Severe periodontitis is ranked as the sixth most prevalent disease affecting humankind, with an estimated 740 million people affected worldwide. The diagnosis of periodontal diseases mainly relies upon assessment of conventional clinical parameters. However, these parameters reflect past, rather than current, clinical status or future disease progression and, likely, outcome of periodontal treatment. Specific and sensitive biomarkers for periodontal diseases have been examined widely to address these issues and some biomarkers have been translated as point-of-care (PoC) tests. The aim of this review was to provide an update on PoC tests for use in the diagnosis and management of periodontal diseases. Among the PoC tests developed so far, active matrix metalloproteinase-8 has shown promising results in terms of diagnostic and prognostic values. However, further studies are required to increase the sensitivity and specificity via combining more than one biomarker and merging these test kits with periodontal risk assessment tools. Furthermore, the validity of these test kits needs to be investigated by applying the results in further independent studies and the impact on these test kits’, together with the results of risk factors for periodontal diseases, such as diabetes and smoking, also needs to be examined.
It is well known that monotherapy does not provide therapeutic response in all hypertensive. Somepatients show an excellent response, while in others there is a poor response. Combinationantihypertensive therapy is administered when blood pressure is inadequately controlled bymonotherapy to achieve a balanced and additive antihypertensive effect with minimum adverse effects.Both angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and dihydropyridine type of calcium antagonistsare well established and widely used in monotherapy. An understanding of differences in themechanism of action of these agents allows a logical approach for the use of these agents as acombination therapy. This study was designed to evaluate the possible beneficial
... Show MoreThe influence of Toxoplasma gondii on some biochemical parameters has lately gained an increasing attention. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some biochemical parameters in Toxoplasma positive and negative subjects. An analytical case–control study was achieved in Baghdad for the period from October 2018 until March 2019. Forty nine females participated in this study, with an age range of 18-55 years. The participants were separated into two groups, namely Toxoplasma positive subjects (n=21) and Toxoplasma negative subjects (n=28), based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood and serum samples were collected from all subjects to evaluate the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lip
... Show MoreTo compare the corneal epithelial thickness profile in patients with dry eyes and keratoconus suspect with normal healthy eyes.
The study involved 120 eyes with an age range from 19 to 30 years. Forty eyes had normal corneal topography and no dry eyes. Forty eyes had dry eyes but had normal corneal topography. The last 40 eyes were keratoconus suspect and had no symptoms or signs of dry eyes.
Central epithelial thickness was not different statistically for all eyes. ( p-value: 0.1). The superior epithelial thickness was 53.5 µm ±3.1 in the control
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. CD200 is a cell surface glycoprotein expressed on many cells, it belongs to the immunoglobulin family (Ig) and have a great role in the regulation of inflammation in autoimmunity. CD200 is the ligand for CD200R1 receptor. To determine if serum level of CD200 and its receptor CD200R1 can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in patients with breast cancer.This case control study was carried out at Oncology Teaching Hospital – Medical city in Baghdad. Six groups were enrolled, four groups were confirmed with breast cancer stage (I, II, III and IV), fifth group (benign) and sixth group was control (healthy individual). Serum is divided to me
... Show MoreBackground: Potentially malignant oral disorders (PMODs) are common precursors of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Neoangiogenesis and signalling are important intermediate biomarkers that may govern the progression of dysplastic mucosa into carcinoma. Aims: Evaluate the importance of CD34 and Wnt3 expression in PMODs and OSCCs in relation to their clinicopathological parameters. Settings and Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for CD34 and Wnt3 was performed for 41 samples. These included 27 PMODs, six OSCCs and eight normal gingival and alveolar mucosa. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests were applied. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: CD34
... Show MoreThis study is considered the first effort of its kind in Iraq and in the Middle East towards studying the Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris that was carried on in Hor Al-Dalmaj, southern Iraq. The findings of this effort illustrate its importance as it paves the way for further study and observation for the bird and this important wetland itself. This study tackles the all possible aspects of the ecological and biological statuses of Marbled Teal (Threatened –Vulnerable bird species – IUCN Redlist) by means of field surveys and systematic monitoring that were conducted along the four seasons over the years 2013-2014 in one of the ecologically important and prominent and poorly-known wetlands in the
... Show MoreBackground: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity and constitutes a major health problem in developing. In the last 30 years, the 5-year survival rate of patients with oral SCC has not improved despite advance in diagnostic techniques. To improve early diagnosis for this deadly disease, new biological markers are needed. HOX genes encode homeodomain-containing transcription factors involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation during embryogenesis. HOX gene expression has been described in several adult tissues, where they performed important roles in maintaining homeostasis. Few studies have suggested that HOXA1 plays a role in tumorigenesis. Besides bein
... Show MoreBackground: Knowledge is considered to be essential for developing healthy practices and preventing the main oral diseases. In some developing countries, women were at higher risk to develop these diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate women’s dental knowledge and practices through a specific questionnaire and the relationship with patient’s educational level and the number of their children. Subjects and method: Women, aged from 25-35 years old, were selected to participate in the current study. They were attending dental clinics in the teaching hospital of Baghdad University. Each participant was instructed to answer questionnaire sheet which is previously prepared in Arabic language by the authors. The total numb
... Show MoreBack ground: Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the mucous membrane of the mouth. Several researchers suggest that oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder. It has been hypothesized that melatonin is powerful anti-oxidants and can easily cross the cell membrane and is considered a free radical scavenger of Hydroxid, Oxygen and Nitrogen dioxide, cortisol as a stress hormone and the immunoglobulin A as first line of defense and protection to the mucous membrane of the mouth are interrelated factors for the emergence of oral lichen planus. Aim of this study was to evaluate the level of melatonin, Cortisol and IgA in saliva of patients with oral lichen planus lesions in comparison with p
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