Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation, involvement of exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands may occur as extra-articular mani¬festations in this disease. This study aimed to provide evidence of altered in function and composition of salivary gland in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by determine salivary flow rate and some biochemical parameters(total protein, amylase, peroxidase) and to investigate the relationship between disease activity and changes in function and composition of salivary gland. Materials and Methods: Fifty five patients with RA (7 males and 48 females) were enrolled in this study with age range (20-69) years. The patients were separated into two groups in proportion to their salivation: normal salivation group (37) and hypo salivation group (18). Thirty five (9 male and 26 female) apparently healthy volunteers were also participated in the study. Three ml of unstimulated saliva was collected from all patients and control to determine salivary flow rate on one hand and salivary total protein, α-amylase and peroxidase by colorimetric method on other hand. Results:Resultsshowed that there is highly significant decrease (P< 0.01; p< 0.001) in the median salivary levels of (flow rate, total protein, α-amylase and peroxidase) among RA patients when compared to control. There was highly significant reduction (P< 0.01) in median salivary levels of flow rate, total protein, α-amylase and peroxidase in two study groups (normal salivation and hypo salivation) as compared to that in control group. Also the levels of all these parameters (sialometry and sialochemistry) were significantly decrease (P =0.00) in RA patients with hypo salivation as compared to that in patients with normal salivation. There was strong positive correlation between total protein and salivary flow rate (r= 0.651, P=0.000), in one hand, and on the other hand, there was strong positive correlation between α-amylase and both salivary flow rate (r=623, P= 0.000) and total protein r=658, P=0.000). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the changes in salivary composition may represent involvement of salivary glands in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Background : It had been indentified by histological, histochemical and morphometrical studies that peganum harmala is a mammogenic herb and borage officinalis is a lactogenic one . To complete our investigation about these two herbs , we performed electron microscopical study . Materials and methods : Rats were grouped according to their physiological status into three groups . Each group was subdivided in to three subgroups : one control and two experimental . The two experimental group were treated daily; the 1st one with an aqueous extract of peganum harmala seeds and the 2nd with an aqueous extract of borage officinalis flowers . After two weeks of treatment , mammary glands were employed for electron microscopical study . Resu
... Show MoreThe results of the current study showed that the thyroid gland in an adult domestic cat (Felis catus) is located in the neck area on both sides of the trachea at rings 1–5. The gland consists of two lobes (right and left), and it is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue consisting of two outer and inner layers, and a layer of fatty tissue overlaps with the outer layer of the capsule. In addition, the results of this study found that the histological structure of the thyroid gland is composed of several follicles that appear in different sizes and shapes. The follicles are lined with simple cuboidal epithelial tissue and sometimes appear lined with high and low simple cuboidal epithelial tissue. The gland is histologically c
... Show MoreThe results of the current study showed that the thyroid gland in adult domestic cat (Felis catus) is located in the neck area on both sides of the trachea at rings (1-5). The gland consists of two lobes (right and left) and it is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue consisting of two outer and inner layers, and a layer of fatty tissue overlaps with the outer layer of the capsule. In addition, the results of this study found that the histological structure of the thyroid gland is composed of several follicles that appear in different sizes and shapes; the follicles are lined with simple cuboidal epithelial tissue and sometimes appear lined with high and low simple cuboidal epithelial tissue. The gland is histologically composed of t
... Show MoreHerein, an efficient inorganic/organic hybrid photocatalyst composed of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) decorated with Cd0.5Zn0.5S solid solution semiconductor was constructed. The properties of prepared ZIF- [email protected] nanocomposite and its components (ZIF-67 and Cd0.5Zn0.5S) were investigated using XRD, FESEM, EDX, TEM, DRS and BET methods. The photocatalytic activity of fabricated [email protected] nanocomposite were measured toward removal of methyl violet (MV) dye as a simulated organic contaminant. Under visible-light and specific conditions (photocatalyst dose 1 g/l, MV dye 10 mg/l, unmodified solution pH 6.7 and reaction time 60 min.), the acquired [email protected] photocatalyst showed advanced photocatalytic activity
... Show MoreBackground: Oral squamous cell carcinoma represents the vast majority of oral cancer it is a common malignant tumor with an increasing incidence. Around the world, the 5 year mortality rate of oral cancer is about 50%. Thus novel biomarkers for early detection oral squamous cell carcinoma are needed. The level of three salivary microRNAs namely hsa-miR-200a, hsa-miR-125a and hsa- miR-93 were measured in saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and compared their levels in saliva of healthy control subjects to determine their potential as oral cancer biomarker. Materials and methods: The level of these three microRNAs was measured by using revers transcription, preamplification and quantitative PCR. Results: Only miR-200a presen
... Show MoreThe second most commonly diagnosed cancer is colorectal cancer (CRC) is in female. The levels of progranulin, obestatin and liver enzymes including ALT, AST and ALP were measured in forty five sera in female patients suffering from CRC before chemotherapy initiation treatment as G1, G2 after first chemotherapy cycle and G3 after second chemotherapy cycle compared with thirty female as a healthy control G4. Results showed a high significant increased in progranulin concentration and a high significant decrease in obestatin in G2 than other groups. The correlation between progranulin and ALP was a significant negative (-ve) relation while obestatin with AST gave a significant positive (+ve) correlation in G. The results also showed non signif
... Show MoreBackground: In advanced diabetes mellitus, serum levels of the most hormones are altered due to several interplaying mechanisms. Objective: To assess the relation of serum leptin and lipid profile in type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Patients and Method: Serum leptin levels and its relation to lipid profile were estimated in 62 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy attending the National Diabetes Center in Al- Mustansiriya University, and (26) healthy individuals considered as control group. The diabetic patients were classified into three groups, (24) pathients with normoalbuminuria (21) patients with microalbuminuria and (17) patients with macroalbuminuria. Fasting plasma glucose, serum creatinine, Hb A1c %, lipid profile (Total c
... Show MoreBackground: Psychological stress is considered the major etiological factor precipitating myofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders.It is known that stress induce various adaptational responses of physiologic systems. The process includes increase in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which promotes cortisol secretion. Salivary cortisol has been used as a measure of free circulating cortisol levels.The use of salivary biomarkers has gained increased popularity since collecting samples is non-invasive and painless. The aim of thisstudy was to evaluate the level of cortisol in saliva among sample of university students having myofacial pain, during the final exam period and whether this finding could have a significa
... Show MoreBackground Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a lifestyle idiopathic, chronic, and inflammatory intestinal disorders that required long-term medications and care.
Aim of the study Assess the level of adiponectin in IBDU and its relation with different parameters like lipid profile and Body Mass Index (BMI).
Type of the study A case-controlled study.
Patients and methods The total number of study groups was sixty individuals, forty of them were patients with inflammatory bowel disease unclassified and the rest were control healthy subjects. Serums were examined for lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycer
Four species of insects, Carpophillus obsoletus Er., Carpophilus sp., Bitoma lycnformis Wall and Scatopse sp., were found in association with infected spathes of date palm with Mauginella scaettae Cav. The later fungus was the dominant species isolated in pure cultures both from diseased spathes and from contaminated insects. Bitoma lycriformis is the first record for Iraq.