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.
Abstract
Oil is considered a commodity and is still an important and prominent role in drawing and shaping the Iraqi economic scene. The revenues generated from the export of oil are considered the main source of the general budget in cash flows.
Since the revenues consist of quantity and price and the latter is an external factor which is difficult to predict, The effect of any commodity on its price, which is proven in the theory of micro-economic, but it is observed through the research that the response is slow, which means not to take advantage of the rise in prices, by increasing the quantity exported, the result of several facto
... Show Morethis research seeks to shed light on the study of the impact of Putinism on the Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in early 2022, by studying the contents of the speeches of Russian President Vladimir Putin before the start of the war. This research uses the structural approach in analyzing the components of the Russian political regime. The research tools used in this research include case studies, content analysis of Russian speeches, and personal meetings of researchers and specialists in Russian affairs. It sums up a number of important conclusions, most notably are : 1) Putinism is a totalitarian regime that includes the political doctrine during the era of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 2) Duginism represents the totality of t
... Show MoreThe current study is considered a field study to measure the level of satisfaction of the academic programs of Media Masters students. That was accomplished through surveying the attitudes of the students who are enrolled in the faculties of media at the following universities: (Petra University, The Middle East University (MEU), and Al-Yarmouk University). Those students were enrolled in the master’s program within the formal educational system during the second semester of the academic year (2015 – 2016). This survey aims to identify the services, facilities and academic programs provided by the concerned faculties. It, also, aims to identify the public relations, administrative, educational and services aspects of those faculties.
... Show MoreInflammatory bowel disease includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic, progressive relapsing disease of gastrointestinal tract that require long-term treatment or maintenance therapy. Taking patient’s beliefs about the prescribed medication in consideration had been shown to be an important factor that affects compliance of the patient in whom having positive beliefs is a prerequisite for better compliance. The aim of the current study was to investigate and assess beliefs about medicines among a sample of Iraqi patients with inflammatory bowel disease and to determine possible association between these beliefs and some patient-specific factors.
This study is a cross-sectional study carried out o
... Show MoreThis research is an attempt to assess the extent of coverage given by the Bahrain daily press to Women and related issues. It attempts to determine how important the issues of the Women issues were covered in the Daily Press and whether the press has given enough attention to the Women issues.
The research was conducted by analyzing the coverage “AkhbarAlKhaleej” Daily newspaper gave the Women issues during the period of this study.
Thus, this study aims at assessing the degree to which the Bahraini daily newspapers have dealt with the Women issues. The researcher analyzed the contents of the Bahraini press, “AKHBAR ALKHALEEJ” daily newspaper during 2014, as Bahraini press coverage seems to be stable, and more balanced and
In this study, gold nanoparticle samples were prepared by the chemical reduction method (seed-growth) with 4 ratios (10, 12, 15 and 18) ml of seed, and the growth was stationary at 40 ml. The optical and structural properties of these samples were studied. The 18 ml seed sample showed the highest absorbance. The X- ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of these samples showed clear peaks at (38.25o, 44.5o, 64.4o, and 77.95o). The UV-visible showed that the absorbance of all the samples was in the same range as the standard AuNPs. The field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) showed the shape of AuNPs as nanorods and the particle size between 30-50 nm. Rhodamine-610 (RhB) was prepared at 10<
... Show MoreThe analytic solution for the unsteady flow of generalized Oldroyd- B fluid on oscillating rectangular duct is studied. In the absence of the frequency of oscillations, we obtain the problem for the flow of generalized Oldroyd- B fluid in a duct of rectangular cross- section moving parallel to its length. The problem is solved by applying the double finite Fourier sine and discrete Laplace transforms. The solutions for the generalized Maxwell fluids and the ordinary Maxwell fluid appear as limiting cases of the solutions obtained here. Finally, the effect of material parameters on the velocity profile spotlighted by means of the graphical illustrations
The high bounce activity according to the fosbery way is regarded as of the difficult sports concerning its way of training and perfection due to hard technique of its performance on one hand and because it depends on the player’s ability to overcome body weight resistance against the gravity. In addition to the strong ability to control the body posture when leaving the land and flying over the barrier. This activity needs to high plosion power at the moment of bouncing and this plosion depends on the period of bouncing, so the two researchers aimed to use a mechanical bouncing platform and an electronic one through several training by one foot and both feet in different directions and positions in order to reduce the time of bouncing an
... Show MoreAbstract:
Purpose\The researcher paper aims to determine the impact of information technology on the job performance, for Iraq private ban as through the use of technology dimensions of job performance.
The aim of this research: this study aims to discuss the importance of information technology and its role in achieving job performance and its impact on the Iraq banking sector design/ methodology/ approach used entrance design/methodology/approach- pilot, the questionnaire was used to collect data in order to develop a model to measure reliably and correctly to the variables of information technology and job performance, and hypotheses were tested through the use of some statisti
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