Blood lipids are important mediators of host defense during the acute phase of innate immunity. Parasites may induce significant changes in lipid parameters, as has been shown in vitro study where substitution of serum by lipid/cholesterol in medium and in experimental models (in vivo). Thus changes in lipid profile occur in patients that having active infections with most of the parasites. Toxoplasma cannot synthesize cholesterol and depends upon acquisition of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived from the host cell, via endocytosis mediated by the LDL receptor or the LDL receptor-related protein.The present study is conducted to evaluate the changes in lipid profile in T. gondii infected women.A total of patients included 87 aborted women who had positive test for toxoplasmosis and a two control groups (115 non toxoplasmosis women): The first control group (negative control) contains 88 apparently healthy women and the second control group (positive control) contains 87 aborted women, were registered from Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Both control groups had negative test for toxoplasmosis. These samples were collected between the period January 2009 and May 2010. Patients and controls women's had comparable age that ranged between 15-45 years old. Serum samples were collected from each woman in the three groups and then the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) and Lipid profile assays were performed by using two commercial kits. In the basis of ELISA test anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG and IgM), detected in the patients sera, three types of toxoplasmosis were identified. These were; acute type, sub-acute type and chronic type. Most of patients had chronic type 75 (86.2%). There were significant decreased in the total cholesterol are 165.05 (control groups 212.44, 213.33 respectively), triglycerides 134.98 (control groups 173.81, 174.40 respectively), LDL 87.78 (control groups 137.32, 135.87 respectively) and vLDL values 26.99 (control groups 34.70, 34.60 respectively). In contrast, there was significant increased in HDL value (49.0) as compared with control groups (40.42, 38.78 respectively). Also the result indicated that there were no significant differences in lipid profile values between the three types of disease. Toxoplasma gondii had a role in changes lipid profile values in infected women which characterized by decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride and LDL with a significant increases in HDL level. Further studies needed to maintain the effect of duration of the toxoplasmosis (acute or chronic) on the changes in lipid profile.
Background: Mental health is integrated into PHC as a strategy of WHO to fill the gap in mental health treatment. Part of this strategy needs a level of task shifting so that mental health care is provided by different level of PHC workers and not only specialists such as psychiatrists and psychologists.
Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of family doctors regarding the provision of psychological health in PHCC and if there is an association between the certificates of these family doctors and their Knowledge and attitudes to psychological health.
Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with analytic elements was conducted in 8 famil
... Show MoreThis study aims to identify the impact of social support on breast cancer patients’ psychological rigidity using a sample in Ramallah and al-Bireh. A descriptive correlative approach was adopted to fulfill the goals of the study and a questionnaire consisted of two criteria: social support and psychological rigidity, which was adopted as a tool for data collection for the study. In order to achieve the goals of the study, the researcher selected a convenient sample that consisted of 123 female breast cancer patients in Ramallah and al-Bireh. This sample represented 50% of the original patient population. The study showed that the average estimated percentage of social support and psychological rigidity for women with breast cancer, in
... Show MoreBackground: Radioactive iodine-131 therapy is highly effective in treating patients with hyperthyroidism. An ablative dose is preferred by a number of endocrinologists, and, a fixed dose protocol seems to be better than a calculated dose in real practice.
Objective: To check for hypothyroidism in hyperthyroid patients one year after RAI therapy, comparing between the results of high ablative versus usual dosages of RAI-131.
Methods: This study included 174 hyperthyroid patients, 101 males and 73 females, divided into 2 groups, the first consisted of 162 patients given a usual fixed dose of RAI while the second consisted of 12 patients given a high fixed ablati
... Show MoreIn addition to their high quantities of active chemicals, medicinal plants are well-known for their pharmacological qualities, which include immunological modulation. T Consequently, this study aimed to examine the effects of Avena sativa and Glycyrrhiza glabra leaf extracts on immunological responses as measured by blood cytokine and liver enzyme levels. The phytochemical analysis of Avena sativa crude leaf extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids,flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, and saponins but the absence of resins and violet oils. On the other hand, violet oils, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and glycosides were detected in significant concentration in Glycyrrhiza glabra ethanolic extract, although resins and phenolic compou
... Show MoreThis study aims to find out the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral counseling program in enhancing self-management in reducing the academic procrastination of tenth-grade male students. The sample consisted of (26) male students divided into an experimental group of (13) students and a control group of (13) students. Two scales of self-management and academic procrastination were used, prepared by the researcher. The counseling program was prepared by the researcher. The results showed the program's effectiveness in enhancing self-management and reducing academic procrastination in the posttest, as it showed the continuation of this enhancement in self-management and the increase in the reduction of procrastination in the follow-up
... Show MoreThis study aimed to identify the role of school administration in achieving educational and learning goals from the point of view of educational supervisors in the stage of basic education. The descriptive method was adopted. As for the sample size, it has reached (59) educational supervisors. A questionnaire consisting of 29 paragraphs divided into four areas was used. The data were statistically analyzed on the Chi-square test, the percentage, and the mono-variance analysis. The result showed that the school administration contributes to achieving educational goals. It also works to solve problems in democratic ways, and in modern methods, there are differences in the criteria for choosing the headmaster. The study recommended that sch
... Show MoreThe interleukin-1 family has multifaceted roles in men٫s reproductive syste. Out of these is interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) which exists in men gonads, and in case of infection and inflammatory process, its activity is increased. The current study aims to verify a possible linkage of Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) polymorphism of the IL-1RN gene with human men infertility. The study groups enrolled included 100 infertile men and 100 fertile and healthy men. Their seminal fluids were subjected to analysis. Also peripheral blood samples were collected for the assessment or detection of polymorphic Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR) polymorphism of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene (IL-1RN). Two a
... Show MoreBackground: Hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes are common conditions worldwide, with hypothyroidism affecting 4–10% of the population and type 2 diabetes affecting approximately 10% of adults globally. The increasing co-occurrence of these two conditions may contribute to increased oxidative stress and associated complications. Low levels of antioxidants are linked to hypothyroidism with type II diabetes because of the growth and production of free radicals, which makes patients more susceptible to oxidative stress. Objective: It was to assess how low antioxidants may exacerbate the pathogenic state of type 2 diabetic hypothyroid patients. Methods: 140 hypothyroid individuals with type 2 diabetes, ages 25 to 60, were assigned to t
... Show MoreCovalent modification of protein by drugs may disrupt self-tolerance, leading to lymphocyte activation. Until now, determination of the threshold required for this process has not been possible. Therefore, we performed quantitative mass spectrometric analyses to define the epitopes formed in tolerant and hypersensitive patients taking the β-lactam antibiotic piperacillin and the threshold required for T cell activation. A hydrolyzed piperacillin hapten was detected on four lysine residues of human serum albumin (HSA) isolated from tolerant patients. The level of modified Lys541 ranged from 2.6 to 4.8%. Analysis of plasma from hypersensitive patients revealed the same pattern and leve