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.
This study aims to evaluate drinking water quality at the Al Wahda plant (WTP) in Baghdad city. A conventional water treatment plant with an average flow rate of 72.82 MLD. Water samples were taken from the influent and effluent of the treatment plant and analyzed for some physicochemical and biological parameters during the period from June to November 2020. The results of the evaluation indicate that treated water has almost the same characteristics as raw water; in other terms, the plant units do not remove pollutants as efficiently as intended. Based on this, the station appears to be nothing more than a series of water passage units. However, apart from Total dissolved solids, the mean values of all parameters in the study were
... Show MorePhysiological status and litter size can indeed have a significant impact on ewes' hematological parameters, which are essential indicators of their health. Therefore, this study examined the hematological profiles of ewes during pregnancy with single and twins in the Awassi ewes. The present study involved 232 ewes in good health and at sexual maturity. Among them, 123 ewes had single pregnancies, while 109 ewes had twin pregnancies. The age range of the ewes included in the study was between 3.5 and 4.5 years. Hematological tests were conducted on the sheep's blood samples promptly following collection. The findings demonstrated variations in hematological parameters among pregnant
... Show MoreB3LYP density functional is utilized for probing the effect of decorating Al, Ga, and In on the sensing performance of a boron phosphide nanotube (BPNT) in detecting the 2-chloroethanol (CHE) molecule. We predict that the interaction of pure BPNT with CHE is physisorption, and the sensing response (SR) of BPNT is approximately 6.3. The adsorption energy of CHE is about − 26.3 to − 91.1, − 96.6, and − 100.3 kJ/mol, when the Al, Ga, and In metals are decorated on the BPNT surface, respectively. This indicates that the decorated metals significantly strength the interaction. Also, the corresponding SR meaningfully rises to 19.4, 41.0, and 93.4, indicating that by increasing the atomic number of metals, the sensitivity i
... Show MoreThroughout history, artists have played many important roles in society.
Generally speaking, the role of the artist is defined by the society he is part of.
Indeed, there are as many ideas as to the role of the artist and, ultimately the purpose
of art in society, as there are types of art. This is, as a matter of fact, neither a new
question- the dialogue has been present within art for centuries- nor probably one
that will ever fully be answered.
Tom Stoppard came to prominence in the mid-sixties, when art and politics
were closely linked, and theatre sought to change the world. Stoppard would have
none of that: his work has no overt message, no political program. In fact,
... Show MoreIn spite of increasing clinical cases which caused by enteroviruses transferred by water and no documents about entericviruses in the Iraqi water standards. The use of coliphages as an indicator of enteroviruses and fecal pollution were suggested two procedures were applied . The first is Two-Step Enrichment Method and the second is Single Agar Layer Method. Both methods gives good results in Identification of coliphages through testing fifty different water samples (Tap water, Surface water and Bottled water) the study shows the presence of coliphages in fourteen samples.
Objective: The aim of this study was to formulate and in vitro evaluate fast dissolving oral film of practically insoluble bromocriptine mesylate to enhance its solubility and to improve its oral bioavailability by avoiding first pass effect as well as to produce an immediate release action of the drug from the film for an efficient management of diabetes mellitus type II in addition to an improvement of the patient compliance to this patient- friendly dosage form. Methods: The films were prepared by the solvent casting method using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose of grades (E3, E5, E15), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), pectin and gelatin as film-forming polymers in addition to polyethene glycol 400 (PEG400), propylene glycol (PG) and glycerin were
... Show MoreThree mesoporous silica with different functional group were prepared by one-step synthesis based on the simultaneous hydrolysis and condensation of sodium silicate with organo - silane in the presence of template surfactant polydimethylsiloxane - polyethyleneoxide (PDMS - PEO). The prepared materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments. The results indicate that the preparation of methyl and phenyl functionalized silica were successful and the mass of methyl and phenyl groups bonded to the silica structure are 15, 38 mmol per gram silica. The average diameter of the silica particles are 103.51,
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