Serum samples were obtained from patients suffering from chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) disease. They were divided into three groups; 20 patients with RA taking biological treatment Etanercept (Enbrel), 20 patients with RA not taking biological treatment (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug) and 10 people as healthy control group. The ages of these patients and control group were between 46-50 years old; one male and 19 female in each group. The samples were used for measuring the levels of Interleukin (IL)-1 Beta and Interleukin-10 using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay technique. Both interleukins were at their highest levels in the group of RA patients treated with biological treatment followed by the RA patients group that

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder of the joints that is characterized by extra-articular involvement in addition to inflammatory arthritis. Joint and periarticular tissue loss brought on by inflammation results in functional impairment. To lessen the significant daily challenges that patients confront and to ensure better outcomes, early detection and treatment are essential. The study's objective was to establish the use of human β-defensin-2 (HBD-2) as a RA diagnostic marker. A total of 60 RA patients and 30 healthy controls participated in the research. The ELISA technique was used to measure serum HBD-2. The following tests were performed: complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), renal func

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with decreased antioxidant state .This study aim to investigate the status of oxidant/antioxidant in a sample of  Iraqi patients with RA and the role of peroxynitrite and its natural scavenger uric acid in them .This case-controlled study was conducted at Baghdad teaching hospital /Baghdad from December 2010-May 2011 . Twenty-five patients with mean age 39 years and 25 apparently healthy subject as controls with mean age 29 years were included in the study .Investigations include estimation of serum levels of nitric oxide (NO)  ,peroxynitrite (PN) , malondialdehyde (MDA)  , and uric acid (UA) .Serum PN levels were significantly elevated in RA patients a

Objectives: To study the prevalence of rs1799964 (-1031 T/C) and rs361525 (- 238 G/A) SNPs and their effect on the disease activity, severity, and cytokines production in newly diagnosed Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Patients and Methods: sixty-three patients were diagnosed by a specialist physician while attending the rheumatology unit and twenty control participated. The inflammatory markers were measured and PCR amplification and sequencing were performed to demonstrate TNF-α SNPs. Results: Regarding (-1031 C/T) SNP, the TT genotype and allele C were significantly present in the controls, and the CT genotype was distributed significantly in the patients. The TT genotype was mostly distributed in the mild-moder

Background: Chronic myelogenous leukemia is a malignant hematological disease of hematopoietic stem cells. It is difficult to adapt treatment to each patient's risk level because there are currently few clinical tests and no molecular diagnostics that may predict a patient's clock for the advancement of CML at the time of chronic phase diagnosis. Biomarkers that can differentiate people based on the outcome at diagnosis are needed for blast crisis prevention and response improvement. Objective: This study is an effort to exploit the SLC25A3 gene as a potential biomarker for CML. Methods: RT-qPCR was applied to assess the expression levels of the SLC25A3 gene. Results: In comparison to the mean ΔCt of the control group, which was found to b

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory polyarthritic disease associated with remissions and exacerbations and characteristic genetic, clinical, pathological, and immunological features. The present study was designed to evaluate some immunological parameters of some Iraqi patients with RA. The study was carried out on 75 Iraqi RA patients who were referred to the consultantand which divided into 59 female and 16 male, treated and non-treated. The diagnosis of those patients has been performed under supervision of a specialist physician in rheumatology. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique has been applied for the detection of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and (Interleukin-1α (IL-1α)

     Ghrelin and leptin are two hormones that possess multiple functions, including appetite regulation, maintenance of the tissue homeostasis and regulation of proinflammatory cytokines. A few studies on serum ghrelin and leptin levels in autoimmune diseases have exhibited conflicting results. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the two energy balance hormones and autoimmune diseases. Serum ghrelin and leptin levels were assessed in 94 adult patients, 61 females and 33 males, with various autoimmune diseases (celiac disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis) as well as in 35 healthy people as controls, using commercially available ELISA kits. Statistically important distinction

The aim of this study was to establish the existence and interaction of TMPRSS2 – ERG gene fusion status with clinicopathological features of prostate cancer patients. This research consisted of 123 embedded formalin-fixed tissues obtained from the prostate tumor patients. The above gene fusion is detected through the technique of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) by means of a triple color probe. Seven samples have not been scored due to technical difficulties and 46 patients have fusion (39.6%), while the remaining (70) have not been seen with fusion. Of the 46 fusion-positive, 17 (36%) were caused by ERG-translocation, of the other 29 (63%) were caused by the interstitial segment deletion between the two genes due to the

      The level of adipokines (interleukin-6 and vaspin) in hyperthyroid patients treated with carbimazole drug was determined. Eighty-five male and female participated in this study, with mean age from 20-70 years. They included: negative control group of thirty euthyroid persons represented group 1, twenty-five hyperthyroid patient (positive control) included in the second group and thirty hyperthyroid patients treated with carbimazole drug for one year or less comprised the third group. By vein puncture, blood was collected, and serum was isolated and preserved at –20 C. Adipokines (interleukin-6 and vaspin) were estimated by using ELISA method. The results demonstrated that the the increase of IL-6 level was highly significant