Ninety-five Iraqi patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania tropica at AL-Karama Hospital in Baghdad were included in this study. Sixty patients were with single sore and the remaining with multiple sores. The study also included 10 atopic patients and 30 healthy individuals as a control group. Cellular and humoral immune response at different stages of the disease activity (early and late) were evaluated by estimation of serum IFNc, IL-4 and total IgE antibodies using ELISA kits while, the detection of specific anti leishmanial IgE antibodies was done manually. Specific IgE antibodies were only detected in early CL (\2 months) patients 68 (71.57 %) while, were not detected in late CL, atopic and healthy controls 30 (100 %). The results also showed a positive relationship between this antibody and the number of sores. Th-2 predominates during the early stage of the disease then shifts to Th-1 that proceed in the late stage, but both cytokines increased in CL patients in comparison to control group. The immune response of CL infection is possibly regulated by both Th-1 and Th-2. Multiple sores patients showed an increase of anti leishmanial IgE (0.120 ± 0.014), total IgE (120.7 ± 39.58 IU/ml), IFN-c (87.4 ± 30.52 pg/ml) and IL-4 (63.70 ± 20.32 pg/ml) levels than single sore patients with mean value of 0.108 ± 0.14, 92.3 ± 35.23 IU/ml, 47.2 ± 27.80 pg/ml and 51.04 ± 15.0 pg/ml respectively. It can be presented also as ratio of INF-c/IL-4 = 1.37 which is greater than those for single sore 0.9. These results indicated that the immune response of multiple sores patient's is higher than that with single sores.

No abstract

Background: Inflammation causes a rise in the levels of certain proteins; these proteins are identified as acute stage proteins and one of these proteins is C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP composed of 206-amino acid of the short pentraxin family. Objective: This review assessed CRP as an inflammatory indicator that has an important role in the host's defense against infection and also it is documented the pivotal role of this protein during infections with different parasites. Conclusion: This review is hypothesizing that CRP levels rise during infections caused by parasites. Other studies revealed that there is no association of soil-transmitted helminths infections with the increasing levels of CRP. Keywords: C-reactive protein; protozoan parasites; soil-transmitted helminths

No abstract

Atherosclerosis is a condition of the hardening of a blood vessel via the development of plaques around the artery wall which causes the artery to narrow, leading to severe complications. Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic parasitic infection that causes pathological complications in immunocompromised patients, which lead to increase the burden on the immune system in these patients. This study aims to assess the incidence rate of toxoplasmosis in atherosclerosis patients and its potential to change C - reactive protein (C-RP) and vitamin D3 levels. Serum samples (150) were tested for the positivity of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by means of Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, C-RP was assessed in all serum samples by means of Latex Fixation Test, while VtD3 was estimated by MiniVidas device. The results revealed that the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in atherosclerotic patients was comparatively higher as compared to that in the control group, with significant differences in C-RP and VtD3 levels. These results suggest that the decreased levels of VD3 lead to increase the incidence of T. gondii infection in atherosclerosis patients.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is primarily a disease process of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of premature neonates that results in inflammation and bacterial invasion of the bowel wall. It is the most common gastrointestinal (GI) emergency in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), making it one of the leading causes of long-term disability in preterm infants. Despite advances in the care of premature infants, NEC remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in this population. It occurs in 1-5% of all neonatal intensive care admissions and 5-10% of all very low birth weight (<1500 g) infants. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is primarily a disease of premature infants, but may also be present in 10% of term and near term babies. Preterm infants show delayed colonization by "healthy commensal" organisms, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Data suggest that low colonization of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in preterm Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants may serve as a predisposing factor in microbial infection and NEC. The presence of a higher proportion of Proteobacteria has an association with faecal microbiome among preterm infants. Thus, the focus of this review is to provide an in-depth summary of the current knowledge regarding its association with faecal microbiome among preterm infants. Different search engines were carefully employed in analyzing scientific articles, journals, and online published data. Preventing NEC is instrumental in decreasing the morbidity and mortality from this gastrointestinal emergency. Human milk (breastfeeding) has been proved to be protective against NEC likewise probiotic supplementation has reduced both incidence and severity of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates. Also, the intervention of surgery, laparotomy andthe use of stem cells in clinical neonatology is therapeutic options with huge potential.With its multifactorial pathogenesis, disease prevention remains a challenge, although, probiotic supplementation has reduced both incidence and severity of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates.