Abstract Background: The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) proto-oncogene is overexpressed or amplified in approximately 15%-25% of invasive breast cancers. Approximately 35% of HER2-amplified breast cancers have coamplification of the topoisomerase II-alpha (TOP2A) gene encoding an enzyme that is a major target of anthracyclines. Hence, the determination of genetic alteration (amplification or deletion) of both genes is considered as an important predictive factor that determines the response of breast cancer patients to treatment. The aims of this study are to determinate TOP2A status gene amplification in a set of Iraqi patients with breast cancer that have had an equivocal (2+) and positive HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and to compare the results with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu status. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional prospective study done on 53 patients with invasive breast carcinoma. Twenty-six out of total 53 cases were positive HER2/neu (3+), the remaining 27 equivocal HER2-IHC (2+) cases reanalyzed using dual-color chromogenic in situ hybridization (ZytoVision) probe kit for further identification of HER2/neu gene amplification. Using chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), TOP2A gene status determination was done for all cases. Results: There is a direct significant correlation between TOP2A gene amplification and HER2/neu positivity, P < 0.05 in that 15 (39.4%) out of 38 positive HER2/neu cases were associated with topoisomerase gene amplification. Regarding relation of topoisomerase gene to hormone receptor status (ER and PR), there was a significant negative relationship between the gene and ER receptor status. The higher level of gene amplification was noticed in ER and PR negative cases in about 13 (43.3%) and 14 (48.2%) for ER and PR, respectively. Conclusion: TOP2A gene status has a significantly positive correlation with HER2/neu status while it has a significantly negative correlation with hormone receptor status.
Background: Breast Cancer is the most common malignancy among the Iraqi population; the majority of cases are still diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prospects of cure. Early detection through promoting public awareness is one of the promising tools in its control. Objectives: To evaluate the baseline needs for breast cancer awareness in Iraq through exploring level of knowledge, beliefs and behavior towards the disease and highlighting barriers to screening among a sample of Iraqi women complaining of breast cancer. Methodology: Two-hundred samples were enrolled in this study; gathered from the National
Abstract Objective: The underlying molecular basis of ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) has not yet been studied among Iraqi people. This study determined the frequency and types of some cardiovascular genetic risk factors among Iraqi patients with IHDs. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study recruiting 56 patients with acute IHD during a 2-month period excluding patients >50 years and patients with documented hyperlipidemia. Their ages ranged between 18 and 50 years; males were 54 and females were only 2. Peripheral blood samples were aspirated from all patients for troponin I and DNA testing. Molecular analysis to detect 12 common cardiovascular genetic risk factors using CVD StripAssay® (ViennaLab Diagnostics GmbH, Austria) was performed
... Show MoreThe study of homomorphisms in cubic sets is considered one of the important concepts that transfer algebraic properties between different structures, so we study a homomorphism of a cubic set of a semigroup in a KU-algebra and defined the product of two cubic sets in this structure. Firstly, we define the image and the inverse image of a cubic set in a KU-semigroup and achieve some results in this notion. Secondly, the Cartesian product of cubic subsets in a KU-semigroup is discussed and some important characteristics are proved.
Osteoporosis (OP)is one of the most important metabolic disorder also affected by interaction of genetic and environmental factors by almost 70% and 30% respectively. Genetic components are identified to strongly effect bone mineral density, bone building and turnover, so they play an important role in determining risk of OP and fragility fractures. This study consists of patient and control group; Group A: (70) postmenopausal women with OP and osteopenia, Group B: (20) control group. five milliliters of blood sample were divided into three tubes; one tube (1ml) contain gel for obtain serum to measure glucose level, the others tubes containing ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), in 2 tube 2ml stored in deep freeze at (–40
... Show MoreBackground: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Iraq and the United Kingdom. While the disease is frequently diagnosed among middleaged Iraqi women at advanced stages accounting for the second cause of cancer-related deaths, breast cancer often affects elderly British women yielding the highest survival of all registered malignancies in the UK. Objective: To compare the clinical and pathological profiles of breast cancer among Iraqi and British women; correlating age at diagnosis with the tumor characteristics, receptor-defined biomarkers and phenotype patterns. Methods: This comparative retrospective study included the clinical and pathological characteristics of (1,940) consecutive female patients who were diagnosed with invasive b
... Show MoreAssessment of Salivary Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1 Alpha Level in Different Stages of Periodontitis, Riyam Muthanna Muhammed*, Hadeel Mazin Akram
Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an autoimmune inflammatory pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of OLP, using CD34 stain to highlight the blood vessels for measuring the microvessel density (MVD) as well as to evaluate the relation of this marker with the degree of inflammation Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining technique was used to evaluate angiogenesis using CD34 in 46 paraffin blocks 10 of them obtained from normal mucosa and 36 from cases diagnosed as lichen planus , 20 of them diagnosed as Reticular type while 16 as erosive type. Severity of inflammation was divided into mild, moderate and severe accordi
... Show MoreBackground: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous leukemia characterized by abnormal myeloid blast accumulation, disrupting normal hematopoiesis and leading to rapid progression. Objective: To investigate SNPs within the 3’UTR of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPA) gene and its association with AML in Iraqi patients. Methods: The study was carried out on 120 AML patients classified into newly diagnosed, induction chemotherapy, and consolidation chemotherapy stages (40 each), and 40 individuals as a control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from AML patients and controls, followed by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing of the 3’UTR region of the CEBPA gene. The AML patients were characterized
... Show MoreBackground: World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation International Children Fund (UNICEF) developed a strategy known as Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI); which aims to reduce less than five years children morbidity and mortality in developing countries.
Objective: To assess the completion of the IMCI format status in primary health care centers, Baghdad.
Methods: A cross sectional study with analytic element was conducted during the period from 15th of January till 15th May 2016 in selected Primary health centers in Baghdad, Iraq. The sample consists of form of child files less than 2 months and form from 2
... Show MoreThe study aimed to evaluate the level of MMP‑2 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in comparison with that in remission status, and healthy subjects, and to find its correlation with hematologic parameters. This study included sixty newly diagnosed AML patients. Remission status was assessed after induction chemotherapy. The overall survival (OS) was determined after 6 months. The plasma MMP‑2 level was measured at diagnosis by enzyme immunoassay. Twenty‑eight healthy individuals were recruited as a control group. Plasma MMP‑2 was higher in AML patients than in healthy individuals (P = 0.005). The level of MMP‑2 was much higher in the M5 subtype than in the other subtypes (P = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant d
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