bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Salivary Levels of Interleukin-17 and Galectin-3 in Patients with Periodontitis and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Abdulmajeed Samaa Mouyed , Mahmood Maha Sh 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus are both considered as a chronic disease that affect many people and have an interrelationship in their pathogenesis.

Objective:
The aim is to evaluate the salivary levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and galectin-3 in patients with periodontitis and type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Methods:
The samples were gathered from 13 healthy (control group) and 75 patients split into 3 groups, 25 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and healthy periodontium (T2DM group), 25 patients with generalized periodontitis (P group), and 25 patients with generalized periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (P-T2DM group). Clinical periodontal parameters were documented. The concentration of IL-17 and galectin-3 in salivary samples was estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Result:
The concentration of IL-17 in the T2DM group (388.612 ± 120.111 pg/mL), the P group (443.887 ± 69.188 pg/mL), and the P-T2DM group (532.769 ± 137.673 pg/mL) showed higher values than the control group (292.079 ± 62.356 pg/mL) with a significant difference at (P < 0.05). Also, the P-T2DM group showed higher values than the P group and the T2DM group with a significant difference (P < 0.05). The concentration of galectin-3 in the T2DM group (2.409 ± 0.147 ng/mL), the P group (2.699 ± 0.386 ng/mL), and the P-T2DM group (2.568 ± 0.285 ng/mL) showed higher values than the control group (1.888 ± 0.356 ng/mL) with a significant difference (P < 0.05). The P group showed a higher value than the T2DM group with a significant difference (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:
Salivary IL-17 and galectin-3 levels might be used as a biomarker for periodontitis.
Clotrimazole drops or miconazole cream which is better for fungal ear infection
Authors: Bargas Omar Malik , Khalaf Qays Jaafar , Rasheed Mudhar Hameed 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background:
Otomycosis is a common condition that the otolaryngologist faces in the clinic; proper treatment and follow-up are necessary for the complete resolution of the disease.

Objectives:
To compare the efficacy of topical Miconazole cream against clotrimazole drops in the treatment of otomycosis.

Materials and Methods:
In this prospective study, 200 patients are included, and they are divided into two groups randomly. In total, 100 patients are treated with clotrimazole drops, and the other 100 are treated with miconazole cream. They are assessed after 4 days and after 14 days of treatment to evaluate the improvement of the three main symptoms aural fullness, otalgia, and itching.

Results:
After assessment of the symptomatic improvement on Day 4 and Day 14, we can see that the improvement is better with cream usage, especially in the 1st few days, while no difference can be seen after finishing the whole course of treatment.

Conclusion:
For early clinical improvement and good patient preference, we advise the usage of creams over drops due to their easy application and acceptable regimen.
The correlation between TLR9 (rs148805533 Del/Ins) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Jawad Ohood Salman , Shareef Hasanain Khaleel 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background:
One of the main infectious causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes’ polymorphisms and mutations have been linked to an increased risk of infection in general.

Objectives:
This study aimed to investigate the association among TLR9 (rs148805533 Del/Ins), gene polymorphism, and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Materials and Methods:
Blood and sputum samples were collected from 70 patients with PTB and 30 healthy as a control group. Patients were diagnosed clinically by the specialized physician, in addition to use the acid-fast smear and culture on Lowenstein–Jensen. In addition, the molecular diagnostics technique was used by Gene Xpert device. The genotyping was carried out by using allele specific-polymerase chain reaction technique, and the TLR9 concentration was estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.

Results:
The results of TLR9 polymorphism showed that the Ins/Ins allele, Del/Ins allele, and Del/Del allele genotypes frequencies at the site of (rs148805533) polymorphisms were significantly higher in PTB patients than the control groups (P = 0.05). The Ins/Ins allele genotype was the most frequent in PTB patients. In addition, the insertion allele was the most frequent in PTB patients and control groups.

Conclusion:
Our results indicated that in a sample of the local Iraqi population, the TLR9 (rs148805533) gene polymorphism may be a significant genetic determinant for PTB susceptibility.
Study the effects of empagliflozin on model of chronic depression and interleukin-6 in the brain of male rats
Authors: Mijwel Hatem Kareem , Selman Selman Mohammed , Al-Charrakh Alaa H 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background:
Empagliflozin (EMP) is an oral anti-diabetic drug with pleiotropic effects such as anti-inflammatory properties.

Objectives:
To evaluate the antidepressant effect of EMP and describe the link between stress and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level in the brains of male rats.

