possible association of HLA Class II with bladder cancer in Iraqi patients

Genetic Factors have a major role in the development of bladder cancer. This study was carried out to shed a light on the possible association of HLA class II antigens and BC patients and to correlate this finding with the family history. Lymphocytotxicity assay had been used to assess HLA-typing of 65 BC patients and 50 healthy controls. Comparison between BC patients and healthy controls showed several antigens deviations in their frequencies. HLA-DR1, HLA-DQ1 and HLA-DQ3 antigens were observed with increased frequencies in patients group with significant differences [P=0.000, 0.000 and 0.017 respectively]. Moreover there was decrease frequency of HLA-DR7 in patients group [P=0.010]. Statistical analysis showed non significant correlation of the specific HLA -Ags with family history. This finding demonstrated that HLA-DR1, DR7, DQ1 and DQ3 might play a role in BC susceptibility

role of microorganisms in restenosis after coronary stent implantation

Coronary intervention [PCI] with stent implantation. Seropositivity to certain infectious agents may play a role in the development of ISR through induction of chronic immunologic response. To assess the association between chronic infection with Cytomegalovirus [CMV], Chlamydia pneumoniae [Cp], and Helicobacter pylori [Hp], whether single or combined infection, and restenosis in patients undergoing coronary stenting. Forty patients with ISR [diagnosed by coronary angiography] were compared to 30 control patients who have had coronary stenting with no evidence [by angiography] of ISR. The third group composed of 20 healthy controls. Using Indirect ELISA method; detection of IgG specific antibodies in the sera of the 3 study groups for CMV, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Helicobacter pylori were done. Patients with ISR were mainly above the age of 50 years [62.5%] with male predominance [70%]. Chronic infection with Cytomegalovirus [82.5% in ISR patients], based on serological findings, was a Significant risk factor for ISR [OR = 3.1, P = 0.03].Neither chronic infection with Cp [72 .5% in ISR patients] nor with Hp [67.5% in ISR patients] were proved as significant risk factors for ISR [OR = 1.7, P = 0.27 and OR = 1.2, P = 0.71 respectively]. Pathogen burden i.e. combined chronic infection with 2 or 3 microorganisms had no role in the development of ISR. Evaluation of patients who have higher titers of IgG antibodies specific for CMV may help to identify patients at greater risk for ISR. The IgG titer of significant risk should always be assessed by comparing to control group since it highly correlates to epidemiological attributes and technical applications

Antimicrobial susceptibility test of microorganisms isolated from sputum culture of leukaemic patients with lower respiratory tract infections

The development of respiratory infection indicates either a defect in host defenses, exposure to a particularly virulent microorganism, or an ovenwhelming inoculum, as infectious agents gain entry to the lower respiratory tract through aspiration of upper airway resident flora. Better prognosis of patients with leukaemia over the last decade is at least partly due to the possibility of administering more intensive chemotherapy and to the successful introduction a wider array of antimicrobials. To evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates of both leukaemic and non-leukaemic patients with. LRTIs. The present study consisted of 50 adult leukaemic patients, 14 males and 36 females beside other 50 adult non-leukaemic patients, 25 males and 25 females were included, who were admitted to Baghdad Teaching Hospital, through the period from December 2003 through May 2004 with diagnosis of LRTIs. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was done upon the bacterial isolates according to Kirby-Bauer method. The most reliable antibiotics among leukaemic patients [acute myelogenous, acute lymphoblastic, chronic myeloid, chronic lymphocytic] according to antimicrobial susceptibility test, were in cosequence, ciprofloxacin, followed by cefotaxime, then gentamicin and equal influence by ceftriaxone, amikacin, cloxacillin followed by. trimethoprime-sulphamethoxazole, ampicillin, augmentin, finally by erythromycin. On the other spectrum, the most reliable antibiotics among non-leukaemic patients were in consequence ciprofloxacin, followed by trimethopritne-sulphamethoxazole, cefotaxime, an equal effect by ampicillin, gentamicin, and ceftriaxone, followed by augmentin, also an equal effect by cloxacillin and amikacin, finally by erythromycin. Antibiotic susceptibility test should be done for each bacterial isolate in order to prevent the development of progressive microbial resistance

HLA-DR and DQ antigens in Iraqi patients with Behcet's disease

Behcet's disease [BD] is a multisystemic in inflammatory disorder; disease onset is believed to be triggered by many factors with a particular genetic background. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible correlation between HLA-DR and DQ antigens and onset of this mysterious disease. By using microlymphocytoxicip test, the frequencies of 18 HLA-DR and DQ antigens were calculated in 65 patients with BD compared with 32 patients control with recurrent oral ulcers [ROU] and 115 healthy controls. Significant increased trend of HLA-DR52, DR53 and DQ3 antigens [P<0.001], and significant reduced frequencies of DQ-1 antigen [P

Rheumatic heart disease in patients from Iraq: Some clinical observations

This prospective clinical study which was carried out on 79 patients with rheumatic heart disease "RHD" showed the absence of previous rheumatic history in about half of the cases. In addition there was a significant difference in the pattern of valvular involvement regarding the presence or absence of previous rheumatic history. These two observations suggested the possibility of other non rheumatic etiology in certain cases of valvular heart diseases which are traditionally labelled as rheumatic. The high incidence of initial attacks of rheumatic fever "RF" together with the high rate of recurrence of rheumatic activity "RR" in our adult patients were a substantial evidence to the inadequecy of the current measures of antirheumatic chemoprophylaxis. Lastly,the significantly high distribution of blood group B and low distribution of blood group A in our RHD patients as compared with the control group, may reflect the presence of susceptible and resistant phenotypes in patients with RHD