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  • Morin Morgan posted an update 3 months, 2 weeks ago

    Anemia, commonly associated with low hemoglobin and elevated erythropoietin levels, is often a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. Concerning vitamin D levels, genetic frequencies also play a role, indicated by low mutant patterns (Ff, ff), causing severe anemia in affected patients.

    Many nations grapple with the significant public health burden of ocular infections, a leading cause of illness and blindness across the globe. To understand the prevalence of bacterial isolates and their causative role in external ocular infections, this study examined patient characteristics such as age, sex, and rural/urban residence. Furthermore, explore the susceptibility and resistance of antibiotics typically employed in treating external eye infections among patients in Babylon Governorate, Iraq. A cohort of 200 patients, spanning ages from 20 to 68 years and comprising both genders, participated in this study, all with clinical indications of external ocular infections. To differentiate between bacterial and viral isolates, eye swabs were collected and cultured. Positive bacterial cultures were observed in 105 of the total isolates (52.5%), forming the study set, with 95 (47.5%) negative cultures being excluded. Ocular infections were observed most often in individuals aged 20 to 49, and a significant portion of the affected individuals were male (65 out of a total of 619 patients, representing 619%). A significant portion of patients, 457 percent, were affected by the common eye infection, conjunctivitis. Subsequently, blepharitis affected 219% of the patients; this was followed by blepharoconjunctivitis, affecting 143% of them; dacryocystitis, affecting 124% of patients, followed; and, finally, keratitis affected 57% of the patient cohort. The prevalence of bacteria in ocular infections showed Staphylococcus aureus to be the most frequent, at 371% of cases. Further analysis revealed that Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) were implicated in 267% of instances. Haemophilus influenzae was observed in 219% of infections, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (67%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (38%), Streptococcus pyogenes (19%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19%) Moreover, certain antibiotics were subject to testing against these pathogenic bacterial isolates, demonstrating the bacterial susceptibility to these treatments. The prevalent characteristic of bacterial isolates was resistance to Ampicillin, Penicillin, and Tetracycline, with susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin, and Chloramphenicol.

    Neoplasms in women often include ovarian carcinoma, a frequently encountered type that, unfortunately, represents the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality in women globally. Adnexal masses, categorized as either simple or complex, are further classified as either benign or malignant. A single biomarker that is both highly sensitive and specific to early ovarian cancer has not been identified. This study set out to explore the impact of incorporating two biomarkers as diagnostic tools for individuals suffering from adnexal masses. A prospective case-control study encompassing female patients, diagnosed via ultrasound and MRI with adnexal masses slated for surgery, and healthy controls (n=50 each), was conducted. Between January and July 2021, Basrah hospitals in Basrah, Iraq, admitted surgical patients whose ages ranged from 16 to 80 years. A quantitative evaluation of serum biomarker levels was executed by employing the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure. A comparison of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels revealed marked differences between women presenting with adnexal masses and healthy women. A lack of meaningful association existed between patient age, menopausal condition, and HE4 serum levels. Serum HE4 levels, used as a marker for adnexal mass, achieved a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 66%, translating to a 73% positive predictive value and an 89% negative predictive value. In the context of adnexal mass pathology diagnosis, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) demonstrated a sensitivity of 30% and a specificity of 64% in this study. Comparing IL-6 levels in all patients with the control group yielded no discernible differences. Despite higher median serum HE4 levels observed in the 21-40, 41-50, and over 50 age groups relative to the control group, a statistically significant difference was not found (P=0.413). Human epididymis protein 4 stood out as the most prominent biomarker in adnexal masses, exhibiting a higher concentration; importantly, it showcased the most effective performance in all specimens characterized by adnexal mass. The research indicated that multiple marker measurements yielded improvements in the sensitivity and specificity of detecting adnexal mass pathology in patients.