Materials and Methods:
In this experiment, 50 rats were separated into five groups G1–G5. The sucrose preference test (SPT) was used to examine the antidepressant effects of fluoxetine and EMP. Rat interleukin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was used to measure the IL-6 level in rat brain tissue. SPT was performed on each rat on days 0, 10, and 25. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) was performed on each rat for 24 days.

Results:
By the end of day 10, all rats subjected to the CUS program had a substantial (P < 0.05) reduction in sucrose intake index compared to day 0. EMP significantly increases sucrose intake compared to the stressed group. In comparison to the CUS group, fluoxetine significantly increases sucrose intake (P < 0.05). In terms of IL-6, the mean IL-6 level in G2 was considerably greater than in G1. When compared to group 2, the mean IL-6 level was considerably lower in G3 and G5.

Conclusions:
EMP has antidepressant-like effects and can counteract the impact of stress-increased IL-6 levels in the brains of depressed rats.
Axillary Lymph Node Involvement in Primary Invasive Breast Carcinoma in a Center in Baghdad Province
Authors: Wais Ruqayah Sameer , Ali Hussam Hasson 
Published: May 2024

Introduction:
Breast carcinoma is the most common malignancy in women and it has become a major health problem affecting women worldwide. In Iraq, breast carcinoma is still a major cause of health morbidity and mortality in women. Axillary lymph node metastasis is considered the most important factor affecting prognosis and management in patients with breast cancer.

Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate lymph node metastasis in cases of primary invasive breast carcinoma and to find if there was any association among lymph node involvement with type, grade, and tumor stage.

Materials and Methods:
This was cross-sectional study of 100 female patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma aged 25–88 years, which collected from the archive of the educational laboratory in Baghdad Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq from April 2018 to December 2020. Male patients were excluded from this study.

Results:
A total of 100 patients were included in this study; all were women with primary invasive breast cancer with different histopathological types (80% of cases were invasive ductal ca. NOS). The age range of the patients was between 25 and 88 years. A significant correlation was observed between lymph node stage and tumor pathological stage (tumor size).

Conclusions:
Most cases of primary invasive breast carcinoma had axillary lymph nodes metastasis, with a strong correlation between lymph node stage and tumor size. However, no association was found with tumor grade or tumor type that could be related to the small sample size of this study.
Risk Factors for Low Birth Weight among Term Newborns in Babil Maternity and Children Teaching Hospital
Authors: Noor Mudher Hasan , Ibrahim Abeer Hasan 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Great importance has been attributed to birthweight all over the world because it is considered one of the best predictors of perinatal survival and a good indicator of life quality.

Aims and Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for low birth weight among term babies in Babil maternity and children teaching hospital.

Materials and Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Babil maternity and children teaching hospital. The study was carried out in the neonatal care unit from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020. Seven hundred and fifty-four term singleton live births were included in the study. All the neonates were checked for birth weight, and their gestational age was determined from maternal last menstrual period and early (first trimester) ultrasound examination and New Ballard score. Neonates with normal birth weight were considered as gestationally full term (≥37 weeks) with birth weight 2500–4000 g.

Results:
Babies with normal birth weight represent 87.9% of the study sample (663 babies). The number of term neonates with low birth weight was 69/754, with 9.2% and large for gestational age represent 2.9% of the study sample (22 babies). Low birth weight of 2100–2400 g represents 6.3% of the study sample (47 babies). Low birth weight of 1500–2000 g represents 2.9% of the study sample (22) babies. Age of mother, residency, family income, maternal education, antenatal care, bad obstetrical history, illnesses during pregnancy, and parental consanguinity were considered to be risk factors for low birth weight at P values of 0.05, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, 0.001, 0.002, and <0.001, respectively. However, gender of the baby, parity, and paternal age were not considered to be risk factors.

Conclusion:
The problem of low birth weight among term babies is still common in our country. There was a higher incidence of low birth weight among term neonates in the rural areas and in mothers with low education level and those who live in families with low income. The most common associated risk factors associated with low birth weight were young age mothers, positive parental consanguinity, bad obstetrical history, and illnesses during pregnancy (e.g., hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and urinary tract infection).
Serum Ghrelin Level in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Postmenopausal Women in Relation to Body Mass Index
Authors: Matrood Amal Abdulhussein , AL-Yassin Hedef Dhafir , Alani Kifah Hamdan 
Published: May 2024

Background:
People living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are more vulnerable to various forms of both short- and long-term complications, which often lead to their premature death.

Objectives:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of serum level of ghrelin in diabetic postmenopausal, nondiabetic obese menopausal, and control healthy women.

