Cytokines are signaling molecules between inflammatory cells that play a significant role in the pathogenesis of a disease. Among these cytokines are interleukins (ILs) 17A and 33, and accordingly, the current case-control study sought to investigate the role of each of the two cytokines in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Sixty-eight relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) Iraqi patients and twenty healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to determine serum levels of IL-17A and IL-33. Results revealed that IL-17A and IL-33 levels were significantly higher in MS patients than in controls (14.1 ± 4.5 vs. 7.5 ± 3.8 pg/mL; p < 0.001 and 65.3 ± 16.3 vs. 49.3 ± 20.0 pg/mL; p < 0.001, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that IL-17A was a very good predictor of MS (area under curve [AUC] = 0.869; 95% CI = 0.779 - 0.960; p < 0.001; cut-off value = 10.2 pg/mL; sensitivity = 80.8%; specificity = 75.0%). A similar prediction was presented by IL-33, but the AUC value was lower (AUC = 0.762; 95% CI = 0.63 - 0.89; p < 0.001; cut-off value = 56.4 pg/mL; sensitivity = 70.6%; specificity = 70.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis confirmed the significance of IL-17A and IL-33 in MS risk, and under three models of analysis, the estimated odds ratios for IL-17A (1.50, 1.49 and 1.50, respectively) and IL-33 (1.05, 1.05 and 1.06) were above 1.0. Patients stratified by gender (male and female), expanded disability status scale (EDSS: < 3 and ≥ 3) or medication (pre- and post-medication) showed no significant differences in serum levels of IL-17A and IL-33 for each stratum. However, with regard to response to medication, it was found that responding patients showed significantly higher levels of IL-33 than non-responders (70.9 ± 12.2 vs. 57.2 ± 18.2 pg/mL; p = 0.018). This difference was not observed when considering IL-17A. Pearson correlation analysis between IL-17A and IL-33 revealed that both cytokines were not significantly correlated. In conclusion, the study indicated that IL-17A and IL-33 were up-regulated in serum of MS patients, and this up-regulation was not influenced by age, gender, EDSS or medication status, but the elevated level of IL-33 was more pronounced in patients who responded to medication.
Undoubtedly, Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are a major dilemma in term of mortality and morbidity facing the road users as well as the traffic and road authorities. Since 2002, the population in Iraq has increased by 49 percent and the number of vehicles by three folds. Consequently, these increases were unfortunately combined with rising the RTAs number, mortality and morbidity. Alongside the humanitarian tragedies, every year, there are considerable economic losses in Iraq lost due to the epidemic of RTAs. Given the necessity of understanding the contributory factors related to RTAs for the implementation by traffic and road authorities to improve the road safety, the necessity have been a rise for this research which focuses into
... Show MoreMishrif Formation is the main reservoir in Amara Oil Field. It is divided into three units (MA, TZ1, and MB12). Geological model is important to build reservoir model that was built by Petrel -2009. FZI method was used to determine relationship between porosity and permeability for core data and permeability values for the uncored interval for Mishrif formation. A reservoir simulation model was adopted in this study using Eclipse 100. In this model, production history matching executed by production data for (AM1, AM4) wells since 2001 to 2015. Four different prediction cases have been suggested in the future performance of Mishrif reservoir for ten years extending from June 2015 to June 2025. The comparison has been mad
... Show MorePerceptions of deity have practical effects in a person’s life, especially in his attitudes toward natural things since nature was created, in which man has treated it as something sacred. The Greek philosophers before Plato and Aristotle did not find in them the idea of divinity clear. Rather, they all searched for the first substance or the first cause of existence, and then gave it all the attributes of God from eternity and eternity, and considered it a first reason without which the universe would not have existed. knowledg
Objectives of the study: The study aims to assess satisfy of the coronary artery patients for the care product from
the nurse and physician and to find out the relationship between patient satisfaction with the social and the
clinical characteristics of the patients.
Methodology: A descriptive design study conducted using the evaluation approach for the duration of June 3
rd
2012 to January 31, 2013. Non-probability sample of (60) patients who were visiting or admitted (inpatient or
outpatient) to the teaching hospital in Baquba with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. A questionnaire have
been built and develop by the researcher based on review of literature and previous research, the form included of
(3) p
A total of 47 species belonging to 46 genera, 34 subfamilies, 23 families and 7 orders of predator and parasitoid insects were collected and identified. The survey was conducted throughout the program held by the General Directorate of Agriculture-Duhok, in cooperating with the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences in Duhok Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq from May 2013 to April 2014.
The species hosts, collecting date, locality and distributions are given. The current checklist also included some species previously collected by other researchers in Duhok Province.
Many international companies have branches or agencies in Iraq and have large market shares, and this has contributed to the increase in the import of these companies' products. This process created an additional problem of handling a large number of expired or defective products. There are many methods that contribute significantly to reducing these problems. The most prominent of these is the activation of reverse logistics options in Iraq by international and local companies. This research aims to conduct a survey of the reverse logistics options approved by some local and international companies and compare between them. This paper found that Amaron, Hitachi, Apple, Samsung and Huawei have limited options for reverse logistics and that
... Show MoreCongenital toxoplasmosis (CT) and congenital rubella (CR) infections are well-known causes potentially leading to devastating consequences. This report aims to address the prevalence of each of these infections among suspected infants in a pediatric hospital in Baghdad.
The study sample includes 120 blood samples of suspected infants consulting Al-Alwyia pediatric teaching hospital over one year. This report represents an extension of a previous article published in Al-Kindy College Medical Journal KCMJ about cytomegalovirus infection (CMV). Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, the results show that 5.8% and 5% were positive for specific IgM antibodies for rubella and toxoplasmosis respectively. Results also
... Show MoreBegomoviruses infecting zucchini squash were investigated. Leaf samples were collected from zucchini squash growing areas in Baghdad (Jhadryaa and Yusufiyah), Babylon (Jibela and Mahmudiyah) and Diyala (Khan Bani Saad) Provinces. Samples were screened for the presence of begomoviruses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Deng genus specific primers. Sixteen out of 40 samples were begomovirus positive. Sequence analysis confirmed the detection of Tomato leaf curl Palampur virus (TLCPALV)