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 preferred route of drug administration is the oral route, but drugs with narrow absorption window in the gastrointestinal tract are still challenging. The ability to extend and monitor the gastric emptying time is a valuable tool for processes remaining in the stomach longer than other traditional dosage forms.
The purpose of this study was to formulate and evaluate gastroretentive superporous hydrogel (SPH) of carvedilol with view to improve its solubility and increase gastric residence time in order to get sustained release formulas via utilization of various kinds and concentrations of hydrophilic polymers then after, incorporate the best prepared formula into capsules.
Sixteenth formulae of SPH h
... Show MoreMetal oxide nanoparticles, including iron oxide, are highly considered as one of the most important species of nanomaterials in a varied range of applications due to their optical, magnetic, and electrical properties. Iron oxides are common compounds, extensive in nature, and easily synthesized in the laboratory. In this paper, iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation of (Fe+2) and (Fe+3) ions, using iron (II and III) sulfate as precursor material and NH4OH solution as solvent at 90°C. After the synthesis of iron oxide particles, it was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These tests confirmed the obtaining o
... Show MoreCheckpoint inhibitors are a type of immune therapy used to treat different types of cancers. These drugs block different checkpoint proteins, for example, CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1 inhibitors.
They block proteins that stop the immune system from attacking the cancer cells. Checkpoints are also described as a type of monoclonal antibody that antagonizes binding between B7 to CTLA-4 and PD-L1 to PD-1.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used to treat BARCA mutated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBCS) in patients who do not respond to chemotherapy, and also in the treatment of highly mutated and solid tumors such as brain tumors, liver, and pancreatic cancers.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors exhibit an effect on solid tumo
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Vascular tumors are a heterogeneous group of diseases with biological behavior ranging from a hamartomatous growth to frank malignant. The pathophysiology of lymphangioma, vascular malformation and hemangioma is interconnected, blood vessels known to be the site of origin of hamartomas, venous malformations and some neoplasms as benign, tumor-like growth of vessels (hemangiomas). Angiogenesis is the process of formation of new blood vessels from an existing structure.
Aims of study Assessment of angiogenic potential in benign vascular lesions (hemangioma, lymphangioma and lobular capillary hemangioma) of head and neck region.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-two formalin-fixed paraffin-embedd
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia purpura is an autoimmune bleeding disorder that accounts for approximately one-third of clinical hemorrhagic diseases. Pathophysiologically, it involves a complicated imbalance in the immune system. OBJECTIVES: This study focuses on evaluating the levels of the immunomodulatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-35, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF)-β in patients with refractory idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia undergoing treatment with romiplostim. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study encompassed 78 individuals with idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia and conducted measurements of different immunomodulatory cytokines in response to different responses of idiopath
... Show MoreKey generation for data cryptography is vital in wireless communications security. This key must be generated in a random way so that can not be regenerated by a third party other than the intended receiver. The random nature of the wireless channel is utilized to generate the encryption key. However, the randomness of wireless channels deteriorated over time due to channel aging which casing security threats, particularly for spatially correlated channels. In this paper, the effect of channel aging on the ciphering key generations is addressed. A proposed method to randomize the encryption key each coherence time is developed which decreases the correlation between keys generated at consecutive coherence times. When compared to the
... Show MoreBackground : Breast cancer is the most common cancer of
women. When breast cancer is detected and treated early,
the chances for survival are better. Surgery is the most
important treatment for non-metastatic breast cancer.
Al-Kindy Col Med J 2008 Vol.5(1) 40 Original Article
Objectives : The aim of this study is to review different
clinical presentation and to evaluate types of surgical
procedures and complications in treatment of nonmetastatic breast cancer.
Method : During the period from Jun 1998 to May 2005,
93 patients with non-metastatic breast cancer were
diagnosed and treated surgically in 2 hospitals in Baghdad (
Hammad Shihab military hospital and Al-Kindy teaching
hospital).
Results : Wo
Two types of adsorbents were used to treat oily wastewater, activated carbon and zeolite. The removal efficiencies of these materials were compared to each other. The results showed that activated carbon performed some better properties in removal of oil. The experimental methods which were employed in this investigation included batch and column studies. The former was used to evaluate the rate and equilibrium of carbon and zeolie adsorption, while the latter was used to determine treatment efficiencies and performance characteristics. Expanded bed adsorber was constructed in the column studies. In this study, the adsorption behavior of vegetable oil (corn oil) onto activated carbon and zeolite was examined as a function of the concentr
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