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: Lateral cephalometric radiography is commonly used as a standard tool in orthodontic assessment and treatment planning. This study aimed to determine the tongue and surrounding space area in a sample of Iraqi adults with class I dental and skeletal pattern. Materials and methods: The study included thirty healthy subjects (15 males and 15 females) with an age ranged between 23-34 years and class I dental and skeletal pattern with no history of any sleep related disorders. The assessed cephalometric measurement included length and height of the tongue and position of hyoid bone from cervical line. Descriptive statistics were obtained for the data. Genders difference was evaluated by independent sample t-test. Results: There wer
... Show MoreCommunity detection is useful for better understanding the structure of complex networks. It aids in the extraction of the required information from such networks and has a vital role in different fields that range from healthcare to regional geography, economics, human interactions, and mobility. The method for detecting the structure of communities involves the partitioning of complex networks into groups of nodes, with extensive connections within community and sparse connections with other communities. In the literature, two main measures, namely the Modularity (Q) and Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) have been used for evaluating the validation and quality of the detected community structures. Although many optimization algo
... Show MoreThe removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solution onto algal biomass as biosorbent in batch and continuous fluidized bed systems was studied. Batch system was used to study the effects of process parameters such as, pH (2-3.5), influent fluoride ions concentration (10- 50 mg/l), algal biomass dose (0–1.5 g/ 200 ml solution), to determine the best operating conditions. These conditions were pH=2.5, influent fluoride ions concentration= 10 mg/l, and algal biomass dose=3.5 mg/l. While, in continuous fluidized bed system, different operating conditions were used; flow rate (0.667- 0.800 l/min), bed depth (8-15 cm) corresponded to bed weight of (80- 150 g). The results show that the breakthrough time increases with the inc
... Show MoreVagrancy is global problem, but its geographical distribution differs from one society
to another and from one place to another inside the same society.Till now there isn't a real factor that can explain the phenomenon, spite that economy plays aconstituent and distinguishing part, and spite the fact that Vagrancy is considered a realdeviation that can be compared with criminality level, and cannot be separated from its effecton family, local society and school. In addition to unprecedented work under heavily pressurethat attack to a minimum protection and safety. Vagrant may be a child, a teen, a young, or
even an old man. Vagrancy thus means different people with different ages and not onlyprecisely children. Vagrant is not neces
Background: H1N1 influenza pandemic or swine flu was an influenza pandemic first described in Iraq in October 2009 .The virus appeared to be anew strain of H1N1 causes wide range of morbidity and mortality among different genders and age groups as part of worldwide pandemics.Seasonal flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
Objectives: Is to determine the morbidity and mortality in different age groups in patients with H1N1 influenza versus those patients with seasonal influenza who were admitted at the same time to AL-kindy
... Show MoreIntervention in International Relations from the concepts that are still highly
controversial among those he considers a breach of international law and the UN Charter and
in violation of the rule , and those who felt that the need provided, however, that this is linked
motives humanity recognized by the international community , because the international
variables proved the inadequacy of the principle of non-interference and the principle of
sovereignty as the traditional variables international , and therefore most of the international
practice came a bus with many of the behaviors that reflect a decline in its entirety to these
principles , and became adapt these principles with international reality is too compl
The aim of this study is to highlight this species of gastropoda Cochlicellabarbara( Linnaeus, 1758), which is recorded for the first time in Iraq, which is an exotic animal in this country. It is a terrestrial Molluscan, the study for three months (February, March and April) 2017. In garden houses in Baghdad Al-Karkh, we studied the development stages from the egg to the adult, they lay a hundred of eggs in about (15-20) eggs in each gelatinous sac, the shell with 7 whorls and about 10 mm in length.