Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory, systemic rheumatic condition that mostly affects the axial skeleton. Tenascin-C (TN-C) is a hexameric glycoprotein of considerable size, upregulated in many inflammatory conditions, while Interleukin-17 (IL-17) a cytokine that plays an important role in SpA symptoms. Objective: to investigate the upregulation between the serum levels of TN-C and IL-17 in Iraqi axSpA patients and the disease characteristics. Patients and Methods: Seventy-four axSpA patients and 28 matched controls were studied. Fifty-four patients received a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) and 20 did not. Serum TN-C and IL-17 concentrations were determined using the ELISA technique. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was assessed. For statistical tests, Chi Square, Mann Whitney, Independent Samples T, and Pearson's correlation tests are used. Results: Patients mean age was 35.6±0.9 years, 65 males and 9 females, and disease duration was 5.18±0.6 years. 47.4% were smokers, 47% had inflammatory low back pain, and HLA-B27 was present in 91%. BASDAI mean was 6.1±0.4 in non-TNFi and 2.6±0.3 in those on TNFi. The serum TN-C concentration was significantly increased in patients, especially those on non-TNFi (79±9.6 pg/mL) compared to those on TNFi (69.1±3.2 pg/mL) and control (53±3.9 pg/mL) (p=0.003). Serum IL-17 was significantly elevated in those receiving TNFi (877.9±257 pg/mL) compared to non-TNFi (487.2±234 pg/mL) and control (182.4±36.6 pg/mL) (p=0.033). The TN-C significantly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.27, p=0.02) and with hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (r=0.26, p=0.02). TN-C and IL-17 were non-significantly related (r=0.14, p=0.2). Conclusions: axSpA Patients demonstrated high levels of serum TN-C, particularly in those not receiving TNFi, and high IL-17 levels in those receiving TNFi, suggesting that there is an association with tissue injury from the disease and stimulation of immunological and resident tissue cells. Patients who had not received TNFi showed significantly higher disease activity than others.
This study investigated the effect of using brainstorming as a teaching technique on the students’ performance in writing different kinds of essays and self regulation among the secondary students. The total population of this study, consisted of (51) female students of the 5th Secondary grade in Al –kawarzmi School in Erbil during the academic year 2015-2016. The chosen sample consisted of 40 female students, has been divided into two groups. Each one consists of (20) students to represent the experimental group and the control one. Brainstorming technique is used to teach the experimental group, and the conventional method is used to teach the control group. The study inst
... Show MoreIn this study, Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles were synthesized by an easy and eco-friendly technique (green synthesis) using green tea leaves (Camillia sinensis), Nanoparticles were analyzed using structural and optical analysis, the X-ray pattern showed that Titanium Dioxide NPs had a tetragonal structure with (Face Centered Tetragonal) FCT crystal structure, the UV-visible recorded an absorbance peak near 350 nm and calculated energy band gap was 3.5 eV, all measurements were proved the purity and Nano size of prepared Nanoparticles. Biochemical parameters evaluation also mentioned in this research, these analyzes showed that Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles in particular dose (50 mg/kg) have the ability to reduce blood glucose
... Show MoreBackground: Pregnancy is a stressful state of increased inflammatory activity, and pregnancy – associated hormone changes can influence periodontal tissues, these inflammatory activity lead to production of inflammatory mediators. Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokines that is consistently associated with periodontal diseases. This study was designed to determine the periodontal health status and detect the serum level of IL-1β in the healthy pregnant women at first, second and third trimester and compare it with healthy non pregnant women, and determine its correlation with different clinical periodontal parameters. M
... Show MoreThis work concerns the synthesis of two types of composites based on antimony oxide named (Sb2O3):(WO3, In2O3). Thin films were fabricated using pulsed laser deposition. The compositional analysis was explored using Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), which confirms the existence of antimony, tungsten, and indium oxides in the prepared samples. The hall effect measurement showed that antimony oxide nanostructure thin films are p-type and gradually converted to n-type by the addition of tungsten oxide, while they are converted almost instantly to n-type by the addition of indium oxide. Different heterojunction solar cells were prepared from (Sb2O3:WO
... Show MoreBackground: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrine disorder affecting 6-10% of women of reproductive age and the most common cause of anovulatory infertility.
Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness, side effects and outcomes of step-up gonadotrophin protocol versus laparoscopic ovarian diathermy (LOD) in infertile patients with clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovary syndrome.
Methods: The sample included women who attended our infertility clinic at Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital and Kamal Al-Samarraee for Infertility and IVF Hospital in Baghdad/ Iraq from November 2013 to November 2014. Eighty case
... Show MoreBackground: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrine disorder affecting 6-10% of women of reproductive age and the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness, side effects and outcomes of step-up gonadotrophin protocol versus laparoscopic ovarian diathermy (LOD) in infertile patients with clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovary syndrome. Methods: The sample included women who attended our infertility clinic at Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital and Kamal Al-Samarraee for Infertility and IVF Hospital in Baghdad/ Iraq from November 2013 to November 2014. Eighty cases of infertile women with polycystic ovarian syndrome who failed t
... Show MoreThis paper introduces a complete design and simulation of a controller for the double fed induction generator (DFIG) turbine. The work also included the solar updraft tower (SUT) design to supply Al-Mahmoudia hospital in Baghdad/Iraq. The design includes the daily average load estimation, annual solar irradiance and, temperature monitoring, and logging.
According to the data obtained from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad has low wind speed. Therefore, the (SUT) has been designed to generate electrical power depending on the difference between the external and internal air temperature. The temperature difference will generate a suitable airspeed to drive the wind turbine, connected to the proposed (DFIG) generators
... Show MoreBackground: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by severe synovial inflammation, cartilage erosion, bone loss, and generalized vasculopathy. Although the immunologic mechanism of RA is still unclear, it is now thought to be a primarily Th17-driven disease. Along with other factors, IL-23 stimulates the expansion of Th17 cells from naive CD4+ T cells.
Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-23 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and determine the correlation between plasma/serum IL-23 levels and disease activity. So, we performed a systematic review with meta-analysis comparing
... Show MoreBackground: The use of osseointegrated fixtures in dentistry has been demonstrated both histologically and clinically to be beneficial in providing long term oral rehabilitation in completely edentulous individual. Most patients suffer from denture instability; particularly with mandibular prosthesis, the use of dental implant will be benefit significantly from even a slight increase in retention. The concept of implanting two to four fixtures in a bony ridge to retain a complete denture prosthesis appealing therefore, as retention, stability and acceptable economic compromise to the expanse incurred with the multiple fixture supported fixed prosthesis. Materials and methods in this study the sample were eight patients selected from a hosp
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