Background: Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth. One of the leading environmental factors that are closely related not only to the risk but also to the prognosis of periodontitis is smoking. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of smoking on periodontal health status and to measure the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in smokers and nonsmokers chronic periodontitis patients, also it aimed to test the correlation between the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and the clinical periodontal parameters. Materials and Methods: Five milliliters samples of un-stimulated whole saliva and full-mouth clinical periodontal recordings (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level) were obtained from forty patients of two groups (non smokers with chronic periodontitis and smokers with chronic periodontitis). All subjects were systemically healthy males, with age range (35-50) years. Salivary matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels were analyzed by using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level were higher in smokers than non smokers, while there were decreases in the numbers of bleeding sites in smoker when compared with non smoker subjects. Salivary matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels were significantly higher in smoker with chronic periodontitis patients than their non smoker counterparts. Conclusion: Salivary matrix metalloproteinase-9, as a biomarker, could reflect the increased periodontal tissue destruction due to the smoking.
Background: Immune thrombocytopenia is an immune-related disorder that causes an impairment in platelet production and stimulates platelet destruction, causing variable bleeding symptoms. Objective: This study focuses on refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura patients on romiplostim treatment and their level of illness perception related to treatment response. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1st, 2025, to August 1st, 2025. Brief Illness Perception Questionnaires were administered to 84 patients with ITP to collect the data. The study took place at the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Center, Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq. Results: The romiplostim response rate is 21 (25.0%), while the partial response rate is 4
... Show More4 Blood Res 2018;53:314-319. Received on August 11, 2018 Revised on August 30, 2018 Accepted on August 30, 2018 Background Iron overload is a risk factor affecting all patients with thalassemia intermedia (TI). We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship of serum ferritin (SF) and alanine ami- notransferase (ALT) with liver iron concentration (LIC) determined by R2 magnetic reso- nance imaging (R2-MRI), to estimate the most relevant degree of iron overload and best time to chelate in patients with TI. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 119 patients with TI (mean age years) were randomly se- lected and compared with 120 patients who had a diagnosis of thalassemia major (TM). Correlations of LIC, as determined by R2-MRI, with SF
... Show MoreAbstract: Plastic pollution is a major issue of the current century. This waste is found in seas, freshwater, lakes, rivers, coastal areas, and soil. In this article, this article discusses the various sources of plastic pollution, including the manufacturing process of plastics and the addition of materials to improve their properties, as well as the use of single-use plastics that are not recyclable, in addition to burning and illegal waste disposal in the open. The impact on public health is through human exposure to toxins from plastics in the environment directly through inhaling dust and fumes, consuming contaminated food and drink, and skin contact. Indirectly, when marine creatures consume microplastics, they will find their way
... Show MoreThe study aims to identify the mechanical and electrical activities of the heart according to the energy systems of advanced players and to detect the differences between the energy systems in terms of the mechanical and electrical activities of the heart for advanced players. It was clear from the results of the significance of the differences between the three groups according to the energy systems of the advanced players in all research variables that (the non-oxygenic system "Lactic"), which represents the advanced players in the arches (800 m, 1500 m) was the first in most tests of mechanical and electrical activities of the heart, which is (Margaria-Kalamen, Wingate, systolic muscle strength of the heart FC, Stroke Volume SV
... Show MoreIn this research, the Williamson-Hall method and of size-strain plot method was employed to analyze X- ray lines for evaluating the crystallite size and lattice strain and of cadmium oxide nanoparticles. the crystallite size value is (15.2 nm) and (93.1 nm) and lattice strain (4.2 x10−4 ) and (21x10−4) respectively. Also, other methods have been employed to evaluate the crystallite size. The current methods are (Sherrer and modified Sherrer methods ) and their results are (14.8 nm) and (13.9nm) respectively. Each method of analysis has a different result because the alteration in the crystallite size and lattice strain calculated according to the Williamson-Hall and size-strain plot methods shows that the non-uniform strain in nan
... Show MoreCopper (Cu) is an essential trace element for the efficient functioning of living organisms. Cu can enter the body in different ways, and when it surpasses the range of biological tolerance, it can have negative consequences. The use of different nanoparticles, especially metal oxide nanoparticles, is increasingly being expanded in the fields of industry and biomedical materials. However, the impact of these nanoparticles on human health is still not completely elucidated. This comparative study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and copper sulphate (CuSO4 0.5 (H2O)) on infertility and reproductive function in male albino mice BALB/c. Body weight, the weight of male reproductive organs, mal
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