BACKGROUND: HLA-B27 can effect clinical presentation and course of ankylosing spondylitis. Different detection techniques of HLA-B27 are available with variable sensitivities and specificities. OBJECTIVE: To compare serologic and molecular diagnostic techniques of detecting HLA-B27 status and to correlate it with some clinical variables among ankylosing spondylitis patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 Iraqi patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were reported. HLA-B27 status was determined in all patients by real-time PCR using HLA-B27 RealFast™ kit; ELISA method was used as well to detect soluble serum HLA-B27 antigens using Human Leukocyte Antigen® kit. RESULTS: The mean age of patients ± SD was (38.4±9.8) years. Male to female ratio was 9:1. Disease onset occurred <30 years in 78% of cases. All (100%) cases had lower back pain, 44 (54%) patients had enthesitis, 14 (16.9%) had peripheral arthritis, 12 (14.5%) had eye involvement, whil
This research is addressing the effect of different ferrocene concentration (0.00, 2.15x10-3, 4.30x10-3, 8.60x10-3, and 12.9x10-3) on the bulk free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate monomer in benzene using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. The polymerization was conducted at 60º C under free oxygen atmosphere. The resulting polymers were characterized by FTIR. The results were compared with the presence and absence of ferrocene at 10% conversion. The %conversion was 3.04% with no ferrocene present in the polymerization medium and its increase to 9.06 with a first lowest ferrocene concentration added, i.e. 2.15 x10-3mol/l. This was positively reflected on the poly(methyl methacrylate) molecular weight measured by viscosity techniq
... Show MoreThis study was designed for isolation and molecular identification of Nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) from fish during the period between October and December 2017 from Karbla province, Iraq. This study included 200 fresh fish samples from four different species including Spondyliosoma cantharus, Liza abu, Carassius carassius and Cyprinuscarpio. Three samples of each fish were taken including gills, muscles and all internal organs. The samples were processed by decontamination, concentration of 4% sodium hydroxide, and 0.1 ml of sediment was streaking on Löwenstein Johnson (LJ) media; then the bacterial cultures were incubated at 28-30 °C for 3days up to 4 weeks and suspected colonies were stained with acid fast stain to confir
... Show MoreChitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42
... Show MoreAdhesion (type 1 fimbriae) and host defense avoidance mechanisms (capsule or lipopolysaccharide) have been shown to be prevalent in Escherichia coli isolates associated with urinary tract infections. In this work, 50 uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolated from children with urinary tract infections were genotypically characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. We used two genes; fimH and kpsMTII, both of them previously identified in uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC) isolates. The PCR assay results identified fimH (90.0)% and kpsMTII (72.0)% isolates. In the present study, was also demonstrated that these genes may be included in both or one of them within a single isolate.
Antibiotic resistance is a problem of deep scientific concern both in hospital and community settings. Rapid detection in clinical laboratories is essential for the judicious recognition of antimicrobial resistant organisms. So, the growth of Uropathgenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolates with Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug-resistant (XDR) profiles that thwart therapy for (UTIs) has been detected and has straight squeezed costs and extended hospital stays. This study aims to detect MDR- and XDR-UPEC isolates. Out of 42 UPEC clinical isolates were composed from UTI patients. The bacterial strains were recognized by standard laboratory protocols. Susceptibility to antibiotic was measured by the standard disk diffusi
... Show MoreThe transfer of chemical pollutants from bottled water into water due to heat, sunlight and poor storage is one of the most serious threats to human health around the world, the objective of this study was to estimate the pH value and the transport of heavy metals from plastic bottles to water, for this purpose, 30 bottles of water for 10 local brands were collected and divided into three groups, the first was left at room temperature 25°C, The second was placed in a heat oven at 25°C and the third in another oven at 50°C for two weeks. The results showed significant differences at (P<0.05) between water samples, pH value and concentrations of heavy metals (Sb, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd and Fe) we
... Show MoreOne of the most Interesting natural phenomena is clouds that have a very strong effect on the climate, weather and the earth's energy balance. Also clouds consider the key regulator for the average temperature of the plant. In this research monitoring and studying the cloud cover to know the clouds types and whether they are rainy or not rainy using visible and infrared satellite images. In order to interpret and know the types of the clouds visually without using any techniques, by comparing between the brightness and the shape of clouds in the same area for both the visible and infrared satellite images, where the differences in the contrasts of visible image are the albedo differences, while in the infrared images is the temperature d
... Show MoreA robust and sensitive analytical method is presented for the extraction and determination of six pharmaceuticals in freshwater sediments.
Background: This in vitro study was carried out to investigate the effect of post space regions (coronal, middle and apical), the effect of post types ( Manually Milled Zirconia post, Prefabricated Fiber post, prefabricated Zirconia post) and the type of cement used (GIC, self-adhesive resin cement) on the bond strength between the posts and root dentin by using push-out test. Material and methods: Forty eight mandibular premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons (single rooted) were instrumented with ProTaper system (hand use) and obturated with gutta percha for ProTaper using AH26® root canal sealer following the manufacturer instructions. After 24 hours, post space was prepared using Zirix and Glassix drills no.3 creating 8 mm dept
... Show MoreCompression study of Irisin, Vitamin D and Kidney Function Parameters Between Iraqi Fracture Patients with and Without DM2 and Healthy Control, Omar Yousif Majnun*, Altaie AF