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.
Introduction. The coexistence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly observed, primarily due to overlapping risk factors like smoking and environmental exposures. This dual diagnosis introduces complex clinical scenarios, often associated with worsened outcomes and heightened vulnerability to treatment-related side effects. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, especially atezolizumab, have emerged as pivotal agents in enhancing clinical outcomes for individuals diagnosed with NSCLC. Recent evidence suggests that atezolizumab remains effective and well-tolerated in NSCLC patients with coexisting COPD. This review evaluates the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab in NSCLC patients with coex
... Show MoreAbstract Daily dressing changes cause distress and pain for victims of burn injuries. The study aimed to determine the effect of music in reducing the pain and anxiety of thermally burned children during routine dressing changes. This quantitative study employed a randomized controlled trial design. The participants comprised 80 children at the Specialized Burns Hospital, in Baghdad, Iraq who were divided into two groups. The intervention group were exposed to three generic musical pieces (children’s music, nature sounds, and classical music) for 10-15 minutes. The researchers used the Objective Pain Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and physiological parameters to measure the children’s responses immediately before the dressing cha
... Show MoreThrust blocks and restraint joints are the two most popular methods of counteracting the thrust force that generated at pipe fittings (bends, Tee, wye, reducers, dead ends, etc…). Both systems perform the same function, which is to prevent the joints from separating from the pipes. The aim of the study is to review previous studies and scientific theories related to the study and design of thrust blocks and restraint joints to study the behavior of both systems under thrust force and to study the factors and variables that affect the behavior of these systems. The behavior of both systems must be studied because they cannot be abandoned, as each system has conditions whose use is more feasible, scientific, and economic
... Show MoreMouth ulcers are common oral lesions. Although several topical treatments are commercially available, their limited residence time requires frequent application, which remains a significant drawback. This study aimed to develop a novel mucoadhesive, thermosensitive, in situ gel-forming spray for local delivery of betamethasone sodium phosphate, thereby reducing systemic exposure. Formulations were optimized using the design of experiment approach to investigate the effects of thermosensitive polymers (Poloxamer 407 and Poloxamer 188), mucoadhesive polymer (hyaluronic acid), and drug incorporation on gelation temperature and time. The optimized formulation gelled at 33.3 ± 0.7 °C within 14.79 ± 1.87 s and showed a spray angle of 4
... Show MoreThis study addresses the selection of the optimal site for establishing a waste landfill within the study area by utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques integrated with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology and the Weighted Overlay tool for multi-criteria spatial analysis. Six key criteria influencing site suitability were identified, including distance from urban areas, agricultural lands, irrigation canals, roads, villages, and barren (uncultivated and uninhabited) areas, with a focus on potential environmental and health impacts. The results indicate that ideal landfill sites are located at distances exceeding 800 to 1000 meters from agricultural and urban areas, providing effective protection to soil and gr
... Show MoreThe research problem was to identify the impact of monetary policies on economic growth in the oil and non-oil countries. The researcher chose the Republic of Iraq as an example for the oil countries and the Arab Republic of Egypt as an example for the non-oil countries to hold a comparison on the impact of monetary policies.
The research found that the monetary policies and their tools in the Iraqi economy affect the rate of GDP growth by 73%, which shows the strong impact of monetary policies on the economic growth in the Iraqi economy as an example of an oil state. GDP growth rate of 61%, indicating the impact of monetary policies on economic growth in the
Inflammatory response had a role in cancer progression, presence of noticeable inflammation within the tumor and its margin may play an important prognostic role in colorectal carcinoma.
The special core analysis tests were accomplished on a set of core plugs for Mishrif Formation (mA, mB1, and mB2cde/mC units) in West Qurna/1 oilfield, southern Iraq. Oil relative permeability (Kro) data and the Corey-type fit of the data as functions of the brine saturation at the core outlet face for individual samples in the water-oil imbibition process to estimate relative permeability measurements by the centrifuge method were utilized. Identical correlations for oil and water relative permeabilities were extracted by steady-state and unsteady-state methods. For the mA samples, the gas-water capillary pressure curves were within a narrow range (almost identical) indicating that mA is a homogeneous unit. Kro curves for thr
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