Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are said to be inherited in a multifactorial fashion, i.e. genetic-environmental interaction. Maternal nutritional deficiencies had long been reported to cause NTDs, especially folate deficiency during early pregnancy. More attention had been paid to the exact mechanism by which this deficiency state causes these defects in the developing embryo. The most significant of all researches was that connecting reduced folate and increased homocysteine level in maternal serum on one hand and the risk of developing a NTD baby on the other hand. Objectives : to determine the significance of homocysteine level in Iraqi mothers who gave birth to babies with NTDs as compared to normal controls. Patients, Materials and Methods: Fifty Iraqi women having babies born with NTDS, referred to the genetic clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, were included in this study (the study group) as well as 37 healthy women having normal children (the control group). This study was conducted from November, 2002 till October, 2003. Analysis of total serum homocysteine level for all women was done using a computerized HPLC system. Results : the age of women in both groups was comparable (mean+SD in the study group was 26.2+5.14 years vs. 26.3+4.57 years in the controls). Among the study group, 4 (8%) had normal tHcy level; 44 (88%) had mildly elevated level, and only 2 (4%) had moderately elevated tHcy level, while all (100%) women in the control group had their tHcy level within normal level. This difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Conclusions : Women become at an increased risk of delivering a baby with NTD when having an elevated tHcy level in their sera, and that tHcy level is an important marker in maternal serum that is associated significantly with pregnancy outcome.
The central nervous system is the most important system and is very sensitive to any accidental infection during ontogenesis; it includes brain and spinal cord. The cerebellum is the second largest part of the brain after cerebrum and it’s very sensitive to the abnormal changes during the embryological development. This study was designed to investigate the effect of the maternal exposure of selected concentrations of suspension of nanoparticles on the ontogenesis of the rat cerebellum after embryos implanted in uterus. A total of 60 female pregnant rats were divided in to three groups, each contains 20 females. Group1 (G1) was treated orally with 2mg/kg /body weight (b. wt) of suspension of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). While group 2 (G
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ABSTRACT Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most important reproductive and endocrine disorders in women at reproductive age. It's associated with metabolic disorder, obesity, insulin resistance and oxidative stress chronic periodontitis and PCOS both of them associated with low chronic grade of inflammation. The prevalence of periodontal disease seems to be higher in women with PCOS. Superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD) is an important circulating marker and protecting enzyme helping the body tissues to get rid of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage the tissue. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to measure and compare the levels of (SOD) among group of chronic periodontitis patients with PCOS, group
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To investigate the role of IL-6 and IL-8 in the immune-regulatory mechanisms involved in the recurrent spontaneous abortion of the first trimester of pregnancy. Serum level of IL-6 and IL-8 were determined in 25 women of age (20-35) years who had a spontaneous abortion of unknown aetiology during the first trimester of pregnancy .They were compared with the corresponding levels of 20 pregnant and non-pregnant women as control groups .cytokine levels were measured by (ELISA) technique .The women with spontaneous abortion had highly significant (P < 0.01) increased serum level of IL-8 and highly significant (P < 0.01 ) decreased level of IL-6 compared to those with normal pregnant and non-pregnant women. The results of this study ma
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الخلاصة: الحكة اليوريمية لدى مرضى غسيل الكلى يؤثر على أكثر من 40٪ من المرضى. وربما ترتبط الحكة المستمرة بمستويات عالية من الإنترلوكين 31. الاهداف: النظر إلى مستويات مصل إنترلوكين 31 لدى مرضى غسيل الكلى المصابين بمرض الكلى في المرحلة النهائية، سواء مع أو بدون حكة يوريمية. النتائج: لم يكن مستوى المصل [الوسيط (] لـ IL-31 في المرضى الذين يعانون من الحكة اليوريميةأو بدون حكة في عينة مصل ما قبل غسيل الكلى مختلفًا بشكل م
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The study is concern on determine the type of Candida spp.in leukemia patients that were infected with oral candidiasis as a result to their immune suppression (weekend immune system) due to their submission to radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The result showed that the most common isolates were C. guillermondii 19 which represent 31.66% of cases, then followed by C. itermedia 11 which represent 18.3%, while the less common isolates were for C. zeylamodes 3 which represent 5%.
In light of the general inadequacy in the performance of the economic units operating in Iraq, and the contemporary developments in all the various sciences, Iraqi economic units have become obligated to use modern technologies applied around the world. Keeping abreast of these developments is done by moving away from traditional methods of evaluating performance and applying approved and accepted methods of evaluating performance. This will lead to an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of the activities of economic units. In addition, this drives to reduce production costs. Accordingly, this study aims to clarify the application of the balanced scor
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Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common disease especially among young children (before school age) and it is one of the common causes of acquired hearing loss in childhood. Pediatric patients with OME are usually undernourished. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the serum levels of trace elements (zinc, copper, magnesium, iron) have a role in the development of OME in children. This study carried out on 55 children and subdivided them into two groups. Group 1 (patient group) consist of 30 children suffering from OME and group 2 (control group) included 25 apparently healthy children. Serum levels of zinc, copper, magnesium and iron were measured for both groups. Comparison the results between the two groups showed t
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Numerical investigation has been carried out on heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of copper-water nanofluid flow in a constant heat-fluxed tube with the existence of new configuration of vortex generator using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Two types of swirl flow generator: Classical twisted tape (CTT) and Parabolic-cut twisted tape (PCT) with a different twist ratio (= 2.93, 3.91 and 4.89) and different cut depth (= 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 cm) with 2% and 4% volume concentration
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Hypothyroidism is the decrease in thyroid hormones production and thyroid gland function. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism with production of autoantibodies directed toward autoantigens thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO). This study was carried out to determine and compare serum and salivary levels of thyroid antibodies (TPO-Ab and Tg- Ab) in hypothyroid patients (with and without periodontitis) and healthy control; as well as to estimate the possibility to evaluate and measured these antibodies in the saliva as measured in the serum. Serum and saliva samples were collected from sixty hypothyroid patients with age ranged (20-64) years (30 of patients were with periodontitis and 30 without per
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