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 injury was below D2, and fifty normal control subjects were included in this study. All patients studied in this work had complete spinal cord injury and were stabled medically and neurologically.
Clinical examination for the signs and symptoms of CTS as well as nerve conduction studies were carried out in both median and ulnar nerves for their sensory and motor components eliciting values for distal latencies for all patients and the control groups.
Results: Thirty percent of the paraplegic patients (15 patients) had signs and symptoms consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and all of them had electrodiagnostic confirmation of this injury.
Seventy percent of these paraplegic patients (35 patients) had no signs and symptoms suggestive of CTS, and only nearly about forty eight percent (17 patients) of them had only electrodiagnostic confirmation of CTS. Overall, 64% of the 50 paraplegic patients had CTS (32 patients). Nine paraplegic patients (18%) exhibiting bilateral CTS. Eight paraplegic patients (16%) had abnormal electrophysiological findings involving the ulnar nerve at the wrist and all of them had electrophysiological findings of CTS.
There was a sharp increase in incidence of occurrence of CTS from 6.3% in the group 1 to 5 years from injury to 13.7% in the group 6 to 10 years, and to 25% in the group 11 to 15 years, and again a very big increase to 50% in the group 16 years and over from injury.
Conclusion: Early testing of the median and ulnar nerve function, even in asymptomatic patients within the first 5 years of the injury, is recommended so for early detection, preventive and/or curative measures to be undertaken considering the fact that these patients are greatly dependent on their hands for their daily activities.
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: Candida albicans is the principal fungal infectious agent in human infection. Adhesion is thought to be an essential step for colonization and establishment of Candida infections.
Objectives: Identification and comparison of ALS1 virulence gene of adhesion family among different isolates of Candida albicans by PCR.
Patients and methods: One hundred eight samples were collected from different group of Iraqi patients. All samples were culture on Sabouraud′s agar, CHROMagar for identification while API Candida kit confirmatory test and extracted DNA was done for just Candida albicans isolates, detected the ALS1 gene, extracted RNA for synthesis of cDNA and detected of gene and compare between iso
Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine illness, affecting an increasing number of people all over the world. It is caused by a lack, or inadequate synthesis of insulin by the pancreas leading to an increase in blood glucose concentrations. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most strongly linked disease to obesity of all disorders. The number of obesity-related diabetes is predicted to reach 300 million by 2025. The term 'diabesity' was coined as a result of this strong link, therefore, weight loss is seen as a key therapeutic goal in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agon
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetic Mellitus is considered as a public health concern. More than 8 percent of the United States has diabetes. Diabetes is a serious risk factor for Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and an important cause of mortality. ASCVD is the commonest cause of death in the Western world. Diabetes was defined as a high risk condition for ASCVD. In adults with diabetes with ASCVD or multiple ASCVD risk factors it is important to prescribe high intensity statin to reduce LDL at least to 50%.
Objective: To investigate association between dyslipidemia and HbA1c and to detect benefit of using some statins in decreases the risk of CVD.
Material and method: A
... Show MoreBackground: malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is uncommon neoplasm arising from mesothelial cells of the pleura. The most important etiologic agent is typically related to exposure to minerals fibers such as asbestos and erionite. Computed tomography (CT) plays essential role in characterization, diagnosis and staging of MPM.
Objectives: to determine the value of CT scan in characterization of MPM and its impact on diagnosis, and staging of the disease with histopathological correlation.
Patients and methods: the CT scan of 27 patients who had diagnosed of MPM were retrospectively evaluated, additionally CT findings of histopathological subtypes were compared and determine staging of the disease according to their documented CT
Background: Multiple sclerosis is a devastating central nervous system autoimmune disorder that is characterized by a series of inflammations, demyelinations, and neurodegenerations that affect the brain and spinal cord. The epigenetic studies specially micro Ribonucleic acid expression represent an important field of researches that probably uncover the obscurities behind the multiple sclerosis pathogenesis.
Objectives: to study the expression of micro Ribonucleic acids (20a, 146a, 155, and 145) in multiple sclerosis patients by the use of real time polymerase chain reaction.
Patients and Methods: A case-control study was performed using real time polymerase chain reaction technique to measure the relative expression of micro Ribo
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systematic autoimmune disorder with chronic inflammation changes of unknown etiology. Various synovial inflammatory and proliferative alterations may contribute to the cartilaginous tissues and invasive bony tissues, leading to destructive joints and malformed bones. This disease is mostly due to infective microorganisms or genetic susceptibility causing immune system disturbances through triggering both T-cells and B-cells. Furthermore, different immune cells may secret cytokines, which are responsible for some RA pathogenesis activity. From ninety individuals, serum sample was collected; thirty of them were normal and sixty cases were patients with RA attended a privet medical clin
... Show MoreBackground: The lack of studies regarding the neuroendocrine tumors (NET) is related to the rarity of these tumors .Long acting Octreotide is an established treatment for NETs by both providing symptomatic relief & inhibiting tumor growth. However, studies regarding incidence of NETs & their response to long acting Octreotide are still insufficient.
Objectives: To study the clinico-pathologic characteristics of Iraqi patients with NET & their response to long acting Octreotide.
Patients & methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study that was conducted in Oncology teaching hospital using patients’ follow-up records. Data recruitment included all NET patients diagnosed after October 2013.
Results: Durin
8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is considered as an indicator of the oxidative stress. Pro inflammatory cytokines are critical parts of the pathophysiological processes to which treatment can be applied. The aim of this study was to evaluate 8-OHdG and pro inflammatory cytokines concentration in colon carcinoma patients. Blood samples were taken before treatment from 50 incident cases with colon cancer (stage III) admitted for health examination at the Nanakali Hospital in Erbil city with 45 healthy samples of controls with age range between 38-69 years for both groups. All studied parameters were estimated by ELISA. Participants at this study were 95 Participants ranged in age from 38 to 69 years, 50 Participants had been newly diagnosed wi
... Show MoreBackground: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is
the most common form of chronic anovulation
associated with androgen excess; it occurs in about 5
– 10% 0f reproductive age women. Metabolic
syndrome is characterized by insulin resistance,
hypertension, obesity, abnormalities of blood clotting
and dyslipidemia.
Adult women with PCOS have an increased
prevalence of the metabolic syndrome(MBS).
Objectives: To detect the prevalence of metabolic
syndrome in women with proved PCOS, attending the
Specialized Center for Endocrinology and Diabetes, in
Baghdad.
Materials and methods : A total number of 40
women with proved PCOS were included in this study
which was conducted in the Specialized Center f