Background: Quality of life in brain tumor patients is an emerging issue and has prompted neurosurgeons to recon¬sider the need for cognitive assessment in the course of treatment. To date there has been a lack of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment performed preoperatively and in the acute postoperative period in our hospitals.Objectives: to establish the effects of tumors and their surgical treatment, from a neuropsychological perspective, on cognitive functioning in patients with cerebral Gliomas. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in the Neurosurgical Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from January 1999 to January 2001. Any patient admitted during the period of the study with clinical history, signs, symptoms, and contrast enhanced MRI suggesting a cerebral glioma and confirmed by postoperative histopathological results of glioma has been included in this study. While multifocal lesions, long-lasting epilepsy, use of antiepileptic therapy, multiple cranial lesions, previous cranial surgery, any chronic illness, and histopathological result of other tumors were exclusion criteria. All patients were at their first operation for brain tumors. Patients were examined by analyzing several functional domains (intelligence, executive functions, memory, language, praxis, gnosis and mood state) in order to establish the effect of tumor and surgery on cognition.Results: 29 patients who fulfilled the selection criteria were included. Mean duration of clinical history was 5 months (range 1–9 months). At baseline, using test- and domain-based criteria, 79% and 38% of patients, respectively, were impaired, the former related to tumor factors such as edema (P < 0.05), larger size (P < 0.05) and higher grade (P = 0.001). Verbal memory, visuospatial memory and word fluency were the most frequently affected functions, partly associated with depression. Postoperatively, 38% and 55% of patients, respectively, were unchanged, 24% and 21% improved, and 38% and 24% worsened; 24% and 62% of patients were intact, respec-tively.Conclusions: The extent of removal did not influence the outcome. Improvement involved previously impaired functions and was correlated with high-grade tumors. Worsening regar¬ded executive functions was related to tumor size and was partly explained by radiological findings on postoperative MRI. This prospective study, focusing on the effects of tumor and surgery, showed that tumor significantly affects cognitive func¬tions, mainly due to the mass effect and higher grading. Surgical treatment improved the functions most frequently affected preoperatively and caused worsening of execu¬tive functions soon after operation, leaving the overall cognitive burden unchanged and capable of improvement prospectively.
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Salivary peroxidases have biological functions of particular importance to oral health. The aim of this paper is to shed the light on saliva and serum total peroxidases activity as well as the activity of each of salivary peroxidase (SPO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in patients with oral tumors. The studied participants were divided into two groups: the first group included 18 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients and 20 age and gender-matched healthy controls while the second group consisted of 20 oral ossifying fibroma patients and 23 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Total peroxidases activity was determined, and its specific activity was calculated in serum and whole mixed saliva as well as in the supernatant and pellet fractions
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During infection, T. gondii disseminates by the circulatory system and establishes chronic infection in several organs. Almost third of humans, immunosuppressed individuals such as HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients, and organ transplant recipients are exposed to toxoplasmosis. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the possibility that Toxoplasma infection could be a risk factor for COVID-19 patients and its possible correlation with C-reactive protein and ferritin. Overall 220 patients referred to the Al Furat General Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq were enrolled from 2020–2021. All serum samples were tested for T. gondii immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) antibodies, C-reactive protein and ferritin levels. In patients with COVID-19, the results
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Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between levels of certain seminal biochemical parameters and serum reproductive hormones, on the one hand, and sperm function tests, on the other hand, in asthenospermic patients. Patients and Methods: Sixty asthenospermic patients and twenty fertile men as a control group were included in this study. Semen samples were collected to perform seminal fluid analysis. Total protein, cholesterol, calcium, creatine kinase, and fructose were measured in the seminal plasma. Blood samples were collected for hormonal assay of serum reproductive hormones: testosterone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Results: The results revealed a significant positive correla
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Neuron-derived neurotrophic factor [NENF], a human plasma neurotrophic factor, also increases neurotrophic activity in conjunction with Parkinson's disease-related proteins in Neudesin. Although Neudesin (neuron-derived neurotrophic secreted protein) is a member of the membrane-associated progesterone receptor (MAPR) protein subclass, it is not evolutionary related to the other members of the same family. The expression of Neudesin is found in both brain and spinal cord from embryonic stages to adulthood, as w Neudesin levels in Parkinson's patients with osteoporosis disease and Parkinson's patients without osteoporosis disease, as well as the relationship between Neudesin levels, Anthropometric and Clinical Features (Age, Gender, BMI) and
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Background Mirabegron is a β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) agonist indicated for the treatment of overactive bladder. β3-AR agonists are located in the urinary bladder and adipose tissue, where they are involved in the regulation of thermogenesis and lipolysis. Objective To evaluate the effect of mirabegron on lipid profile (serum cholesterol and triglyceride) and BMI in patients with OAB. Materials and Methods In the medical city complex (Ghazi AL-Hariri Hospital) urology outpatient clinic, a prospective study of 40 patients diagnosed with OAB. These patients took a single dose of mirabegron 50 mg for 4 months and assessed its effect during this period on weight and fasting serum (s.) cholesterol and triglycerides. Results Investi
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