Back ground: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common chronic musculo-skeletal disorder resulting in chronic widespread pain impacting on quality life.
Objectives: To assess the relationship between FMS and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and to evaluate the predictors of this relationship if present.
Patients and Methods: One hundred Iraqi KOA patients and 100 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Full history was taken and complete clinical examination was done for all patients. Baseline characteristics [age, sex, duration, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, family history (Hx) of KOA, smoking history, and drug history.] were also documented. Laboratory analysis included complete blood count, erythrocyte

Background: Fibromyalgia (FMS) is characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia (pain from stimuli which are not normally painful with pain that may occur other than in the area stimulated) of more than 3 months duration. The current hypothesis of the etiology of FMS includes inflammatory and neuroendocrine disorders. Many features of fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism are virtually the same, and thyroid hormone treatment trials have reduced or eliminated fibromyalgia symptoms. These findings led the authors to test the hypothesis that fibromyalgia patients are hypometabolic compared to matched control .

Patients and Methods: The samples  were taken from the patients attending the out-

Background: Fibromyalgia is a functional disorder of growing importance characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain. It frequently affects women of child bearing age. Infertility is failure to achieve pregnancy within a 12 month period for sexually active individuals under 35 years of age and failure to conceive within a 6 months period for those over 35 years, which can have a major psychosocial impact on the affected person’s life.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of fibromyalgia among a sample of infertile women; and to study its relationship with age, length of marriage, duration and type of infertility.

Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional stu

Background: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systematic autoinmume disease with prevalence of 1% world wild, it is characterized by chronic inflammation of synovial joints, which commonly leads to progressive joints destruction and consequent disability with reduction in quality of life of life.

Background: Dystrophinopathies are the commonest forms of muscular dystrophy and comprise clinically recognized forms, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD). Mutations in the dystrophin gene which consist of large gene deletions (65%), duplications (5%) and point mutations (30%) are responsible for reducing the amount of functional dystrophin protein in skeletal muscle fibers.  This study concentrate mainly at the spectrum of deletions in the 'distal hot spot' region of the DMD/BMD gene in Iraqi DMD/BMD patients using multiplex PCR technique

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the rate, and distribution of deletions in 10 exons of Dystrophin

mucosal secretions as well as in secondary granules of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Anti-Elastase antibodies, anti-Lactoferrin antibodies,anti-Cathapsin G antibodies and anti-Lysozyme antibodies, which belong to Perinuclear Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies(pANCA) have been described in several immunomediated diseases, including Rheumatoid Arthritis .
Objectives: Investigate the prevalence of anti-Elastase antibodies, anti-Lactoferrin antibodies,anti-Cathapsin G antibodies , anti- Lysozyme antibodies and rheumatoid factor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to healthy control.
Patients &Methods: The study involved 40 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients who were referred to Immunolog

Background: The demographic characteristics of Iraqi patients with the metabolic syndrome (MS) and presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been scarcely studied before.

Aim of the study To study the socio-demographic characteristics of a group of Iraqi patients with MS presenting with ACS.

Patients and Methods: A convenience sample of 150 cases presenting with ACS and admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) of Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad from mid-January through July 2011 were included in the current cross-sectional study. The data needed for the study was collected through a direct interview to fill a questionnaire by all cases carried out by a consu

Background: Multiple Sclerosis disease is a demyelination process which interferes with the neuronal signal transmission, thus leading to different cognitive and physical dysfunctions like optic neuritis, motor, sensory and coordination problems. Recently many researches have been directed toward studying the relation between some genes and multiple sclerosis. Among the important genes to be studied in multiple sclerosis is the forkhead box P3 gene expression.
Objectives: The aims of the present work were to study the expression of forkhead box P3 gene by real time polymerase chain reaction, and to perform chromosomal analysis on the multiple sclerosis patients peripheral blood lymphocytes.
Patients and methods: A case-control stud

Background: Seasonal variation and gender preponderance have not been adequately studied in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the seasonal variation and sex preponderance in children with Guillian Barré Syndrome.
Patients and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out by reviewing wards’ registry of all cases with Guillian Barré Syndrome admitted to Children Welfare Teaching Hospital during a 10-year period (1999 - 2008). Age, sex, seasonal distribution, residence and outcome were analysed.
Results: Guillian Barré Syndrome was diagnosed in 217 (126 boys, 91 girls) patients and the annual hospital rate of admission was 22.9 /100000 children. There was increase annual incidence from 1

Background: The median nerve in paraplegic patients, who must rely on increased hand activities including transfer and wheel-chair propulsion, may be subjected to increased pressure, so that the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be higher than that in the normal population.
Objectives: To study the prevalence and the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome in Iraqi paraplegic patients and to identify the effect of duration of the injury as a possible factor related to its occurrence to avoid any chronic problems which interfere with the hand functions since these patients are greatly dependent on their hands for their daily activities.
Patients and Methods: Fifty paraplegic patients (100 hands), whose level of spinal cord in