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.
Background: Thalassemia is a form of inherited autosomal recessive blood disorder characterized by abnormal formation of hemoglobin.
Objective: Determine frequencies & association of HLA class II alleles (DRB1& DQB1) in Iraqi β-thalassemia major patients.
Patients: seventy unrelated randomly selected β-thalassemia major patients, and one hundred unrelated randomly selected healthy individuals, composed the control group.
Methods: low resolution PCR-SSO (Sequence Specific Oligonucleotide) technique was used for HLA typing.
Results: HLA DQB1*5 give significance importance as an etiological risk factor for β-thalassemia major; HLA DQB1*3 give significance importance as a preventive risk factor for β-thalassemia major
Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition associated with chronic anovulation, and androgen excess. Clinically, PCOS women usually presents with menstrual irregularities, infertility, and hirsutism. Women with this syndrome are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MS).
Patients and Methods: This study was conducted during the period from March 2013 until the end of September 2013. A total of 50 PCOS women were studied (25 PCOS women with MS and 25 PCOS women without MS) with an age ranged from (35-45) years. Women with PCOS were referred to Medical City Hospital in Baghdad and compared with 25 healthy women as control group. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle
A low speed open circuit wind tunnel has been designed, manufactured and constructed at the Mechanical Engineering Department at Baghdad University - College of Engineering. The work is one of the pioneer projects adapted by the R & D Office at the Iraqi MOHESR. The present paper describes the first part of the work; that is the design calculations, simulation and construction. It will be followed by a second part that describes testing and calibration of the tunnel. The proposed wind tunnel has a test section with cross sectional area of (0.7 x 0.7 m2) and length of (1.5 m). The maximum speed is about (70 m/s) with empty test section. The contraction ratio is (8.16). Three screens are used to minimize flow disturbances in the test section.
... Show MoreBackground : Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of infertility in reproductive-age women , it is an important harbinger of metabolic disorders. It has been reported that hyperamylasemia can be used as marker of ovarian cancer patients . The current study was conducted to evaluate amylase activity and to estimate the correlation of this enzyme with insulin and insulin resistance in PCOS patients. Methods: This study was conducted on forty five patients with PCOS in comparison to twenty five women as control. Fasting blood sample was taken from each subject and analyzed for amylase activity , FSH,LH, Insulin , proteins, and blood sugar , meanwhile insulin resistance was determined by HOMA-IR index. Results: The result
... Show MoreEndothelin-I (ET-I) is one of the potent vasoconstrictors secreted from endothelial cells when needed. Many studies revealed the elevation of serum ET-I with human diabetes and microangiopathies. Since insulin resistance is a case of mixed diabetic and pre-diabetic cases, many risk factors beyond obesity and inflammation are proposed. The current study aims to demonstrate the association between serum ET-I and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sera of 73 subjects were enrolled currently (control= 35 subjects, and 38 with T2DM for more than 7 years), aged (40-60) years old, with distinct body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 for control volunteers and (BMI) ≥ 25 for obesity and diabetes
... Show MoreBackground: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a very common cause of multiple regional musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and disability; it is characterized by chronic widespread for at least
three months and tender points identified by the American Collage of Rheumatology (ACR).The cause of FMS is currently unknown. However, several hypotheses have been developed including genetic predisposition. This study aims to evaluate the contribution of serum lipid profile to the pathophysiology of FMS.
Patients & Methods: The study has included 160 patients with FMS with age range (18-72) years and 60 control individuals who were age and sex matching with FMS patients: 29 patients with chronic musculoskeletal compla
Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain with associated symptoms including stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbance and functional impairment. FMS is depicted by chronic pain for at least three months and tender points identified by the American Collage of Rheumatology (ACR). Although several hypotheses have been developed; the cause of FMS is currently unknown.
This study aims to evaluate the contribution of serum apolipoprotein (a) [Apo (a)], leptin, and serum lipid profile to the pathophysiology of FMS.
Subjects & Methods: The study has included 160 patients with FMS with age range (18-72) years and 60 control individuals who were age and sex matc
Background: Diabetic patients with accompanied dyslipidemia are soft targets for cardiovascular diseases. An early intervention to normalize circulating lipids has been shown to reduce
cardiovascular complications and mortality. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a routinely used marker for long-term glycemic control.
Objective: to investigate the role of HbA1c as a marker of circulating lipids in type 2 diabetic patients
Subjects and Methods: A total of 450 type 2 diabetic patients (214 males and 236 females), mean age was 55.5 ± 9.35. who attended the National Diabetic Center, Al-Mustansiria university during the period from December 2010 to May 2011 were included in this study Fasting venous blood sample
In this work an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique has been used for detection of some inflammatory markers in serum of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-Patients Admitted to the cardiac care unit (CCU) of Iraqi Centre For Heart Diseases and Ibn AlNafees Teaching Hospital. The present method includes quantitative measurement of interleukine-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as their increase during symptoms may be responsible for identifying the mechanism of myocardial damag, in addition to their best performance than other quantitative tests perhaps due to their association with atherosclerotic process that belongs to the endothelial dysfunction. Aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and correlation of IL-6 w
... Show MoreBackground: H. pylori is one of the gastrointestinal organisms in which more than half the world's population was infected. The aim of this study was to Isolation, identity, and determine antibiotic susceptibility of H. pylori from samples of the patient (biopsies) using various procedures.
Patients and methods: A total of 90(58 males, 32females) patients with different age groups from both genders are involved in this study suffering from dyspeptic symptoms They underwent diagnostic ‘upper’ gastrointestinal (G.I.) endoscopy at “Endoscopy unit of AL- Sadder Teaching Hospital in Baghdad “during the period November 2021 to March 2022.
Results: The results showed a rel
... Show More