Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of serum cyclin D1, CDK4, and CDK6 as biomarkers of treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Methods: In a single-center prospective observational study, 74 women with hormone-receptor-positive (HR+)/ human epidermal growth receptor-2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer were recruited from the Oncology Hospital, Medical City in Baghdad, Iraq. The patients were treated with oral Palbociclib (125 mg) for 21 days, then continued with Letrozole (2.5 mg) for 7 days, and completed six treatment cycles. The candidates were divided into two groups based on therapeutic response: Group 1 responded to the palbociclib plus letrozole combination therapy, and Group 2 did not. Serum cyclin D1, CDK 4, and CDK 6 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after the 6th cycle. Treatment response was evaluated using RECIST 1.1 criteria. The study was designed and reported in alignment with STROBE guidelines. Results: Serum cyclin D1 levels were higher in responders than non-responders (p = 0.070). Importantly, higher cyclin D1 levels were significantly associated with longer progression-free survival (PFS; p = 0.027). In contrast, serum CDK4 and CDK6 levels did not differ between groups and showed no predictive or prognostic value for PFS. Conclusion: Serum cyclin D1 has demonstrated prognostic relevance in palbociclib-treated MBC, supporting its role as a pharmacodynamic biomarker of CDK 4/6 inhibitors. These findings highlight the limitations of circulating intracellular kinase proteins and support further investigation of dynamic, tumor-derived biomarkers for treatment monitoring.
Background: Pregnancy is a stressful state of increased inflammatory activity, and pregnancy – associated hormone changes can influence periodontal tissues, these inflammatory activity lead to production of inflammatory mediators. Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokines that is consistently associated with periodontal diseases. This study was designed to determine the periodontal health status and detect the serum level of IL-1β in the healthy pregnant women at first, second and third trimester and compare it with healthy non pregnant women, and determine its correlation with different clinical periodontal parameters. M
... Show MoreRA is a complex chronic disease, primarily affects the lining of the synovial joints and can cause progressive disability, premature death, and socioeconomic burdens. The clinical manifestations of symmetrical joint involvement include arthralgia, swelling, redness, and even limiting the range of motion. The pathogenesis is not known therefore the study included Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of systemic inflammatory diseases that characterized by a progressive disabling course. The study included patients suffering from RA and as healthy controls. immunological and genetic factor were evaluated in each subject by using serum level of cytokine and genetic factor. The etiopathology of the disease is not well known for this reason the study
... Show MoreBackground: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a collection of chronic, recurrent inflammatory illnesses of the gastrointestinal system, including Crohn's disease (CD). Infliximab is one of the biological medications used to treat CD. Therapeutic drug monitoring has evolved as a treatment in IBD, aiming to optimize benefit while meeting more demanding, objective end criteria. Objective: To determine the achievement of target trough level (TL), develop anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) to infliximab, assess response to therapy, and study TL relations with different variables. Methods: The present study was cross-sectional and conducted from May 2022 to November 2022. It included 40 CD patients allotted into 2 groups: group 1 patients ach
... Show MoreLiquisolid compact is the most promising technique for increasing dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs.Clopidogrel bisulfate is an oral antiplatelets used for treatment and prophylaxis of cardiovacular and peripheral vascular diseases related to platelets aggreagation.Clopidogrel has low solubility at high pH media of intestine and low bioavailability of a bout 50% after oral doses.The purpose of this work was to enhance dissolution pattern of clopidogrel through its formulation into liquisolid tablets.A mathematical model was used to calculate the optimum quantities of tween 80 , carrier (Avicel PH 102) and coating material (Aerosil 200) needed to prepare acceptably flowing and compactible powder mixtures.The liq
... Show MoreBackground: Pharmacy internship programmes are driven by most developed countries to outweigh the ongoing growth in the pharmacy career which encourages pharmacists to play a significant role as healthcare providers. Objectives: This study examines pharmacy students' perception, satisfaction, challenges, and limitations with the internship curriculum. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with different elements to examine students' perceptions of various aspects. Result: Most students reported a positive impression regarding their internships, however, they were less satisfied with the allowance for filling prescriptions and compounding also, the college's follow-up was inadequate. F
... Show MoreClotrimazole (CLO) is an antimycotic imidazole derivative applied locally for the treatment of vaginal yeast infections. In this study, CLO was formulated as vaginal mucoadhesive hydrogel, using different types of mucoadhesive polymers to ensure prolonged contact between active ingredient and vaginal mucosa.
Physicochemical properties of the prepared formulas were evaluated as a visual inspection, pH, swelling index, spreadability, and mucoadhesive characteristics, in addition to an in-vitro drug release. The influence of type and concentration of polymers as CMC-Na (1.5, 2.5, and 3.5%w/w), carbopol 940( 0.25, 0.5, and 1 %w/w) and poloxamer 407 (15, 25, 30%w/w) on CLO release from the prepared gels were also invest
... Show MoreBackground: Colorectal cancer, the most common gastrointestinal cancer, is a significant health issue globally. Mucin 16 plays a critical role in cancer signal transduction pathways and is a potential glycoprotein target for cancer therapy. The miRNA-200 family also regulates the expression of numerous genes that play vital roles in cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the changes in mucin 16 and miRNA-200a in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Subjects and Methods: Fifty-six patients with CRC, including 26 in stage 3 and 30 in stage 4, were included in this study, along with 38 healthy volunteers as a control group. Parameters such as mucin 16, miRNA-200a, total protein, albumin, globulin, and the albumin/globulin rati
... Show MoreBackground: Globally, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in Iraq. Several genetic and environmental factors are associated..
Thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4) play an important role in growth, development, and physiology of the kidney. The kidney has a central role in metabolism and clearance of these hormones as well as thyroid – stimulating hormone (TSH). Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a state of irreversible deceleration in renal function results in alterations in internal milieu, which affects the synthesis and secretory rate of hormones. To evaluate the thyroid hormone levels in non-dialyzed patients with chronic renal failure (CRF); 24 patients with CRF aged 30-70 years, mean±S.d. (48.458 ± 13.569) and 48 healthy volunteers who served as controls aged 30-70 years (43.104 ± 12.387) were studied for their thyroid function status u
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