Background: Direct measurement of intracellular magnesium using erythrocytes has been suggested as a sensitive indicator for the estimation of body magnesium store. Marked depletion in plasma and erythrocyte magnesium levels was particularly evident in diabetic patients with advanced retinopathy and poor diabetic control. While insulin has been shown to stimulate erythrocyte magnesium uptake, hyperglycemia per se suppressed intracellular magnesium in normal human red cells.
Aim of the study: To investigate the erythrocyte magnesium level in Iraqi type I and II diabetic patients, with specific emphasis on the effect of both, metabolic control and the type of antidiabetic treatments.
Methods: Sixty two diabetic patients (7 with type I and 55 with type II diabetes mellitus) recruited from the outpatient diabetes clinic at the Specialized Center For Endocrine Diseases-Baghdad, during the period from 1st October 2005 to 28th February 2006. Eighteen non-diabetic normomagnesemic healthy controls matched for age and sex were participated in this study. Of the diabetics, 22 were using insulin (7 with type I and 15 with type II diabetes mellitus), 40 were taking oral antidiabetic agents (All with type II diabetes mellitus) and none were using both. Serum and erythrocyte magnesium concentration were measured for both groups, and Glycated hemoglobin levels were estimated only for diabetics.
Results : Mean serum and erythrocyte magnesium levels were significantly (p<0.001) lower in the diabetic group as compared to controls. Serum level of magnesium was not a significant predictor of erythrocyte magnesium concentration. No significant correlation was observed between HbA1c and erythrocyte magnesium. Significantly (p<0.001) lower serum magnesium levels were consistently evident through the entire diabetic subgroups as compared to controls. Erythrocyte magnesium contents were significantly (p<0.001) reduced in patients with type I , type II and type II receiving oral antidiabetic agents, but not in patients with type II receiving insulin (p= 0.120 ), as compared to controls. Significant difference in erythrocyte magnesium levels was observed between patients with type II receiving oral antidiabetic agents and those receiving insulin (p<0.001). The frequency of magnesium deficiency in diabetic patients, as judged by a lower serum magnesium reference limit was constantly 100% in all subgroups. While, judgments based upon a lower erythrocyte magnesium reference limit, discloses variable frequencies in diabetic subgroups.
conclusion: The near normal erythrocyte magnesium levels in type II insulin-receiving patients, could be credited to the stimulatory action of exogenous insulin on cellular magnesium uptake and may indicate a possible role of insulin treatment as a potential implications on health policy, by ameliorating cellular magnesium depletion in the continuously expanding diabetic population.
The species Bostrichus capucinus (L.) (Coleoptera:Bostrichidae) was reported as a new record for Iraq. Diagnostic characters and some information are given .
Land snails constitute an important group of mollusks distributed worldwide. This study reports on land snails found in Iraq. A survey of terrestrial gastropods was performed during their activity seasons in gardens, agricultural lands and nurseries in Iraq from March 2022 to September 2023. Fifteen terrestrial snails belonging to seven families were documented. The species Euchondrus michonii (Bourguignat, 1853) was identified and recorded based on several distinct conchological characters for the first time in Iraq. The recently collected specimens, along with those previously recorded in Iraq, were included in this checklist. Essential information on each species is also presented. As there is no previous checklist or study that
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This essay aims to highlight the most important issues and difficulties facing implementing large projects that follow the turn-key method, considered one of the types of contractual methods in Iraq, especially for large and complex projects requiring speedy completion. The projects implemented in this way face delays and delays in completion, which led to the lack of benefit from the projects for which they were implemented, especially those affecting the lives of citizens within the health sector. The case study dealt with the construction of hospitals with multi-bed capacities within multiple governorates in Iraq, With large financial allocations within the federal budget of the Government of Iraq over several years.
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Iraq enjoys many factors and ingredients that made it “affect and be affected at the same time” by the American-Iranian conflict from the “strategic geographical position” adjacent to Iran as an important point and that Iraq has been part of this conflict since the last period which witnessed the outbreak of the first Gulf War (1980-1988) because of border problems and a dispute over Shatt al-Arab, and what followed after that, specifically from 2003 when the United States of America and its allies occupied Iraq’s lands and made a political change by the destruction of its security and military institutions. It increased the importance of Iraq in being a subject of competition between the competing parties in exploiting the
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A fracture is a damage to bone tissue that causes damage to the tissue surrounding the bone and may penetrate the skin. Subjects and methods: the present study included (80) fractured Iraqi patients (and 40) patients with DM2 and (40) without DM2 and compared them with (40) healthy control. Patients and control are matched in age. This study showed a significant increase in retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and a considerable decrease in Vit .A GPT and GOT in fracture patients with and without DM2. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between RBP4 with (GPT and GOT) in fracture patients with DM2 and a significant positive correlation between RBP4 with (GPT and GOT) in fracture patients without DM2.
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