Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with polymorphic expression. B cells have an essential contribution in immune system activation via the production of different cytokines and functioning as potent antigen-presenting cells. Therefore, a drug that particularly targets B cells may represent an ideal therapeutic approach for SLE. Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody causing transient B-cell depletion, has been used to manage SLE. This study aims to assess Rituximab effects on lupus nephritis (LN) patients when added to conventional immunosuppressants. Twenty four patients, 15-32 years old, with class III/IV/V LN were involved in this study. All were on steroids before lupus nephritis occurrence. They were given rituximab induction therapy and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) maintenance therapy. RTX was indicated for refractory and relapsing SLE. Several investigations done before and after RTX treatment and in the last follow up (done one year after starting Rituximab). Those included protein in urine, serum creatinine, double stranded DNA, C3, C4, and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). Proteinuria decreased significantly after RTX treatment and in the last measurement (P=0.01 and P=0.001, respectively). Serum creatinine significantly decreased only in the last measurement (P=0.02). Double stranded DNA decreased remarkably after treatment (P=0.01) with a further decrease in the last measurement (P=0.006). C3 and C4 increased after treatment but the increase was significant only for C3 (P=0.002) and this increase continues till the last measurement (P=0.0006). Active urine sediments found in fifteen patients and disappeared after RTX treatment. Rituximab can be promising in treating lupus nephritis when used along with traditional immunosuppressants. It can reduce disease activity and improve renal function in such patients.
KE Sharquie, AA Noaimi, S Al-Hashimy, IGF Al-Tereihi, The Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2013 - Cited by 5
Pyogenic granuloma is one of the inflammatory hyperplasia seen in the oral cavity. The
present study included 10 patients with pyogenic granuloma, involving 4 males and 6 females with 1:1.5
male to female ratio. Patient ages ranged from 5 to 85 years (mean, 30 years) and half of the lesions had
pedunculated base, with surface ulceration in 10% of cases. Treatment consisted of resection, using 810
nm diode lasers. Eight patients were anesthetized during the surgical operation by local infiltration of
anesthesia. Only three patients reported mild post-operative pain within the first 24 hours of the healing
period. During the surgical operation there was no significant bleeding so clear surgical field. There was
no blee
Pyogenic granuloma is one of the inflammatory hyperplasia seen in the oral cavity. The
present study included 10 patients with pyogenic granuloma, involving 4 males and 6 females with 1:1.5
male to female ratio. Patient ages ranged from 5 to 85 years (mean, 30 years) and half of the lesions had
pedunculated base, with surface ulceration in 10% of cases. Treatment consisted of resection, using 810
nm diode lasers. Eight patients were anesthetized during the surgical operation by local infiltration of
anesthesia. Only three patients reported mild post-operative pain within the first 24 hours of the healing
period. During the surgical operation there was no significant bleeding so clear surgical field. There was
no blee
The Bartholin gland cyst is a condition that occurs in approximately 2% of women, most of whom are of reproductive age. Although benign pathology, it is associated with significant patient discomfort. This disorder is caused by the obstruction and consequent dilation of the cyst duct. Definitive treatment involves the surgical removal of the entire cyst. Other alternative treatments include Marsupialization, Word catheter, and the use of CO2 laser. CO2 laser can be used either to vaporize or to excise the Bartholin gland cyst. The Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of (10600nm) CO2 laser in the treatment of Bartholin gland cyst. Patients, Materials & Methods: This study was done in laser medi
... Show MoreStress urinary incontinence (SUI) is involuntary urine leakage during activities that increase abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing and lifting of heavy weights. This is a very common disorder among women with history of multiple vaginal deliveries with an obstructed labor. SUI is considered one of the most distressing problems, especially for younger women, with severe quality of life implications, it caused by the loss of urethral support, usually as a consequence of the supporting structural muscles in the pelvis.
Objective: To prove and demonstrate the effect of a fractional CO2 micro-ablative laser (10600nm) in intra vaginal therapy for treating SUI and achieve a clinical improvement of t
... Show MoreBackground: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common disorder that affects women of various ages and impacts all aspects of life. This condition negatively influences quality of life. Fractional CO2 laser (10600nm) is the recent method for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser (10600nm) in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. Materials & Methods: This study was done from July 2020 to February 2021conducted at the laser institute for postgraduate studies university of Baghdad, patients collected from a private clinic and the Department of
... Show MoreBackground: Although the new treatment methods developed in recent years are aiming to minimize the need for cooperation of the patients; however, the latter still important factor the treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cooperation level of Class III maloc-clusion patients with orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods: This study followed a cross-sectional style; the targeted population was patients with Class III malocclusion who were treated with three different types of orthopaedic appliances. Four questionnaires were delivered to the patient, patient’s parents, and orthodontists. Statistical analyses of the study were performed with SPSS 20.0 software. Descriptive analyses were presented using fre-quency, percenta
... Show MoreBackground: Acne is a common disorder experienced by adolescents and persists into adulthood in approximately 12%–14% of cases with psychological and social implications of high gravity. Fractional resurfacing employs a unique mechanism of action that repairs a fraction of skin at a time. The untreated healthy skin remains intact and actually aids the repair process, promoting rapid healing with only a day or two of downtime. Aims: This study, was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fractional photothermolysis (fractionated Er: YAG laser 2940nm) in treating atrophic acne scars. Methods: 7 females and 3 males with moderate to severe atrophic acne scarring were enrolled in this study that attained private clinic for Derm
... Show MoreThis study investigated the treatment of dairy wastewater using the electrocoagulation method with iron filings as electrodes. The study dealt with real samples collected from local factory for dairy products in Baghdad. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize five experimental variables at six levels for each variable, for estimating chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. These variables were the distance between electrodes, detention time, dosage of NaCl as electrolyte, initial COD concentration, and current density. RSM was investigated the direct and complex interaction effects between parameters to estimate the optimum values. The respective optimum value was 1 cm for the distance between electrodes, (6
... Show MoreThis study investigates the results of electrocoagulation (EC) using aluminum (Al) electrodes as anode and stainless steel (grade 316) as a cathode for removing silica, calcium, and magnesium ions from simulated cooling tower blowdown waters. The simulated water contains (50 mg/l silica, 508 mg/l calcium, and 292 mg/l magnesium). The influence of different experimental parameters, such as current density (0.5, 1, and 2 mA/cm2), initial pH(5,7, and 10), the temperature of the simulated solution(250C and 35 0C), and electrolysis time was studied. The highest removal efficiency of 80.183%, 99.21%, and 98.06% for calcium, silica, and magnesium ions, respectively, were obtained at a current de
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