Introduction and Aim: The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-39, a member of the IL-12 family plays a key role in the inflammatory response by modulating immune cell activity and inflammation. A literature search shows no study undertaken for the effect of IL-39's on arthritis so far. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of IL-39 in rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods: This study involved 80 patients with rheumatoid arthritis registered at the Rheumatology Clinic at Baghdad teaching hospital. The patients were divided into three groups based on treatments received. Group 1 included patients who were not on any treatment for arthritis, Group 2 with patients on hydroxychloroquine and or prednisone treatment, and Group 3 that received Enbrel® (etanercept) and HUMIRA® (adalimumab) treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. A control group was included in the study. Patients in all groups were assessed for their serum IL-39 concentration, C - reactive protein, Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACCP) and ESR. Results: The patient age and BMI were not significantly different between the groups receiving treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis. A significant increase in the interleukin 39 concentration was observed in treatment groups (G1, G2, G3) as compared to normal healthy controls regardless of whether they were positive or negative for the anti-CCP test. Conclusion: This study showed that the serum interleukin IL-39 levels significantly increased in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis thus suggesting that IL-39 could be considered as a potential inflammatory biomarker of RA.
This article reports the first record of Aenasius arizonensis (Girault, 1915) (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae) parasitizing the recently introduced species of cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsly (Hemiptera, Psedococcidae) infesting Lantana camara L. (Verbeneceae) as well as other ornamental plants in Baghdad province, Iraq. A short morphological description is also presented.
The grain hardness, wet and dry gluten contents, protein and ash contents are determined in grains from different cultivars of wheat which are important in food products, either which are present in raw materials or in final products. Wheat is also a very important food raw material, and flour as the final product of milling. The importance of knowing the physical and chemical properties of wheat and flour is due to the determination of quality and kind of flour which is produced after the milling process. In this work, some physical and chemical properties of different wheat cultivars are determined and the comparisons of these characteristics are performed in both wheat and flour. Uruq Wheat sample (W5) has the highest results when compar
... Show MoreThis comprehensive review examines the efficacy and safety of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors in treating various autoimmune diseases, and focuses on their application in Iraqi patients. Elevated TNF-α levels are linked to autoimmune disorders, leading to the development of anti-TNF-α therapies such as infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, and golimumab, which have gained FDA approval for conditions like psoriasis, in¬flammatory bowel disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. While these therapies demonstrate sig¬nificant therapeutic benefits, including improved quality of life and disease management, they also carry risks, such as increased susceptibility to infections and pote
... Show MoreThis study deals with air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and anatomical variation in leaves of two species of terrestrial plants Ficus sp. and Conocarpus sp. that have bee commonly the separated along roadsides in many stations within Babylon province. APTI values of both species were less than 10 during study period which represented sensitivity of these plants to air pollution. There are Anatomical responses to pollution in the leaves of both studied species. Main adaptations included increased thickness of parenchyma cell walls with clear dark deposits in sections of Ficus sp. from sections of stations 2 and 4 which represent polluted stations. Conocarpus sp. main adaptation included stomata increased in density and decreased in size w
... Show MoreAbstract
Objectives: To assess patients’ knowledge and their adherence to Clopidogrel Therapy Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, and to find out the relationship between patients’ knowledge and their adherence to Clopidogrel Therapy Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Methodology: A descriptive design was carried out at Al- Nasiriyah Heart Center in Thi-Qar Governorate for the period between May 19th, 2022 to October 25th, 2022. A non-probability sampling was used among (50) patients after their Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. The study instrument that used to collect data was composed of three parts namely: sociodemographic charac
... Show MoreBackground: Sexual dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia was reported as one of the most distressing antipsychotics drug adverse effects and it is directly related to treatment compliance, but the subject seldom touched in the field of psychiatry in Iraq previously.Objectives: To assess and find out the impact of schizophrenia on Sexuality of the patient, and illustrate effect of anti-schizophrenic on sexual activityMethods: using DSM4-TR and ASEX scale questionnaires for 104 male participants from out 155schizophrenic patient were studied in sex clinic in Al-Rashad teaching hospital for psychiatric disease in Baghdad. The study extended for 22 months from 1st of July 2010 to the 1st of April 2012, t test and chi square test were us
... Show MoreThe objective of this review was to describe the COVID-19 complications after recovery.
The researchers systematically reviewed studies that reported post-COVID-19 complications from three databases: PubMed, Google Scholar and the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 database. The search was conducted between 21 November 2020 and 14 January 2021. Inclusion criteria were articles written in English, with primary data, reporting complications of COVID-19 after full