healthy as a control group, with ages ranging from 20 to 45 years. The serum concentration levels of RANKL, Sclerostin, PD-1 and vitamin D were assessed by E