Materials and Methods:
This case–control study included 90 participants (30 diabetic postmenopausal women, 30 nondiabetic obese menopausal women with body mass index (BMI) equal or >30, and 30 control healthy participants). Full history for referred individuals was taken and height and body weight were measured. BMI <18.5 was considered underweight, between 18.5 and 24.9 was a normal, between 25 and 29.9 was overweight, and more than 30 was obese.

Results:
Age ranged between 45 and 80 years old. Serum ghrelin had highly significant difference in obese comparison to both diabetes and control groups, and there is a significant difference between obese and diabetes with higher concentration in obese than diabetic group. Mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) showed a highly significant difference between obese, diabetes, and control groups with higher concentration in both obese and diabetes participants, and specifically, there is a significant difference between diabetes and obese groups with higher concentration in diabetic than obese group. BMI showed a significant difference and higher level in obese in comparison to other two groups. The serum ghrelin had a moderate significant correlation with FBG in obese but insignificant correlation with both diabetes and control groups. FBG shows no significant correlation with BMI in all three groups.

Conclusion:
There is an inverse relationship between fasting glucose and ghrelin level in type 2 diabetic patients and positive correlation in obesity. The study also shows that hyperglycemia due to disturbance in glucose metabolism may result in suppression of ghrelin level in type 2 DM.
Prognostic Impact of CD200 Expression in Pediatric B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Alwan Mustafa Jassim , Al-Mudallel Subh Salim 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a heterogeneous disease in which immature lymphoid cells proliferate mostly in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and other organs. Flow-cytometric immunophenotyping in childhood ALL assists in the diagnosis and subclassification of B- and T-lineages, as well as predicting outcomes of the disease. CD200 expression has many diagnostic and potentially prognostic implications in the flow-cytometric evaluation of lymphoid malignancies.

Aim of Study:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of CD200, correlate its expression with hematological and clinical parameters, and assess patient's response to induction of chemotherapy in the newly diagnosed de novo pediatric B-cell ALL.

Materials and Methods:
This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 pediatric patients (<15 years) with newly diagnosed de novo B-cell ALL. Morphology, cytochemistry, and flow cytometry (FCM) of the peripheral blood and/or bone marrow were performed for all patients and the patients were re-evaluated morphologically at day 28 from the start of chemotherapy for assessment of complete remission achievement.

Results:
Majority of the patients (80%) had a positive expression of CD200. All patients were in high-risk group and had positive CD200 expression and majority of the them were responded to induction therapy.

Conclusion:
CD200 is frequently expressed and closely related to the high-risk groups; however, it cannot be considered as an independent poor prognostic marker as not all cases with positive CD200 had low response to induction therapy.
Prevalence of Gram-positive and negative bacteria associated with external ocular infection in Wasit province, Iraq
Authors: Hussein Mukal Assaad , Raheema Rana H , Melek Hassan Khalil , Al-Hindy Hayder Abdul-Amir M 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background:
In developing countries, ocular infections are a significant public health concern, particularly bacterial infections, which are common. This research aimed to estimate how often Gram-positive and negative bacteria are present in individuals who have external ocular infections in Wasit province.

Materials and Methods:
One hundred twenty-one eye swabs were gathered from patients with various eye infections in the consulting clinics of AL-Zahra Hospital between October 1, 2021, and March 1, 2022. Various bacterial colonies with different morphological and biochemical characteristics were detected through growth testing.

Results:
Of all the external ocular samples collected, 56 (46.2%) had a positive culture for bacterial pathogens. Most of the isolated bacteria were Gram-positive, accounting for 73.2% (41 cases) of the total. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) were the most commonly identified Gram-positive bacteria, followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus lentus, Staphylococcus hominis spp. Novobiosepticus, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus lugdunesis, Staphylococcus gallinarum, Staphylococcus vitulinus, Staphylococcus cohnii, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Kocuria rosea, Micrococcus luteus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and, among which, Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 26.8% such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pantoea spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Citrobacter sedlakii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, and Sphingomonas paucimobilis. DNA extraction and their purity and concentration were confirmed using Nanodrop. A monoplex pattern of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect Gram-positive specific 16S rRNA.

