The Growth Differentiation Factor -15 (GDF-15) is a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily. İt represents an example of the stress response cytokines. It's mostly found in cardiac myocytes, adipocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, and vascular endothelial cells, whether they're generated normally or not. GDF-15 levels have increased and are associated with cardiovascular risk. Aim of the study: To investigate the correlation between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) with the level of plasma GDF-15 in a group of hypertensive patients. Materials and methods: A case-control study involved 90 individuals, 60 hypertensive patients (36 on ACE inhibitors and 24 on ARBs) and 30 healthy individuals. Serum GDF-15 was measured and compared statistically between the two groups. Results: serum GDF-15 was significantly higher in both groups of hypertensive patients compared to the control group. İn addition, there was no significant difference in mean serum GDF-15 concentration between patients treated with ACE inhibitors with those treated with angiotensin II receptor blockers. Conclusion: GDF-15 increases in hypertensive patients and might be a reasonable marker of cardiovascular disease. Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs are not powerful enough to decrease GDF-15 concentration to that of the control group.
Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a chronic and a progressive disease characterized by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in an increased risk of fracture. Osteocalcin is a non-collagenous protein synthesized and secreted by osteoblasts. Its main physiological functions are calcium ion homeostasis, maintain the normal bone mineralization rate, inhibit the abnormal formation of hydroxyapatite crystal, and to be involved in bone remodeling through a negative feedback mechanism.
Objective: This study was planned to evaluate serum level of bone formation marker osteocalcin (OC) in postmenopausal women with and without primary osteoporosis; and study the correlation between serum osteocalcin level
Background: Diabetic retinopathy is an important complication of diabetes mellitus. It is supposed that elevated sialic acid in diabetes mellitus plays an important role in diabetic retinopathy. This study investigated serum total sialic acid levels related to glycemic control, blood pressure, retinopathy, and serum lipid level in diabetic retinopathy patients.
Patients & Methods: Type 2 diabetic patients aged (56.47±10.68) years were recruited for the study. Fasting venous blood samples were collected from 132 diabetic subjects of whom 79 without retinopathy and 53 were diabetic with retinopathy. All the blood samples were processed for serum total sialic acid (TSA), fasting serum glucose (FSG), HbA
Interleukin-35 (IL-35) is a new member of IL-12 family of cytokines, and its role in pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been recently suggested. Accordingly, a case-control study was conducted during June - October 2018 to determine IL-35 serum level in Iraqi patients with chronic HBV infection. The results revealed that IL-35 level was significantly decreased in patients as compared to control (163 vs. 301 pg/ml; p < 0.001). However, such decreased level was more pronounced in patients at the age groups < 40 and 40 – 50 years (165 and 145 pg/ml, respectively) as compared to the corresponding age groups in control (482 and 234 pg/ml, respectively). In the case of gender groups, both male
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Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with an increasing prevalence worldwide and characterized by an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation. The most important factor that is responsible for oxidative stress and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is hyperglycemia. The major targets of ROS are proteins. The most common and widely used biomarker of severe oxidative protein damage is protein carbonyl content.
The study was designed to assess the serum level of protein carbonyl as a marker of protein oxidation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to evaluate the effect of age, body weight, waist circumference, diabetic control and disease duration on the level
... Show MoreBackground: Bladder cancer (BC) one of the most common urologic cancer characterized by the highest recurrence rate, many types belong to BC, but most common of them worldwide are transitional cell carcinoma(TCC) which constitute about 90-95% cases, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinomas
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate parameters of humoral immunity in Non-muscle invasive (superficial or early) bladder cancer patients in Iraq that may provide a new insight into the future of immunotherapies development and BC management.
Materials and methods: Fifty-nine volunteer's patients ranged from 24 to 83years old, and 30 control individuals ranged from 51-80 years old, who attended and admitted to Hospital of Gazi
Some coordination complexes of Co(??), Ni(??), Cu(??), Cd(??) and Hg(??) are reacted in ethanol with Schiff base ligand derived from of 2,4,6- trihydroxybenzophenone and 3-aminophenol using microwave irradiation and then reacted with metal salts in ethanol as a solvent in 1:2 ratio (metal: ligand). The ligand [H4L] is characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis, C.H.N, 1H-NMR,13C-NMR, and mass spectra. The metal complexes are characterized by atomic absorption, infrared spectra, electronic spectra, molar conductance, (C.H.N for Ni(??) complex) and magnetic moment measurements. These measurements indicate that the ligand coordinates with metal (??) ion in a tridentate manner through the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the ligand, octahedral structures
... Show MoreSome coordination complexes of Co(ІІ), Ni(ІІ), Cu(ІІ), Cd(ІІ) and Hg(ІІ) are reacted in ethanol with Schiff base ligand derived from of 2,4,6- trihydroxybenzophenone and 3-aminophenol using microwave irradiation and then reacted with metal salts in ethanol as a solvent in 1:2 ratio (metal: ligand). The ligand [H4L] is characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis, C.H.N, 1H-NMR,13C-NMR, and mass spectra. The metal complexes are characterized by atomic absorption, infrared spectra, electronic spectra, molar conductance, (C.H.N for Ni(ІІ) complex) and magnetic moment measurements. These measurements indicate that the ligand coordinates with metal (ІІ) ion in a tridentate manner through the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the ligand, octahed
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to find a relationship between oxidative stress and adiponectin in Iraqi patients with acromegaly. The present study included 30 patients with acromegaly disease attending at Al-Yarmuk teaching hospital , and 30 healthy individuals as a control group.The two groups with ages ranging (30-55) years. The results revealed a highly significant elevation in all parameters (GH,IGF-1 , adiponectin , malondialdehyde , and peroxynitrite ) levels in sera of patients when compared with healthy control .It can be concluded that oxidative stress (malondialdehyde and peroxynitrite ) may be valuable in detecting of endocrine diseases like acromegaly .