Journal of Scientific Research in Medical and Biological Sciences

Hepcidin Overexpression and Hypotestosteronemia in Middle-Aged Atherosclerosis Patients

Raghda M. Ameer — 2026-06-08

Atherosclerosis is a dangerous condition that can endanger the lives of both men and women. As people age, their risk of developing this illness rises. In order to evaluate the vital markers pretentious by Cardiopathy, such as hepcidine, iron, and sex hormones. Forty men and twenty women with atherosclerosis, ages 45 to 75, took part in the current study. The control group, on the other hand, included fifteen healthy men and fifteen healthy females. The data showed that the patients' hepcidin levels differed considerably from those of the healthy individuals. The study's findings also demonstrated that males with atherosclerosis have low levels of the sex hormone testosterone. Although males with atherosclerosis are more prone to experience sexual dysfunction as they age, the current study found that individuals with atherosclerosis are more vulnerable to oxidative stress because of higher iron levels.

Study of Some Factors Affecting Jaundice in Newborns at the Children’s Hospital in Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq

Reham Layth Sami — 2026-06-08

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different factors (such as: sex, birth weight, blood group compatibility between the infant and the mother and type of feeding) on serum bilirubin levels in neonates with jaundice. A total of 72 newborns (aged 3–12 days) were picked and divided into two groups (A group of healthy neonates (12 newborns), A jaundiced group (60 newborns). Comparison between the groups showed a significant elevation in total serum bilirubin (P ≤ 0.01) in jaundiced neonates compared to the healthy ones. Regarding the effect of sex and weight on bilirubin levels in the jaundiced group, no significant differences were detected or shown. However, neonates with incompatible blood group and RH to the mother had a higher incidence of hyperbilirubinemia (Jaundice) compared to those with matched blood types. Additionally, the study shows that breastfed infants had higher bilirubin levels compared to those on mixed feeding, whereas no significant difference was shown between breastfed and formula-fed infants.

Phenotypic Characterization of Protease-Producing Enterobacter cloacae Isolates from Colorectal Cancer Patients and Their Association with Serum IL-6 and MMP-9

Ameer Abood Karim Al-Rammahi — 2026-09-21

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the greatest global health burdens, and recent data indicate the possible involvement of bacterial virulence factors in tumor development. One of these factors is protease-producing Enterobacter cloacae, whose impact may be connected with the inflammatory process and tissue remodeling. To perform the phenotypical characterization of protease-producing Enterobacter cloacae strains isolated from colorectal cancer patients and investigate their connection with serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). This is a hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study of 90 patients with histopathologically proven CRC. Isolation and identification of bacteria were done by classical microbiology procedures and VITEK-2 system. Protease production was investigated phenotypically by using skim milk agar. Concentrations of IL-6 and MMP-9 in serum were measured by ELISA. From all patients, Enterobacter cloacae was isolated in 32 (35.6%) cases, 21 (65.6%) of these isolates being protease producers. IL-6 and MMP-9 concentrations in serum samples were statistically higher in patients with protease-positive isolates (33.2±8.7 pg/mL and 8.42±1.36 ng/mL respectively) than in those with protease-negative isolates and those who did not have E. cloacae isolation (P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between protease production and IL-6 concentration (r=0.56), and MMP-9 concentration (r=0.63). Protease-positive isolates were found to be independent predictors of an advanced tumor stage (OR=3.28, P=0.009). Bacterial isolates producing proteases from E. cloacae are common among patients with CRC and are associated with increased biomarkers of inflammation and matrix destruction and with advanced tumor stage, which may indicate a link between the bacterial protease phenotype and inflammatory status and characteristics of advanced CRC.

Association of Serum Neudesin Levels with Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Dysregulation, and Inflammatory Status in Adult Males with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hassanein Fadel Mohammed — 2026-09-21

There is emerging evidence that T2DM can be categorized as a systemic metabolic-inflammation condition with features of insulin resistance-induced stress, obesity, and deterioration of neuro-metabolic homeostasis. Neudesin, a neurotrophic factor involved in regulation of energy metabolism and metabolic signals, was considered as an important modulator of metabolic adaptation processes recently. To evaluating the connection between serum Neudesin concentration and metabolic-inflammatory status of T2DM in adults men. This case control study involved 90 adult male participants including 45 cases of T2DM and 45 healthy controls. Measurement of serum Neudesin level was carried out using ELISA method. Glycemic parameters, HOMA-IR index, lipid panel, body measurements and serum hs-CRP were analyzed in this study. Correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression, logistic regression and ROC analysis were performed for statistical analysis. T2DM patients had significantly lower serum Neudesin concentration than healthy controls (2.36±0.66 vs. 4.43±0.97 ng/mL, P<0.001). Correlations between Neudesin serum level and variables like HOMA-IR (r=-0.556), HbA1c (r=-0.531), fasting glucose (r=-0.482), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (r=-0.441), triglycerides (r=-0.392), and BMI (r=-0.351) were found inversely, whereas HDL-cholesterol was correlated positively (r=+0.317). The significant independent factor predicting lower levels of serum Neudesin was HOMA-IR (β=-0.376, p<0.001). A ROC curve yielded satisfactory discriminatory ability for T2DM (area under the curve AUC=0.846). Low levels of circulating Neudesin may indicate neuro-metabolic signaling problems due to insulin resistance, adiposity-related dysfunctions, inflammation burden, and metabolic decline in patients with established T2DM.