Deletion of introne-4 of Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Behcet’s disease-Iraq

Behcet’s disease (BD) is multi systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown cause, it characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcer, skin lesion and uveitis. The etiopathogensis of Behcet’s Disease had long been postulated, possibility that immunological abnormalities induced by microbial pathogens in genetically susceptible individual are important in the pathogenesis. There was no positive association between eye involvement, arteritis and HLA5 tissue typing and positive pethergy test .The HLA5 was positive in 62% of patients with Behcet’s disease in Iraqi patients. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase is synthesized by arginine oxidation, it is one of nitric oxide synthase family, this enzyme has three isoform tow constitutive (neuronal NOS include nNOS and NOS-I)and one inducible NOS (Inos, nos-II), endotheline enzyme responsible of generate small amount of nitrous oxide, The eNOS gene is located on chromosome 7q35-36. 33 Iraqi patients with Behcet’s disease compared with the same number of healthy population and it was conducted in Merjan teaching hospital in Babylon –Iraq in rheumatology unit from same ethnic Arabic group. The genotype study was done for both groups in the biological department of Science Collage in Babylon University during 2013. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes using standard protocols. PCR experiment was performed using Forward primer 5-AGGCCCTATGGTAGTGCCTT-3 and revers primer 5- TCTCTTAGTGCTGTGGTCAC-3 in (clever scientific thermo cycler PCR). The study aims to detection deletion in of introne-4 of Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Behcet’s disease, the total number of patients was 33 patients, 11[33.3 %] were female and 22 [66.6%]were male, the  mean age of the patients was (34.45± 11.51)years. (69.7%) of patients did not had family history of Behcet’s disease, (57.6%) of patients were less than 5 years having the disease.57.6%of patients were got no active disease at time of study and 42.3% got active disease and there was significant association with genital involvement , central nervous system and disease duration with disease activity .  The genetic study revealed that no significant related of deletion of Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Behcet’s disease Iraqi patients. Keywords: Behcet’s disease [BD], Iraq, Endothelial nitric oxide synthase[e NOS], PCR

The Latent Tuberculin Test after 1-year Therapy with Anti-TNF in Babylon, Iraq

لمحة عامة: مرضى التهاب المفاصل الرثوي الذين يستخدمون ادوية مضادة لعوامل نخر الورم هم في حالة زيادة خطورة تحفيز إصابات التدرن الخامل. فحص التدرن الجلدي يستخدم بصورة واسعة للكشف عن التدرن الخامل ولأعطاء الادوية الوقائية , للوصول الى هدف منظمة الصحة العالمية بتقليل مرض السل الى 90% في سنة 2035. الأهداف: لتحديد نسبة تحول فحص التدرن الجلدي بين مرضى التهاب المفاصل الرثوي بعد سنة من استخدام ادوية مضادات عوامل نخر الورم وعلاقة فحص التدرن الجلدي الموجب مع الخصائص الاجتماعية والديموغرافية و التاريخ المرضي. الطريقة: هذه الدراسة مقطعية تم اجراؤها في قسم المفاصل في مستشفى مرجان التعليمي في العراق , لمدة سنة واحدة. المرضى الذين يعانون من التهاب المفاصل الرثوي واعتلال الفقار والذين يستخدمون ادوية مضادات عوامل نخر الورم لفترة اكثر من سنة, خضعو جميعا لفحص التدرن الجلدي. البيانات الديموغرافية والتاريخ المرضي تم اخذه أيضا . كل البيانات الإحصائية تم اخضاعها لبرنامج SPSS النسخة 20 واعتبرت قيمة اقل من 0.05  ذات قيمة ملحوظة. البيانات الماخوذة من الأساس وبعد سنة من المتابعة تم اخضاعها لفحص كولموكَوروف – سيمينوف لتحديد فيما اذا كانت البيانات تم توزيعها بشكل طبيعي . فحص مربع كاي استخدم لتقييم  دقة فحص التدرن الجلدي بين علاج Etanrcept  و Infliximab  في نهاية الدراسة. النتائج: مجموع 96 مريض تم فحصهم والمتضمنين 55 (57.3%) رجال و 41 ( %42.3)  نساء وبمعدل عمر 41.1 , و اغلبهم 68 ( 70.8 % ) من محافظة بابل – العراق . مجموع 40 (41.7%) من المرضى لديهم التهاب مفاصل رثوي فقط والبقية 56 (58.3%) لديهم عوامل خطورة الاعتلال الفقاري. اغلب المرضى 65 (67.7%) استخدمو العلاج البايولوجي Infliximab)   (بينما 31 (32.3% ) من المرضى استخدمو علاج (Etanrcept) خلال فترة سنة واحدة . لوحظ وجود قيمة ملحوظة بين نقص معدل فحص ESR   وفعالية المرض من خط الأساس الى نهاية الدراسة (اقل من 0.01) . لم يتم يكن هنالك فرق ملحوظ بين نتائج فحص التدرن الجلدي المعتمد على الجنس او العمر . كلا العلاجين لوحظ ارتباط ملحوظ بينهم وبين نقص الـ ESR  و فعالية المرض. الاستنتاج: هذه الدراسة أظهرت وجود تحول طفيف لفحص التدرن الجلدي بين مرضى الروماتيزم الرثوي بعد سنة من العلاج بمضادات عوامل نخر الورم, وان العمر والجنس لم ترتبط بفحص التدرن الجلدي.Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving receive anti-TNF agents are at increased risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The tuberculin skin test (TST) is widely used to screen LTBI and providing preventive treatment, in an effort to meet the WHO target of a 90% reduction in TB by 2035. Objectives: To determine the proportion of TST conversion among RA patients after 1 year of anti-TNF treatment and association of positive TST result with patients’ socio-demographic characteristics and medical history. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Rheumatology of Marjan Teaching Hospital in Iraq, for a period of 1 year. Patients with RA/and spondyloarthropathy, and who received anti-TNF therapy for >1 year, underwent TST. Their demographic data and medical history were also obtained. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Version 20) and, p < 0.05 was considered as a sign. Data from the baseline and 1 year follow-up was subjected to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to determine whether they were normally distributed. Chi-Square test used to test significance of TST among etanrecept and infliximab at the end of the study. Results: A total of 96 patients were enrolled, including 55 (57.3%) males and 41 (42.3%) females with an average age of 41.1, and mostly 68 (70.8%) from Babylon Governorate of Iraq. A total of 40 (41.7%) patients had rheumatoid arthritis alone, and the remaining 56 (58.3%) had a comorbidity of spondyloarthropathy. Majority of the patients 65 (67.7%) received the biological agent infliximab, while 31 (32.3%) patients received Etanercept for RA for a period of 1 year. There was a statistically significant decreasing in the median ESR and disease activity  from the baseline to the end of the study (p-value <0.01). There was no significant difference in TST results based on gender or age. Both infliximab and etanercept were significantly associated with a decreasing  in ESR and disease activity Conclusion: This study has shown that there was very low TST conversion among RA patients after 1 year of anti-TNF treatment and, age and gender were not associated with TST

