Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic parasite in immune-compromised persons. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis in psoriasis patients is investigated. In addition, the treatment effect on psoriasis patients infected with toxoplasmosis through evaluating Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) cytokine levels is studied. Blood samples were collected from 130 individuals who involved 60 control samples and 70 samples with psoriasis. They attended Medical City Hospital in Baghdad province from October 2017 - February 2018. Then, the anti- T. gondii antibodies (IgM and IgG) and TNF- α in the sera were determined via the enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay. The highe

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the new respiratory virus SARS-CoV2. It has a tropism in the lung tissues where excess target receptors exist. Periostin plays a role in subepithelial fibrosis associated with bronchial asthma. Since the Coronavirus's target is the human respiratory system, Periostin has been recently described as a valuable new biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of disease in patients with COVID-19 lung involvement. Objectives: To assess the level of Periostin in the serum of COVID-19 patients and to correlate its role in disease severity and prognosis. Subjects and Methods: Periostin serum levels were measured for 63 patients attending three main COVID

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent systemic inflammatory diseases worldwide. Cardiac complications present the most common mortality cause among RA patients. One of the most important comorbid conditions with RA is diabetic hyperglycemia mainly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aim of the study: The present study was conducted to assess prevalence of T2DM among patients diagnosed with RA from Iraq. Methodology: We included a randomly selected 100 rheumatoid arthritis. All included patients were subjected to anthropometric measurements, diabetic profile assessment and ESR, CRP and rheumatoid factor measurement. Results: Among the included RA patients, 28 patients were diagnosed with new-onset DM. Our

The study aimed to investigate the role of Dectin-1 and Card-9 in pathogenicity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This investigations involved 150 blood samples for IBD patients which divided in to two groups (50 for crohns disease CD (G2) and 50 for ulcerative colitis UC (G3)). All a apparently (male and female) attended to) Al-Kindy hospital) in Baghdad city, department of Gastroenterology. and all of thin were diagnosis by consulters medical staff and pathologists with age range 15-65years average 40 years. in addition to 50 blood samples were collected from apparently healthy individuals as control group (G1). 10 ml were withdrawn from all participants, 5ml for the immunological study which carried by ELISA technique and 5 ml used fo

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of toxoplasmosis on liver, kidney and some blood ions such as calcium, potassium & sodium. A total of 100 blood samples were obtained from pregnant women in several health centers in Baghdad city. which consist of 70 seropositive & 30 seronegative/control group, aged between 20 & 47 years old from September 2013 till September 2014. All of these cases were tested to specific antibody to Toxoplasma gondii by using a latex agglutination test and IgM & IgG antibodies using the ELISA technique. The serum samples were examined for liver function (serum aspartate aminotransferase [AST/GOT], serum alanine aminotransferase [ALT/GPT] and serum alkaline phosphatase [ALP]; kidney function (ser

Despite not being digested, trace elements and/or heavy metals are important for the activity of enzymes, physiological processes, and homeostasis. If certain trace elements are present in excess, they can have harmful effects and pose major health hazards. Objective: The aims to examine the connection between serum zinc, copper levels, and the Cu/Zn ratio, and several anthropometric parameters, including an index of body mass and the waist-hip ratio. In our study, we used atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) to measure serum levels of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in 60 individuals, 30 patients with kidney cancer and 30 healthy controls. We assessed serum uric acid, creatinine, and urea using the semi-auto analyzer BA-88A (Korea). The results

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of mortality among women in Iraq forming 23% of cancer related deaths. The low survival from the disease is a direct consequence to the advanced stages at diagnoses. Aim: To document the composite stage of breast cancer among Iraqi patients at the time of diagnosis; correlating the observed findings with other clinical and pathological parameters at presentation. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study enrolling the clinical and pathological characteristics of 603 Iraqi female patients diagnosed with breast cancer. The composite stage of breast cancer was determined according to UICC TNM Classification System of Breast Cancer and the Ameri

Background: Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth. One of the leading environmental factors that are closely related not only to the risk but also to the prognosis of periodontitis is smoking. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of smoking on periodontal health status and to measure the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in smokers and nonsmokers chronic periodontitis patients, also it aimed to test the correlation between the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and the clinical periodontal parameters. Materials and Methods: Five milliliters samples of un-stimulated whole saliva and full-mouth clinical periodontal recordings (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing,