Back ground:-Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of inflammatory polyarthritis, with a  prevalence of approximately 0.8% of adults worldwide, Rheumatoid arthritis patients may become disabled within few years if untreated that may lead to permanent disability. Different biomarkers have been assessed for the improved diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis, including a wide range of autoantibodies. However, only rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) have gained wide acceptance.

Aim of the study to investigate the levels of ACCP, Leptin, and Lipoprotein (a) in females with RA to provide information on possible pathophysiologic mechanisms, and to give re

Background:-Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that often affects multiple vascular distributions in a single patient. The increased prevalence of renal artery stenosis in association with coronary artery disease has been well documented.
Objectives:-To examine in detail the prevalence of renal artery stenosis in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease.
Patients &methods:-Between April 2010 and February 2011, two hundred patients underwent coronary and renal angiography at the same session in Ibn Al-bitar Hospital for Cardiac Surgery. Clinical and procedural data for patients undergoing renal angiography were prospectively collected and entered into database specially designed for th

This work studies the role of serum apelin-36 and Glutathione S-transferases (GST) activity in association with the hormonal, metabolic profiles and their link to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in healthy and patients' ladies with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of fifty-four (PCOS) patients and thirty-one healthy woman as a control have been studied. The PCOS patients were subdivided on the basis of body-mass-index (BMI), into 2-subgroups (the first group was obese-PCOS with BMI ≥ 30 and the second group was non-obese PCOS MBI<30). Fasting-insulin-levels and Lipid-profile, Homeostatic-model assessment-of-insulin-resistance (HOMA-IR), follicle-stimulating-hormone (FSH), luteinizing-hormone (LH), testosterone and

The local study were selected 70 Iraqi Arab Patients (39 females and 31 males), who referred to HLA laboratory in teaching laboratories in Baghdad medical city from April 2009 – May 2010 were diagnosed with Behcete's disease, C-reactive protein concentration(CRP) was evaluated by ELISA technique, anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) were evaluated by Indirect immunofluorescence technology. The result showed significant differences (P<0.05) of CRP concentration in patients group compared with control, negative antinuclear nuclear antibody in all cases while ANCA was positive in 8.5% of patients with type P (PANCA). These results lead to suggest that ANCA auto-antibody may have a role in triggeri

Background: Beta thalassemia is a typically autosomal recessive form of severe anemia which is caused by an imbalance of two types of protein (alpha and beta) subunits of hemoglobin. Oxidative stress imbalance is the equilibrium between pro-oxidant\antioxidant statuses in cellular system, which results in damaging the cells. Antioxidant is a chemical that delays the start or slows the rate of lipid oxidation reaction and it play a very important role in the body defense system against reactive oxygen species. The aims of this study were to recorded the oro-facial manifestations in beta thalassemic patients and assess the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde in serum and salivs and their role in the pathogenesis of beta thalassemia and ev

Background: ;Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease. Approximately 85% of patients acutely infected with HCV progress to chronic liver disease with persistence of HCV-RNA for more than 6 months Among patients with chronic HCV infection , 15-20% progress to end-stage liver disease main transmission methods of the virus is by : blood and blood products ; sharing needles and acupuncture .Objective: To evaluate Iraqi patients infected with chronic HCV, including their treatment, and factors that affect their response to treatment .Methods :This study was performed at Gastroenterology and Hepatology hospital in Baghdad from January 2011 to March 2012.The study enrolled 90 patients with HCV Antibody positive (Ab +ve)

Background: Outcome of management of patients with diabetic foot is difficult to predict. Assessment of variables in history , examination and investigations were analyzed with outcome of management and whether can be assigned as prognostic factors .
Methods: prospective study of 300 patients with diabetic foot in Baghdad teaching hospital during the period from April 2000 to March 2004,certain criteria was taken in history and examination, these were investigated and treated either by conservative procedure or amputation.
Results: most common age group was 50-59 years ( 33.3%). The male to female ratio was 2:1. Conservative debridement was performed in ( 60%) of patients while amputation was employed in&nb

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disorder that found during gestation and is define as hyperglycemia of variable severity with onset or first recognition during gestation that does not clearly characterize any form of the preexisting diabetes (American Diabetes Association [1]). It affects approximately 16.5% of pregnancies worldwide (Plows, et al.[2]). The placenta is an organ that connects the mother and her fetus during pregnancy (Gul, et al.[3]). In the placenta, glucose can be transformed into glycogen for storage by either glycogen synthase or using glycogenin as a prime. However, the function of glycogen deposition stays a matter of debate, it may be the source of fuel for placenta itself or the storag

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as a result of biochemical processes that are not in balance with the body's antioxidant defense mechanism. This metabolic dysfunction is referred to the oxidative stress (OS).  Metabolic dysfunction-associated diseases are affected by changes in the redox balance. It is now widely recognized that oxidative stress significantly affects diabetes mellitus (DM), particularly type 2 diabetes. The biochemical changes associated with  DM could  disturb the oxidative milieu, leading to several microvascular complications in diabetic patients. Thus, DM is a perfect disease to explore the harmful consequences of oxidative stress and how to treat it. Oxidative stress triggered by hyperglycemia is

Background: Deficiency in beta cell mass is the hallmark of most forms of diabetes, it is worthwhile understanding pancreatic regeneration in the context of this disease.Of crucial importance in the development of diabetes, both type I and type II, is the insufficient beta cell replication after the onset of disease.This is why we are always in search of new sources of beta cells to be generated by neogenesis to induce beta cells. In this regard, pancreatic stem or progenitor cells may offer a promising therapeutic approach for diabetes.
Methods and Materials: A total of 60 adults swiss albino rats were divided into two groups. Group I, control group (30 animals) were injected with normal saline into the