Refractory/relapsed acute leukemia has always been a challenging problem for hematologist. Over the past decade emphasis has been made in the development of regimens containing fludarabine, combined with cytosine arabinoside for the treatment of refractory/relapsed acute leukemias. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of fludarabine, high dose cytarabine, and granulocyte colony stimulating factor in refractory relapsed cases of acute leukaemia, a prospective study is being conducted at the National Center of Hematology and hematology unit/Baghdad teaching hospital from July 2008 to July 2010. Twenty Patients with refractory/relapsed acute leukemia were treated with fludarabine 30 mg/m(2) and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) 2 g/m(2) for 5 days, and granulocyte colony stimulating factor G-CSF 300 µg/day from day 0 till neutrophil recovery (ANC > 1.0 × 10(9)/L). Response was evaluated by bone marrow examination on day 30 post chemotherapy. Patients included were refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (five patients), relapsed ALL (four patients), refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (eight patients), relapsed AML (three patients). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in nine (45 %) patients, while three (15 %) patients got partial remission. Three (15 %) patients died because of post chemotherapy complications and five (25 %) patient failed to achieve remission. Major complications encountered were: anemia, fever, bleeding, mucositis and bacterial infections. FLAG protocol is well tolerated and effective regimen in relapsed/refractory acute leukemias. The toxicity is acceptable, enabling most patients to receive further treatment, including transplantation procedures.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERSCoV) have been reported in Arabian peninsula and sporadic cases in Europe and Asia. This study was conducted to evaluate the genetic analysis of this virus in human and camel at the first time in Iraq. Two hundred samples were collected from camels and human who suffering from respiratory symptoms, these samples treated with RNA extraction kit then amplification the genetic material by PCR which give 5% positive results. The amplicon then sequenced, registration in gene bank of NCBI for getting accession numbers. The local strains give close relationship with neighbor countries as Saudi Arabia and Jordan strains when using MEGA analysis software.

There were eight local partial sequences of sulphonamide resistant genes(sul1gene) in Salmonella Typhimurium that isolated from human and animals. These genes that coded for integrase family proteindiagnosed byconventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the amplicon products thensequenced and these sequences were registrated in gene bank-NCBI for obtaining accession numbers, then downloaded ofglobal sequences for this gene to find relationship among local and world strains at phylogenic tree of these sequencesby applying MEGA6 software program. The localsul1 gene accession numbers were:KP684180.1,KP684181.1,KP684182.1,KP684183.1,KP684184.1,KP684185.1,KP684186.1 and KP684187.1

This study aimed to identify ovine herpesvirus 2 (OHV-2) infections in sheep and goats in Al-Qadisiyah Province of Iraq, using molecular and phylogenetic methods. Nasal discharge swabs were collected from 60 sheep and 60 goats from 3 different animal sale bars. The samples were subjected to semi-nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing, and phylogenetic tests involving OHV-2 tegument protein gene (OHV-2T). The results of the semi-nested PCR showed the presence of OHV-2 in all 60 (100%) sheep and 52 (86.6%) goats. The samples from both sheep and goats were sent for partial-gene-based sequencing to confirm the PCR results. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted and 6 PCR amplicons (10%) of positive samples from each goat and sheep were submitted for sequencing. The sequence results were reassembled and deposited in the NCBI-GenBank database under the accession numbers of MF004402.1 for sheep and MG875327.1 and MG875328.1 for goats. Multiple alignments of sequences showed close identities with some global isolates of this virus. This study not only reports new sequences from the local OHV-2 isolates that have been deposited in the NCBI GenBank, but also provides important data about the presence and shedding of OHV-2 in the nasal discharge of healthy sheep and goats, and suggests OHV-2 as the major cause of malignant catarrhal fever in cattle.

To specify Escherichia coli, infects urinary bladder, whether it is a urospecific bacterium or not, this polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR)-based study was performed. Urine specimens from patients with urinary tract infection were subjected to a process of bacterial recovering 20 isolates of E. coli. The isolates were then used for PCR-based identification of uropathogenic specific protein (usp) and type III secretion system ( ETTT) genes. The results revealed the presence of usp in 6 (30%) isolates and ETTT in 2 (10%) isolates. So these results give no-doubt confirmation that these isolates of E. coli are urospecific and pathogenic bacteria.