    Chronic renal failure is a consequence of the kidneys’ impaired functioning; the kidneys are fundamental to the metabolism, filtration, and expulsion of substances from the body. The presence of human hepatitis B virus in dialysis patients with chronic renal failure is a common occurrence; additionally, chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently leads to anemia in these patients. Evaluating 50 dialysis patients from Imamian Al-Khademian city (36 men and 14 women), aged 30 to 77 years, and a matched healthy control group (aged 30 to 62 years) was the focus of this study. Real-time PCR, a molecular method, detects the presence of hepatitis B virus, and the concentration of erythropoietin hormone is determined by the ELISA technique. According to the results of the study, the prevalence rates for dialysis patients in the 41-50 and 60-51 age groups were 20% and 18%, respectively. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) was observed in 15 (30 percent) of the 50 serum samples collected from dialysis patients during the examination process. Compared to the healthy control group, dialysis patient samples presented a lower concentration of the erythropoietin hormone. The concentration of erythropoietin hormone was demonstrably lower in dialysis patients than in the control group; this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Renal failure and dialysis patients, particularly those with hepatitis B, face weakened immunity. A notable consequence of hepatitis B is a reduction in the erythropoietin hormone level, which is a leading factor in anemia, a prevalent issue for dialysis patients.

    Brain neurotransmitters’ veracity is affected by the nonessential amino acid L-citrulline, and this interaction may enhance fetal growth. Yet, no knowledge is currently available regarding the probable influence of L-cit on reflexive motor performance. Therefore, this study set out to evaluate the impact of prenatal L-cit exposure on the reflexive motor actions exhibited by the offspring of mice. Forty pregnant female mice were sorted into four separate groups. The control group mice were hydrated with water; conversely, groups 2-4 (female mice) received L-cit (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) via oral gavage on gestation days 5, 8, 11, 14, and 17. Post-delivery, pup selection was followed by assessments of reflexive motor behaviors using ambulation, hind-limb foot angle, surface righting, hind-limb strength, grip strength, front limb suspension, and negative geotaxis tests. camkkinases In addition, the levels of serum nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were established. Offspring of mothers exposed to L-cit demonstrated improvements in ambulation scores, hind-limb suspension scores, grip strength, and front-limb suspension (P<0.005), according to the research findings. Maternal exposure to L-cit during pregnancy resulted in a statistically significant reduction in offspring surface righting reflex, hindlimb foot angle, and negative geotaxis (P < 0.005). L-cit’s administration to postpartum mice resulted in diminished immobility times in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests, accompanied by augmented performance in the open field test (increased squares crossed) and on the rotarod (increased time), confirming statistical significance (p<0.005). L-cit’s presence caused a notable increment in serum NO levels, a change deemed statistically significant at P<0.005. L-cit led to lower blood MDA levels and higher SOD and GPx levels in offspring, a statistically significant result (p < 0.005). Studies on L-cit revealed that postpartum behaviors in mice, and the reflexive motor skills of the pups, both exhibited positive changes.

    As semi-ruminant placental mammals, camels, part of the Camelidae family, are classified as two-toed, padded-footed animals. Included in this diverse family are the one-humped dromedary (Camelus dromedaries), the two-humped bactrian (Camelus bactrianus), along with the llama, alpaca, vicuña, and guanaco. Fifty female Iraqi single-humped camels, originating from private farms within the Al-Furat Al-Awsat region—including Babylon, Diwaniyah, and Muthanna cities—were utilized in the research. Genotype determination and distribution ratios for the POU1F1 gene, along with investigating the polymorphism’s impact on productive traits, growth characteristics (weight, body measurements), and blood biochemistry, were carried out in the Altakadum Laboratory, Baghdad, using biotechnological and molecular genetic techniques. The second exon harbored mutation 225131, leading to a conversion of amino acid C.49 from glutamine to histidine, represented by the nucleotide change CAA to CAC. Three genotypes of the mutation were discovered in the second segment, which encompassed a 777 base pair stretch including the first intron and second exon, via DNA sequencing technology. A significant disparity (P=0.001) in the distribution ratios of the mutated genotypes was observed, according to the results. Significant correlations were observed between these genotypes and several physical attributes. The mutant CC genotype demonstrated a statistically significant (P<0.05) superiority over the wild AA and heterozygous AC genotypes in the following measurements: body height from the front (22066176, 21512092, 21280233) cm, body length (18666120, 17947110, 17000496) cm, and head length (5500208, 5078046, 5120131) cm.

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