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.
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The current work concerns preparing cobalt manganese ferrite (Co0.2Mn0.8Fe2O4) and decorating it with polyaniline (PAni) for supercapacitor applications. The X-ray diffraction findings (XRD) manifested a broad peak of PAni and a cubic structure of cobalt manganese ferrite with crystal sizes between 21 nm. The pictures were taken with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), which evidenced that the PAni has nanofibers (NFs) structures, grain size 33 – 55 nm, according to the method of preparation, where the hydrothermal method was used. The magnetic measurements (VSM) that were conducted at room temperature showed that the samples had definite magnetic properties. Additionally, it was noted that the saturation magnetizatio
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The non-linear components has been emphasized for its multiple applications in rewritable recording and data storage devices. Chalcogenide glasses materials are promising due to their high refractive index. In this paper, alloys for Ge30Te70-xSbxglasses semiconductor (where x =0.0, 5, 10, 15 and 20) will be fabricated by melt quenching method. The effect of partial substitution on DC electric power parameters, and its knowledge of electrical conduction mechanisms, were investigated to determine the effect of Antimony on the density of extended states, local states, and in Fermi energy states. The electrical measurements revealed the existence of three conduction mechanis
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This research examines the electrical, optical, and structural properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin(IV) oxide (ZnO)1-x (SnO2)x composite thin films made by pulsed laser deposition, as well as the impact of composition concentration. The structural study of (ZnO)1-x (SnO2)x composites and thin films was conducted by X-ray analysis (XRD). Optical properties were investigated by UV–Vis infrared spectroscopy. The structural analysis revealed that all prepared thin-film composites were polycrystalline, exhibiting both hexagonal wurtzite and tetragonal phases for pure ZnO and SnO2, as well as a mixture of both phases for x=0.2 and 0.4. In contrast, the SnO2 phase was predominant for x=0.6 and 0.8. The increase in crystal size in the (
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