Demodex species are external parasites; they are transmitted via direct contact, and when present in elevated numbers it may induce several ocular diseases. However, the symptoms are very similar to other diseases; hence, its’ role is often neglected. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is important in order to avoid mistreatment. In this study, infestation rates in both blepharitis and chalazia were compared to an asymptomatic group, with relation to gender, age, personal hygiene, time of year, and residency. All specimens were examined immediately after collection. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Demodex mites and ocular diseases. These mites were predominantly found in patie

Background:

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease believed to be the result of autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system, characterised by inflammation, demyelination, and axonal transection, affecting primarily young adults. Disease modifying therapies have become widely used, and the rapid development of these drugs highlighted the need to update our knowledge on their short- and long-term safety profile.

Objective:

The study aim is to evaluate the impact of disease-modifying treatments on thyroid functions and thyroid autoantibodies with subsequent effects on the outcome of the disease.

Materials and Methods:

A retro prospective study

Background: Anemia is very common in patients with chronic kidney disease, and becoming almost universal in end stage renal disease, where dialysis or renal transplantation becoming the treatment of choice. High levels of hepcidin appear to accompany reduced renal function and serum ferritin may also be elevated.
Objectives: To classify anemia in hemodialysis patients and to display the correlations between the types of anemia and inflammatory parameters like hepcidin and ferritin according to vascular access of hemodialysis.
Patients and methods: This case-control study was conducted at Al-Hayat center for hemodialysis, and included 60 adult patients on hemodialysis. Also 20 healthy individuals were recruited as control group. Mea

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is widespread and involved in the pathogenesis of the majority of stomach and duodenal diseases. Reduced stomach acidity facilitates the initial infection. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) are essential for the production of stomach acid. This study aimed to observe any changes in the levels of serum electrolytes (Na, K, and Cl) and serum vitamin C levels in a sample of Iraqi patients infected with H. Pylori. We studied 30 infected patients with H. Pylori and 30 matched healthy controls. The results revealed that the serum sodium, potassium, and chloride levels were significantly decreased (p = 0.002, 0.003 and 0.0001, respectivel

Salivary peroxidases have biological functions of particular importance to oral health. The aim of this paper is to shed the light on saliva and serum total peroxidases activity as well as the activity of each of salivary peroxidase (SPO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in patients with oral tumors. The studied participants were divided into two groups: the first group included 18 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients and 20 age and gender-matched healthy controls while the second group consisted of 20 oral ossifying fibroma patients and 23 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Total peroxidases activity was determined, and its specific activity was calculated in serum and whole mixed saliva as well as in the supernatant and pellet fractions

Background: The present study aimed to assess the distribution, prevalence, severity of malocclusion in Baghdad governorate in relation to gender and residency Materials and Methods: A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used in this investigation to make the sample a representative of target population. The sample consisted of 2700 (1349 males and 1351 females) intermediate school students aged 13 years representing 3% of the total target population. A questionnaire was used to determine the perception of occlusion and orthodontic treatment demand of the students and the assessment procedures for occlusal features by direct intraoral measurement using veriner and an instrument to measure the rotated and displaced teeth. Results a

   The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological importance of the magnitude of oxidative stress, antioxidant and the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the female patients infected with Toxoplasma gondii by analyzing the levels of erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) as an indicator for the oxidative stress and erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) level as indicator for the antioxidant status and serum nitric oxide levels. This prospective study was conducted on fifty female patients with toxoplasmosis and thirty normal healthy females of comparable age and sex were considered as normal control. A statistically significant difference was found between patients and control group in terms of MDA, GSH and NO levels. A decrease i

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

Background: 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

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease and it accounts for over 10% of all hospital medical admission. Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PHT) is a common complication of COPD and the increase in pulmonary artery pressure is often mild to moderate. The presence of pulmonary arterial pressure and its severity is readily and reliably determined by transthoracic echocardiography in majority of COPD patients.
Patients and Methods: This study included 55 patients with mean age 65.6 ±8.2 years .The mean duration of symptoms was 18 ±10 months. 32 patients (58%) were current smoker, 18 patients (33%) were exsmoker and 5 pat