Bacteria of the species Streptococcus pneumoniae, dominant in the etiological structure of community-acquired pneumonia in children, are represent a serious problem in the field of human infectious pathology. Detailed molecular and genetic characteristics of eleven S. pneumoniae strains isolated from sputum samples of children with community-acquired pneumonia were obtained using whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Based on the analysis of the nucleotide sequences of seven housekeeping genes (aroE, gdh, gki, recP, spi, xpt, ddl), it was found that S. pneumoniae strains included in the study belong to six sequence types: ST1367, ST819, ST1262, ST180, ST15069, ST66. Using SeroBA algorithm S. pneumoniae strains were assigned to five serotypes:11C, 22F, 15C, 9N, 3. Genome annotation using ResFinder and CARD databases allowed us to identify determinants of resistance to macrolides (ermB, RImA), fluoroquinolones (patA, patB, pmrA), lincosamides (RImA), aminoglycosides (aph(3')-Ia) and tetracyclines (tetM and tet32). A high frequency of detection of pathogenicity genes encoding choline-binding proteins, fibronectin-binding proteins, pneumolysin, autolysin, hyaluronidase, neuraminidase, capsule proteins, zinc metalloproteinase in the genome of S. pneumoniae strains was noted. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the genome of Nishny Novgorod strains and strains deposited in GenBank/NCBI showed a high level of genetic variability of pneumococci circulating both in Russia and abroad.
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Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP): Pathophysiology and Advances in Treatment Options
The persistent inflammatory condition of sinonasal mucosa known as Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) commonly exists with asthma and allergic rhinitis and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). The research investigated patient outcomes from CRSwNP treatment through medical and surgical methods with special emphasis on biologics and body mass index (BMI) effects on treatment results. The prospective observational research at Tikrit Teaching Hospital enrolled 200 adult CRSwNP patients from January 2024 through February 2025. The diagnostic evaluation included nasal endoscopy and high-resolution CT imaging as well as Sniffin’ Sticks olfactory testing and histopathological examination and inflammatory biomarker assessment. Medical treatments included corticosteroids, antibiotics, antihistamines, montelukast, and dupilumab in selected cases. Patients who needed surgery received functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The patients received follow-up care for 12 months through which evaluated their results. The Lund-Kennedy endoscopy scores together with Lund-Mackay CT scores and olfactory scores showed substantial post-treatment improvements (p < 0.001). The treatment of dupilumab resulted in positive responses in 85% of patients who had asthma and AERD. The effectiveness of dupilumab treatment decreased when patients had higher body mass index (BMI). The surgical procedure FESS produced symptom resolution in 90% of patients. The laboratory and histological results demonstrated that the inflammatory response was dominated by Th2 cells and eosinophils. The SNOT-22 scores showed significant improvement during the 12-month period. The treatment of CRSwNP requires a customized combination of medical and surgical interventions to achieve optimal results. The selection of biologic therapy needs to take BMI into account.
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| 06_Saleem_61-69.pdf | 403.19 KB |
Vitex negundo is a medicinal plant renowned for its wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, including significant anticancer activity. This study explores the inhibitory effects of V. negundo methanolic extract and essential oil on α-amylase purified from the serum of Iraqi lung cancer patients, as well as their cytotoxic effects on the A549 human lung cancer cell line. α-Amylase, an enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism, exhibits altered activity under cancerous conditions, making it a potential therapeutic target. The enzyme was purified through a multi-step procedure comprising ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration chromatography. This process resulted in an increase in specific activity from 0.94 to 17.0 U/mg protein. Both extracts of V. negundo were assessed for their capacity to inhibit α-amylase activity and reduce the viability of lung cancer cells. The methanolic extract demonstrated a more pronounced inhibitory effect on α-amylase (88.4% at 10 µg/mL) compared to the essential oil (77.0% at 10 µg/mL). Moreover, MTT assay results indicated concentration -dependent cytotoxicity against A549 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 68.79 µg/mL for the methanolic extract and 81.14 µg/mL for the essential oil. These findings underscore the potential of V. negundo—particularly its methanolic extract—as a promising natural anticancer agent, capable of targeting cancer-related metabolic pathways and suppressing tumor cell viability. The results warrant further investigation into the development of V. negundo-based therapeutics for lung cancer treatment.
