Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by patchy, reversible hair loss. Increasing evidence suggests that immune dysregulation and hormonal imbalance may play a role in disease onset and progression. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in patients with alopecia areata compared with healthy controls, and to assess their potential role in disease pathogenesis. Methods: A case–control study was conducted on 72 participants (42 patients with AA and 30 healthy volunteers) attending the dermatology outpatient clinic at Al-Ramadi Hospital, Al-Anbar, Iraq, between December 2019 and March 2020. Detailed clinical history and dermatological examination were obtained. Venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected, and serum LH and FSH levels were measured using standard laboratory techniques. Data were analyzed for age and gender distribution, and statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05. Results: Patients with AA demonstrated significantly higher LH and FSH concentrations compared with controls. LH levels were elevated across all age groups (mean 6.97 IU/mL vs. 4.62 IU/mL, p < 0.001). Similarly, FSH levels were higher in patients (mean 7.96 IU/mL) than controls (mean 4.93 IU/mL, p < 0.05). Gender analysis revealed significantly higher LH and FSH in both males and females with AA compared to controls. Conclusion: This study highlights a strong correlation between alopecia areata and elevated pituitary gonadotropins (LH and FSH). Screening for hormonal abnormalities in AA patients may provide insights into disease mechanisms and guide early therapeutic strategies, particularly in relation to immune-endocrine interactions.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder, characterized with progressive synovitis, cartilage damage and bone resorption. Inflammation is a complex immune response and cytokines play an important role. Interleukin-12 (IL-12 and interleukin 17(A IL-17) are now known to be key players of the pathogenesis in RA. IL-12 promotes differentiation of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells and IFNγ production, whereas Th17-induced IL-17 coordinates inflammatory cascades leading to articular destruction. In this review we detail the data from 2015 to 2026 supporting roles for IL-12 and IL-17 in the pathogenesis of RA, serum and synovial levels, association with disease activity, and therapeutic efficacy. Understanding these cytokines is helpful for establishing new- agents and personalized therapies.

Residual chlorine resulting from treatment of drinking water may be an unrecognized source of abiotic stress in agrosystems. This study aimed to, using a integrated morphological and RAPD-PCR method, analyse the dose-dependent effects of sodium hypochlorite on morphological performance and genomic stability of broad bean (Vicia faba L.). Seeds were treated with five different chlorine levels (0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg l −1) and a control treatment irrigated with river water. Morphological characteristics, such as height of plants, leaf number, branching, flowering and leaf size were recorded while molecular changes were screened by ten RAPD primers. The outcomes indicated that all vegetative growth parameters decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with increasing concentration of chlorine and severe inhibition was detected at 5 mg/l and sometimes =>10 mg/l whereas low exposure to chlorine (1 mg/l) caused slight stimulation in branching of tomato with no stimulating effect on foliage count as evidence for manifestation of hormesis response. RAPD analysis indicated that significant genomic instability occurred under high dose of chlorine, including new appearance and absent bands of DNA and its variation being 77%-100%. The number of unique RAPD bands also increased with increasing chlorine concentration; indicating that the genotoxic effects were dose-dependent. These results indicate that NaOCl has a dual action in broad bean, i.e., an enhancing effect at low doses and morphological inhibition and genomic instability under high dose. RAPD markers were found to be sensitive in the early detection of genotoxic stress caused by chlorine and it emphasized the necessity of controlling residual chlorine in irrigation water for crop genetic integrity.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen that is one of the principal agents of human disease. The clinical importance of the organism is enhanced by an increase in antimicrobial resistance across the globe in which treatment options are compromised both in hospitals and in the community. Objective: Characterize the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and its respective resistance phenotype to the commonly used antibiotics. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional investigation to be developed between 2023 and 2025 at the Dar Al Shifa Hospital, which will process 388 clinical samples, including sputum, wound exudate, and peripheral blood. Traditional methods of bacterial culture were initially used, and then a conclusive identification and antimicrobial susceptibility screening was performed using an automated VITEK 2 instrumentation as per CLSI guidelines. Results: Among 272 cultures exhibiting growth, 80 were identified to be S. aureus (29.41% of positive cultures). The sources of skin and soft-tissues were most commonly represented (40.31 ⁻), wound sites (50 ⁛ of isolates). The highest rate of infection was observed in the age group of 21 to 40 years (31.25 30 -40) (31.25 30 -40). Both benzylpenicillin and erythromycin resistance was significantly high at 91.3 and 62.5 percent respectively with a 47.5 percent prevalence rate of MRSA. Notably, the isolates were all sensitive to vancomycin and tigecycline. Conclusion: The results highlight the presence of a significant MRSA burden in Basrah that should be immediately changed by updating empirical antimicrobial regimens.

