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.
Background: Worldwide gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer with poor prognosis. In early stages, it is hard to distinguish gastric cancer from benign gastric diseases, resulting in delayed diagnosis. There is a need to develop a biomarker for differentiating between gastric cancer and benign gastric diseases. Serum cholinesterase is synthesized in liver and released into plasma, and it has an important role in oncogenesis.
Objectives: To determine the correlation between serum cholinesterase activity and gastric cancer, in comparison to benign gastric diseases.
Subjects and Methods: A case control study carried out at Medical City Direct
... Show MoreAcinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a major opportunistic nosocomial pathogen, mostly resistant to several groups of antibiotics. Colistin is now used as a last-line treatment for isolates that are highly resistant. The purpose of this study is to identify the importance of LptD; which is involved in the translocation of LPS from the inner membrane to the outer membrane in compartment with LptA and LptC of A. baumannii and its indispensable role as a virulence factor, and the efficiency of colistin as a monotherapy. In the current research, two isolates of A.baumannii were used, the local isolate HHR1 isolated from urine sample and the global strain ATCC 17904, and three antibiot
... Show MoreOne of the biggest problems facing many industries particularly oil, is the problem of corrosion, where the metal parts under the influence of the vital factors are eroded during use and storage, therefore, to lift the metal’s ability and to protect it against corrosion, corrosion inhibitors are used. For the first time in this research, polymers which contain sulfur - heterocyclic ring with a thiadiazole base were made. Anti- corrosion polymers were made on two stages, in the first stage, thiadiazole was made from hydrazine hydrate reaction to carbon disulfide, afterwards the first product was reacted with an excess of hydrazine. In the second stage, polymers were prepared by the r
Imagination as a Path to Reality
Discriminant between groups is one of the common procedures because of its ability to analyze many practical phenomena, and there are several methods can be used for this purpose, such as linear and quadratic discriminant functions. recently, neural networks is used as a tool to distinguish between groups.
In this paper the simulation is used to compare neural networks and classical method for classify observations to group that is belong to, in case of some variables that don’t follow the normal distribution. we use the proportion of number of misclassification observations to the all observations as a criterion of comparison.
This research is about the resources and the way of al-Waqidi in his
researching of al-sira of the Prophet. And what happened in the first of Islam.
This research is about the documents which al-Waqidi had it. Some of it,
which he had visited, was the places, especially the periods which the events had took
place in. He was asking those whom were contemporary to the happenings, from the
sons of al-Sahaba and al-Tabi’een.
Also this research is lightening on the new studies that gave this historian a
good respect during his work, in which he could gave the reality about his authorship.
The research is trying to draw real way of al-Waqidi and what were reported by him,
especially the documents, and what he had s
Sheet piles are necessary with hydraulic structures as seepage cut-off to reduce the seepage. In this research, the computational work methodology was followed by building a numerical model using Geo-Studio program to check the efficiency of using concrete sheet piles as a cut-off or reducer for seepage with time if the sheet piles facing the drawdown technique. Al-Kifil regulator was chosen as a case study, an accurate model was built with a help of observed reading of the measuring devices, which was satisfactory and helped in checking the sheet piles efficiency. Through the study, three scenarios were adopted (with and without) drawdown technique, it was found that at the short time there's no effect of the drawdown technique on
... Show MoreVerrucae vulgares are commonly encountered. The present work is designed in an attempt to build a systematic procedure for treating warts by carbon dioxide laser regarding dose parameters, application parameters and laser safety.
Patients and Methods: The study done in the department of dermatology in Al-Najaf Teaching Hospital in Najaf, Iraq. Forty-two patients completed the study and follow up period for 3 months. Recalcitrant and extensive warts were selected to enter the study. Carbon dioxide laser in a continuous mode, in non-contact application, with 1 mm spot size was used. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group of patients consisted of 60 lesions divided to 6 equal groups, in whom we use different outputs a
Induced EF is among the most important of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) It was employed to treat different kinds of wastewater. In the present review, the types and mechanism of induced EF were outlined. Parameters affecting this process have been mentioned with details. These are current density, pH, H2O2 concentration, and time. The application of induced electro Fenton in various sectors of industries like textile, petroleum refineries, and pharmaceutical were outlined. The outcomes of this review demonstrate the vital role of induced EF in treatment of wastewater at high efficiency and low cost in contrast with conventional technique
Synthetic anti-TB drugs are being used to treat tuberculosis (TB) as they are effective, however, they are accompanied by many side effects. The disease has remained largely uncured till date. The use of plant extracts or phytochemicals along with the anti-TB drugs is a very attractive strategy to make the treatment more effective as phytochemicals have no side-effects, are much less toxic than synthetic anti-TB drugs, are safe to use and most importantly, do not produce resistant strains as opposed to synthetic anti-TB drugs. Approximately 420,000 plant species have been identified globally and among them only a few have been explored for their therapeutic potential. Traditional medicine in different parts of the world has employed crud
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