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 game of volleyball requires the formation of new motor responses, which in turn requires special physical characteristics in the performance of that skill, and the correct and accurate performance during the performance of the skills of passing from the top and smash serve in volleyball cannot be developed or improved without a good level of accuracy and what is required to perform the movements in terms of responses to the defense and attack movements. Therefore, the researchers decided to identify the type of relationship between the motor response speed with the performance accuracy of the skills of passing from the top and the smash serve in volleyball. The research aims to: 1. Identifying the motor response speed of fourth-stage s
... Show MoreBackground: Tooth wear is one of the most common problems in the older dentate population which results from the interaction of three processes (attrition, abrasion and erosion) and it affects all societies, different age groups, and all cultures. This study was achieved to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of tooth wear among institutionalized residents in Baghdad city\ Iraq. Subjects and Methods: This survey was accomplished on four private and one governmental institution in Baghdad city. One-hundred twenty three (61 males, 62 females) aged 50-89 years were participated in this study. The diagnosis and recording of tooth wear were according to criteria of Smith and Knight. Results: The prevalence of tooth wear was 100% with a mean
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The article provides a comparative analysis of comparisons in Russian and Arabic, aimed at identifying their structural, typological, and functional-pragmatic features. The study is based on a systematic approach to the analysis of linguistic means of expressing comparisons in two differ- ent linguistic cultures. The article analyzes the main structural components of comparisons, their classification, and their cognitive and aesthetic functions. The results of the study demonstrate the deep cultural conditioning of comparative constructions and their important role in representing the specific features of the respective linguistic cultures.
Verbal Antonyms: A research in the relationship in meaning Between the words in Arabic language
The electron correlation effect for inter-shell have been analysed in terms of Fermi hole and partial Fermi hole for Li-atom in the excited states (1s2 3p) and (1s2 3d) using Hartree-Fock approximation (HF). Fermi hole Δf(r12) and partial Fermi hole Δg(r12 ,r1) were determined in position space. Each plot of the physical properties in this work is normalized to unity. The calculation was performed using Mathcad 14 program.
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out in order to investigate the binding mode of axillaridine-A at the active site of human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. 2.0 nanosecond of MD simulations was made for the protein and the complex to dynamically explore the active site and the behavior of the ligand at the peripheral AChE binding site. These calculations for the enzyme alone showed that the active site of AChE is located at the bottom of a deep and narrow cavity whose surface is lined with rings of aromatic residues and Tyr72 is almost perpendicular to the Trp286 ring and forms a stable - interaction. The size of the active site of the complex decreases with time due to increase the interaction. Axillaridine-A forms
... Show MoreThe present work investigates the effect of magneto – hydrodynamic (MHD) laminar natural convection flow on a vertical cylinder in presence of heat generation and radiation. The governing equations which used are Continuity, Momentum and Energy equations. These equations are transformed to dimensionless equations using Vorticity-Stream Function method and the resulting nonlinear system
of partial differential equations are then solved numerically using finite difference approximation. A thermal boundary condition of a constant wall temperature is considered. A computer program (Fortran 90) was built to calculate the rate of heat transfer in terms of local Nusselt number, total mean Nusselt number, velocity distribution as well as te