NRAMP1 Gene Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Iraq

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease and endemic in most regions of Iraq, especially in the regions with poor populations. Natural resistance associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1) gene plays an essential role in susceptibility to CL and disease pathology. This study aimed to study the polymorphism in NRAMP1 gene, and tried to identify an association between gene variants and susceptibility to CL infection in Iraqi population / AL-Muthanna province. Samples of peripheral blood were collected from 60 patients with CL and 32 apparently healthy controls. NRAMP1 (D543N) polymorphism was detected in patients and control groups by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The results indicated a statistically significant difference in genotype distribution between CL cases and healthy controls (p = 0.036), and the results indicated that genetic variations of D543N were not associated with susceptibility to CL infection, and the frequency of allele A was greater in controls than in patients with statistical significance of p = 0.01

Effect of Antimonial Therapy on Levels of (TNF-α and IL-1β) Cytokines in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Patients in Iraq

This study aimed to study the effective antimonial therapy on circulating levels proinflammatory cytokines, and their effect on susceptibility to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) infection in the Iraqi population. Fifty CssL patients were treated with pentavalent antimonial salts (pentostam) for 7 weeks. Leishmania species were identified by Nested-Polymerase chain reaction method, and in all the cases the strains corresponded to Leishmania major. Circulating plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were determined for CL patients and healthy subjects before and during 7 weeks after the treatment were started. Concentrations were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. Proinflammatory cytokines significantly increased after 7 days postinfection compared to levels in the pretreatment patients. It was clearly recorded in the present study that the level of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the serum of CL patients was responsively increasing with the antimonial therapy dose

Conventional Multiplex PCR for Identifying Soil Transmitted Helminthes (Ascaris Lumbricoides, Trichuris Trichura and Ancylostoma Duodenale) in Fecal Specimens

Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and Ancylostoma duodenale are soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and medically neglected in Iraq country in spite of their effect on the public health. A cross-sectional study was performed in the Maternity and Childhood Teaching Hospital and General Education Hospital in Al-Dewanyia Province, included 850 tool samples collected from patients who attended to the O & P Lab. General stool examination (GSE), direct wet mount method DWMM and Kato-Katz were using for diagnosis of STH infections through detecting the adult and the ovum of the helminthes. A conventional multiplex PCR assay was used for detection of STHs in fecal samples. Based on microscopic examination, the results showed that 275/850 range among triple, double and single infection on other hand was 365/850 range among triple, double and single infection. In conclusions, the investigative sensitivity of DWMM is notable for STH; in exception, it is capable to identify patients with the intention of highest requirement of management, and therefore contributes to the universal target to reduce STH as a community healthiness trouble

Role of signal transducer, and activator of the transcription 4 (STAT4) gene polymorphism as predictive marker for type-1 autoimmune hepatitis

Introduction: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is one of autoimmune disorder with complex pathophysiology. Many genes involved in lethal autoimmune hepatitis disorder including STAT4 gene. The aim of this study is to determine STAT4 gene polymorphisms and relation of SNPs with disease severity among AIH patients. Method: One hundred AIH patient which diagnosed by clinically, ANA and ASMA and 100 control age matched healthy children were enrolled in this study. Patients' blood samples (5mL) were taken and split into two tubes, one tube used for immunological and clinical parameters and the second containing EDTA for PCR analysis. The first tubes were then left at room temperature for 10 minutes before being centrifuged (3500 rpm). After that, the serum was isolated the both tubes stored at -70°C until analysis, biochemical parameters were measured in full automated biochemistry analyzer while, IgG, ANA and ASMA was investigated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercially available kits (Bioneer, Korea), while the STAT4 (rs7574865, rs7582694) gene was investigated using RFLP PCR How, and the commercially available kits (Bioneer, Korea)