Kifah Jabbar Shaker Alyaqubi

Abstract: Many suggestions support that cytokines have pathogenesis role of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and that may be related with disease progression and patient survival. But their prognostic significance in this disease is unknown. The study aimed to estimate the plasma level of IL-10 before and after treatment in patients with AML. Plasma concentrations of IL-10 were estimated in 26 newly diagnosed patients with AML and follow up 19 of them after treatments, 7 patients were died after induction, matched 16 individuals' healthy donors. IL-10 levels were estimated using the enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Patients were divided into two groups: 26 before treatment and 19 after treatment. The results showed that plasma concentrations of IL-10 were significantly higher in AML patients compared to control group. Moreover, plasma concentrations of IL-10 were significantly associated with non-responding (NR) AML patient after treatment compare to complete remission (CR). While it observed non-significantly before treatment. The study demonstrated that AML NR patients have increased plasma concentrations of IL‑10 after induction, suggesting that this cytokine is involved in the pathophysiological process of the disease and may be associated with poor prognosis of clinical outcomes

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in woman that originates from the uncontrolled growth of abnormal breast cells. According to the Iraq Cancer Registry 2009, breast cancer ranks as the first between the ten common cancers in Iraq and there is a wide tendency to increase the rate of breast cancer in earlier age group. Estimation of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors status as well as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(Her-2/neu) serve as specific guidance to select the patients whose benefit from endocrine therapy and provide prognostic information. The study aimed to assess the expression of ER/PR hormone receptor and Her-2/neu in breast cancer patients and correlation with various Clinicopathological aspects as a predictive biomarker. Method: The current study was performed from the period between Jan 2015-Feb 2015 in Department of Oncology that referred to Baghdad Teaching Hospital in the Medical City. Routine staining hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry (IHC) test for ER, PR and Her-2/neu expression was conducted in all cases. Results: This study includes total 30 cases of breast cancer. The age of patients were between 29-65 years with 47± 9.8 (mean ±SD). Majority of tumors are invasive ductal carcinomas represented 23(76.7%).There are significant differences between different scores were observed in IHC test for Her-2/neu status and showed 8(26.7%) out of 30 cases were positive expression.The ER and PR expression status was strongly associated and demonstrated in 21(70%) of cases.The most commune subgroup was Her-2/neu+, ER/PR+ seen in 10(33.3%) out of 30 breast cancer patients. Conclusion: HER-2/neu is positively expressed in about 26.7% of breast cancer cases.The study of ER, PR status showed higher rates of positive expression70% and was strongly associated. Using IHC examination the Her-2/neu+, ER/PR+ subgroup indicates the most common subtype 10 (33.3%) compared to other tumor subtypes in breast cancer

MYC modifies the expression of many genes, and the deregulated expression of C-MYC represents a hallmark feature of cancer because most, if not all, human cancers have a deregulation in C-MYC and associated with poor prognoses. The Primary human colorectal carcinomas were enormously associated with C-MYC overexpression. This study involved an assessment of the cytotoxic effects of PAX2M, a direct C-MYC oncoprotein blocking agent, in a colorectal cancer cell line, and the evaluation of its safety in the normal tissue cell line. The results indicate a significant reduction in the cells viability at the dose-dependent fashion moreover, PAX2M displayed a lower toxicity in normal cells The investigational agent PAX2M described in this study that directly targets C-MYC oncoprotein is likely to be a promising therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer treatment.

