Background: Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived mitral annular displacement (MAD) utilizes the speckle tracking technique to measure strain vectors, which provides accurate estimates of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).Objectives: To validate the accuracy of mitral annular displacement (MAD), assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (STE), as a surrogate for determination of left ventricular systolic function in comparison to 2-Dimensions Simpson method in patients with different heart diseases.Methods : This cross-sectional study included patients who referred to outpatient department of Ibn Albitar Center for Cardiac Surgery, Baghdad, Iraq, between October 2012 and April 2013. STE continuously tracked annular motion throughout the cardiac cycle in the apical 4- and 2-chamber views. LVEF for each patient was measured by both Simpson method and STE-derived MAD.Results: This study included 100 patients, of them (35%) had ischemic heart disease (IHD), (10%) had dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), (10%) had valvular heart disease (VHD), (25%) had normal echocardiography, and (20%) had hypertensive heart disease (HHD).There was significant correlation between EF % (derived by MAD) and EF % (derived by Simpson method) in patients with different heart diseases. This correlation was good in normal subjects (r=0.673), and those with IHD(r=0.896), DCM (r=0.724) and VHD (r=0.935), while in HHD it was moderately correlated (r=0.455). There was slight under-estimation of LVEF derived by MAD (a mean value of difference 0.846 %; p =0.022). In subgroup analysis, this difference was seen only in patients with HHD (a mean value of difference 3.145 %; p <0.001), while it was absent in other subgroups.Conclusion: STE-derived MAD provides easy, fast, and accurate assessments of global longitudinal systolic function. LVEF derived by MAD was correlated well with LVEF derived by Simpson method in patients with different heart diseases
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Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells within the bone marrow. In most patients, monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy chains or light chains are produced and are associated with organ dysfunction. The growth factor B-cell activating factor (BAFF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma due to its ability to promote B-cell survival, expansion, and differentiation. Objective: to measure the circulatory level of B-cell activating factor in multiple myeloma patients in relapsed and remission states and explore its possible correlations with the clinical staging, β2-microglobulin, and interleukin-6. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 60
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The neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have the potential to be inflammatory markers that reflect the activity of many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NLR and PLR as potential markers of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
The study involved 132 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 81 healthy controls matched in terms of age and gender. Their sociodemographic data, disease activity scores using the Bath Ankylosing
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In this research, Schiff bases derived from the reaction of anthrone with different heterocyclic amines have been described. The resulted Schiff base compounds were reacted with various nucleophiles in order to obtain new heterocyclic derivatives. Chemical structures of all products were confirmed by IR, 1H-, 13C-NMR spectral data and elemental analysis. All synthesized compounds were in vitro tested against a standard strain of pathogenic microorganism including Gram +ve bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), Gram –ve bacteria (Escherichia coli), and fungi (Candida albicans).
The Growth Differentiation Factor -15 (GDF-15) is a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily. İt represents an example of the stress response cytokines. It's mostly found in cardiac myocytes, adipocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, and vascular endothelial cells, whether they're generated normally or not. GDF-15 levels have increased and are associated with cardiovascular risk. Aim of the study: To investigate the correlation between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) with the level of plasma GDF-15 in a group of hypertensive patients. Materials and methods: A case-control study involved 90 individuals, 60 hypertensive patients (36 on ACE inhibitors and 24 on ARBs)
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Background: The skin functions as a barrier to the external environment, damage to this barrier following a burn disrupts the innate immune system and increases susceptibility to bacterial infection. Objective: This study was carried out to determine the bacterial isolates and study their antimicrobial susceptibility in burned wound infections at one burn's hospital in Baghdad.Type of study:Cross-sectional study.Methods: The bacteria were identified at species level by using Analytic Profile Index (API) system and The antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to Kirby-Bauer (disk diffusion) technique.Results: Over a period of one year (from October 2014 to October 2015). Out of 848 patients with different degrees of burns
... Show MoreFour complexes of Co(II),Ni(II),Cu(II) and Zn(II) with the azo ligand (4-chloro-N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-5-((2-hydroxy- 4,6-dimethylphenol)diazenyl)-2-methoxybenzamide) L. The structure of ligand and complexes were confirmed on the basis of their analytical and spectral data, these dyes were tested as dyeing in cotton fabric, and also testing in light and cleaner firmness. Also, antimicrobial and antifungal activities of ligand and their complexes were evaluated and the results showed that the ZnL compound showed the higher antibacterial activity with inhibition zone of 13mm against Staphyloco-ccus epidermidis, Steptococcus sp. and Escherichia coli compared with ligand and other metal complexes .In case of ZnL compound the antifungal acti
... Show MoreFour complexes of Co(II),Ni(II),Cu(II) and Zn(II) with the azo ligand (4-chloro-N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-5-((2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethylphenol)diazenyl)-2-methoxybenzamide) L. The structure of ligand and complexes were confirmed on the basis of their analytical and spectral data, these dyes were tested as dyeing in cotton fabric, and also testing in light and cleaner firmness. Also, antimicrobial and antifungal activities of ligand and their complexes were evaluated and the results showed that the ZnL compound showed the higher antibacterial activity with inhibition zone of 13mm against Staphyloco-ccus epidermidis, Steptococcus sp. and Escherichia coli compared with ligand and other metal complexes .In case of ZnL compound the antifungal activ
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