Chitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42 ng/ml, the TNF-a level which was 123.6 ng/ml, and the IL-1B level which was 204.365 pg/dl were significantly higher in patients compared to control 3.28 (1.58–4.99) ng/ml, 56.47 (9.38–77.01) ng/ml and 67.887 (15.493–122.689)pg/dl respectively. There was no correlation between serum YKL-40 and disease activity, while there were significant associations observed with TNF-α (r=0.5,p =0.0001) and IL-1β (r=0.41, p=0.001). YKL-40 indicating good levels of RA prediction at 2.47 ng/ml, sensitivity 87.9%, specificity 58.6%, accuracy 78.1%, PPV 80.9%, and NPV 70.8%. In conclusion, a higher level of serum YKL-40 is found in RA patients. The findings from our study suggest a strong association between YKL-40 and the proinflammatory biomarkers. As a result, these biomarkers together might play a role in RA pathogenesis, and YKL-40 may be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for RA.
Human beings have an innate and natural aim to achieve their self-interests and to show their ability to overcome challenges in a better way, therefore the move towards self determination is expressed by intrinsic motivation. The desire of absorbing in this task is to enjoy the task in it self and benefitting from it such a motivation is the desire rooted in human nature to judge and choose in which individual is conscious in his self, abilities and adequacy that help him in control the different situations of life passed by him. His choices and actions are voluntary and non-restricted to intervention or external control because control is inner and subjective, while his behavior is self-regulated with the feeling of
... Show MoreThe new novel polymers nanocomposites based modified chitosan (CS) blending with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and coated gold or silver nanoparticles (AuNPs), AgNPs) were synthesized from many sequence reactions as presented in (Scheme1, 2 and 3). By utilizing 1H-NMR spectroscopy, FTIR, and Field Emission Scanning electron microscope , the synthesized compounds have been identified. Molecular docking is studied, where operations are used to predict the binding status of compounds with the enzyme and to calculate the free energy (ΔG) of the compounds prepared. Also, the antibacterial activity regarding the synthesized compounds against two resistant pathogenic bacteria (G+) S. aureus and E. coli (G-) was examined in vitro compare with standard a
... Show MoreObjectives. This study aimed at finding out whether anterior teeth angulation and inclination have a relationship with the maxillary teeth and dental arch dimensions. Methods. Fifty study models with normal occlusion were selected from the archive of the Department of Orthodontics at Baghdad Dental Faculty. Maxillary dental arch width and length at different points were determined in addition to measuring anterior teeth angulation, inclination, crown thickness, overjet, overbite, and Bolton’s ratios. The unpaired t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test were used for data analysis. Results. No statistical gender differences were reported in all measurements except the dental arch widths and length where males had signif
... Show MoreBackground: Thalassemia is characterized by the decrease or absence of the synthesis of one or more globin chains of hemoglobin. Thalassemia is distributed worldwide and is characterized by; regular blood transfusion which is creating alloimmunization to erythrocyte antigens is one of the major complications of regular blood transfusions in thalassemia, particularly in patients who are chronically transfused.Objectives: The aims of this study are to understand the immune system profile as the triggering factor for thalassemia.Methods: Thirty patients aging between one year and four months and twenty two years, twenty two of them were boys and eight were girls. Twenty nine patients, their parents are relative except one and studied in the
... Show MoreNew Schiff bases derivatives [IV]a-e is prepared via condensation of Derythroascorbic acid with p-substituted aldehydes in dry benzene. To obtain these derivatives, the 5,6-O-isopropylidene-L-ascorbic acid[I] was chosen as starting material, compound prepared from the reaction of L-ascorbic acid as starting material. Compound[I] was prepared from the reaction of L-ascorbic acid with dry acetone in the presence of hydrogen chloride. The esterification of hydroxyl groups at C-2 and C-3 positions with excess ofethyl α –chloroacetate in the presence of sodium acetate produce acorresebonding ester [II] , which was condensed with hydrazine hydrate to give new hydrazide [III] . The new Schiff bases [IV]a-e were synthesized by reaction of acid h
... Show MoreThe current study aims to examine the level of problems faced by university students in distance learning, in addition to identify the differences in these problems in terms of the availability of internet services, gender, college, GPA, interactions, academic cohort, and family economic status. The study sample consisted of (3172) students (57.3% females). The researchers developed a questionnaire with (32) items to measure distance learning problems in four areas: Psychological (9 items), academic (10 items), technological (7 items), and study environment (6 items). The responses are scored on a (5) point Likert Scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Means, standard deviations, and Multivariate Analysis of Vari
... Show MoreElectronic banking services appeared as a result of laying the foundations for the application of electronic automation in the banking field, and despite the clear expansion in its adoption and implementation as an inevitable necessity imposed by international and national developments, its application was not ideal according to the level that was expected to occur after the abandonment of traditional banking services, which produced some risks Which is evident in the absence of a legal system, whether at the level of proving and authoritative electronic banking services such as electronic signature, Or at the level of protecting the confidentiality of these services and ensuring that they are not exp
... Show MoreThe importance of the current study lies in the importance of the Tax policy that being considered one of the most important tools working on fulfilling the social, financial and economic goals and improving the investment environment in the country to become having the ability to activate the national economy. The current study has referred that ( Has the tax planning practiced by the Iraqi contribution companies led to increase the far-term tax outcome through getting benefit of the monetary funds and expansion in&nbs
... Show MoreThis paper provides an identification key to the species of Orthetrum Newman, 1833 (Odonata, Libellulidae), including six species that were collected from different localities in Iraq.
The species of O. anceps (Schneider, 1845) is registered as a new record in Iraq; the most important characters which are used in diagnostic key are included