iraq

Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease, and steroid hormones, especially estrogens and progesterone, are among the most important risk factors. Some conditions such as pregnancy, early menarche, late age at first full-term pregnancy, and use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), which increase the risk of estrogen exposure, also increase the risk of breast cancer. This study aimed to evaluate OCP use–related hormonal changes as a risk factor for breast cancer in young women in Najaf.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 breast cancer patients and 25 healthy women between January and June 2021 at Al-Sader Teaching Hospital and the Middle Euphrates Cancer Center in Najaf city, Iraq. After obtaining written informed consent, the researchers drew 5 ml of venous blood from each participant and analyzed the samples using the cobas® e 411 analyzer. Estrogen and progesterone serum levels were measured to evaluate the relationship between the use of OCPs and breast cancer.

The mean serum level of estrogen in breast cancer patients with and without a history of OCP use (159.80 pg/ml 168.23 pg/ml, respectively) was significantly higher compared with the control group (95.48 pg/ml). The mean serum levels of progesterone in patients with and without a history of OCP use were 4.9 and 4.12 pg/ml, respectively, which in users was higher than in the control group (4.3 pg/ml, P = 0.01).

This study found that using OCPs was associated with a higher risk for breast cancer. This issue can be considered in health policies to control breast cancer incidence.

The following four species are reported for the first time from Iraq: Buffonia enervis Boiss (Caryophyllaceae), Lagochilus aucheri Boiss (Lamiaceae), Sideritis montana L. and Linaria micrantha (Cav.) Hoffmanns. & Link (Plantaginaceae). Furthermore, the Consolida anthoroidea (Boiss.) Schrödinger (Ranunculaceae), was recently recollected, after the initial old collection by Haussknecht. Brief notes on the habitats and distribution of the species plus their detailed photos are given.

In this study, epidemiological of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was studied during five years (2013-2017) in Thi-Qar Province, Iraq. Epidemiological data, includes sex, age and habitation of patients. A total of 7,358 cases who visited the Imam-Hussein Teaching Hospital in Thi-Qar Province were studied. The highest number of patients were in 2015, reached 3,673 while the lowest number of patients were in 2013 reached 51. The highest cases of infection of CL was recorded in December which (2159 cases) followed in January and February (1494 and 1298 cases) February, respectively, the lowest cases in June and July (54 and 37 cases), respectively in all years of study. The study showed that the mean prevalence of CL was recorded 4444 (60.40%) in rural more than in urban recorded 2914 (39.60%) with significant differences between them. Males were more susceptible to infection 3946 (53.63%) than females 3412 (46.37%) in most study years. The result of the present study clarifies that the infection all ages. The majority of cases were recorded among in age groups ≥yr and 10-19 yr 3527 (47.93%), 2311 (31.41%) respectively, followed by the age group 20-29 years presented 705 (9.851%), while the lowest infection 203 (2.759%), 201 (2.732.4%) found in 40-49 yr and ≤49yr age groups, respectively.

Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) is a recessive bimodal autosomal genetic trait among human populations where some people are taster while other non-tester of PTC. The information of this trait important for genetics, anthropologists, biologists, and maybe to clinicians. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the frequency of PTC in Arab Baghdadi population. A total of 1000 individuals apparently healthy were examined for the trait of tasters and non-tasters using PTC taste strips. Based on the results, of 1000 were tasters 690 (69%) and 310 (31%) non-tasters and who carry the homozygotes recessive (tt) which represented as q and dominants homozygote was represented as p in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, and the allele frequency of q (t) was 0.556 and p (T) was 0.444and according to Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, the heterozygotes are represented by the 2pq were (0.494) and the number of heterozygotes individuals were calculated 494.

