Association of rheumatoid arthritis and its severity with human leukocytic antigen-DRB1 alleles in Kurdish region in North of Iraq

Background Rheumatoid arthritis is a complex multifactorial chronic disease, the importance of human leukocytic antigen (HLA) as a major genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis was studied worldwide. The objective of this study is to identify the association of HLA-DRB1 subtypes with rheumatoid arthritis and its severity in Kurdish region. Methods A case–control study recruited 65 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 100 healthy individuals as control group all over the Kurdistan region/Iraq. Both patient and control groups are genotyped using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primer. Anti-CCP antibodies were measured by ELISA test. Rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, and disease activity score 28 which measured by DAS-28 values were calculated. The DAS-28 was used to assess the clinical severity of the patients. Results HLA-DRB1-0404 and HLA-DRB1-0405 frequencies showed a strong association with disease susceptibility (P < 0.001). The frequency of HLA-DRB1-0411 and HLA-DRB1-0413 were significantly higher in control group (P < 0.001). The frequency of rheumatoid factor and Anti-CCP were significantly higher among shared epitope-positive patients compared to shared epitope-negative patients (P < 0.001). Regarding the disease activity by DAS-28, rheumatoid arthritis patients didn’t show significant difference between the shared epitope-positive and shared epitope-negative patients. Conclusions HLA-DR0404 and HLA-DR0405 alleles are related to RA, while HLA-DR1-0411 and HLA-DRB1-0413 protect against RA in the Kurdistan region in the North of Iraq.

Shakrook Anticline, a Very Complicated Structural Form, North Iraq, Kurdistan Region

The Shakrook anticline has very a complicated structural form, this is attributed to three thrust faults, and the presence of four anticlinal axes with the main anticlinal body. The most northwest existing anticline is called in the current study the Sisawa anticline, the main two anticlines are called the Shakrook East and Shakrook West, whereas the fourth one is called the Biluk anticline it is developed along the southwestern limb of the Shakrook East anticline. The exposed rocks in the Shakrook anticline range from Upper Jurassic to the Paleogene age. The bulk of the main Shakrook anticline is formed by the Bekhme Formation (Upper Cretaceous age), whereas the bulk of the Sisawa anticline is formed of the Shiranish Formation (Upper Cretaceous age) with Paleogene and Neogene aged rocks. Geological maps and high-quality satellite images were used to elucidate the complex structural form of the Shakrook anticline. The updated geological map is quite different from those existing geological maps. A field investigation was carried out to check the interpreted data and to implement photography to the interested structural and geomorphological forms. Different geomorphological forms also were interpreted; they all refer to the lateral growth of the Shakrook anticline.