Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are said to be inherited in a multifactorial fashion, i.e. genetic-environmental interaction. Maternal nutritional deficiencies had long been reported to cause NTDs, especially folate deficiency during early pregnancy. More attention had been paid to the exact mechanism by which this deficiency state causes these defects in the developing embryo. The most significant of all researches was that connecting reduced folate and increased homocysteine level in maternal serum on one hand and the risk of developing a NTD baby on the other hand. Objectives : to determine the significance of homocysteine level in Iraqi mothers who gave birth to babies with NTDs as compared to normal controls. Patients, Materials and Methods: Fifty Iraqi women having babies born with NTDS, referred to the genetic clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, were included in this study (the study group) as well as 37 healthy women having normal children (the control group). This study was conducted from November, 2002 till October, 2003. Analysis of total serum homocysteine level for all women was done using a computerized HPLC system. Results : the age of women in both groups was comparable (mean+SD in the study group was 26.2+5.14 years vs. 26.3+4.57 years in the controls). Among the study group, 4 (8%) had normal tHcy level; 44 (88%) had mildly elevated level, and only 2 (4%) had moderately elevated tHcy level, while all (100%) women in the control group had their tHcy level within normal level. This difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Conclusions : Women become at an increased risk of delivering a baby with NTD when having an elevated tHcy level in their sera, and that tHcy level is an important marker in maternal serum that is associated significantly with pregnancy outcome.
Our aim was to investigate the changes in the myocardium stiffness index for patients suffering from systemic hypertension, and to assess their left ventricular performance. We studied 263 hypertensive patients and 166 healthy subjects as a control group. By using conventional Doppler echocardiography, the following parameters were measured—Left ventricular end diastolic diameter, left ventricular end systolic diameter, transmitral early velocity, isovolumic relaxation time, and isovolumic contraction time. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) was used in the measurements of the early mitral annular velocity (Ea) and the diastolic stiffness was obtained by calculating the ratio E\Ea\LVIDd. Index myocardial performance (IMP) was calculated
... Show MoreTemporomandibular Disorders (TMD) refer to a group of symptoms where pain is the most leading cause to demand a treatment by the patient. Light therapies are of great importance at current times due to its biosafety and non-invasive quality when used for the management of TMD symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of red LED light with low-level LASER in treating TMD patients.
A double-blind randomized clinical study was conducted and included 60 patients along 3 groups (20 for e
The thermodynamic constanting of “crude and partially purified” Paraxonase(PON) was evaluated in the sera of “healthy and ectopic” pregnant women in order to characterize the reaction of PON with diethyl para-nitro phenyl phosphate as substrate.This study was performed on (17) women with ectopic pregnancy (EP) whose age between (25-55) years and (25) normal pregnant women with a mean age of (25 -55) years as a control group . Samples were collected from the Medical City, AL-Yarmook and Fatema AL-Zahraa hospitals during the period from Sep.2011 to April 2012.The study included the evaluation of “paraxonase activity, specific activity and total protein” in the (crude and partially purified) sera of EP pa
... Show MoreBackground: Salvia officinalis is a plant belong to
Labiatae family .The common name of Salvia is sage
which mean save. The leaves of Salvia have special
oil which is effective against filamentous fungi and
yeasts such as Candida albicans which is the
causative agent of vaginal candidiasis in women
Methods. Cultures from 50 swabs of Candida
albicans isolated from vagina of 70 patient women
who complains from vaginal problems, their ages
(24-43) years from Central City Hospital during
Febreoury 2009 to April 2009 were cultured on
Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) .Nystatin was used
as positive reference standard to determine the
sensitivity of this fungus . and less this concentration
there was no min
Back ground : The transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling pathway is involved in many cellular processes in both the adult organism and the developing embryo including cell growth, cell differentiation, apoptosis. The interaction between implant material and surrounding tissues is believed to play a fundamental role in implant success and illustrates different expression of growth factors by different cells that involved in the formation of peri-implant tissue. The aim of this study was to localize expression of TGF B by newly formed bone tissue around surface-conditioned implants with placental collagen at different time intervals: 3 ,7,14,28, and 56 days . Materials and Methods: Commercially pure Titanium (CPTi) implants coated w
... Show MoreBackground: The formation of white spot lesions around fixed orthodontic attachments is a common complication during and after fixed orthodontic treatment, which hinders the result of a successfully completed orthodontic treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the Caries Infiltrant (ICON®) on prevention of caries on the smooth enamel surface when applied alone or combined with conventional adhesives. Materials and methods: Seventy eight human premolar enamel discs were randomly assigned to six groups (n=13). The discs were etched and treated with resins of different monomer content forming the following groups: (1)Untreated etched samples served as the negative control, (2) ICON® (DMG), (3) Adper™ S
... Show MoreBackground: CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms and tobacco smoking are among several risk factors for various types of cancers, but their influence on breast cancer remains controversial. We analyzed the possible association of CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms and tobacco smoking-related breast cancer in women from Iraq. Materials and methods: In this case-control study, gene polymorphism of CYP1A1 gene (CYP1A1m1, T6235C and CYP1A1m2, A4889G) of 199 histologically verified breast cancer patients' and 160 cancer-free control women's specimens were performed by using PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: Three genotype frequencies (TT, TC, and CC) of CYP1A1m1T/C appeared in 16.1, 29.6, and 54.3% of women with breast cancer, respectiv
... Show MoreThe global trend towards the use of fair value accounting is increasing, so the current study aimed to maximize the impact of fair value application on achieving relevance and representation faithfulness of accounting information in accordance with the common conceptual framework. To achieve the objective of this study, the researcher has determined in the theoretical framework the relationship of fair value with the characteristics of relevance and representation faithfulness of accounting information and the extent of achieving these characteristics, as well as conducting a field study by preparing a questionnaire distributed to a sample of academics (50) and auditors (50) with a total number of selected participants (100) of acad
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of a rational, emotional, behavioral program in developing self-efficacy to reduce the level of Burnout in 20 teachers of students with autism disorder in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. The proposed program included 12 training sessions. The researcher found that the proposed program has contributed significantly to the development of self-efficacy and reduce the level of Burnout for the targeted subject in this study.