Fibroblast growth factors-23 (FGF-23) are a class of cell signaling proteins produced by macrophages. They have a range of roles, but they play a particularly important role in the development of animal cells, where they are essential for appropriate growth. Phosphate, which is found in the body as both organic and mineral phosphate, plays crucial roles in cell structure, communication, and metabolism. Most phosphate in the body resides in bone, teeth, and inside cells, with less than 1% circulating in serum. The aim of the study is to evaluate the levels of the Fibroblast Growth Factors-23 and phosphate and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) in acromegaly patients against healthy control. A case control study Fibroblast Growth Fact

Background: clinically significant macular edema (CSME) is the commonest cause of visual loss in patients with diabetes mellitus and laser focal photocoagulation is the golden standard for treating it. Patients and Methods: A frequency doubled Nd: YAG laser was used to treat all eyes included in this study with diabetic maculopathy. Thirty eyes of three insulin dependent and twenty six non insulin dependent diabetic Iraqi patients were included. The study involved twenty six males, three females and followed for one year. Their ages were ranging between 36- 59 years, all of them from patients attending ophthalmic out-patient department in the medical city in the period between January 2005 and June 2006. Eyes divided in to two groups (fifte

Free radicals are reactive compounds, their excessive production is considered to be an important cause of oxidative damage in biomolecules causing degenerative diseases. Polyphenols are one of the most important groups of secondary metabolites of plants, which have an antioxidant activity depending on their properties as hydrogen donors. Echinops polyceras Boiss. (Asteraceae) is one of Echinops genus species that spread in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Phytochemicals found in this species leaves have been extracted with gradient polarity solvents, and primary screening of the secondary metabolites was established. The phenolic compounds and flavonoids contents were determined. The free radicals scavenging act

The antimicrobial potency of the crude ethanolic extracts from different Iraqi plants were evaluated . Further more, total sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic compounds were isolated and their antimicrobial activity attempted. The results indicated that crude extracts have no activity except that of Callistemon lanceolatus. Also, the sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic compounds isolated from Callistemon lanceolatus were the most significant antimicrobial active constituents of the studied plants.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease that is characterized by swollen skin patches. Normally, these skin patches are dark, swollen, itchy and scaly. The single application of the innate TLR7/8 ligand Imiquimod (IMQ) in mice easily induces a dermatitis that closely resembles human psoriasis, critically dependent on the axis of IL-23/IL-17. Artemisia dracunculus prepared as an ointment and has been used topically to mice before imiquimod application. The results of the current study showed that A. dracunculus ointment can significantly reduce psoriasis area and severity index in (A. dracunculus ointment + imiquimod group as compared with both control group and (vehicle ointment + imiquimod) group.

Biological activity of the carotenoids which are produced fromchemically-mutaed local isolate of Rhodotorula mucilaginosawas studied. The results showed variation of inhibition activity of caritenoids against different types of pathogenic bacteria include, Staph aureus, E. coli, B. subtilis and Salmo. typh., the number declined from 2×107cell/ml to 2×104, 5×104, 2×105, 9×105 cell/ml respectively after 24hour. The produced carotenoids from alocal mutant Rhodotorula mucilaginosa revealed an antioxidant activity as free radical removal of 85.6%. Carotinoides revealed a highest stability in petroleum ether solvent for 30 days at room temperature. It found that the pigment was more stability in sesame oil compared with sun flower and coc

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of prey type (Artemia nauplii, mosquito larvae and paramecium) on some reproductive aspects in crustacean zooplankton M. albidus which included reproductive period, post reproductive period, period spend to egg appearance and the period from appearance of egg to nauplii releasing. Results revealed that females fed on mosquito larvae had the highest mean of postreproductive period and lowest mean of the period spend to egg appearance, which differed significantly (P < 0.05) compared with the means of females who fed on Artemia nauplii and paramecium on the other hand the differences were not significant in reproductive period and the period from appearance of egg to nauplii releasing.