Objective: To survey K-RAS blocker of choice among a group of inhibitors with characterizing their safety profile in colorectal carcinoma. An experimental model of continuous SW480 cell line and Vero cell line was applied, in vitro assessment by using tissue culture as a standard technique for checking the cytotoxicity of many compounds and in development of new drugs. Materials and methods: This study tested the cytotoxicity assay of MEX2R and chemotherapy (methotrexate) as comparative agents in the mechanism of action with the tested drug by Crystal Violet assay (CV). After exposure both SW480 cell line and Vero cell line were treated first to different concentrations of MEX2R compound (15.625, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500) μg/ml for 36 hours and secondly to different concentrations of methotrexate (15.625, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500) μg/ml for 36 hours. Results: The results showed that the investigational agent MEX2R exhibits highly significant cytotoxic effects (p ≤ 0.05) in SW480 colorectal cancer cells when compared with control (untreated cells), and less cytotoxic influences on normal Vero cell line in a dosedependent manner. The tested drugs showed anticancer activity with half maximal growth inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for MEX2R 65.738 μg/ml which was more potent than antitumor drugs methotrexate (MTX) that has cell cycle arrest activity like investigational agent’s action, IC50 of MTX was about 93.574 μg/ml. The selectivity index of MEX2R compound (3.252) was higher than the selectivity index of MTX (2.65). Conclusion: From the overall results, MEX2R has highly significant cytotoxic effects on SW480 colorectal cancer cell line when compared with MTX, also MEX2R agent possessed safe profiles in Vero cell line as normal cells in comparison with standard chemotherapy MTX.

TLR-4 receptor plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases like diabetes mellitus. The present study was designed to examine TLR-4 gene expression in Type 2 diabetes. Gene expression of TLR-4 the mean± SD of ΔCt (normalization Ct values) of each study group: The mean ±SD Ct value of TLR-4 cDNA amplification was (22.28± 0.36) Normo Albuminuria group, Microalbuminuria group was 20.28± 0.41). The Ct values of Macro Albuminuria group 21.51± 0.31). There was a significant difference in the mean Ct values between different groups, (p=0.0001). The mean Ct values of control (Normo Albuminuria) group were higher than the Macro and this in turn was higher than that of Micro groups the mean± SD of ΔCt (normalization Ct values) of each study group, for the Micro Albuminuria (3.04±2.5). For Macro Albuminuria group the mA significant difference was noticed between the study groups (p=0.001). Results of 2-ΔCt revealed significantly higher results for the Micro Albuminuria group from the other two groups (p=0.0001). 2-ΔCt for micro Albuminuria group (0.121). In the Macro Albuminuria group and Normo Albuminuria group a 2-ΔCt were (0.051), (0.029) respectively. There is a significantly increased expression of TLR-4 gene in macro and Micro Albuminuria groups as compared to Normoalbuminuria group.

TLR4 gene polymorphisms are known to impair corresponding signaling pathways in immune and non immune cells followed by weakened adaptive immune responses. This phenomenon can be seen in several inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cancer, asthma and for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis and diabetes. A lot of studies indicated that polymorphisms of TLR4 were correlated with immunity-related diseases, such as chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis diseases. The present study was designed to examine TLR-4 gene polymorphisms Asp299Gly (rs4986791) (+1196C/T)and Thr399Ile (rs4986790) (896A/G) effect on some immune markers IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, HMGB1,and ICAM-1 in Type 2 Diabetes Militias patients, inspected two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TLR-4 gene. The study included the TT genotype IL-1β concentration were significantly higher in microalbuminuria (31±13.1) than control group (25.9±3.4) which is lower than Macro Albuminuria group (31.2±12.5), TNF-α concentration in CT genotype were higher in Micro Albuminuria and macroalbuminuria (962.9 ±53.3), (965±51.5) groups respectively than normoalbuminuria group (786.9±567.3). Considered to GG genotype HMGB1 concentration were significantly higher in control group (1193.82±189.69) than Macro Albuminuria group (500.46±423.54), AA and AG genotypes of IL-6 plasma concentration were significantly higher in control group (T2DMNormo Albuminuria) (30.49±7.9,26.97±45.49), (19.45±8.5, 20±6.17) respectively than control group (12.42±6.27,13.5±8.67).

The Human Anatomy Branch at the College of Medicine at the University of Kufa, in cooperation with the Continuing Education Unit, conducted a course entitled “Using virtual laboratory applications as a simulation of the real anatomy laboratory.” The course aims to learn how to acquire teaching skills in a virtual laboratory by combining blended e-learning skills and in-person learning skills.