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
The evolution of thought, planning for Urban Communities in the second half of the twentieth century, through several successive stages. He was thought of planning urban communities depends on identifying the general plan for land uses of the project area as a basis for drawing charts the physical, social, economic, and put the general plan for land uses based on the terms of reference set by the number of experts in the ministries and agencies. I have lived cities in the Arab-Muslim region, during the transition period the natural and historic environment, urban, sophisticated balanced ways mentioned in the cultural, social, inspired by the teachings of Islam and the customs and traditions of the Arab social, put forth a set of
... Show MoreObjectives: To study the effect of providing tertiary (specialized) health care for type 2 diabetic patients to meet the WHO and ADA standards and glycemic targets.
Method: Six months, Jan. – Jun. 2010, cohort study was conducted on 600 adult diabetics who registered in the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad – Iraq. They were followed for 3- 6 months; each time patients were examined physically and their blood pressure, height, weight and BMI were measured. Fasting blood samples were taken from all patients to test the FPG, HbA1c, T.Chol, TG, HDL and LDL.
Results: Patients’ age was 52.85±15.56 year and the male/female ratio was 1.01, the median duration of disease was 7 years and their BMI w
This study was carried out to measure the percentage of heavy metals pollution in the water of the Diyala river and to measure the percentage of contamination of these elements in the leafy vegetables grown on both sides of the Diyala river, which are irrigated by the contaminated river water (celery, radish, lepidium, green onions, beta vulgaris subsp, and malva). Laboratory analysis was achieved to measure the ratio of heavy element contamination (Pb, Fe, Ni, Cd, Zn and Cr) using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer during the summer months of July and August for the year 2017. The study showed that the elements of zinc, chromium, nickel and cadmium were high concentrations and exceeded. The maximum concentration of these
... Show MoreTumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) antagonists’ therapy are expensive and has a non-responsive rate between 30% to 40% in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Genetic variation plays a vital role in the responsiveness to this type of therapy.The aim of this study is to investigate if the presence of genetic polymorphism in the TNF-α gene promoter region at locations -376 G/A (rs1800750), -806 C/T (rs4248158), and -1031 T/C (rs1799964) affects rheumatoid arthritis patient's tendency to be a non-responder to etanercept.
Eighty RA patients on etanercept (ETN) for at least six months were recruited from the Rheumatology Unit at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Based on The European League Against Rheumatism response (EULAR) criteria, patient
... Show MoreTwo-dimensional unsteady mixed convection in a porous cavity with heated bottom wall is numerically studied in the present paper. The forced flow conditions are imposed by providing a hydrostatic pressure head at the inlet port that is located at the bottom of one of the vertical side walls and an open vent at the top of the other vertical side wall. The Darcy model is adopted to model the fluid flow in the porous medium and the combination effects of hydrostatic pressure head and the heat flux quantity parameters are carefully investigated. These governing parameters are varied over wide ranges and their effect on the heat transfer characteristics is studied in detail. It is found that the time required to reach a desired temperature at th
... Show MoreObjective: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a major pregnancy complication that leads to maternal mortality. Here, we have scrutinized the correlation between serum levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in PIH.Methods: Serum samples were collected from 80 Iraqi women (40 women with PIH as patients group, 20 normotensive pregnant women as a positive control, and 20 normotensive non-pregnant women as a negative control) all groups were diagnosed clinically.Results: Serum of H2O2 and SOD levels was measured for all studied groups. Results showed that there were no significant variances in age and gestational age distribution between all studied groups. Furthermore, result showed that the serum level o
... Show MoreA study was carried out to analysis of some heavy metals in nine different types of vinegar, belong to Grape, Apple, Synthetic White, Date, Hawthorn, Garlic, Cactus, Pomegranate and Ginger vinegar, which are locally available in Iraqi folk medicine markets. The concentrations of heavy metals in the studied samples including, Cr, Mg, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cd, Ni, Pb and Ag, were determining by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. All data were subjected to statistical analysis by calculating accuracy, precision and correlation coefficient for each concentrations level. The results indicate that Ni was recorded the highest concentration in all studied samples except, Ginger and cactus vinegar, each one receded the highest concentration valu
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