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.
Throughout 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.
The apricot plant was washed, dried, and powdered after harvesting to produce a fine powder that was used in water treatment. created an alcoholic extract from the apricot plant using ethanol, which was then analysed using GC-MS, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to identify the active components. Zinc nanoparticles were created using an alcoholic extract. FTIR, UV-Vis, SEM, EDX, and TEM are used to characterize zinc nanoparticles. Using a continuous processing procedure, zinc nanoparticles with apricot extract and powder were employed to clean polluted water. Firstly, 2 g of zinc nanoparticles were used with 20 ml of polluted water, and the results were Tetra 44% and Levo 32%; after
... Show MoreDeveloped and underdevelopment countries, on equal terms, face the problem of budget deficiency. Budget deficiency means that the public expenditure surpasses the public revenues. This, on the international level, is one of the most serious economic problems with many direct effects on the national economy, and depends, basically, on its finance chosen method. Looking for a solution to this problem, for this reason and many other ones, has been highlighted in spite of the many attempts to reduce the role of the governmental expenditure. Budget deficiency can not be attributed to a single unique cause since it is complex phenomenons the causes of which are related to many factors contribute to its occurrence, some of which refer t
... 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,
... Show MoreThe aim of research is to show the effect of Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) on the electricity production and wastewater treatment, since 2.5% of Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) (heated and non heated) nanoparticles has been used. Characterization of nanoparticles was done using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scan Electron Microscopy (SEM). The influence of acidity was also studied on both wastewater treatmenton the Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and voltage output was studied. From the results, it was infused that the dosage of 0.025 g/l and an initial pH 7 were founded to be optimum for the effective degradation of effluents. The results concluded that the treatment of anaerobic sludge wastewater using Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) in
... Show MoreBackground: Crohn's disease (CD) is an immunological disorder associated with chronic inflammatory process of several unspecific regions of gastrointestinal tract but frequently detected in the terminal Ilium and proximal colon or both. This disease frequently presented with various oral manifestations as a consequence of inflammatory process of the disease, nutritional deficiency or medications side effects. Several therapeutic approaches have been developed for CD management that are targeting the inflammatory process and directed at controlling the host immune response. Immunosuppressants such as Azathioprine and anti-TNF α agents as well as the combination of them have been widely used as an effective therapeutic modality with a bett
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The present work aims to study the efficiency of coagulation/ flocculation as 1st stage, natural gravity water filter or microfiltration (MF) as 2nd stage and nanofiltration (NF) technology as final stage for treatment of water of main outfall drain (MOD) for injection in Nasiriyah oil field. Effects of operating parameters such as coagulant dosage, speed and time of slow mixing step and settling time in the 1st stage were studied. Also feed turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) in the 2
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