Thi-Qar Medical Journal

This is a case-control study carried out in Basrah during 2006. It involved 120 cases
of leukaemia and lymphoma among children aged less than 15 years. The cases were
compared with 180 controls matched for age, sex and area of residence. The study
aimed at exploring certain sociodemographic and environmental risk factors.
The results showed significant association between these two cancers and each of
probable exposure to radiation, pesticides and chemicals related to automobiles and
other sources. No clear association could be elicited between the studied cancers and
education, age and occupation of parents.
The study came to the conclusion that leukaemia and lymphoma were important
childhood cancers and continuing efforts to register cancer in Basrah is vital for
effective planning and research. It is also recommended that this small scale study
could be expanded in the near future to confirm or refute the present study findings.

The present study has been done in Al-Nassiriyha, southern Iraq, from December
2006 to August 2007,designed to determine the role of Interleuken-6 and Tumor
necrosis factor – α in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis for specific
period of time and healthy controls, and to show the diagnostic value of IL-6 and
TNF-α in relation to rheumatoid factor (RF) to discriminate between those patients
with and without RA . Blood samples were taken from 121 patients with
rheumatoid arthritis from AL-Hussein Teaching Hospital in AL-Nassiriyah and 120
healthy controls from medical personnel and school students who were healthy .
All the information were taken from the patients and controls. An Enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay was used for estimation IL-6, TNF-α and slide agglutination
test for the estimation of RF.
The seropositivity to IL-6 and TNF-α and RF in
patients with rheumatoid arthritis was ( 60% , 56.1% and 57% respectively ) .The
study revealed that specificity of TNF- alpha was higher than IL-6 and RF ( 96.6 % ,
92.5 % and 81.6 respectively ) .

Ethanolic extracts of M. fragrans induced dose dependent muscle relaxant,
anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects in rats . Aqueous extracts were less potent. Both
ethanolic and aqueous extract had no effects on LH, FSH, testosterone levels, sperm
content of epididymal head and sexual desire of the treated male rats.

Background:
Hydatid diseases still constitutes a serious public health problem in endemic areas in the
Middle East and areas around the Mediterranean.The life cycle of this parasite exists
between carnivores and herbivores, like dogs and sheep; man is an accidental
intermediate host and an end-point in the parasite’s life cycle.The growth of the cyst is
often insidious and becomes symptomatic only late in the course of the disease.Liver and
lungs are the first and second most frequently involved organs respectively, but hydatid
disease can occur in all viscera and soft tissues.
Objectives:
The purpose of this paper is to describe an unusual presentation of hydatid disease in
this locality.
Methodes:
During 8 years period 1996-2003 we came across 27 unusual cases of hydatid diseases
which were treated in 2nd surgical unit 5th floor al Nassiria general hospital,
both elective and emergency admissions.
Resultes:
A total of 27 patients were admitted [8males,19 females]: The mean age was 23 years
ranging from 6 years to48 years, three quarters of patients came from rural areas and
commonest presenting complaint was mass. Preoperative diagnosis were positive in
45%. Liver&/or lung involved in only one fourth of the cases ,all patients undergoing
surgery and also received post op treatment medical treatment.
Discussion:
Females are more often affected than males ,patients presented mainly in 3rd decade&
the disease was more prevalent in rural population.
Soft tissue hydatid is usually the only hydatid disease of the body &preoperative
diagnosis were not settled in nearly 2/3rd of cases especially extra abdominal one
,majority of extra abdominal hydatid were unilocular while multilcular were common in
intra abdominal one
Conclusion:
Hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all cystic masses in
all anatomic locations of the study.

