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.
(6)
(6)
Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a noninflammatory and nonatherosclerotic arteriopathy that is characterized by irregular cellular proliferation and deformed construction of the arterial wall that causes segmentation, constriction, or aneurysm in the intermediate-sized arteries. The incidence of FMD is 0.42–3.4%, and the unilateral occurrence is even rarer. Herein, we report a rare case of a localized extracranial carotid unilateral FMD associated with recurrent transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) treated by extracranial-intracranial bypass for indirect revascularization. The specific localization of the disease rendered our case unique.
(2)
(3)
(65)
(37)
(38)
(59)
(52)
A field study was conducted on a sample of the public in Baghdad to study the audience's exposure to the television promotion of pharmaceutical products and their trends in order to determine the rate of exposure of the public to the television promotion of pharmaceutical products according to the theory of uses and rumors and to determine the public's attitudes towards television promotion of pharmaceutical products. A survey of (25) a questions was distributed to a sample of the audience of 150 people. The statistical program SPSS was used to unload the data and for the calculation of frequencies and percentages and correlation coefficients. The research reached several results, Most importantly, the television promotion is well receiv
... Show MoreThe shoulder and hip joints though essentially both are ball and socket joints, show structural variability to serve functional needs.
This study aims at revealing some of the structural and functional properties of each of the two joints regarding the factors that contribute to the stability of any joint in the body, namely: bone, ligament, and muscle.
There is no doubt that teachers are the leaders of positive changing in community where they directed the students and build their brains. In our current generation that characterized by accelerated technological development that communication changes, economic and politics, needs from the teacher an active leadership skills that match with the soul of our generation and contribute in confrontation the current challenges and the future challenges in the form that lead to create a conscious generation where they will be a basic brick for the future community where the listeners looking forward the education where they support the continuity communication of develop process, economy, scientifically and in all life fields. In our study we take
... Show MoreAn essential tool for studying the web is its ability to show how energy moves through an ecosystem. Understanding and elucidating the relationship between species variety and their placement within the inclusive trophic dynamics is also beneficial. A food web ecological model with prey and two rival predators under fear and wind flow conditions is developed in this article. The boundedness and positivity of the system’s solution are established mathematically. The stability and existence constraints of the system’s equilibria are examined. The proposed system’s persistence limitations are established. Additionally, the bifurcation analysis of every potential equilibrium is examined using the Sotomayor theorem. To describe the
... Show More
(1)
Using a mathematical model to simulate the interaction between prey and predator was suggested and researched. It was believed that the model would entail predator cannibalism and constant refuge in the predator population, while the prey population would experience predation fear and need for a predator-dependent refuge. This study aimed to examine the proposed model's long-term behavior and explore the effects of the model's key parameters. The model's solution was demonstrated to be limited and positive. All potential equilibrium points' existence and stability were tested. When possible, the appropriate Lyapunov function was utilized to demonstrate the equilibrium points' overall stability. The system's persistence requirements were spe
... Show More
(9)