BACKGROUND: HLA-B27 can effect clinical presentation and course of ankylosing spondylitis. Different detection techniques of HLA-B27 are available with variable sensitivities and specificities. OBJECTIVE: To compare serologic and molecular diagnostic techniques of detecting HLA-B27 status and to correlate it with some clinical variables among ankylosing spondylitis patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 Iraqi patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were reported. HLA-B27 status was determined in all patients by real-time PCR using HLA-B27 RealFast™ kit; ELISA method was used as well to detect soluble serum HLA-B27 antigens using Human Leukocyte Antigen® kit. RESULTS: The mean age of patients ± SD was (38.4±9.8) years. Male to female ratio was 9:1. Disease onset occurred <30 years in 78% of cases. All (100%) cases had lower back pain, 44 (54%) patients had enthesitis, 14 (16.9%) had peripheral arthritis, 12 (14.5%) had eye involvement, whil
Foodborne diseases are a major risk for human health. Millions of people become sick as a result of eating contaminated food with microorganisms that cause diseases. S. aureus is considered as one of the most important pathogenic bacteria, having the ability to activate certain genes that encode for heat stable enterotoxins and cause Staphylococcal food poisoning. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of multi resistant Staphylococcus aureus that produce enterotoxins in different sources of food . Forty nine isolates were identified as S.aureus, according to morphological and biochemical tests. They were isolated from 387 different food samples from several randomly covered restaurants
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic kidney disease is a condition that results from an indefinite change in the structure and function of the kidneys. A slow, steady progression characterizes it and is irreversible. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the findings of certain biochemical and hematological tests in samples from Iraqi CKD patients. Methods: This study included 90 subjects, where 70 patients with chronic kidney disease and 20 healthy individuals. Blood samples were collected from the patients during their visits to Ghazi Al-Hariri Surgical Specialties' Hospital- Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq. Age, sex and body mass index were assessed for each participant followed by renal function tests [serum blood urea, creatinine, uric acid a
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory autoimmune disease of unidentified etiology, associated with articular, extra-articular and systemic manifestation that require long-standing treatment. Taking patient’s beliefs about the prescribed medication in consideration had been shown to be an essential factor that affects adherence of the patient in whom having positive beliefs is an essential for better adherence. The purpose of the current study was to measure beliefs about medicines among a sample of Iraqi patients with Rheumatoid arthritis and to determine possible association between this belief and some patient-certain factors. This study is a cross-sectional study carried out on 250 already diagnosed rheumatoid
... Show MoreBackground:The most common pattern of dyslipidemia in diabetic patients is increased triglyceride (TG) and decreased HDL cholesterol level, The concentration of LDL cholesterol in diabetic patients is usually not significantly different from non diabetic individuals, Diabetic patients may have elevated levels of non-HDL cholesterol [ LDL+VLDL]. However type 2 diabetic patients typically have apreponderance of smaller ,denser LDL particles which possibly increases atherogenicity even if the absolute concentration of LDL cholesterol is not significantly increased. The Third Adult Treatment Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP III) and the American Heart Association (AHA ) have designate diabetes as a coronary heart dis
... Show MoreThis study was done to compare among 120 new and used cosmetic brands to determine the heavy metals concentrations (Cadmium, Chromium) in (face foundation, powder and blushers). Sixty new cosmetic products were bought from local markets in Baghdad city (twenty different brands foe each cosmetic products), while sixty used cosmetic products were collected from Iraqi women and they had been stored for a long time. This study proved that not all analyzed cosmetic products containing heavy metals concentrations and all concentrations are under Iraqi acceptable limits except one new blusher product which contained chromium with (28 ppm), but all used cosmetic products have shown better results in concentrations of heavy metals than new produc
... Show MoreThis study aimed to measure the alterations in serum zinc (Zn) and acute phase
proteins ( C-reactive protein and Ceruloplasmin) concentrations in patients with
visceral leishmaniasis (VL). A total of 62 individuals were enrolled in this study :
52 individuals were infected with visceral leishmaniasis and 10 individuals as
healthy control. Serum zinc levels were significantly (p<0.05) decreased in patient
group(76.25 ± 4.59 μg/dl ) when compared with healthy control (103.75 ± 3.77
μg/dl ) . C-reactive protein , as a mediator of innate immunity, removed damaged
cells by activating the classical complement pathway revealed elevated levels in
patients (4.36± 0.23mg/l ) when compared with the healthy control (2
The local study were selected 70 Iraqi Arab Patients (39 females and 31 males), who referred to HLA laboratory in teaching laboratories in Baghdad medical city from April 2009 – May 2010 were diagnosed with Behcete's disease, C-reactive protein concentration(CRP) was evaluated by ELISA technique, anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) were evaluated by Indirect immunofluorescence technology. The result showed significant differences (P<0.05) of CRP concentration in patients group compared with control, negative antinuclear nuclear antibody in all cases while ANCA was positive in 8.5% of patients with type P (PANCA). These results lead to suggest that ANCA auto-antibody may have a role in triggeri
... Show MoreChlamydia trachomatis is the most common of negative gram bacteria that cause sexually transmitted diseases. It affects the reproductive system in women, not the symptoms of the disease, but the most serious is the long-term effects of the reproductive system.. out of 100 women were attending different hospitals in Baghdad included the Gynaecology Departments of Women Health Center at Al-Elwyia Obstetrics Hospital . Ibn Al balady Maternity and Children's Hospital , Kamal al-Samarrai hospital Fertility Center infertility treatment and In Vitro Fertilization ( IVF ) (20 control and 80 women with infertility) DNA was extracted from the Endocervical Swabs of all infertili women, to investigate the bacteria by using Real time -PCR technique a
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