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| 05_Hazim_45-60.pdf | 844.53 KB |
One of the consequences of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is diabetic nephropathy (DN), which can arise from the microvascular effects of the illnesses, often resulting in progressive renal impairment. It predominantly affects individuals in young and middle adulthood. This study included 60 patients diagnosed with DN at Baqubah Teaching Hospital and 30 healthy individuals as controls. Serum levels of MMP-7, YKL-40, KIM-1, and RBP-4 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate their role in the pathophysiology of DN. Among the DN cohort, 61.7% were male, with the highest representation in age groups 41-50 (23.3%), 51-60 (31.7%), and 61-70 years (23.3%). Most patients (73.3%) were non-obese. Serum levels of MMP-7, YKL-40, KIM-1, and RBP-4 were significantly elevated in DN patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed that YKL-40 had the highest diagnostic performance, with 93% sensitivity and 87% specificity at a cut-off value >7.31 ng/mL. This was followed by KIM-1 (83% and 80%), MMP-7 (77% and 80%), and RBP-4 (70% and 71%) at cut-offs (>1.01, >7.31, and >49.39), respectively, in the diagnosis of DN patients. No statistically significant differences were found between biomarker levels in obese versus non-obese patients. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between MMP-7 and YKL-40 (Pearson Correlation 0.442** and **p = 0.001). The elevated levels of MMP-7, YKL-40, KIM-1, and RBP-4 in DN patients reflect underlying kidney damage. Among these biomarkers, YKL-40 and KIM-1 demonstrated superior diagnostic utility due to their higher sensitivity and specificity, suggesting their potential value as reliable markers in the early detection and monitoring of diabetic nephropathy.
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| 04_Alsaidi_34-44.pdf | 647.45 KB |
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is distinguished from other lymphoid tumours due to the fact that its biology and clinical symptoms are very different from those of other lymphoid cancers. In the past ten years, there has been significant progress made in the understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. In the field of cancer research, there have been numerous significant areas that have been investigated. The mechanisms of genetic vulnerability, the role of immunogenetic factors in the development of disease, genomic changes, epigenetic subtypes, epigenomic reprogramming of tumour cells, the control of interactions between tumour cells and their environment, and the dynamics of clonal evolution from monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are some of the topics that are investigated. As a result of the accumulation of information, new targeted drugs and management strategies have been developed, which has resulted in the opening of new therapy avenues. The purpose of this review is to examine the patterns of DNA methylation, immunological markers, and molecular and immunological characteristics that are present in patients who have chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
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| 03_Aljumaily_22-33.pdf | 389.6 KB |
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues constitute a valuable archival source for retrospective molecular studies, but DNA extraction from such material is often hampered by formalin-induced cross-linking and long-term storage. We developed a rapid, xylene-free protocol for isolating DNA from paraffin-embedded malignant tumor tissues of nonhuman primates. The method includes deparaffinization, incubation of tissue sections in a proteinase K-containing lysis buffer (30 mM Tris-HCl, 30 mM EDTA, 5% Tween 20, 0.5% Triton X-100, 800 mM guanidine HCl) at 60 °C, subsequent enzyme inactivation at 95 °C, alcohol precipitation, two-step washing and final elution in TE buffer. DNA obtained with this protocol was suitable for PCR amplification, and under optimal conditions fragments up to 400 bp were amplified irrespective of the storage time of FFPE blocks (1-10 years). The procedure offers an accessible laboratory alternative to commercial kits for the analysis of archival primate material.