A Comparative Study of the Effect of Sodium Alendronate plus Thyme and Sodium Alendronate alone in Treatment of Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive disease of multifactorial etiology characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility. The disease often does not become clinically apparent until a fracture occurs . It occurs in the elderly of both sexes but is most pronounced in postmenopausal women .The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of sodium alendronate plus Thyme in treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and compare it's effect with Sodium alendronate alone . Forty postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were randomly divided into two groups( each group include twenty women) .The duration of treatment was 6 months . First group was given Sodium alendronate 70mg weekly and Thyme capsule 500mg twice daily, second group was given Sodium alendronate 70mg once weekly .The following parameters were measured for two groups at baseline and at 6 months intervals bone mineral density(BMD) and t score except ESR and serum ionized calcium were measured at baseline and at 2 months interval . There were a significant increase in BMD and significant increase in t score in group treated with Sodium alendronate plus Thyme after 6 months as compared with baseline  and with group treated with Sodium alendronate . Also there were a significant reduction in mean serum ionized calcium and mean ESR in group treated with Sodium alendronate plus Thyme and group treated with Sodium alendronate alone after 2,4,6 months as compared with baseline(P<0.05) . Keywords: Thyme, BMD, Sodium alendronate, Osteoporosis, t scor

A Comparative Study of the Effect of Thyme and Calcium with Vitamin D3 in Treatment of postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition of skeletal fragility due to progressive loss of bone mass. It occurs in the elderly of both sexes but is most pronounced in postmenopausal women . The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Thyme in treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and compare it's effect with Calcium plus Vitamin D3 . Forty postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were randomly divided into two groups( each group include twenty women) .The duration of treatment was 6 months . First group was given Thyme capsule 500mg twice daily, second group was given Calcium plus Vitamin D3(Calcium 600mg plus Vitamin D3 500 I.U.) once daily .The following parameters were measured for two groups at baseline and at 6 months intervals bone mineral density(BMD) and t score except ESR and serum ionized calcium were measured at baseline and at 2 months interval . There were a significant increase in BMD, t score in group treated with Thyme after 6 months as compared with baseline  and with group treated with Calcium plus Vitamin D3 . Also there were a significant reduction in mean serum ionized calcium and mean ESR in group treated with Thyme and group treated with Calcium with vitamin D3 after 2,4,6 months as compared with baseline(P<0.05) . Keywords : Thyme, BMD, Calcium, Vitamin D3, Osteoporosis, t scor

Frequency of left ventricle systolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis patients detected by global longitudinal strain and tissue Doppler imaging in Babylon province in Iraq

Abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease, characterized by chronic inflammatory polyarthritis with extra articular complications.  The prevalence is about 1% and more common in female than male. The aim of the study is early detection of left ventricle systolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by measuring global longitudinal strain, and mitral annular systolic velocity (S`). A Case control study enrolled 60 patients with RA (mean age 47.7 years) without history of cardiac disease and 40 healthy controls (mean age 44.5). All participants underwent trans thoracic echocardiography (TTE), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) for assessment of mitral annular systolic velocity (S`), as well as left ventricle global longitudinal strain (GLS) using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) technique. RA patients had shown lower mitral annular velocity S` in comparison with control (9.60±1.61 vs 10.72±1.17; p value <0.001), also RA patient had shown lower negative left ventricle longitudinal strain in comparison with control group (-18.74%±1.06 vs. -23.11%±1.16; p value < 0.001). RA patients is associated with increasing risk of subclinical left ventricle systolic dysfunction, which had been detected by tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking technique

Association of MicroRNA-146a expression level and it’s Gene Polymorphism rs2910164 C/G in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that can regulate a variety of immune functions. MicroRNA146a (miRNA-146a) is regarded as a crucial regulator of posttranscriptional gene expression, suggesting a role in autoimmune disorders. This study was performed to investigate association miRNAs-146a expression and its polymorphisms in patient with Rheumatoid arthritis. The current study includes 120 subjects classified into two main groups: 60 RA patients and 60 healthy controls. Quantitative expression of serum miRNA-146a, as well as its genotyping rs2910164 (C/G) were done to all subjects using real-time PCR and Tetra primer ARMS-PCR respectively. Serum miRNA-146a significantly over expressed in RA patients (fold change 2.59±1.18), compared to the controls (fold change 1.07±0.41), (P=< 0.0001).The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was plotted to compare the expression efficiency of miR-146a showing high sensitivity 91.7 % and high specificity 91.1 %, AUC 0.95, (95% CI 0.91-0.99), the cut off value was (1.57). On the other hand MiRNA-146a (rs2910164) genotyping revealed that no significant variation between the RA patients in the comparison with the control group under all co-dominant model heterozygous genotype (C/G), co-dominant model homozygous genotype (G/G), dominant pattern (C/G+G/G) genotypes, recessive model (G/G) genotype. Analysis of the allele frequencies no statistically significant differences between patients and controls. Conclusion miRNAs-146a expression can be used as diagnostic markers for RA patients and miRNA-146a rs2910164 C/G not associated with RA susceptibility. The C allele of miRNA-146a (rs2910164) can be considered to be protective

Sensory and Chemical Quality Deviations of Popularly Manufactured Dry Sausage

Traditional dry sausages are one of the meat products that target globally by thousands of meat consumers. From a consumer perception point of view, the quality of this traditional meat product is of great concern. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the sensory and chemical quality of 100 samples of dry sausage marketed in Ismailia city, Egypt. Only 22 dry sausage samples were accepted in concern to their appearance and 56 samples were accepted in concern to their flavor. Out of 78 samples rejected for appearance, 43 (overfilling), 12 (fading) and 23 (discolored) rejected sausage samples. Out of 44 samples rejected for flavor, 28 (rancid), 10 (sour), and 6 (putrid) rejected sausage samples. The mean values of moisture, protein, fat, ash, CHO, and NaCl contents for dry sausage samples were 43.7, 15.3, 19.9, 4.3, 13.6, and 3.2 respectively. 90% of sausage samples corresponded with the standard limit of moisture content. Commercial fraud during the manufacture of the dry sausage was detected based on their protein content whereas 56% of the sausage samples were unfit with the requirement of Egyptian Standard for protein contents. The mean pH, TBA and TVB-N values for the examined dry sausage samples were 5.1, 0.9 (mg/Kg), and 14.9 (mg/100g) respectively. It could be concluded that a considerable number of dry sausage samples had deviation in their sensory and chemical quality and may have a negative effect on consumer satisfaction

Effect of Replacing Sodium Nitrite with Celery on Sensory and Chemical Quality of Popular Dry Sausage

The global economic crisis led to the tendency of consumers to search for cheap food sources of animal origin, including dry sausage, regardless of the quality or safety factor. Nitrite is an important meat additive responsible for the distinctive color and flavor of meat products, inhibits the development of microbial spores, and delays lipid oxidation. At the same time, it has adverse health risks for meat consumers. Celery, Apium graveolens, as a plant rich in nitrate was used in this study for replacing the synesthetic chemical nitrite used in sausage manufacture. Dry sausage samples were divided into three equal groups, the first group without adding sodium nitrite and kept as a control group. The second group was treated with 100 mg/kg of sodium nitrite while the third group was treated with 0.3% celery powder. All groups were periodically examined for sensory and chemical quality parameters. Generally, there are no significant differences (P&gt;0.05) found between sausage groups attributes to appearance. The results of color, flavor, smell, nitrite content, TVN, and TBA of control sausage samples were statistically lower (P&lt;0.05) than those of treated sausage groups. No differences (P&gt;0.05) were found for the attribute color, flavor, smell, nitrite content, TVN, and TBA between those treated with 100 ppm sodium nitrite and 0.3% celery sausages groups. The obtained results concluded that safe dry sausage could be produced with high quality without the addition of synthetic sodium nitrite, by replacing it with 0.3% celery powder. Celery offers a high potential nitrite as natural substitutes improve both the sensory and chemical quality of the dry sausage. However, further research is needed to irrefutably determine all potential benefits content of the celery