The present study was set to investigate the potential association between the level of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), as a key component of the pro-inflammatory response, with different thalassemia’s biological and clinical features. For this purpose, one hundred fifty blood samples were collected from 100 beta-thalassemia patients, who attended the Genetic Hematology Centre at Ibn Al- Baladi Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, and 50 healthy subjects who were employed as a control group. IL-6 levels were estimated using an ELISA Kit, whereas other thalassemia-related clinical features (such as HbA, HbF, ferritin, blood transfusions, splenectomy status, and the history of frequent infection) were additionally assessed. The results of the present s

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a well-recognized cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic implications of the restrictive left ventricular filling pattern (RFP) in dilated cardiomyopathy.Methods: Patients with DCM admitted to Ibn AL-Bitar Hospital for Cardiac Surgery, Baghdad-Iraq, from May 2006 to August 2008, underwent a full clinical evaluation and Doppler echocardiography study. Patients were classified into three groups: Group I had persistent restrictive filling pattern; Group II had reversible restrictive filling pattern; and Group III had nonrestrictive filling pattern. Results: The current study was conducted on a total number of 80 patients with DCM, fifty (62.5 %) were

Objective To highlight the main demographic characteristics and clinical profiles of female patients registered with breast cancer in Iraq; focusing on the impact of age.Methods This retrospective study enrolled 1172 female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Main Center for Early Detection of Breast Cancer/Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Data were extracted from an established information system, developed by the principal author under supervision of WHO, that was based on valid clinical records of Iraqi patients affected by breast cancer. The recorded information regarding clinical examination comprised positive palpable lumps, bloody nipple discharge, skin changes, bilateral breast involvement, tumor

Background: Guillain Barré syndrome is an acute inflammatory demyelinating disease of the peripheral nerves. Its synonyms are: acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, idiopathic polyneuritis, acute infective polyneuropathy and post infections polyneuritis. Objectives: We attempt to study the clinical presentations and complications in patients with GBS who were admitted to children welfare Teaching Hospital and to compare the results with the other studies.Type of the study: A retrospective study.Methods: A study done on seventy patients with GBS who were admitted to children Welfare Teaching Hospital in Medical City-Baghdad from different parts of Iraq between January 2002-December 2006.Results: Forty (57.14%) of them

Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a disorder of systemic inflammatory condition. Its important features are represented by recurrent oral, genital ulcerations and eye lesions. Aims. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare cytological changes using morphometric analysis of the exfoliated buccal mucosal cells in Behçet’s disease patients and healthy controls, and to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Behçet’s disease. Methods. Twenty five Behçet’s disease patients have been compared to 25 healthy volunteers as a control group. Papanicolaou stain was used for staining the smears taken from buccal epithelial cells to be analyzed cytomorphometrically. The image analysis software has been used to

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent systemic inflammatory diseases worldwide. Cardiac complications present the most common mortality cause among RA patients. One of the most important comorbid conditions with RA is diabetic hyperglycemia mainly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aim of the study: The present study was conducted to assess prevalence of T2DM among patients diagnosed with RA from Iraq. Methodology: We included a randomly selected 100 rheumatoid arthritis. All included patients were subjected to anthropometric measurements, diabetic profile assessment and ESR, CRP and rheumatoid factor measurement. Results: Among the included RA patients, 28 patients were diagnosed with new-onset DM. Our

Background: Although the issue of anemia after renal transplantation (RT) has received increasing attention lately, the data on the exact prevalence of post-transplantation anemia (PTA) in the Iraqi patients are limited. Objective: In this study we sought to determine the prevalence of PTA among Iraqi patients and to correlate the renal allograft function measurements and the use of immunosuppressant with the prevalence of anemia. Patients and Methods: One hundred and twelve (74 male, 38 female) kidney transplant recipients (KTR) attending the kidney transplant center at surgical specialties hospital were studied. All patients were on maintenance, combined immunosuppressive therapy. The renal function tests [blood urea, serum cre