Effect of parental smoking and social class on the children's pulmonary function

The effect of social class and parental smoking on forced expiratory volume in one second [FEVI], forced vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] of children has been analyzed. Parental smoking did not appear to affect the children's pulmonary function. Furthermore, no significant difference in FEV1 and FVC values have been observed between children of the high and low social classes, but children of the low social class outperformed those of the high social class in PEFR values

Serum proteins in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Total serum protein, serum albumin and serum globulin levels were measured to 71 Iraqi Cll patients at presentation. It was found that hypoproteinemia was present in 77.5%, hypoalbuminemia 18.3% and hypoglobulinemia in 73.2% of the cases. The frequency of patients having low serum proteins values were found to be significantly increasing as the stages of the disease advances

picture of G6PD deficiency among Baghdadi infants

100 infants with neonatal jaundice were screened for G6PD deficiency and compared with a control group of 100 non-jaundiced infants. The clinical picture of G6PD deficiency and the course of jaundice in these patients were studied and are discussed here

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Clinical presentation and bone marrow histological patterns in the Iraqi patients

The clinical presentation and the findings of the bone marrow histological patterns were studied in 51 Iraqi CLL patients at presentation and prior to the initiation of treatment. It was found that signs and symptoms of anemia were the most common presenting feature of CLL in Iraqi patients. Clinically. lymphoadenopathy was the commonest clinical finding in these patients and the bone marrow pattern was diffused in 50%, mixed in 27%, nodular in 3.8% and interstitial in 17% of the cases

Serum immunoglobulin in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Serum Immunoglobulin levels of IgA, IgM and IgG were measured in 40 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at presentation and prior to the initiation of treatment. All patients were staged according to the Binet clinical staging system. The number of patients showing abnormally low serum immunoglobulin values was found to be significantly increasing as the stage of the disease advances. At least the level of one serum immunoglobulin was reduced in 90% of the cases. IgA deficiency was found to be more frequent than IgG deficiency - The reduction of only one immunoglobulin was found to be more frequent than the reduction of two immunoglobulins in all cases in this study

fibrinolytic activity of intact and lysed leukocytes in different types of acute leukemia

The fibrinolytic activity of leukocytes from 56 patients with different types of acute leukemia and 20 normal subjects constituting the control group, was assayed by the fibrin plate method. There was no significant difference in the fibrinolytic activity between intact and lysed leukocytes in the control group, the whole acute myelogenous group, the fibrmolytic activity of intact cells was significantly higher than that of lysed cells. A significant correlation was found to exist between the fibrinolytic activity of intact and lysed cells in each of the control and leukemia groups except M3 and M4 subgroups. In the meantime, a significant increase in fibrinolytic activity of leukocytes was demonstrated in all leukemic groups compared to that of the control, except M4 subgroup and acute lymphoblastic leukemia group, in which this increase was not significant. Fibrinolytic activity of normal and leukemic leukocytes was found to be independent of plasminogen

urge to smoke

The effect of stopping smoking for five hours on the factors governing the availability of oxygen from the blood i.e Carboxyhaemoglobin, haemoglobin concentration and 2,3 - DPG were studied on 26 smoker subjects and 16 non-smoker subjects. The results obtained show that in the smoker subjects, the rate of breakdown of Carboxyhaemoglobin is much higher than 2,3 - DPG during the period of stopping. The mechanism and the effect of this difference on the availability of oxygen that might contribute in the urge for smoking after this period is discussed

Coagulation disorders in different types of acute leukemia

The results of the coagulation studies performed on blood from 32 leukemic patients with different types of acute leukemia showed evidence in favor of fibrinolysis. The fibrinolysis seems to occur as a primary process independent of DIC, as a result of the release of enzymes with fibriolytic activity from the leukemic leukocytes

Glycosylated hemoglobin in patient with alopecia areata

Glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting blood sugar were estimated in fifty alopecia areata patients and thirty normal subjects who served as controls. The results obtained showed that the mean values of glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting blood sugar were higher in patients with alopecia areata than in normal subjects. The significance of the difference seems to be dependent on the severity of the condition but not on its duration. In the meantime it was noted that patients with family history of diabetes mellitus have higher levels of these parameters than those without a family history. A good correlation was found to exist between fasting blood sugar and glycosylated haemoglobin in the patients only but not in the normal subjects, inspite of the fact that the mean values of these parameters in the patients were within the accepted normal levels

Glycosylated hemoglobin in patients with vitiligo

Glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting blood sugar were estimated in 46 vitiligo patients. Results obtained showed that the mean values of the percentages of glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting blood sugar were higher than those in normal subjects. The significance of the difference seems to be dependent on the severity of the illness but not on its duration. A good correlation was found to exist between these two parameters in spite of the fact that their mean values were within the accepted normal levels

