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.
The aim of this research is to find out the impact of cognitive incompatibility schemes on the development of creative thinking skills among first grade students.
To prove the objective of the research, the researcher put the following hypothesis:
There is no statistically significant difference at the level of (0.05) between the average score of the experimental group who study the history of ancient civilizations according to the patterns of cognitive conflict and the average grades of the control group students who study the same subject in the usual way in the test of post-creative thinking skill
Background: Pit and fissure sealant have been considered an outstanding adjunct to oral health care in the decrease of occlusal caries onset and low progression. The aims of this in vitro study were to evaluate the marginal microleakage of three different types of fissure sealants (SDI, Tg and tetric N-flow) by time interval, one day and 45 days, in the presence or absence of bonding agent among maxillary and mandibular teeth. Materials and methods: Seventy two sound human maxillary and mandibular first premolar teeth were collected which were free from obvious carious lesions. The teeth were randomly divided into two main equal groups, group (1) and group (2), each group consists of (36) teeth involving equal numbers of maxillary and mandi
... Show MoreIn this research, the results of the Integral breadth method were used to analyze the X-ray lines to determine the crystallite size and lattice strain of the zirconium oxide nanoparticles and the value of the crystal size was equal to (8.2nm) and the lattice strain (0.001955), and then the results were compared with three other methods, which are the Scherer and Scherer dynamical diffraction theory and two formulas of the Scherer and Wilson method.the results were as followsScherer crystallite size(7.4nm)and lattice strain(0.011968),Schererdynamic method crystallite size(7.5 nm),Scherrer and Wilson methodcrystallite size( 8.5nm) and lattice strain( 0.001919).And using another formula for Schearer and Wilson methodwe obtain the size of the c
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is analysis the effect of the changes in (GDA, g, inflation) at average and standard economic curriculum in composition of the models, depending on SPSS program in analysis, and according to available date from central bank of Iraq and during the period from 2003 to 2018 and by using OLS and estimate of the equation and the results showed a statistical significance relation in incorporeal level 5% and the R2 value equal to 92.1 refer to the changes in independent variables explain 92% of changes of unemployment and the independent variables effect are very limit depend on estimated parameters in the model and respectively (0.986,0.229,-0.060), the research recommended necessity to active the inve
... Show MoreAbstract
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program on nurses' practices concerning therapeutic communication.
Methodology: A quasi experimental design was carried out at Karbala Center for Cardiac Diseases and Surgery, Imam Hussein Medical City and Al-Handia General Hospital for period 10th June 2017 to the 15th of August 2018.
The program and instruments were constructed and developed by the researcher to measure the purpose of the study. Purposive sample comprised of (57) nurses were divided into two groups, study and control groups. The questionnaire consisted from two parts, first part is related to nurses' demographic characteristics and second part which include practices checkl
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has shown effectiveness in hardening tooth structure and killing bacteria. Therefore, it can be used to prevent and arrest dental caries. Riva Star (SDF) treatment alone will stop cavities but will not reverse the cavitation. The Silver Modified Atraumatic Procedure, often known as Smart, is the optimum technique for regaining the tooth's structure and function. Glass ionomer was introduced in (1972) as a new material that has become one of the most widely used materials in restorative dentistry. By releasing fluoride ions, this material has a therapeutic impact on the surrounding tooth structure. Microleakage is the ingress of bacteria, its byproducts, toxins, chemicals, oral fluids, and ions between t
... Show MoreMost approaches to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria concentrate on discovering new antibiotics or modifying existing ones. However, one of the most promising alternatives is the use of bacteriophages. This study was focused on the isolation of bacteriophages that are specific to some of commonly human pathogens namely E. coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These bacteriophages were isolated from sewages that were collected from four different locations in Kirkuk City. Apart from S. pyogenes, bacteriophages specific to all tested bacteria were successfully isolated and tested for their effectiveness by spot test. The most effective
... Show MoreObjective: To assess the Impact of Socio-economic status on age at menarche among secondary school students at
AL-Dora city in Baghdad, Iraq.
Methodology: This is a cross sectional study with multi-stage sampling was carried out during the period from the
3
th of December2013 to 12th of March 2014. The Sample comprised of 1760 girls, 1510 girls from urban area and
250 from rural area was included in the study. In first stage, selection of schools was done, and one class was
selected randomly from each level of Education, The data collection through a special questionnaire which Contain
the age of girl by year, class level, birth order, number of household, number of rooms, residency (urban/rural),
education level
Background: Endodontically treated teeth have low resistance to fracture against occlusal forces. The strengthening effect of bonded esthetic onlay restoration on weakened tooth has been reported. This study aimed to assess the fracture resistance of endodontically treated premolars restored with composite with and without cuspal coverage by using direct and indirect techniques. Indirect technique done by CAD/CAM system (computer aided design –computer aided manufacturer) and laboratory processing. Material and methods: Forty human extracted maxillary premolars of approximately comparable sizes were divided into four groups: Group (A): Ten endodontically treated teeth directly filled with Filtek Z250xt without cuspal coverage. Group
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