ABSTRACT Background: stress is the reactions of the body to forces of a deleterious nature, infections and various abnormal states that tend to disturb its normal physiological equilibrium; It is described as adverse emotions or reactions to unpleasant experiences; Thus, any real or perceived physical, social, or psychological event or stimulus that causes bodies to react or respond have deleterious effects on the general and oral health. The aims of this study were to assess the severity of dental caries among the students with different categories of stressful life events in relation to physicochemical characteristics of whole stimulated saliva. Materials and Methods: the total sample is composed of 300 students (males only) aged 17-18 ye

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease its etiology is unknown. The classical autoimmune diseases, have adaptive immune genetic associations with autoantibodies and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), diabetes mellitus type two (DM II). Serum of99 males suffering from RA without DMII as group (G1), 45 males suffering from RA with DM II as group (G2) and 40 healthy males as group (G3) were enrolled in this study to estimation of alkaline phosphates (ALP), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Pentraxin-3(PTX). Results showed a highly significant increase in PTX3 levels in G1 and G2 compared to G3 and a significant decrease in G1comparing to G2. Results also revealed a significa

Background: Antimicrobial agents have been considered as having potential for the prevention of dental caries. This study aimed to test the effect of different concentrations of cardamom and black tea extracts on the sensitivity and growth of salivary mutans streptococci in comparison to chlorhexidine gluconate (0.2%) in vitro. Materials and methods: In this study. Mutans streptococci were isolated from saliva of 34 healthy people (aged between 22-40yrs). The bacteria was isolated, purifiedand diagnosed according to morphologicalcharacteristic and biochemical tests. Aqueous extracts of cardamom and black tea were prepared. Different concentrations of extracts were prepared and estimated in gm/ 100ml deionized water. The agar diffusion techn

Background: Although methotrexate (MTX) is a frequently used chemotherapy drug, its effectiveness is sometimes hampered by the drug's toxic consequences. Omega 7 is a monounsaturated fatty acid, with different anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic anti-obesity applications, and its possible protective effects against MTX-induced blood toxicity were investigated in this study. Objective: Evaluation of possible protective effects of omega7 against MTX-induced blood toxicity. Methods: 30 mice were divided into five groups, the First group take liquid paraffin orallyfor 7 days for served as negative control and the second group take methotrexate (20mg/kg) intraperitoneallyto serve as a positive control,the third group takes omega 7 (100mg/kg

Background. Gene polymorphisms affect etanercept’s pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and side effects. This effect is evidenced by the extensive genetic variation in the drug’s targets. Objectives. This study aims to find the association between different genotypes of the promoter region of the TNF-α gene at -308G/A(rs1800629), -857C/T(rs1799724), -863 C/A(rs1800630), -1031 T/C (rs1799964), -806 C/T (rs4248158) and -376 G/A (rs1800750) and the side effects of ETN that occurred to Iraqi RA patients. Method. The trial included patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had been using ETN for at least six months. The participants were from the Baghdad Teaching Hospital Rheumatology Unit. The PCR was sequenced to determine the polymo

Background: Calcium hydroxide and calcium-silicate materials used as direct pulp capping materials. The aims of this in vitro study is to compare among these materials in, the calcium ion release and pH change in soaking water after immersion of materials’ specimens in deionized water. Also Solubility and water sorption of materials’ specimens measured after soaking time. Calcium-silicate materials used were Biodentine, TheraCal and MTA Plus. Materials and methods: Four materials used in this study; Urbical lining (as control group), Biodentine, TheraCal and MTA Plus. Ten discs fabricated from each tested material, by using plastic moulds of 9 mm diameter and 1 mm thickness. Each specimen was immersed in 10 ml of d

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm of the oral mucosa. Human papillomavirus (HPV) virus cause a broad scope of diseases from benign to invasive tumors, types 16 and 18 classified as carcinogenic to humans. This study aimed to provide the first molecular characterization of HPV types in Iraq. Thirty-five unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected from histopathologically confirmed patients with oral cancer were enrolled in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from exfoliating cells to amplify HPV-DNA using HPV-L1 gene sequence primers by polymerase chain reaction method (PCR), the viral genotyping was performed using direct sequencing method. HPV genotypes identified were deposited in Gen

Background: The appointment system is a common practice in primary health care clinics in developed countries. The patients and health care providers in the primary health care setting perceived the appointment system as an indicator of good quality service.

Objective: The aim of this study was to survey patients’ and health care providers’ attitudes towards the introduction of an appointment system and their satisfaction with the existing ‘walk-in’ system in the primary health care setting.

Subjects and Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted included a convenient sample of 234 patients as well as 76 health care providers from two primary health care center

Background: Although mammography is a powerful screening tool in detection of early breast cancer, it is imperfect, particularly for women with dense breast, which have a higher risk to develop cancer and decrease the sensitivity of mammogram, Automated breast ultrasound is a recently introduced ultrasonography technique, developed with the purpose to standardize breast ultrasonography and overcome some limitations of handheld ultrasound, this study aims to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of Automated breast ultrasound and compare it with handheld ultrasound in the detection and characterization of breast lesions in women with dense breasts. Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of Automated breast ultrasound and compare

The study aimed to evaluate the benefits of transferrin saturation percentage (TSAT) and serum ferritin in assessing body iron status, which can influence erythropoietin treatment in patients with ESRD. Forty end-stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis participated in this study. Clinical data were obtained. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, ferritin, albumin, creatinine, and C-reactive protein were investigated. Thirty healthy people were enrolled as a control group. ESRD patients had a mean age of 45.1±13.9 years, with 60% being males. They exhibited significantly lower hematocrit (25.3±6.5%), and higher platelet (285.7±148.1x10^9/L) and WBC (9.4±3.1x10^9/L) counts compared to healthy contro