This retrospective study was done on 179 of newly diagnosed children with insulin
dependent diabetes mellitus who were admitted over 5 years (Jan. 2003- Dec. 2007)
to two main hospitals in Thi-qar city-Iraq . Majority of patients (79,3%) were
between 5-12 years of age ,while the minority (20,6%) were less than 5 Years of age.
The frequency of cases was correlated with increasing age . Male cases were 100
(55,8%) , females were 79 (44%) , male to female ratio was 1,2:1. Family history was
positive in 81(45%) cases . Most of our patients 58% were from urban areas , while
those from rural areas constitute 42%. Clinically 114(63,6%) patients presented with
the classical symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus. At the onset 43 (24%) patients had
ketoacidosis, five of whom were comatose. Most cases / 111(62%) presented in
Winter and Autumn seasons, showed male predominance, shorter duration of
symptoms and commoner presentation of ketoacidosis than in the other seasons.
Thirty-two patients were had preceding history of viral illness or emotional stress
during 2-4 weeks before presentation.

Background:
Patient satisfaction is increasingly being recognized as central elements in the
monitoring and evaluation of healthcare. Assessment of patient satisfaction offers a
way of optimizing health status and prevents waste of medical resources. The direct
measurement of patient satisfaction is a new phenomenon in Iraq.
Objective:
In this survey, the level of patient satisfaction and its correlates were investigated in
attendees at five health care facilities in Thiqar province,Iraq.
Method:
A cross sectional study of clients attending five public health care facilities during
the period from March 2, to June 20, 2007.An exit interview was conducted with 452
clients using a special questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic, and health
care service items.
Results:
Of the participants,222(49.1%) were dissatisfied with the health care services
offered by facilities.High dissatisfaction rate was associated with low
education.,unemployement, male gender ,and being single. There was a high
significant statistical association between the age of clients , education ,marital status
,and employment with satisfaction for the health care services .Satisfaction rate was
high for vaccination and very low for gynecology and obstetric services.
Conclusion:
There is a low satisfaction rate for the health care services at Thi-qar province in
comparison with countries in the region and in the world , which indicate a need for
corrective intervention in some service areas and a further thorough large-scale
studies to explore the nature and correlates of satisfaction.

This study included (85) women attending the gynecological obstetric department in
AL-Maternity & children hospital where they were investigated for the presence of T.
vaginalis a for period extended November 2006 to March 2007 .The results of the study
showed that the rate of infestation of women with T. vaginalis was 67.1% &57.6% by
Latex agglutination test ,Wet A total of (85) samples included three groups ,infestation
rate in women with IUCD 47.4% ,Contraceptive pills 26.5% .followed by the women
non contraceptives usage 30.6% There was significant relationship between Intrauterine
contraceptive device(IUCD) usage and infection rate .When the accuracy of latex
agglutination test was compared with wet preparation method ,there was important
significant difference in ( P<0.05) .

Background
Gall stones and renal stones are one of the common pathologies recorded all over the
world , there are many types for both renal and gall stones as well as different
etiology and causing different signs and symptoms .
Objective.
The study planned to determine if there is significant statistical association between
the coexistence of renal stones with gall stones .
Patients and Methods
140 patients presented with gall stones from the period of January 2007 until march
2008 in out patient clinic, 117(83.5%) patients where females and 23(16.5%) where
males, all the patients examined by ultrasound for both renal and gall stones and
some patients with renal stones examined by KUB x-ray and/or IVU, records of all
patients reviewed for age, gender, gross appearance of both types of stones post
operatively (for those who were operated) and for those patients passing renal stones
per urethra and correlated with the type of gall stone that seen post operatively, the
patients underwent different modalities of treatments, by surgery (open or laparo
scopic cholecystectomy ),(nephrolithotomy),or conservative for both types of stones.
Results.
Regarding the gall stones, surgical treatment done for 118 patients, 100 of them by
laparoscopic cholecystectomy and open cholecystectomy for 18 patients, while 22
patients treated conservatively, and regarding the renal stones 12 patients of them
operated during the course of study, and 20 patients of them passing their stones per
urethra, and all these stones seen grossly, the other patients treated conservatively,
the study shows positive presence of renal stones in 95 (67.9%) patients of total
number, the coincidence was noticed to increase with age (p value >0.05) and with
pigmented gall stones and female sex (p value <0.05 for both).
Conclusion
There is significant positive coincidental presence of renal stones in patients with gall
stones in this study.
Aim of Study
This study planned to determine the statistical relation ship between coincidental
presence of renal stone(s) and gall stone(s) after observing a remarkable incidental
occurrence of both of them, a step that hinders the search for their etiological factors.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites was determined for 252 children(primary schools
for boys and girls ) in Alemarat and Al zaitoon areas in nassirryia city.
The age of children ranged from 6-11 years 180 females (71.5%) and 72 males
(28.5%) .
For stool sample inspection and direct smear microscopy the general prevalence of
intestinal parasite was 46.4%.different types of intestinal parasites were detected
during this survey .Giardial Lamblia seemed to be the most common parasite
(21.2 %) whereas Entameba Histolytica (14%),Enterobious vermicularis (11%)&
Hymenolespis nana (0.7%)

The antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts of Pomegranates (Punica granatium
L.) pricarps and Celery (Apium graveolens L.), Sweet Clover ( Melilotus officinalis
L.),Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.), Fenugreek Seed (Trigonella feonum-graecum L.)
leaves and Carrot ( Daucus carota L.) seeds against some pathogenic fungi , Gram
negative and Gram-positive bacteria were studied. Also, photochemical compound of
extracts were determined, results of the chemical tests explain the M. sativ and P.
granatium extracts contain flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins and glycosides
compounds, while the other plants were varied in the kinds of these compounds.
Ethanolic extracts show significant differences between most plants extracts, possibly
due to deferent in the antimicrobial substance contain. All bacteria which were tested
have shown susceptible to the P. granatium and D. carota ethanolic extracts. Proteus
vulgaris , Klebsiella aerogenes and Streptococcus aureus the most susceptible
bacteria to the D. carota and P. granatium extracts successively, whereas A.
graveolens and T. feonum-graecum did not have antibacterial activity against most
bacteria.
The antifungal activity of the ethanolic extracts of deferent plants show significant
differences against pathogens test fungi, D. carota seed and P. granatium pericarps
extracts report the most inhibited percentage than with the M.officinalis extract,
also, a different level in susceptible of Geotrichum candidum and Trichophton
montagrophytes fungi have shown with all extracts which had use.

A simple method for the gas chromatographic quantitation of fatty acids in the bile
and gallstone is described where fatty acids are subjected to methylation derivative.
37 patients from cholelithiasis, admitted at Basra general hospital, they were 17
patients with gallbladder cholesterol stones, 14 patients with interahcpatic bile duct
pigment stones whereas 6 patients with extrahepatic bile duct cholesterol stones
.Gallbladder bile was collected from 37cholelithiasis patients. In our study, analyzed
them quantity fatty acids in different stones.
The total free fatty acids and fatty acid contents of bile and cholesterol stones
samples in the intrahepatic cholesterol were markedly higher than individuals in
samples from bile and pigment stones(p≤ 0.05).The ratio of free saturated to free
unsaturated fatty acids were highest in the gallstones, bile for intrahepatic
cholesterol (p≤ 0.05).

Total of (66) patient infested by external parasite or mites (pediculus captis ware
studied for occurrence
of bacterial skin infection) females ware more infection
than males ,females ware (54) cases, while male are (12) of total infection Swabs
cultured from these cases on blood agar , mannitol salt agar ,confirmed by
biochemical test, show, that Staphylococcus aureus (81.18%), Staphylococcus
epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.54%) , also mixed infection Staph.
aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.09%).Drug sensitivity test revealed that all
isolates sensitive to dicloxacillin , rifambine , ciprofolxacillin ,(cephalexin and
gentamicin) , while acombination two antibiotics with the same time are appeared
highly sensitive and effective against this infection , also Pseudomonas aeruginosa
sensitive to aminoglycosides, polymyxin and pencillin.