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| 02_Agumava_16-21.pdf | 441.45 KB |
Human activities, such as power generation stations, are a major contributor to environmental pollution in Baghdad city since they increase and accumulate pollutants containing heavy metals. Three groups were established from the human blood samples used in the study. The first group, the H1 control group, consisted of fifteen samples of healthy, rural-dwelling individuals. Thirty people with type 2 diabetes who resided in rural regions, away from urban pollution, made up the second group (H2). Thirty individuals with type 2 diabetes who had worked for at least three years in power electric generating stations for both public and private schools in Baghdad, Iraq, made up the third group (H3). After an average fasting period of 8 to 12 hours and with ages ranging from 35 to 70 years, 75 male blood samples were collected. Due to the extremely significant difference (P ≤ 0.01), the results reveal HbA1c. There is no discernible difference between SGOT and SGPT in liver enzymes. A significantly significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) is seen between the variables in alkaline phosphatase. The creatinine and urea analyses reveal a notable disparity (P ≤ 0.05) in kidney function. There is no discernible difference between uric acid and calcium. Concentrations of heavy metals differ significantly (P ≤ 0.01) in Cd, but just marginally (P ≤ 0.05) in Cu and Cr. Neither Mn nor Zn differed significantly. Finding a link between heavy metal intake and the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus is the primary objective of this research.
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| 01_Dhamin_5-15.pdf | 700.53 KB |
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly aggressive form of cancer that frequently recurs and metastasizes, necessitating the search for novel molecular markers to enhance diagnosis and prognosis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes, which have a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, represent promising candidates for such biomarkers. The TaqMan allele discrimination method of genotyping of six SNPs (rs11263432, rs4506680, rs793096, rs619586, rs3200401, and rs3741219) within lncRNA genes (LINC02952, LINC02747, LINC02664, MALAT-1 and H19) was performed on 128 patients with ccRCC from the Tatar population and 134 healthy control individuals, who were comparable in terms of gender, age, and region of residence. The statistical analysis assessed the association between genotypes and the risk of ccRCC development. Significant associations with the risk of developing ccRCC have been identified. The rs11263432*T, rs79396*T, and rs619586*A alleles were associated with an increased risk of the disease (OR = 2.32 (95%CI = 1.1-5.3) p = 0.04, OR = 1.49 (95%CI = 1.0-2.1) p = 0.03 and OR = 1.33 (95%CI = 0.3-6.7) p = 0.03, respectively). No statistically significant associations with ccRCC risk were found for rs4506680, rs3200401, and rs3741219 polymorphisms. The results of the study indicate that specific polymorphisms in the lncRNA LINC02952, LINC02664 and MALAT-1 genes may serve as potential markers of predisposition to ccRCC in the studied population. The findings highlight the important role of variations in lncRNA genes in ccRCC pathogenesis and their possible potential as targets for developing new approaches to personalized diagnosis and risk assessment.
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| 13_156-162.pdf | 500.81 KB |
Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Recently, much attention has been focused on the study of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are a class of noncoding RNA transcripts with length over 200 nucleotides localized in the nucleus and thought to play a regulatory role in carcinogenesis. In our study the expression levels of lncRNAs H19 and UCA1 were screened in normal and tumor bladder tissue of the patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer. The expression level of lncRNAs in tumor samples compared with normal tissue was increased by approximately 4 times: for H19 fold change (FC) = 4.03 (p-value = 0.0003), and for UCA1 FC = 4.83, (p-value = 0.0165). We performed a ROC-analysis for a combination of these lncRNAs, and the AUC was 0.747, model accuracy is 73.3%.
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| 12_143-155.pdf | 925.4 KB |
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world (http://globocan.iarc.fr). In the Russian Federation, cancer of this localization ranks sixth among all malignant tumors in terms of incidence and second in mortality. Our study used a sample consisting of DNA samples isolated from the peripheral venous blood of patients with gastric cancer and healthy donors aged 21 to 88 years living in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The group of patients consisted of 156 people. As a control, a group of unrelated healthy donors without any gastrointestinal diseases was studied, consisting of 307 people of various ethnicities also living in the Republic of Bashkortostan. One of the promising areas is the study of mitochondrial dysfunction as a consequence of changes in energy metabolism, which are one of the signs of malignancy (Lee et al., 2014). In our study, we screened for known mutations of mtDNA molecules in patients with gastric cancer. The results of our studies show that all three loci we examined - a 4977 bp deletion located in the 8483-13459 mtDNA region, single nucleotide substitutions 15767 C>G in the CYB gene and 7080 T>C in the COI gene - most likely do not play a role as driver events in the occurrence of gastric cancer in individuals of Russian, Tatar and Bashkir ethnicity from the Republic of Bashkortostan.
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| 11_135-142.pdf | 591.47 KB |
