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 ability to inhibit corrosion of low carbon steel in a salt solution (3.5%NaCl) has been checked with three real expired drugs (Cloxacillin, Amoxicillin, Ceflaxin) with variable concentrations (0, 250, 500, 750) mg/L were examined in the weight loss. The inhibition efficiency of the Cloxacillin 750 mg/L showed the highest value (82.8125 %) and the best inhibitor of the rest of the antibiotics. The different concentrations of Cloxacillin drug (0, 250, 500, 750) mg/L and temperature (25, 35, 45, 55) oC were studied as variables with potentiodynamic polarization, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) depending on current values and the resistance of charge to
... Show MoreThis study explored the development and qualities of the response of electrochemical properties of enrofloxacin-selective electrodes using precipitation based on producing phosphotungstic, after utilizing a matrix of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and dibutyl phthalate or dibutyl phosphate as a plasticizer. The resulting membrane sensors were an enrofloxacin-phosphotungstic electrode (sensors 1) and an ENR-DOP-PTA electrode (sensors 2). Linear responses of (ENR-DBPH-PTA) and (ENR-DOP-PTA) within the concentration ranges of 2.1×10-6-10-1 and 3.0×10-6-10-2 mol. L-1, respectively, for both sensors were observed. Slopes of 51.61±0.24 and 39.40± 0.16 mV/decade and pH ranges equal to 2.5-8.5
... Show MoreShowing animal shapes is one of the primary topics since the discovery of cave drawings, with semantic discourses, as they appeared in the ancient civilization of Iraq, with their discourse and intellectual structure, and their reflections on their plastic achievements. The research deals with three topics: the first (an introduction to the concept of discourse), the second: (the historical roots of animal forms), and the third (the manifestation of animal forms and their discourse, in Mesopotamia). Mesopotamian fauna and its concepts? What are the?, Its importance was also represented in: the presence of animals and their semantic and conceptual discourse, especially the sculptures (the lion and the bull), with the aim of revealing the
... Show MoreThe aim of this study was to isolate and identify the cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni Var. calcicolum from the domestic drinking tanks as a new record in Iraqi drinking water. Scytonema hofmanni var. calcicolum, a filamentous freshwater cyanobacterium (blue-green alga). This alga was isolated from the walls of the domestic plastic water tanks in Al- karkh/ Baghdad city on July 2014. The sampling was performed by collecting three samples from this tanks, the three examined samples microscopically revealed the dominance of this cyanobacterium as unialgal in the studied samples. The results showed this alga has the ability to tolerate high temperature up to 42 Cº and very low light intensity inside the tanks which up to 10 μE/m²/s.
The goal of present study was to investigate the benefits of broccoli (as antiandrogenic plant) in protection and treatment for reproductive hormonal and metabolic disturbance, which combined with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The PCOS model was introduced by injecting subcutaneously prepubertal female rats at 21 days old with Letrozole for 39 days, and divided into 6 groups (8 rats each ) as follows:
Group 1: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of normal saline. Group 2: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of 400 µg Letrozole Group 3: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of 400 µg L with orally gavaged of broccoli juice. Group 4: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of normal saline and at the end of the last
The study aimed to establish the association of miR-153-3p expression with treatment response to IM in CML patients. Sixty CML patients were included and divided into two groups consistent with their response to treatment whether sensitive or resistant to IM. Ten healthy normal participants were enrolled as control group. RNA was extracted from serum to work out miR-153-3p expression utilizing real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The primers were supplied by Macrogen Inc. Twenty seven patients were sensitive to imatinib and 33 were resistant to imatinib. The ratio of male to female was 1.14:1. The bulk (58%) of patients were within the age range of 41-60 years. Weight and gender did not significantly diffe
... Show MoreThe structural, optical properties of cupper indium gallium selenite (CuIn1-xGaxSe) have been studied. CuIn1-xGaxSe thin films for x=0.6 have been prepared by thermal evaporation technique, of 2000±20 nm thickness, with rate of deposition 2±0.1 nm/sec, on glass substrate at room temperature. Heat treatment has been carried out in the range (373-773) K for 1 hour. It demonstrated from the XRD method that all the as-deposited and annealed films have polycrystalline structure of multiphase. The optical measurement of the CIGS thin films conformed that they have, direct allowed energy gap equal to 1.7 eV. The values of some important optical parameters of the studied films such as (absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coeffici
... Show MoreIn the present research, the electrical properties which included the ac-conductivity (σac), loss tangent of dielectric (tan δ) and real dielectric constant (ε’) are studied for nano polycarbonate in different pressures and frequencies as a function of temperature these properties were studied at selective temperature gradients which are (RT-50-100-150-250)°C. The results of the study showed that the values of dielectric constant and dissipation factor increase with increasing pressure and temperature and decreases by increasing frequency. And the results of electrical conductivity showed that it increases with increasing temperature, pressure and frequency.
Background
Respiratory tract aspergillosis is a pulmonary disease cause by aspergillus species which are opportunistic fungi that mainly infect immuno-compromised patients .
Objective(s)
The present study aimed to detect the frequency of pulmonary aspergillosis among clinically suspected and under follow up tuberculosis patients conducted at Tropical Diseases Teaching Hospital, Omdurman, Khartoum State , Sudan during the period from December 2019 to November 2020.
Materials and Methods
One hundred and fifty sputum samples were collected from suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and under follow up tuberculosis patients. All specimens were examined using 20% KOH and cultured on two
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