Background: Prolactin is a hormone, as well as a cytokine which is synthesized and secreted from the anterior pituitary gland and various extra pituitary sites including immune cells under control of a superdistal promoter that contains a single nucleotide polymorphism -1149 G/T. Rheumatoid Arthritis has been associated with increased serum prolactin levels.Objectives: To investigate the association of the extra pituitary -1149 G/T promoter polymorphism among Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients and prolactin levels.Methods: We tested 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 40 healthy individuals. The DNA samples were genotyped using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction fragment Length Polymorphism method and the levels of prolactin serum were measured using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Results: The parameters rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum prolactin concentrations of rheumatoid arthritis patients were significantly increased compared with healthy controls. The frequency of T allele and TT genotype was highest in control group compared with their frequency in rheumatoid arthritispatients, vice versa the G allele and GG genotype. There issignificant differences in prolactin levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with healthy controls according to PRL-1149 G/T polymorphism. In rheumatoid arthritis patients, carriers of the GG, GT genotypes had higher prolactin levels in comparison to TT genotype but did not show any significant difference.Conclusions: There is a possible association between prolactin levels and rheumatoid arthritis. We found correlation between rheumatoid arthritis and prolactin -1149 G/T polymorphism. The prolactin -1149 G allele is a genetic marker for increased rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility in Iraqi population. In addition, influence of prolactin -1149 G/T polymorphism on prolactin levels
One of the most important problems of Iraqi construction projects is the cost variances, so it is important to identify the problems and shortcomings that cause poor cost control. Through the utilization of questionnaires, the study evaluated how project costs were managed and reported. The questionnaire was distributed to 180 professionals working in the Iraqi construction sector, with a response rate of 91%. The results showed that a high percentage of projects are implemented with a difference between real and estimated costs, and the process of documenting cost data needs to be more secure. On the other hand, there is a weakness in providing the necessary work structure information to monitor costs and a lack of proc
... Show MoreGranular Pile Anchor (GPA) is one of the innovative foundation techniques, devised for mitigating heave of footing resulting from the expansive soils. This research attempts to study the heave behavior of (GPA-Foundation System) in expansive soil. Laboratory tests have been conducted on an experimental model in addition to a series of numerical modeling and analysis using the finite element package PLAXIS software. The effects of different parameters, such as (GPA) length (L) and diameter (D), footing diameter (B), expansive clay layer thickness (H) and presence of non-expansive clay are studied. The results proved the efficiency of (GPA) in reducing the heave of exp
... Show MoreThe cancer is one of the biggest health problems that facing the world . And the bladder cancer has a special place among the most spread cancers in Arab countries specially in Iraq and Egypt(2) . It is one of the diseases which can be treated and cured if it is diagnosed early . This research is aimed at studying the assistant factors that diagnose bladder cancer such as (patient's age , gender , and other major complains of hematuria , burning or pain during urination and micturition disorders) and then determine which factors are the most effective in the possibility of diagnosing this disease by using the statistical model (logistic regression model) and depending on a random sample of (128) patients . After
... Show MoreCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most form of leishmaniasis disease prevalent in Iraq. CL remains a public health problem in numerous endemic countries because of the absence of safe, effective, and high-cost drugs for treatment. Macrophages are the main inhabitant cell for Leishmania; they phagocyte and allow parasite multiplying. Phagocytosis and anti-leishmanial activity of macrophage are the main factors in the elimination of Leishmania parasites. Phagosome-resident amastigotes also evade innate host defense mechanisms. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have an important effect in stimulating the production of oxygen species. The objective of this study was to examine macrophages cytotoxicity upon exposure to L. tropica and Ag NPs. Se
... Show MoreThe liver protective effects of pentoxifylline were studied through pre-treatment of rats with various intraperitoneal (IP) doses (25, 50 and 100mg/kg/day) 14 days before induction of liver toxicity by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The parameters of oxidative stress, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in liver homogenate in addition to histopathological examinations. Analysis of data revealed significant amelioration of oxidative stress in groups of animals pre-treated with different doses of pentoxifylline (PTX) compared to group of animals intoxicated by CCl4 as evidenced by lowering MDA contents and elevation of GSH levels in liver tissue homogenate but the levels still signifi
... Show MoreThe research started from the basic objective of tracking the reality of organizational excellence in educational organizations on the basis of practical application. The research in its methodology was based on the examination of organizational excellence in the way of evaluating institutional performance. Tikrit University was selected as a case study to study the reality of application to the dimensions of organizational excellence in it, The results of the analysis for ten periods during the year and month. For the accuracy of the test and its averages, it was preferable to use the T test to determine the significance of the results compared to the basic criteria.
The research found that there is an o
... Show MoreThe industrial design occupies an important status in public and private life activities, because it contains a group of interactive, productive, and interconnected institutions, which is confirmed by Descartes who is credited for promoting the method of skepticism on sound foundations, showing that in order for us to search for the truth, we must suspect everything that we confront let it be once in our life time, especially our options in the scientific research and industrial design and product, starting from the knowledge heritage and the intellectual concepts that ascend to the levels of the functional, aesthetic and environmental performance, the significance of skepticism becomes clear. The research problem lies in this que
... Show MoreA new efficient Two Derivative Runge-Kutta method (TDRK) of order five is developed for the numerical solution of the special first order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The new method is derived using the property of First Same As Last (FSAL). We analyzed the stability of our method. The numerical results are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the new method in comparison with some well-known RK methods.
In this study, cloud point extraction combined with molecular spectrometry as an eco-friendly method is used for extraction, enrichment and determination of bendiocarb (BC) insecticide in different complex matrices. The method involved an alkaline hydrolysis of BC followed Emerson reaction in which the resultant phenol is reacted with 4-aminoantipyrene(4-AAP) in the presence of an alkaline oxidant of potassium ferric cyanide to form red colored product which then extracted into micelles of Triton X-114 as a mediated extractant at room temperature. The extracted product in cloud point layer is separated from the aqueous layer by centrifugation for 20 min and dissolved in a minimum amount of a mixture ethanol: water (1:1) followed
... Show MoreCinnamon plant is considered one of important medicinal plants because it is rich with many active compounds. This research is aimed to study possible effects of extract in culture media of Gardenia jasmenoides. Alcoholic extract was prepared from the bark of cinnamon at different concentrations (0.0, 1.0, 2.0) mg/L, then added to culture media to notice the effect of these concentrations on the growth and development of tissues and organs of Gardenia jasmenoides Ellis in vitro. Results showed the positive effect of increasing callus fresh weight and shoot proliferation from single nodes with presence of plant regulators, 5.0 mg/L Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 3.0 mg/L Benzyl adenine (BA). Results showed that extract has a slight eff
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