Significance of osmolal clearance in the assessment of renal function

In this study, we present evidence to show that if the osmolal clearance is used as a second parameter in addition to creatinine clearance, the differentiation between different renal disorders would then be possible. This is because the patency of the whole functional renal unit is reflected through the relationship of these two parameters. The study shows that if the two functional portions of the nephron are patent, then a linear relationship should exist between creatinine clearance and osmolal clearance. This relationship is disrupted when the function of one portion is impaired. In the meantime should the function of both portions is impaired, the linear relationship would then appear again. The investigation was carried out on 117 patients with different renal disorders. Normal relationship of these parameters were obtained from 33 healths subjects who showed no evidence of renal dysfunction or any other apparent disease. The mechanism and significance of these relationships are discussed

comparison of several determinations of the oxygen saturation curve and corresponding adair parameters of normal human blood

The results are reported several determinations of the oxygen binding curves of normal human blood under physiological conditions using two modem automated instruments: the automated mixing apparatus and the dissociation curve analyser. Although the results from the two instruments are in fair agreement. except at low saturation values, differences in the shapes of the dissociation curves are observed compared with those That have been reported by other workers. The Adair parameters of the new curves have been computed and are compared with those from earlier studies

Effect of physical exercise training on the cardio-pulmonary functions of students of the College of Medicine

65 first year medical students, 42 males and 23 females, were selected randomly to study the significance of the physical exercise training course recently introduced in the curriculum of the college. Changes in the cardiopulmonary functions were taken as 'an index for assessing the effect of the training course on the state of the physical fitness of the students. Results obtained showed that, inspite of the limited time allocated for the course, a significant decrease in the heart rate and systolic blood pressure was observed at the end of the training course following 19 a 15 minute exercise on a bicycle ergometer with a fixed load as compared with those recorded before beginning of the course. A slight increase in the pulmonary vital capacity and peak flow rate was also noticed. The mechanisms and Significance of the these changes, and the importance of having a carefully planned programme for training were discussed

Glycosylation of hemoglobin in the cord blood

Glycosylated haemoglobin levels in maternal and cord blood were measured colorimetrically and by isoelectric focusing method in non-diabetic and diabetic, and in blood of non-pregnant non-diabetic women. It has been shown that in non-diabetic and diabetic women, the level of cord blood glycosylated haemoglobin was approximately 30% less than the corresponding maternal blood levels, and correlation could only be detected between maternal and cord blood of diabetic women. The mean value for the glycosylated haemoglobin in level in the non-diabetic pregnant women was insignificantly higher than that of non pregnant non-diabetic women. Very low values were also recorded in the blood of non- diabetic pregnant women. Glycosylated haemoglobin in the cord blood of diabetic women was significantly higher than that in the cord blood of non-diabetic women. The minor haemoglobin fractions Ala + 1 b were very low in the cord blood of both groups. The implications of these findings and the significance of the glycosylated minor haemoglobin fractions as a screening aid for gestational diabetes are discussed

Effect of organic phosphates on the rate of methemoglobin reduction by glutathione

The rate of methaemoglobin reduction was accelerated in the presence of organic phosphates [2,3-DPG and IHP]. The acceleration was found to be about three folds in the presence of 2,3-DPG and eight folds in the presence of IHP. Meanwhile, the reaction between methaemoglobin and glutathione was found to follow a stoichiometrical relationship. The reduction of methaemoglobin by glutathione was compared at different concentrations of 2,3-DPG and IHP and at various PH values. The dissociation constants of these organic phosphates to methaemoglobin were estimated from the changes in the reduction rate under different concentrations of these compounds. The acceleration mechanism was described and the physiological role of 2,3-DPG in human red cells, in relation to the reduction of methaemoglobin by glutathione and ascorbic acid, was discussed

blood level of glycosylated hemoglobin in the normal, diabetic and thyrotoxic adult patients from Iraq

The level of glycosylated haemoglobin [HbAlc] was investigated in groups of Iraqi normal persons, diabetic and thyrotoxic patients. In the normal group the mean value of HbAlc was 4.08+ 063% with a range of 2.27-5.59%. In the diabetic group It was significantly higher giving a mean value of 8.83 +/- 2.78% and a range of 4.47-15.57%.While the thyrotoxic group showed a mean value of glycosylated haemoglobin equal to 4.27+ /- 0.66% which approximates that of the normal group. Measurements of fasting blood sugar yielded a mean value for thyrotoxic patients equal to 93. 11 +/- 19.7 mg/dl. This value was significantly higher than the mean value 74.75. +/- 12.6 mg/dl recorded for the normal group, but less than the mean value 142. 77 +/- 54.7 mg/dl shown by the diabetic group. A positive significant correlation was observed in the diabetic group between the values of HbAlc and fasting blood sugar, and also between HbAlc and the duration of diabetes. No similar correlation could be traced between these parameters either in the normal or thyrotoxic groups. Meanwhile, the correlation between the fragility of erthyrocytes and HbAlc level in diabetic patients was poor