Objective: Prostatic diseases (benign and malignant) are broadly widespread in the world. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a chronic entity reflected by enlarged prostatic tissue, triggering inferior urinary tract complaints. On the other hand, prostate cancer, is the second most common cancer in men and the fourth utmost commonly happening cancer generally. OCT4 referred to as octamer binding transcription factor 4, also recognized as POU5F1 (POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1), is a protein that in humans is coded by the POU5F1 gene. This protein is analytically elaborate in the self-renewal of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. As such, our work is designed to evaluate the immunohistochemical examination of OCT4 expression in the prostatic epithelium in cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in the epithelium of prostatic adenocarcinoma microenvironment (NPCA). Patients and Methods: The prostate samples were acquired from 50 BPH patients, and 50 prostatic cancer patients. The samples were managed for immunohistochemical examination of OCT4 expression. Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant difference in the staining percentage between the BPH and NPCA group (P-value=0.009), and there was significant staining expression of OCT4 in NPCA group as compared to BPH group (P-value=0.000). Also, there was significant elevation of the total score of OCT4 in NPCA group (P-value=0.036) as compared with BPH group. Conclusions: OCT4 is over expressed in normal tissue around prostatic carcinoma as compared to benign tissue in BPH, and thus OCT4 can be used as a stem cell marker for prostatic tissue tuomorigenicity.

BACKGROUND: Breast lumps are a common presentation that can be assess non-invasively using the ultrasonic examination. AIM: The study aimed to assess the effect of different anatomical and physiological factors on the outcome of ultrasonic scoring of breast lumps. METHODS: A total of 60 females presented with a breast lump on ultrasound assessment were randomly selected after their consent at the Clinic for Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Baghdad. The results were expressed according to the ultrasound breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) scoring. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the BI-RADS score with breast size, age, postmenopausal state, and personal or familial history of breast disease. Most cases (46.7%) scored BI-RADS II, followed by scores of III (21.6%), 4 (16.7%), and V (15%). The upper lateral quadrant of the breast was the most commonly affected sites. Marital status, parity, and breastfeeding didn’t have statistically significant influence on the sores. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonic BI-RADS scoring of breast lumps provides an initial reliable tool for the management of breast disease. Higher scores are associated with increasing breast size, age, postmenopausal state, and personal or familial history of breast disease. Several anatomical, physiological, hereditary, and environmental aspects influence such factors.

Background: With the increasing prevalence of obesity in Iraq, an increasing trend towards better physical fitness has emerged among young adults. At the same time, an increasing number of dietary supplements is offered to improve fitness and shed the extra weight. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is commonly used for such purpose. Aim: The current study was designed to test if CLA can actually accelerate weight loss when combined with dieting and moderate exercise and to examine its effect on anthropometric measures of obesity. Subjects methods: Sixty young males enrolled willingly in the study and were put on a low-carbohydrate low-fat diet and moderate high intensity interval exercise (HIIT) program. Forty of them were given CLA (1000 mg/day) for 8 weeks while the remaining twenty served as control group. Body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio (WHR), sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and body adiposity index (BAI) were recorded as baseline and again after 4 and 8 weeks. Results: The CLA-treated group showed significantly greater reduction in all four measures by the end of the study. The control group had significant but less decrease in BMI SAD but not in WHR or BAI. The percent change difference between the first and second four weeks of the study also showed statistical difference among the two groups and for different measures. The most significant finding was that SAD dropped more rapidly during the first 4 weeks of the study indicating a preferential loss of visceral fat. Oppositely, WHR dropped during the second half of the study indicating loss of more abdominal fat stores. Discussion: Regardless of the mode of action of CLA, its accelerative effect in weight loss is augmented by the combination with dieting and physical activity. It also corresponds to the natural body preference to losing the more metabolically active visceral fat prior to switching to the loss of subcutaneous fat. Whether or not this effect is sustainable requires further study.

The placenta is considered the first interface between mother and fetus, and a normal placenta is essential for pregnancy without complications. IUGR is considered the most common condition recognized in complicated pregnancy and accounts for 26% or more of stillbirth. The current study aims to explore the presence of IUGR and placental angiogenesis by investigating the expression of VEGF and eNOS in both placenta of IUGR of CMV-infected mother and placenta of normal mother in relation to awareness of CMV in Iraqi women. The expressions of VEGF and e NOS was studied using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique, while awareness was studied using 10-minute surveys in Al-Karkh directorate (Baghdad) to investigate their knowledge of CMV infection in relation to the level of education and economic status. The expression of angiogenic factors (VEGF, eNOS) was significant in syncitiotrophoblasts, smooth muscle cells and corionic villous stromal cells, and was significant in unaware, low-educated women with low income. Increased expression of angiogenic factors of IUGR babies may be a result of unawareness of CMV infection, which leads to dysregulation of angiogenic factors, and, subsequently, to inadequate placental vascularization.

Metformin is an adjuvant drug used in the treatment of obesity and diabetes, two conditions associated with stress and chronic inflammation that affects thymus structure and function.Recent evidence suggests a complex role of metformin in thymic homeostasis. The study was designed to develop an animal model of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and treat it with metformin to evaluate its effects on the thymus. In addition, its general effects on body weight and blood glucose level were also investigated. Over a period of 6 weeks, 30 albino male mice (4-5 weeks) were fed either regular chow (control group, N=10) or high fat diet (obese group). The obese group was then subjected to low dose streptozotocin induction of diabetes and divided into two subgroups, one of which was treated with metformin (N=10) while the other was not (N=10). Body weight, random blood sugar, relative thymus weight were recorded. Thymic tissue sections were stained with H & E to study general histology and with single immunohistochemical stain to detect regulatory T-cell using FOXP3 marker. Thymic corticomedullary ratio and regulator cell frequency were calculated. Metformin was successful in reducing body weight and blood glucose levels in treated animals. The thymus had higher relative weight and less cortical cellularity but more frequently counted regulatory cells.Untreated animals showed signs of thymic involution but increased corticomedullary ration in response to reduced regulator cell counts. Metformin has both direct and indirect effects in correcting metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity and diabetes. These effects are anti-inflammatory and may be responsible for stimulation of thymic immunosuppressive cells.Contrariwise, obesity and diabetes have detrimental effects on thymus structure and homeostasis.