Conclusion:
A majority of the bacterial strains identified in patients with ocular infections, particularly Gram-positive bacteria, also concluded that the largest percentage of eye infections was for patients who lived in rural areas, this explains the reason for the isolation of some bacterial species that inhabit animals such as S. lentus, S. gallinarum, S. pseudintermedius, S. vitulinus, S. cohnii, and L. mesenteroides. In addition, most of the bacterial species found in patients with eye infections were resistant to multiple drugs, indicating the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the study population, also concluded that the most prevalent forms of external ocular infections were blepharitis, followed by conjunctiva.
Evaluation of Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI) in Patients with β-Thalassemia
Authors: Abdulsattar Mohammed Qasim , Al-Mudallel Subh Salim 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Thalassemia is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis that results in reduced or absent production of globin chain. Hypercoagulable state in thalassemia is a well-recognized event. Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is an enzyme considered to play an important role in the regulation of fibrinolysis by the coagulation system. With this background, the present study was conducted to know the role of TAFI as a contributing factor in hemostatic alteration state in adults with β-thalassemia.

Aim:
The aim of this article is to evaluate the level of TAFI and hematological parameters in splenectomized and non-splenectomized β-thalassemia patients and to compare their levels with normal subjects.

Materials and Methods:
This case–control study was conducted in 56 adult thalassemic patients. The plasma TAFI level was evaluated by the ELISA technique.

Results:
There was a significant reduction in TAFI levels in all thalassemic patients when compared with thalassemia minor patients and controls (P < 0.0001). The TAFI level was significantly lower in the splenectomized group when compared with the non-splenectomized group (P < 0.0001), and the TAFI level was significantly lower in the thalassemia major group when compared with the thalassemia intermediate group (P < 0.0001). There was a significantly higher prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time level in thalassemic major and intermediate patients when compared with thalassemia minor patients and controls (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:
The TAFI enzyme level could be an important predictor for hemostatic alteration. Its level can be considered as a helpful marker for monitoring and follow-up of thalassemic patients for early and proper intervention to minimize complications.
Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection at a Rheumatology and Medical Rehabilitation Center in Duhok City, Iraq
Authors: Yousif Shawkat Sabri , Rasool Mohammad Tahir 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Patients with rheumatoid diseases are at increased risk of infection due to a combination of inherent energy or immunomodulating drugs used for its treatment. The study aimed to screen for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among patients with rheumatologic diseases.

Materials and Methods:
In the present prospective cross-sectional study, a total of 149 patients diagnosed with different types of rheumatoid diseases were included. The rheumatic diseases were diagnosed based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group preliminary criteria for the classification of spondyloarthropathy. The patients were screened by interferon-gamma release assay and tuberculin skin tests using purified protein derivative.

Results:
The mean age of the patients was 39.91. The most common types of diseases were ankylosing spondylitis (37.6%) and RA (34.9%). The prevalence rate of LTBI was 12.1% among rheumatic patients. The patients with positive LTBI had significantly longer therapy duration (4.51 vs. 2.81 years, P< 0.001) and were older (48.61 vs. 38.72 years, P= 0.005), respectively. There was no statistically significant association between the disease types and LTBI positivity (P = 0.512). However, LTBI positive was more prevalent in patients who received rituximab (16.7%; P= 0.035) and those patients with past medical history (20.9% vs. 8.5%, respectively; P= 0.035) and those did not receive the bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccination (36.4% vs. 10.1%; P= 0.029).

Conclusions:
This study suggests that patients with rheumatoid diseases and treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies are at an increased risk of tuberculosis infection.
Feeding Problems in a Sample of Children Under 5 Years at a Primary Health-Care Center in Erbil, Iraq
Authors: Ahmed Faiza Jalil , Sulaiman Karwan Hawez 
Published: May 2024

Background:
The feeding issues of children under 5 years of life have effects on overall growth and development.

Objectives:
This study aimed to find out the prevalence of feeding problems and their associated factors among a sample of children under 5 years visiting a primary health-care center in Erbil city.

Materials and Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, the mothers who visited the primary health centers for the medical checkup of their children under 5 years were consecutively screened for the eligibility criteria between February 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020.

Results:
The children were located in the following age groups: 6–9 months (11.3%), 9–12 months (4.9%), 12–24 months (32.0%), and >24 months (51.7%). The children had an abnormal height for age (8.9%), weight for age (6.9%), and weight for height (14.3%). The prevalence of formula feeding was 49.0% in children. The prevalence of feeding problems was 75.9%, including mono-feeding (20.2%) and multi-feeding issues (55.7%). The prevalence of complementary food was 2.0% only. The prevalence of active feeding was 54.2%. The study showed that younger age group had a significantly higher prevalence of feeding problem (P < 0.001). The study showed that children with abnormal weight for age were more likely to have feeding problems compared to those with a normal weight for age (100% vs. 74.1%, P= 0.019), respectively.

Conclusions:
The present study showed that a considerable percentage of children have feeding issues. The feeding issues were higher in younger age groups.