Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative autoimmune disease mediated by autoreactive T cells against myelin-basic proteins. Cytokines are suggested to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Among these cytokines is interleukin-2 (IL-2). Aim of the study: To investigate the association between IL2+166 G/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs2069763) and MS in Iraqi patients. Serum level of IL-2 was also detected. Anti-rubella IgG antibody was further determined in the sera of patients. Patients and methods: Eighty MS patients (28 males and 52 females; age mean ± SD: 39.2 ± 16.1 years) and 80 healthy control matched patients for age (32.15 ± 16.13 years) and gender (28 males and 52 females) were enrolled in the study. IL2+166 was detected by conventional polymerase chain reaction using allele-specific primers. Serum status of IL-2 and anti-rubella IgG antibody was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Significantly increased frequencies of IL2+166 GG and GT genotypes were observed in MS patients compared to control (30.0 versus 4.5; odds ratio: 5.29; 95% confidence interval: 2.04–13.72; pc < 0.01 and 55.0 versus 32.5%; odds ratio = 2.54; 95% confidence interval: 1.34–4.81; pc < 0.05 and, respectively). IL-2 level was significantly increased in patients compared to control (36.0 ± 13.3 versus 10.5 ± 5.7 ng/ml). Such level was influenced by IL2+166 genotypes. Twenty-three patients (28.8%) were seropositive for anti-rubella IgG antibody compared to 5% in control. Conclusions: IL2+166 is a susceptibility SNP among Iraqi MS patients. Rubella virus is also suggested to increase the risk of disease.
The present investigation focuses on the response of simply supported reinforced concrete rectangular-section beams with multiple openings of different sizes, numbers, and geometrical configurations. The advantages of the reinforcement concrete beams with multiple opening are mainly, practical benefit including decreasing the floor heights due to passage of the utilities through the beam rather than the passage beneath it, and constructional benefit that includes the reduction of the self-weight of structure resulting due to the reduction of the dead load that achieves economic design. To optimize beam self-weight with its ultimate resistance capacity, ten reinforced concrete beams having a length, width, and depth of 2700, 100, and
... Show MoreBackground: Occupational exposure to hazardous drugs occurs in all aspects of anticancer drug handling. Proper recommendations and guidelines should be applied to control and reduce exposure. Objective: To assess pharmacists' knowledge and practice regarding the safe handling of anticancer drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at seven major hospitals in Baghdad City, Iraq, from December 2023 to February 2024. A pre-designed questionnaire was given to pharmacists who handled anticancer drugs in chemotherapy units. The questionnaire comprises sociodemographic data, knowledge of the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs and thoughts about exposure and risk, practices for safely handling cytotoxic drugs, and challenges for s
... Show MoreBack ground: Oral isotretinoin is recommended
for sever nodulocystic acne in the doses 0.5-
2mg/kg/day which is usually associated with higher
incidence of adverse effects. To reduce the
incidence of side-effects and to make it more costeffective,
the lower dose regimen of isotretinoin has
been used.
Aim: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of
oral isotretinoin 10mg and 20mg/day in acne
vulgaris.
Methods: one hundred and twenty patients with
acne vulgaris were randomized into two treatment
regimens each consisting of 60 patients. The first
was treated with 10mg/day and the second group
with 20mg/day for 24 weeks. Fifty five patients
from the first group and 47 patients from the second
This study was aimed to monitor oral zinc sulfate role on local cervical proinflammatory cytokines in HPV-infected women comparing with these cytokines before treatment application. A cervical secretion got from 28 infected women before and after treatment with zinc sulfate, these samples assessed various markers of inflammation including interleukin-1β, IL-8, and IL-12. Results manifested that improve and clear the cervical HPV infections after three months of zinc treatment 46.43% and 21.43%, respectively. Viral infections with single and multiple HPV high-risk types are raising of studied cytokines after 3-month compared with single HPV low-risk type. Moreover, this increasing was statistically significant only in IL-12 and IL-1. Women
... Show MoreHere, a high sensitive method for biomarker identification according to nanostructure, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), called Nano-ELISA, was presented. Different shapes of gold nanostructures (star and sphere; GNSs and GNPs) with a particle size of 40 nm for sphere particles were altered with a monoclonal antibody (Ab) as a detector Ab. To amplify the optical signal, gold nanostructures were employed as carriers of the signaling specific antibody against insulin growth factor binding protein- 3 (IGFBP-3). The substrate was catalytically oxidized by the Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) conjugated gold nanostructure, and HRP also enhanced the optical signals, reflecting the amount of the targeting IGFBP-3. In comparison to t
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