In Iraq soil contamination with cadmium and lead is an increasingly pressing issue for both environmental and public health due to anthropogenic activity (industrial discharge, agricultural practices, and conflict over many years) In this study an Innovative integrated remediation approach through a synergistic combination of two sustainable technologies Nano-remediation using curcumin functionalized nanoparticles, and phytoremediation with Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). This synergistic process utilizes curcumin nanoparticles to immobilize heavy metal ions and stress reduction for the Phytotoxicity of phytoremediating plants thereby appreciably enhancing phytoremediating sunflower's natural ability to extract toxic heavy metals The 90-day simulated experiment of representative Iraqi calcareous soils, shows a targeted 70% reduction in the bioavailability of cadmium under the Integrated Protocol demonstrating a higher efficacy than either of the independent technologies Both a comparative analysis with State-of-the-art Global Research from 2020 to 2024, supports that Synergistic Nanophytoremediation is an effective and Sufficiently Economic new direction for Remediation Sciences and is in accordance with the current socio-economic environment of Iraq Therefore this paradigm offers the opportunity to develop and implement scalable and adaptable solutions in both Iraq and Globally, Three possible pathways for strategic implementation include; Initiating field scale Pilot Studies Developing a Localized Research Expertise in Nano-biotechnology Implementing Enabling Policy Frameworks to Support Large Scale Adoption, Ultimately supporting Sustainable Improved Soil Security and Public Health Protection.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of microwave-H₂O₂ treatment for municipal sludge processing, focusing on optimizing pollutant removal while minimizing the formation of undesirable byproducts. Materials and Methods: This study involved collecting 273 secondary aerobic sludge samples from the Saldin government municipal wastewater treatment plant in Iraq, during spring 2024. Samples were transported at 4°C for laboratory analysis. A factorial experimental design assessed the effectiveness of 16 microwave-H₂O₂ treatment conditions, varying hydrogen peroxide concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 4 mL/L), treatment temperatures (50, 70, and 90°C), and exposure durations (0, 2, 4, and 6 minutes). Pollutant removal was evaluated using standardized protocols: COD via titrimetry, TP via the ascorbic acid method, and TKN/NH₃-N through macro-Kjeldahl and salicylate methods. Additional physicochemical parameters such as pH, total solids, and VFAs were measured. Results: This study demonstrates that microwave-H₂O₂ treatment effectively reduces organic pollutants in sludge, achieving an 87.7% decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 50°C with 1 mL/L H₂O₂. It also significantly removes phosphorus (75%) and nitrogen (40%), though ammonia accumulation at higher intensities poses challenges, while enhancing sludge biodegradability. Operation parameters significantly influence treatment efficacy. Mild conditions (50°C, 1 mL/L H₂O₂) effectively remove organic pollutants but may necessitate subsequent nitrogen management. High-intensity conditions (90°C, 4 mL/L H₂O₂) increase ammonia risk yet enhance sludge hydrolysis. Process optimization requires balancing pollutant removal with byproduct utilization, as no single setting optimizes both. Conclusion: These findings offer wastewater treatment facilities evidence-based guidelines for optimizing processes, balancing organic removal and sludge hydrolysis efficiency.

Prostate cancer is part of male reproductive system cancers that causes of cancer related death. Although, multiple strategies have been developed, prostate cancer continue to represent a significant disease in globally. To overcome this problem, a deeper understanding of molecular mechanism that drive prostate cancer proliferation and metastasis to develop effective cure. In the current study, we investigate the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as oncogene that implicated in prostate cancer progression. Our results show a substantial level of STAT3 in DU145 and LNCaP cells. Furthermore, we show that chemo-preventing of STAT3 by resveratrol treatment or knockout of STAT3 expression in prostate cancer cells (DU145 and LNCaP) decrease cell viability. Resveratrol at different concentration show an antiproliferative activity against prostate cancer cells (DU145 and LNCaP), with most activity accompanied with 50 µM. For the first time in our lab, using CRISPR Cas9 technology to delete STAT3 gene to showed a significant reduces cell viability of DU145 and LNCaP, furthermore, the colony formation of both cells was inhibited. Interestingly, resveratrol follows the same trend as knockout of STAT3 by ameliorating DU145 and LNCaP viability and colony formation. Furthermore, Western blotting analysis showed that resveratrol inhibits STAT3 expression in both DU145 and LNCaP. These data indicate that STAT3 mediates prostate cancer progression. Inhibition of STAT3 by resveratrol mitigates prostate cancer activity progression.