Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic destructive inflammatory disease associated with destruction of joint connective tissues and bones, affecting 0.5%–1% of the population worldwide reporting higher prevalence of periodontitis among rheumatoid arthritis patients. The purpose of this study is to estimate level of salivary C-reactive protein in relation to the occurrence and severity of the periodontal disease and other oral parameters among group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis Material and methods: Fifty women patients with rheumatoid arthritis; twenty five on Methotrexate treatment and twenty five on combination treatment of Methotrexate and Etanercept selected as study groups with an age range (30-40) years old and twenty five gender, age and Body Mass Index matched healthy looking persons were selected as control. The diagnosis and recording of periodontal condition recorded through the application of community periodontal index according to WHO1997.Collection of unstimulated salivary samples was carried out under standard conditions, in addition to estimation of salivary C-reactive protein. Results: Regarding count of sextants with community periodontal index, median count of sextant with CPI-score 0 was highest among controls (2) and lowest among both rheumatoid arthritis cases (0).The median count of sextant with CPI-score 3 was lowest among controls (0) and highest among both RA cases (2) and the difference observed in median count of sextant with CPI-score 3 between three groups was statistically significant (p< 0.01).The mean rank of salivary C-reactive protein was highest among controls 39.7mg/L However, the difference was not significant between three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current research revealed that periodontal diseases were higher among rheumatoid arthritis patients without impact of both treatments on periodontal health without significant role of salivary C-reactive protein clinically in assessment of disease activity.
Background: Pregnancy is considered a major risk factor for development and progression of periodontal disease. There are hormonal changes in both estrogen and progesterone hormones in addition to bacterial effect and poor oral hygiene that will enhance development of periodontal disease in pregnant women. Materials and methods: Seventy subjects were enrolled in the study, the subjects with an age range (20-35) years old without any history of systemic disease. The subjects were divided into 20 non-pregnant women they represent the control group (G I), 30 pregnant women with gingivitis (GII) and 20 pregnant women with periodontitis (GIII).All periodontal parameters (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth an
... Show MoreBackground: Nutrition can affect periodontal disease through contributing to microbial growth in the gingival crevice, affecting the immunological response to bacterial antigens and assisting the repair mechanism of the connective tissue at the local site after injury from plaque and calculus. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Oral hygiene (plaque and calculus) and gingivitis in relation to age, gender and nutritional status. Materials and methods: The sample included (444) kindergarten children at age of (4 and 5 years old) males and females from urban areas in Al-Ramadi city. The assessment of nutritional status was performed using anthropometr
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition causing joint pain and stiffness, with often debilitating and life-limiting consequences. Recently, a new B-cell secreted cytokine, IL-39, was identified in mice. The most up-to-date research indicates that although IL-39 is expressed in murine models of lupus and has a role in mediating the inflammatory response in this context, there is no solid, replicated evidence of the existence of IL-39 in humans. This study aimed to clarify the existence and role of IL-39 in the human body and to elucidate whether it plays a role in rheumatoid arthritis. Accordingly, serum samples were collected from 66 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were under therapy and from 66 healthy c
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To determine the role of Epstien barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) , Reactive arthritis (ReA) and Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, sixty-two patients (52 patients with RA ,five patients with ReA and five patients with AS) have been investigated. The mean age (47.3, 47.7, 34.5) of RA, ReA , AS respectively and compared to 24 apparently healthy individuals with the mean age 28.3. All the study groups were carried out to measure antibodies of EBV (VCA) IgG and IgM by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The result showed that there was a highly significant elevation ( p< 0.01) in the concentration of EBV (VCA) IgG Ab compared to control group, while there was no significant different (
... Show MoreBackground: Environmental tobacco smoking is produced by active smokers burning the tip of a cigarette and breathed by nonsmokers and measured by cotinine level. It has the potential to raise the risk of periodontal disease. One of the most frequent chronic diseases in adults is periodontal disease. The lower maternal-fetal attachment has been found to predict smoking status in previous studies, but no research has examined whether maternal-fetal attachment predicts environmental tobacco smoking. This study assessed the effects of maternal environmental tobacco smoke exposure on periodontal health and mother-infant bonding concerning salivary cotinine levels. Materials and methods: This is a comparative cross-sectional study comparing en
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Atherosclerosis is a condition of the hardening of a blood vessel via the development of plaques around the artery wall which causes the artery to narrow, leading to severe complications. Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic parasitic infection that causes pathological complications in immunocompromised patients, which lead to increase the burden on the immune system in these patients. This study aims to assess the incidence rate of toxoplasmosis in atherosclerosis patients and its potential to change C - reactive protein (C-RP) and vitamin D3 levels. Serum samples (150) were tested for the positivity of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by means of Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, C-RP was assessed in a
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Background: Good Nutrition is essential for oral and dental health in children. Good eating habits and food preferences are established early in childhood. Oral health problems can effect dietary quality and nutrient intake in another side increase the risk of several systemic diseases., The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation or the effect the of nutritional status in children at age of 5 to16 on the oral health status and dental caries . Materials and Methods: the total sample composed of 153 patients attending the Pedodontic and Preventive Department/College of Dentistry/University of Baghdad, the assessment of nutritional status was performed by using Body Mass Index specific for age and gender according to Chronic
... Show MoreBackground: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a significant role in the activation of adaptive immunity and may have an essential role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives: To assess the gene expression of TLR4 in individuals with RA compared to healthy individuals. Methods: From July to December 2022. A total of 100 individuals were encompassed in the study, consisting of 50 individuals diagnosed with RA, of whom 42 were females and 8 were males, with an average age of 45.22 years. Additionally, there were 50 healthy control participants, 40 of whom were females and 10 were males, with an average age of 45.64 years. To assess the TLR4 transcript levels, blood samples were collected from each participant, and RN
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Background: Since the introduction of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors including etanercept, their efficacy and safety in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been studied in many randomized controlled clinical trials. However, data regarding predictors of clinical response to anti-TNF therapy are still sparse.
Objective: To assess the predictors of response to etanercept in treatment of Iraqi patients with active RA.
Methods: An open label single group prospective study was conducted over 15 months on 190 Iraqi patients with RA. All the included patients were given etanercept at a dose of 50 mg by subcutaneous injection on
a weeklybases. Each patient was followed at regular intervals of bas