The PhD dissertation entitled “Role of Some Cytokines, Adipokines, and PTPN22 Gene Polymorphism in Iraqi Patients with Graves’ Disease”, was discussed by the researcher Noor Talib Akbar under the supervision of Professor Dr. Jabbar Hameed Yenzeel, a faculty member of the College of Science/University of Baghdad at the Biology Department.
The study aimed to investigate the role of selected cytokines, adipokines, and the PTPN22 gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of Graves’ disease among Iraqi patients, with the aim of identifying immunological and genetic factors associated with this autoimmune thyroid disorder.
The results showed significant alterations in several inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, highlighting their important role in the development and progression of Graves’ disease. In contrast, the studied PTPN22 gene polymorphism showed no significant association with disease susceptibility in the Iraqi population. The study emphasizes the importance of immunological biomarkers in understanding the disease mechanisms and their potential value in improving early diagnosis and developing future therapeutic strategies for autoimmune thyroid disease.
The study recommended conducting further research to clarify the immunological and genetic mechanisms underlying Graves’ disease. This includes investigating the roles of emerging cytokines such as IL-35 and IL-37, as well as performing advanced molecular analyses to better understand the involvement of IL-23, IL-38, and IL-40 in disease development. In addition, the study recommended evaluating the relationship between vitamin D and calcium levels and disease progression and investigating other immune-related genes, including CTLA-4, HLA-DR, and IL2RA, to determine their association with Graves’ disease. The study also emphasized the importance of conducting research on larger sample sizes and across diverse populations, as well as examining the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the development and progression of Graves’ disease.
