It was aimed to understand the interleukin-4 (IL-4) role in etio-pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two approaches were adopted. In the first one, a quantitative expression of IL4 gene was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and such findings were correlated with some demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters, which included gender, duration of disease, disease activity score (DAS-28), rheumatoid factors (RFs), C-reactive protein (CRP) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) antibodies. In the second approach, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL4 gene (rs2243250) was inspected by DNA sequencing using specific primers. Fifty-one Iraqi RA patients (22 males and 29 females) were enrolled in the study. They were under therapy, which was a single weekly subcutaneous dose of 25 mg of etanercept (Enbrel) for a period of 3-5 years. The results of gene expression (2-??Ct) revealed an increased expression of IL4 mRNA (Mean ± SEM: 8.247 ± 2.442), especially female patients compared to male patients (11.545 ± 3.928 vs. 3.537 ± 1.530; p = 0.03). The expression was also subjected to variations that were related to clinical and laboratory findings. With respect to IL4 gene SNP, allele and genotype frequencies showed no significant differences between RA patients and controls. In addition, the SNP genotypes had no effect on IL4 gene expression. In conclusion, an up-regulation of IL4 gene expression was observed in RA patients, and it was more pronounced in female than male patients by approximately four folds, while no association between the IL4 SNP alleles or genotypes and RA was observed.
The chronic renal disease is a principle common medical dilemma in Iraq. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a prevalent infirmity in the hemodialysis people. The aim of present study was to estimate the prevalence of PAD in subjects with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This cross-sectional study was done between January 2016 and May 2017 on ESRD subjects regularly attending renal dialysis unit in Al-Kindy teaching hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. PAD was diagnosed on the base of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) measured by using a hand-held Doppler ultrasound. Subjects with ABI ≤0.9 were supposed positive for PAD. A total of 150 ESRD cases were analyzed. The mean age of the subject was 49.52±15 years. Majority of them were males 87(58%). Most
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic kidney disease is a gradual loss of kidney function with diabetes and hypertension as the leading cause. Chronic kidney disease is one of these systemic diseases that can affect salivary contents. Aims: This study aimed to assess salivary immunoglobulin A, interleukin-6 and C- reactive protein in chronic kidney disease patients on hemodialysis and those on conservative treatment in comparison with control subjects. Materials and methods: Ninety subjects were included in this study divided into three groups: 30 patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis for at least 6 months ago; 30 patients with chronic kidney disease on conservative treatment and 30 healthy control subjects. Secretory immunoglobulin A, inte
... Show MoreBackground/Aim: The timing of a tooth's eruption can be affected by a variety of factors. The nutritional status has an impact on the development of a child's body. The purpose of the study was to analyse the number of children aged 6 to 9 in an Iraqi Arab population who had erupted permanent first molars and to examine how nutritional status affected the timing and level of emergence. Methods: A total of 330 boys and girls, in first grade elementary school, made up the sample. First molars that had erupted were noted, along with the level of the eruption. Each child's nutritional status was evaluated by recording their height and weight and body mass index (BMI) value was compared to the 2007 WHO reference. Results: Girls had highe
... Show MoreThe research aims to statement the main obstacles that prevent the application of total quality management (TQM) in a number of Iraqi service organizations, and by one organization in each of the sectors (health, finance, education, higher education, tourism), which are, (Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Rafidain Bank/ Branch of Hay Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, Al-Karkh/1 Directorate of Education, College of administration and Economics/ Baghdad University, International Palestine Hotel). The research also, tries to classify the priority of the obstacles depending on the type of service organization surveyed. And diagnoses the extent to which or the difference of the research sample members views on the order of obstacles of TQM, and also proposes a
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to identify the effect of enabling the effectiveness of the work of the audit committees in private commercial banks and to identify the extent of awareness of the importance of empowerment in the work of these committees, especially as it is known that these committees, especially the inspection committees that go to private banks and from various sources including committees of the Central Bank of Iraq Committees of the Securities Commission and finally committees of the external audit offices, through an analysis of the determinants of empowerment in the performance of the most important work of the audit committees, namely: supervising the process of preparing reports, supervising the system of intern
... Show MoreBackground: Anaemia is a major public health concern and is one of the most prevalent health issue in women within reproductive age group.
Objective: to assess maternal knowledge related to anaemia during pregnancy.
Type of the study: A cross –sectional study.
Method: The study including 200 mothers who attended selected primary health care centres, Baghdad during November and December 2015, they completed a previously prepared questionnaire coveringsocio-demographic characteristics and knowledge regarding anaemia in 4 main domains. The responses were analysed by using frequency, percentage and percent score for each statement a
... Show MoreExperience the Islamic financial industry faces many challenges, most notably the lack of proper risk management tools that meet the requirements of legality and economic efficiency advantage from another side, so it requires the search for innovative ways to manage the risk of Islamic banking, Islamic finance industry is manufacture up-to-date, if compared with the financial industry (traditional), which increases the problematic of risk management in the Islamic financial industry nature of treatment which should be compatible with Islamic law, as well as economic efficiency, thereby Progress came the importance of research to highlight the entrance to Islamic financial engineering and the goals sought to be achieved through the use of
... Show MoreThe crystal structures of a new polymorph and seven new derivatives of 2-(1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine have been characterized and examined along with three structures from the literature to identify trends in their intermolecular contact patterns and packing arrangements in order to develop an insight into the crystallization behaviour of this class of compound. Seven unique C-H...X contacts were identified in the structures and three of these are present in four or more structures, indicating that these are reliable supramolecular synthons. Analysis of the packing arrangements of the molecules using XPac identified two closely related supramolecular constructs that are present in eight of the 11 structures; in all cases, the st
... Show More A representative sample of a thousand volunteer university students was screened for evidence of thalassemia minor.Complete blood counts using automated blood cell analysers and blood smears were examined. Patients having anemia, abnormal red cell indices or morphological features of thalassemia minor like hypochromia, microcytosis, target cells erythrocytosis and family history of thalassemia were then investigated for determination of HbA2 & HbF levels. Estimation of hemoglobin A2 was performed by micro-column chromatography while HbF was done using alkali denaturation. Seventy seven out of the thousand samples tested positive for thalassemia minor. They all showed a hemoglobin A
Background/Aim: Knee osteoarthritis is a frequently crippling chronic condition. Numerous pharmacological medications have been successfully utilised to treat knee osteoarthritis. This research aimed to compare the efficiency of metformin and serratiopeptidase in treating and preventing osteoarthritis development via distinct mechanisms. Methods: Between 1 January and 30 May 2019, a randomised-clinical-trial was done at Al-Kindy Hospital on 80 osteoarthritis patients, divided in two groups. Group I was given metformin 850 mg orally, whereas Group II was given serratiopeptidase 20 mg and metformin 850 mg orally. Parameters in these groups were compared with forty healthy normal controls. Results: Following treatment, patients in Grou
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