Innate immunity plays a central role in the pathogenesis of severe asthma, and it is closely linked to elevated IgE and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) levels. However, there is a scarcity of information about the association of the TLR-4 receptor polymorphism in the pathogenesis of severe asthma. This study highlights the level of gene expression of different alleles in asthmatic patients compared to healthy control individuals. This was a randomized control trial, which included 150 patients with asthma (with high serum levels of IgE) with a matching 150 healthy control individuals. Participants had a series of blood tests to measure various immune parameters: interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) and detect allele type and gene expression of the TLR-4 gene. Patients with asthma had significantly higher levels of IL-8 when compared to the healthy control participants. In addition, in the rs91 genotyping, there were significant differences in the levels of IL-8 and TNF between CC and TT genotyping. While in rs90 TLR-4, TNF levels were significantly higher in AA vs. AG and GG genotypes among the asthmatic patients when compared to the control group. The results showed that in TLR-4, rs4986791 were significantly associated with asthma risk. Polymorphisms in TLRs play essential roles in asthma.

The antioxidant and anti-tumor effects of extracts from various herbs and medicinal plants were measured using various in vitro and in vivo methods. The current study investigates and compare the anticancer effects of the two palm part extracts against cancer cell line in cultured cell line of AMN3, Hela and Ref. The results showed a concentration dependent inhibitory cytotoxic effects during 72 hrs of exposure for methanolic and oily crude extracts of date and leaves on AMN3, Hela and Ref cell lines. The highest significant effect of both dry date and leave methanolic extracts were achieved at concentration 2500 μg/ ml that causing highest growth inhibition percentage (GIP) of (73.3 %, 66.4%) for AMN3 and (76.7 %, 55.4%) for Hela respectively. The concentration 5000 μg/ ml showed nearly less effect after 72 hrs exposure. Both methanolic extracts tested concentrations didn’t cause   any inhibitory effect on the REF cell line. The effect of date and leaves oily extracts at different concentrations caused on tumor Cell Line AMN3, Hela and Ref highly significant in difference at exposure periods 72   hrs for concentrations gradient ranged from (15.62- 250 μg/ml). The concentration 125 µg/ml showed higher inhibition percentage compared to the higher concentration of 2500 µg/ ml causing   on AMN3 (85.1%, 66%), Hela (79.1%, 77%), and Ref (76%, 61.7%), respectively.  Plateau were noticed for all highest palm extracts concentrations GIP effect on all cell line cultures. The study concluded that the superiority of oil extract for both date and leave over alcoholic extracts one in inhibition of in vitro the same cell lines AMN3, Hela, Ref.

Carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) is a marker for decreased O2 concentration and acidosis, associated with poor prognosis in cancerous patients. The current study suggested that the changes in CA9 gene expression level might be used as a predictive marker to assess early prognosis at the time of detection of de novo leukemia, and then monitor tumor progress during treatment. This study highlights the level of CA9 gene expression in leukemic patients. A total of 44 cases (acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) group: 23 cases; acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) group: 13 cases; control group: 8 healthy volunteers) were selected for this study. The CA9 gene expression was assessed by a real-time PCR with the SYBR green assay. A high level of CA9 gene expression was noticed in AML patients compared to the control group, while the results were not significant in ALL patients. After treatment follow-up, significant differences were observed in CA9 gene expression between a complete response and no response in AML patients. As a result, the CA9 tumor gene could act as a potential early marker for acute leukemia prognosis. A low level of CA9 expression was associated with better clinical outcomes, while a high level was related to a negative prognosis in patients with AML.

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.