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-19 Control Centers in Baghdad, compared to 25 healthy subjects, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from January 2021 to April 2022. Results: Serum levels of Periostin among studied groups with (mild - moderate, severe - critical, post-COVID, and controls) were (17.3, 664, 597, and 48) ng/dl respectively. The serum concentration of Periostin was highly significant in (severe- critical and post-COVID) than in other groups. Conclusions: The elevated level of serum Periostin in COVID-19 patients correlated with disease severity and post-COVID lung complications. The high Periostin level is consistent with high inflammatory markers, which might be used as an indicator of COVID-19 severity and predict a bad prognosis.
In developing countries, conventional physico-chemical methods are commonly used for removing contaminants. These methods are not efficient and very costly. However, new in site strategy with high treatment efficiency and low operation cost named constructed wetland (CW) has been set. In this study, Phragmites australis was used with free surface batch system to estimate its ability to remediate total
petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from Al-Daura refinery wastewater. The system operated in semi-batch, thus, new wastewater was weekly added to the plant for 42 days. The results showed high removal percentages (98%) of TPH and (62.3%) for COD. Additionally, Phragmites australis biomass increased significant
Crabs belong to the crustacean family (Decapods crustacean), and their shells contain natural ingredients from which the bioactive compounds are derived. It has been used as folklore medicine in cancer treatment. We investigate the possible anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects for crab shells and whole crabs. Thirty-six rats (150–200 gm) from both sexes were used, divided into six groups, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity measured using cotton pellet induce granuloma model. Detection of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α), Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), superoxide (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels using ELISA Kits. The data analysis by one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test. Values are significant at (p < 0.05).
... Show MoreBackground: Thalassemia is characterized by the decrease or absence of the synthesis of one or more globin chains of hemoglobin. Thalassemia is distributed worldwide and is characterized by; regular blood transfusion which is creating alloimmunization to erythrocyte antigens is one of the major complications of regular blood transfusions in thalassemia, particularly in patients who are chronically transfused.Objectives: The aims of this study are to understand the immune system profile as the triggering factor for thalassemia.Methods: Thirty patients aging between one year and four months and twenty two years, twenty two of them were boys and eight were girls. Twenty nine patients, their parents are relative except one and studied in the
... Show MoreRecently, there has been a notable surge in interest surrounding entrepreneurial orientation and strategic entrepreneurship. These concepts are particularly relevant due to their modern characteristics that aid in adapting to the environment. They also play a crucial role in improving production, service, and technological processes to sustain value, minimize competition, and drive ongoing enhancements, ultimately leading to a position of leadership within public companies. Therefore, the primary focus of this research was to examine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on achieving strategic entrepreneurship. This influence is further mediated by the presence Iraqi Ministry of Agric
... Show MoreBecause the Coronavirus epidemic spread in Iraq, the COVID-19 epidemic of people quarantined due to infection is our application in this work. The numerical simulation methods used in this research are more suitable than other analytical and numerical methods because they solve random systems. Since the Covid-19 epidemic system has random variables coefficients, these methods are used. Suitable numerical simulation methods have been applied to solve the COVID-19 epidemic model in Iraq. The analytical results of the Variation iteration method (VIM) are executed to compare the results. One numerical method which is the Finite difference method (FD) has been used to solve the Coronavirus model and for comparison purposes. The numerical simulat
... Show MoreBackground: Osteoarthritis OA is the most common joint disorder in the world. Injection of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid intra-articular with steroid is a one of the used therapeutic option for patients with (OA)knee.
Objectives: Objective of this study was the evaluation the efficacy, safety, pluse duration of action of viscosupplementation of the HMWHA( high molecular weight hyluranic acid ).
Type of the study: Cross-sectional study.
Methods: From 81 patients with sever knee pain due to OA (grades 3–4) were recruited from Al-Yarmouk teaching hospital & a private clinic during the period from January 2014 till July 2016.
... Show MoreKlebsiella pneumoniae has been found in the urinary tract of some bladder cancer patients. Bacterial presence within tumor tissue may affect the tumor-microenvironment and consequently influence cancer behavior, development, and treatment response. This study investigated mesenchymal and stemness transdifferentiation of bladder cancer cell line due to environmental stress of K. pneumoniae. Cultures of urothelial bladder cancer cell line (T24) were infected with K. pneumoniae with different multiplicity of infection (MOI) for two and four days. Transdifferentiation-associated features were morphologically assessed.
Moreover, transdifferentiation markers were estimated using Q-PCR and immunohistoc
... Show MoreBackground: Polycystic ovary syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder and its etiology appears to be complex and multifactorial; characterized by hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation and infertility. It’s associated with evidence of low-grade chronic inflammation, as indicated by the presence of elevated levels of high sensitive C- reactive protein levels, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. The source of excess circulating tumor necrosis factor-α in obese Polycystic ovary syndrome patient is likely to be the adipose tissues while in lean women increased visceral adiposity has been proposed as a source of excess tumor necrosis factor-α.Objectives: to evaluate the levels of high sensitive C- reactive protein, tumor necrosis facto
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