Technological advances have yielded new molecular biology-based methods for the diagnosis of infectious diseases.  The newest and most powerful molecular diagnostic tests are available at regional and national reference laboratories, as well as at specialized centers that are certified to conduct metagenomic testing.  Metagenomic assays utilize advances in DNA extraction technology, DNA sequence library construction, high throughput DNA sequencing and automated data analysis to identify millions of individual strands of DNA extracted from clinical samples.  At present, metagenomic assays are only possible at a small number of special research, academic and commercial laboratories.  Continued research in human and path

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a well-recognized cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic implications of the restrictive left ventricular filling pattern (RFP) in dilated cardiomyopathy.Methods: Patients with DCM admitted to Ibn AL-Bitar Hospital for Cardiac Surgery, Baghdad-Iraq, from May 2006 to August 2008, underwent a full clinical evaluation and Doppler echocardiography study. Patients were classified into three groups: Group I had persistent restrictive filling pattern; Group II had reversible restrictive filling pattern; and Group III had nonrestrictive filling pattern. Results: The current study was conducted on a total number of 80 patients with DCM, fifty (62.5 %) were

Objective To highlight the main demographic characteristics and clinical profiles of female patients registered with breast cancer in Iraq; focusing on the impact of age.Methods This retrospective study enrolled 1172 female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Main Center for Early Detection of Breast Cancer/Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Data were extracted from an established information system, developed by the principal author under supervision of WHO, that was based on valid clinical records of Iraqi patients affected by breast cancer. The recorded information regarding clinical examination comprised positive palpable lumps, bloody nipple discharge, skin changes, bilateral breast involvement, tumor

Background: Guillain Barré syndrome is an acute inflammatory demyelinating disease of the peripheral nerves. Its synonyms are: acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, idiopathic polyneuritis, acute infective polyneuropathy and post infections polyneuritis. Objectives: We attempt to study the clinical presentations and complications in patients with GBS who were admitted to children welfare Teaching Hospital and to compare the results with the other studies.Type of the study: A retrospective study.Methods: A study done on seventy patients with GBS who were admitted to children Welfare Teaching Hospital in Medical City-Baghdad from different parts of Iraq between January 2002-December 2006.Results: Forty (57.14%) of them

Pharmaceutical care is a patient-centered, outcomes oriented practice that requires the pharmacist to work in concert with the patient and the patient’s other healthcare providers to promote health, to prevent disease, and to assess, monitor, initiate, and modify medication use to assure that drug therapy regimens are safe and effective. In addition, the presence of clinical pharmacists has led to a higher quality of patient education and provision of complete detailed information for patients. In developed countries Pharm D has become the professional degree for practice of Pharmacy. The graduates will be enrolled in a pharmacy residency program; admission to the residency programs is available to Pharm D graduates of an accredit

Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a disorder of systemic inflammatory condition. Its important features are represented by recurrent oral, genital ulcerations and eye lesions. Aims. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare cytological changes using morphometric analysis of the exfoliated buccal mucosal cells in Behçet’s disease patients and healthy controls, and to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Behçet’s disease. Methods. Twenty five Behçet’s disease patients have been compared to 25 healthy volunteers as a control group. Papanicolaou stain was used for staining the smears taken from buccal epithelial cells to be analyzed cytomorphometrically. The image analysis software has been used to

Abortion is categorized as the termination of conception caused by the failure or removal of the embryo from the uterus before the conclusion of pregnancy. Microorganisms and genetic factors are two of the many factors associated with abortion. Cytomegalovirus is a widespread congenital virus infection pathogen that affects a wide variety of people. The prothrombin gene is one of the essential causes that trigger blood clotting and the function of abortion women, therefore the aim of the study is to detect and associate Cytomegalovirus and prothrombin gene mutation (Gene ID: 14061 in NCBI) with abortion through genetic and immunological methods. Five ml of whole blood was collected from an intravenous puncture and divided into two tubes,

Patients with decompensated cirrhosis have typically prescribed a combination of therapeutic and prophylactic medications. Polypharmacy increases the probability of medication errors and drug related problems. Clinical pharmacists are highly effective at identifying, resolving, and preventing clinically important drug-related problems in their patients' care. The objectives of the study were the identification and classification of drug-related problems, as well as the discussion of these problems with health care providers (physicians, pharmacists, and nurses) and patients. Reduce their incidence as effectively as possible and educate all research participants on the significance of following their prescribed drug regimen

In individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene polymorphism has been linked to diabetic nephropathy (DN). Different renal disorders, including DN, have been found to alter cannabinoid (CB) receptor expression and activation. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between CNR1 rs1776966256 and rs1243008337 genetic variants and the risk of developing DN in Iraqi patients with T2DM. The study included 100 patients with T2DM, divided into two groups: 50 with DN and 50 without DN. Genotyping of CNR1 rs1776966256 and rs1243008337 polymorphisms was conducted using PCR in DN patients and control samples. The distribution of rs1776966256 and rs1243008337 genotypes and alleles bet