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.
Bacteria strain H8, which produces high amount of exopolysaccharide (EPS), was isolated from soil, and identified as strain of Azotobacter chrococcum by its biochemical /physiological characteristics, EPS was extracted, partially purified and used as bioflocculant. The biochemical analysis of the partially purified EPS revealed that it was an alginate. analysis of EPS by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) show that the -OH groups present in bioflocculant are clearly seen at 3433.06 cm-1, the peaks attributed to the -CH3 groups present at 2916.17 cm-1 , and some distinct peaks such as carboxyl group showed strong absorption bands at 1604.66 cm-1, 1411.80 cm-1 and 1303.79 cm-1 indicate the chemical structure of alginate. The effe
... Show MoreLow grade crude palm oil (LGCPO) presents as an attractive option as feedstock for biodiesel production due to its low cost and non-competition with food resources. Typically, LGCPO contains high contents of free fatty acids (FFA), rendering it impossible in direct trans-esterification processes due to the saponification reaction. Esterification is the typical pre-treatment process to reduce the FFA content and to produce fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The pre-treatment of LGCPO using two different acid catalysts, such as titanium oxysulphate sulphuric acid complex hydrate (TiOSH) and 5-sulfosalicylic acid dihydrate (5-SOCAH) was investigated for the first time in this study. The optimum conditions for the homogenous catalyst (5-SOCAH) wer
... Show More(Cu1-x,Agx)2ZnSnSe4 alloys have been fabricated with different Ag content(x=0, 0.1, and 0.2) successfully from their elements. Thin films of these alloys have been deposited on coring glass substrate at room temperature by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum of 10-5Torr with thickness of 800nm and deposition rate of 0.53 nm/sec. Later, films have been annealed in vacuum at (373, and 473)K, for one hour. The crystal structure of fabricated alloys and as deposited thin films had been examined by XRD analysis, which confirms the formation of tetragonal phase in [112] direction, and no secondary phases are founded. The shifting of main polycrystalline peak (112) to lower Bragg’s angle as compared to Cu2ZnSnSe4 angle refers to incorpora
... Show MoreSeeds of Nigella sativa were sown in containers containing 15kg Loamy soil. The seeds were divided before sewing into two groups. The first group was soaked with ordinary tap water end the second group was treated with magnetized water for 24hrs. The irrigation process was completed until 75% of capacity field with two types of water (tap water of magnetized water with three replications).The magnetized water was obtained from special electric device designed for this purposeRecorded measurements (plants height, the number of branches/ plant, dry weight ofplant, number of flowers, 1000 seed weight) during the harvest period.Results indicated that the seed group which was treated with magnetized water was more significant than the one which
... Show MoreThis experiment examined the effects of adding sodium alginate and KOJIC acid as substitutes of Conventional antibiotics to soybean lecithin extender on the characteristics of cryopreserved and frozen buffalo bull semen, as well as evaluation of their additions as antibiotics that to help lowering the microbial load. Following the collection and dilution of in the soybean lecithin extender, the experimental treatments were separated into five groups, as follows: T1: (control-) without adding any antibiotics; T2: (control+) adding the conventional antibiotics Gentamicin 0.4 IU and Tylosin 0.08 IU per 100 ml; T3: adding Kojic acid at (0.06 g/L) T4: adding sodium alginate at (0.6 mg/mL)T
The present study aimed to use the magnetic field and nanotechnology in the field of water purification, which slots offering high efficiency to the possibility of removing biological contaminants such as viruses and bacteria rather than the use of chemical and physical transactions such as chlorine and bromine, and ultraviolet light and boiling and sedimentation and distillation, ozone and others that have a direct negative impact on human safety and the environment. Where they were investigating the presence in water samples under study Coli phages using Single agar layer method and then treated samples positive for phages to three types of magnetic field fixed as follows (North Pole - South Pole - Bipolar) and compare the re
... Show MoreKurdish language multifunctional morphemes indicate the different functional morphological, syntactical, and semantic tasks of the morphemes. The present study discusses the multifunctional task of the Morpheme Le in Kurdish Language. The Morpheme Le has marginally been included in other studies, yet up to the present times, there has not been a research inclusively dedicated to thoroughly discuss and clarify its multifunctional aspects. The present study is divided into two chapters: Chapter one discusses the theoretical aspect of chapter two that is entirely concerned with the practical aspect of the morpheme Le. The first part of chapter one sheds light on the morphological aspect of the morpheme while part two discusses
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