Background: The genetic polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor (VDR) have an association with thalassemia development, additionally to the environmental elements that elicited the disorder in the genetically predisposed individuals. As well, VDR functions responsible for the regulation of bone metabolism, such its part in immunity. Aim: The sitting study intended to inspect the association between thalassemia disease and the genetic polymorphisms of VDR among the Iraqi population then compared these findings to other findings of thalassemia patients in other different ethnic populations. Materials and methods: The restriction enzymes Bsm-I and Fok-I were applied to determine the genetic polymorphisms frequencies of VDR by a Polymerase Chain Reaction – Random Fragment Length Polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) techniques of the targeted parts (rs2228570 and rs1544410) in 70 Iraqi patients suffering from thalassemia (18 males and 52 females) and 75 Iraqi healthy participants as a control group (18 males and 52 females). Also, the comparison between the present findings of VDR genetic polymorphisms in Iraqi thalassemia patients and other previous findings for thalassemia patients in different ethnic populations for the selected VDR Bsm-I and Fok-I sites were done. Results: The present findings manifested a significant difference of VDR Bsm-I and Fok-I genetic polymorphisms frequency (rs2228570 and rs1544410) in the thalassemia patient's group contrasted to the healthy control group. In VDR rs2228570, the AA genotype and A allele frequency were significantly increased in the patients' group contrasted to the healthy control group (44.29 vs. 8.0%, OR: 9.14, 95% CI: 3.53–23.68, p: 4.1 × 10−7; 69.0 vs. 27.0%, OR: 6.02, 95% CI: 3.27–11.06, p: 3.9 × 10−9, respectively). while, the results of VDR genetic polymorphisms rs1544410 manifested that the CC and CT genotyping and C allele frequency were significantly increased among the patient's group contrasted to the healthy control group (28.75 vs. 6.67%, OR: 5.60, 95% CI: 1.98–15.81, p: 7.2 × 10−4; 57.14 vs. 24.0, OR: 4.22, 95% CI: 2.08–8.55, p: 8.1 × 10−5; and 57.0 vs. 19.0%, OR: 6.39, 95% CI: 3.0–10.66, p: 3.9 × 10−9, respectively). Also, it manifested the genetic polymorphisms variance of VDR rs2228570 and rs1544410 between the Iraqi thalassemia patients and other ethnic thalassemia patients. The results showed different variants among the Iraqi thalassemia patients' polymorphisms and other ethnic thalassemia patients' polymorphisms. Conclusions: The present results demonstrated a significant association between the genetic polymorphisms of VDR and thalassemia disease, the AA genotype and A allele frequency was significantly increased among the thalassemia patients' group compared to the controls in VDR Bsm-I polymorphism (rs2228570). While the CC and CT genotypes and C allele frequency were significantly increased among the thalassemia patients' group compared to the controls in VDR Fok-I polymorphism (rs1544410). As well, it indicates the variance of VDR Bsm-I and Fok-I genetic polymorphisms frequencies between the Iraqi thalassemia patients and other thalassemia patients from different ethnic populations.
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects mainly the synovial membranes and articular structures and is characterized by chronic, systemic inflammation involving multiple joints.Being a synovial joint, the Temporomandibular Joint is subject to the same disorders affecting other synovial joints, including RA.Beside it was considered as a specific serological marker for diagnosing RA disease ,antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide have proven to be associated with joints destruction, though; it may play a potential role in the prediction of the disease severity. Materials and Methods: Sixty nine individuals (69) were enrolled in this study, forty nine (49) were patients diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune diseasecharacterized by chronic inflammationthat affects joints and cartilage. Bone complications such asRA-relatedosteoporosis are one of the most extra-articular manifestations. Many inflammatory mediators are released during RA disease pathophysiology; these mediators stimulate osteoclast genesis of bone by direct effects on RANKL and OPG. The study aimedto measure RANKL, OPG in RA patients treated with Etanercept only and other groups treated with Methotrexate onlyat baseline and after three months to evaluate bone state. An observational case-control prospective study was done on 30 RA patients who received MTX, 30 RA patients who received ETN, and 30 healthy,age-matched control groups. The
... Show MoreLong-term use of sulfonylureas including chlorpropamide, is known to potentiate the antidiuretic action of arginine vasopressin (AVP), predisposing to hyponatremia.The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of long term use of glibenclamide on serum and urinary levels of sodium and potassium in Type 2 DM patients in Iraqi DM centers. Ninety eight patients with Type 2 DM who were maintained on different doses of glibenclamide for at least 1 year, attending the centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad, were enrolled in the study, in addition to 15 normal healthy subjects. Patients were allocated into three groups according to the dose of glibenc
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive airflow limitation that is preventable but not curable. It is associated with persistent symptoms that cause a considerable burden on individual productivity at work, and daily activities, and reduced quality of life, also burdening the healthcare system and society. Objectives: The study aims to measure the burden of COPD on patients in terms of daily activities and work productivity. It also seeks to investigate some inflammatory biomarkers' levels and their correlation with selected outcomes. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 stable COPD patients who were diagnosed and treated according to the GOLD guidelines at Kirkuk General Hospital's
... Show MoreSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies against nuclear antigens and a systemic inflammation that can damage a broad spectrum of organs. SLE patients suffer from a wide variety of symptoms, which can affect virtually almost any tissue. As lupus is difficult to diagnose, the worldwide prevalence of SLE can only be roughly estimated to range from 10 and 200 cases per 100,000 individuals with dramatic differences depending on gender, ethnicity, and location. Although the treatment of this disease has been significantly ameliorated by new therapies, improved conventional drug therapy options, and a trained expert eye, the underlying pathogenesis of lupus still
... Show MoreBackground: study the effect of various risk factors on reperfusion success after thrombolysis by measuring ST resolution.
Objectives: Early patency of the infarct-related artery is associated with reduced mortality. Thrombolytic therapy is frequently followed by rapid recanalization lead to reduction of infarct size, improve left ventricular function and increase survival by reopening of coronary artery . The reduction in ST-segment elevation on the standard 12 lead electrocardiogram 1-4 h after initiation of thrombolysis may be the simplest and most useful clinical tool to test the effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy.
Methods: Seventy patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction admitted to alkindy teaching hospital C
Potentially inappropriate prescribing is the prescribing of a medication that may cause more harm than benefit, the elderly population aged 65 years or older is more prone to potentially inappropriate prescribing because of alterations in their physiology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics as well as polypharmacy and comorbidities, Beers list is a screening tool that help doctors to detect potentially inappropriate prescribing in geriatric patients and is designed to solve this problem, the aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing among psychiatric patients using the Beers criteria as an assessment tool and find the relationship between duration of hospitalization, comorbidities and pol
... Show MoreThis research is a study of the difficulties of learning the Arabic language that faces Arabic language learners in the Kurdistan Region, by revealing its types and forms, which can be classified into two categories:
The first type has difficulties related to the educational system, the source of which is the Arabic language itself, the Arabic teacher or the learner studying the Arabic language or the educational curriculum, i.e. educational materials, or the educational process, i.e. the method used in teaching.
The second type: general difficulties related to the political aspect, the source of which is the policy of the Kurdistan Regional Government in marginalizing the Arabic language and replacing the forefront of th
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