Objective: The objective of the present work was to investigate the association between aromatase enzyme activity and polymorphisms, rs2236722, in exon 2 of cytochrome P450 (CYP), superfamily19, polypeptide 1 (CYP19A1gene) in patients with active acromegaly.Methods: A total of 120 males and females (age 20-60 years) were enrolled in this study, 60 patients with active acromegaly who have attended the National Diabetes Centre and and Specialist Center for endocrinology and diabetes, Baghdad, from December 2015 to June 2016 and 60 healthy individuals with matches as a control group. From the whole blood, genomic DNA was extracted to perform genotyping analysis and single-nucleotide polymorphism, rs2236722, in the CYP19A1 gene using multiplex polymerase chain reaction technique, and serum aromatase levels were determined using a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on sandwich method. Results:The results show that the aromatase activity levels of patients were a highly significant decrease when contrasted with healthy control groups in both sexes (p≤0.01), and there were summarized positive results of an allele in single-nucleotide polymorphism, rs2236722, were highly significant in TT allele when contrasted with healthy control groups. While revealed that there was non-significant difference in TC allele when contrasted with healthy control groups (p>0.01).Conclusion: we conclude that there was associated between CYP19A1 gene polymorphism (rs2236722) with aromatase activity and related to acromegaly patients.

No abstract

Objectives Obesity is a serious global issue with a massive impact on the health and life of people worldwide. Besides being a neuropeptide, kisspeptin is an important adipokine involved in regulating energy homeostasis and body weight. This study aims to clarify the underlying role of kisspeptin in obesity. Methods This case-control study included 110 obese individuals with BMI of 33.45 ± 0.36 kg/m 2 and 84 normal-weight individuals with BMI 21.35 ± 0.24 kg/m 2 . The individuals' ages ranged from 21 to 45 years (31.56 ± 0.67 year). Kisspeptin, neutrophil epithelial activating peptide (ENA-78), and ghrelin were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Lipid profile parameters were determined using the commercial colorimetric techniques. Results Plasma concentrations of kisspeptin and ENA-78 were significantly higher in obese subjects (kisspeptine of obese: 437.66 ± 34.96 pg/ml; kisspeptine of normal-weight: 250.10 ± 16.16 pg/ml, p < 0.0001; ENA-78 of obese: 144.80 ± 23.94 pg/ml; ENA-78 of normal-weight: 50.97 ± 3.91 pg/ml, p < 0.001). Ghrelin concentrations showed no significant difference between obese and normal-weight subjects. The lipid profile parameters significantly differed between obese and normal-weight subjects. Conclusion Kisspeptin is associated with obesity. An increased mass of adipose tissue could be responsible not only for increased kisspeptin secretion but also for the increased ENA-78 secretion. Kisspeptin may act as an adipokine more than a neuropeptide in obese population. Further studies on humans are required to establish the underlying role of kisspeptin in adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis.

Background The deficiency of vitamin D3 (VD) is a universal health issue, its role in different kind of diseases is being studied recently. However, its role in thyroid diseases is not well established yet. This study aims to determine the impact of VD in the pathogenesis of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Method. Three hundred Iraqi females with age ranged between 30 and 55 years participate in this research, 100 of them were hypothyroid patients, 100 females were hyperthyroid patients and the other 100 females were healthy volunteers served as controls. Thyroid hormones, VD, liver function parameters, and kidney function parameters were determined using different analysis techniques. Results. The levels of VD were significantly decreased in both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid patients (19.644 ± 10.524 for hypothyroid patients and 22.712 ± 11.249 for hyperthyroid patients vs. 30.880 ± 2.587 for controls, p <0.0001). Liver function parameters were within the normal ranges in all the patients. Creatinine and uric acid were within the normal ranges, while urea was significantly increased and out of the normal clinical range in both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid patients (39.560 ± 9.912 for hypothyroidism patients and 42.460 ±7.171 for hyperthyroid patients vs. 26.920 ± 5.033 for controls, p <0.0001). Conclusion. Vitamin D3 and kidney function tests must be included in the differential detection of thyroid diseases. Still, further investigations are needed to understand the underlying mechanism by which VD affects thyroid hormone regulation.

Submission of an original paper with copyright agreement and authorship responsibility.I (corresponding author) certify that I have participated sufficiently in the conception and design of this work and the analysis of the data (wherever applicable), as well as the writing of the manuscript, to take public responsibility for it. I believe the manuscript represents valid work. I have reviewed the final version of the manuscript and approve it for publication. Neither has the manuscript nor one with substantially similar content under my authorship been published nor is being considered for publication elsewhere, except as described in an attachment. Furthermore I attest that I shall produce the data upon which the manuscript is based for examination by the editors or their assignees, if requested.Thanking you.