The present study involved 63 cattle having different skin lesions, suspected to be infected with LSDV. The studied animals, in some slaughterhouses in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq, were submitted for collecting of blood samples and skin biopsies that sectioned from cutaneous lesions in post-slaughter stage. The samples were transported to the laboratory for extracting of DNA to examine using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to confirm the positive LSDV isolates. The results revealed that 26.98 and 65.08% of cattle were positives by PCR testing for blood and skin biopsies, respectively. In association to gender, the females had higher prevalence rates of LSDV, 32.35 and 79.41%, in comparison to males that having 20.69 and 48.28% by examining of blood and skin biopsies samples, respectively. Regarding age, a significant increase was found in the positive results of LSDV infections for testing of blood and skin samples, respectively, in >3 years group 28.85 and 71.15%, whereas, they were 18.18 and 36.36% in 1-3 years group.

Several studies have been carried out on the classification of freshwater fish (Icthyofauna) in all of Iraq or in the Tigris and Euphrates basin. The current study consisted of (82 specimens) were collected from three different regions within Babylon Province for seven months. Taxonomic status of specimens  were studied depending on morphometric traits (biometrics), then preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol. Surveyed area included three main sites in Babylon province, which is located in the center of Iraq. The diagnostic results showed that the collected fish samples related to five families, nine genera, and twelve species, as following: Family cyprinidae (Aspius vorax, Barbus barbulus, B. luteus, B. xanthopterus, B. grypus, Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio); family Bagridae (Mystus pelusius); family Siluridae (Silurus triostegus); family Mugilidae (Planiliza) (Liza abu) and (L. subviridis); family Cichlidae (Tilapia zilli).

Salvia sclareopsis is recorded for the first time for Iraq from Gmo Mountain in Kurdistan region. The species was previously recognized as endemic to Iran. The geographical distribution of the new record and its distinguishing characters are discussed.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of toxicogenic Fusarium proliferatumstrains isolated from nuts in Iraq.
A total of 108 nut samples collected from different markets in Iraq. Strains of Fusarium spp. isolated from nuts seeds and their morphological characterization of the strains were examined based on their growth on carnation leaf agar (CLA) and potato dextrose agar (PDA). The identification of F. proliferatum isolates were confirmed molecularly using species specific primers of PRO1/PRO2 primers. PCR-based detection of fumonisin-synthesis-pathway gene was also used to determine the potential of F. proliferatum isolates to produce fumonisin using FUM1 gene-based (FUM1 F/FUM1 R) primers.
Based on morphological features 28 fungal isolates were obtained from nuts and identified into four species F. proliferatum (12), Aspergillus niger (8), Aspergillus flavus (5), and Penicillium sp. (3). The primers PRO1/PRO2 produced DNA fragments 585 bp in all F. proliferatum strains. PCR assays also showed DNA fragments (183 bp) were amplified in nearly 42% of F. proliferatum strains.
Discussion and Of 12 tested isolates, 5 isolates (~42%) being fumonisin chemotype. To our knowledge, this is the first report on molecular identification and mycotoxigenic capacity of Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) isolated from nuts in Iraq.

This study includes a check-list of semi-venomous and venomous snakes in Iraq along with their distribution and classification. Collectively, from the family Clubridae, three genera, and seven species of semi-venomous snakes and from the families Viperidae four genera and six species, Elapidae one genus and two species, Hydrophiinae five genera, and eight species of venomous snakes are distributed in different geographic regions of Iraq.

Five metric and 10 meristic characters were studied in 30 specimens of Eryx (Daudin, 1803) in Bahr Al-Najaf depression, Al-Najaf Province – Iraq. According to the results, and considering the principle of priority, we concluded that the populations of E. jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the study area should be classified into E. jaculus jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and E. jaculus familiaris Echwald, 1831. In addition, ten specimens belonging to a population of Eryx in the area were found to differ from all other E. jaculus in that their second upper labial being lower than the third one. These specimens, which are tentatively regarded as Eryx cf.miliaris (Pallas, 1773), need more comprehensive study to clarify their taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationship using more morphological traits, ecology, and molecular studies.