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.
In 1908 , the American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) , the central figure in the modern movement who was the driving force behind several movements , notably Imagism and Vorticism , met the Irish poet W. B. Yeats in London . Pound was employed as his secretary and the two soon became close friends . He found Yeats a realist, symbolist and a metaphysical poet with an uncanny power over words and regarded him the greatest living poet .The poetical style and the occult beliefs of the Irish poet drew the attention of the American Imagist .During the war, Pound and Yeats lived together at Stone Cottage in Sussex studying Japanese literature .Speaking of Yeats , T. S. Eliot described him as "one of those few whose history is the history of their
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Background: Osteoporosis is a skeletal defect manifested by a reduction of bone strength as a result of reduced bone mass to the extent that there is a higher risk of fracture even on minor trauma. Hysterectomy in a premenopausal woman is a well known cause of ovarian failure resulting in an increased risk of osteoporosis.
Objective : To clarify bisphosphonate's preventive effect on osteopenia and osteoporosis in premenopausal women after hysterectomy.
Type of the study: Cross –sectional study.
Method: 84 premenopausal females post hysterectomy aged between 40 – 50 years, were enrolled in this randomized controlled double blinded trail a
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Despite the principle of separation of powers brought by the French Revolution, which entrusted the task of drafting legislation and its amendment to the legislative authority and the task of settling disputes and settling them in the judiciary. However, since that date, the French judiciary has played a major role in the development of French civil law (In spite of all the economic and social developments that have taken place in French society throughout these years) since its promulgation until February of 2016, the date of the Legislative Decree No. 131 of the year 2016 A modification is the largest in the history of the French Civil Code (which was the judicial precedents in which a significant impact), was assisted by the French judic
... Show MoreThis study came to discuss the subject of industries dependent on petrochemical industries in Iraq (plastic as a model) during the period 2005–2020, and the study concluded that the plastic industries contribute to areas of advancement and progress and opportunities to deal efficiently with the challenges posed by the new variables, the most important of which is the information revolution. communications and trade liberalization, and this is what contributes to the competitiveness of these industries. And because the petrochemical industry in Iraq has an active role in establishing plastic industrial clusters and clusters of micro, small, and medium industries by providing the necessary feedstock for these industries in various fields
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Objectives: Serratia marcescens is a gram-negative pathogen of many species. The ability of S. marcescens to form biofilms and its potent innate resistance to antimicrobials and cleaning solutions are both essential for its pathogenicity and survival. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) on the biofilm of S. marcescens, as an alternative for antibiotic therapy. Methods: Different specimens, including ear swabs, burns, mid-stream urine, wound swabs, and sputum, were collected from patients who were brought to Al-Ramadi Hospital, Iraq. All samples were cultured, and the colonies that were obtained were detected using the VITEK® 2 compact. The ability of biofilms to develop was e
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Prepositions have a key function, which is to associate parts of a sentence, called letters In addition, it adds the meanings of the verbs to the names, ie reached by them, and called by the coffin characters Qualities..
I chose to search for the meaning of the preposition "from" in Surat Maryam to know its meanings in terms of originality and expansion, so the title of the research (the meanings of preposition "from" in terms of originality and expansion in Surat Maryam model(
In this study, pebble bed as an absorber and storage material was placed in a south facing, flat plate air-type solar collector at fixed tilt angle of (45°). The effect of this material and differ- ent parameters on collector efficiency has been investigated experimentally and
theoretically. Two operation modes were employed to study the performance of the solar air heater. An inte- grated mode of continuous operation of the system during the period of (11:00 am – 3:00 pm) and non-integrated mode in which the system stored the solar energy through the day then used the stored energy during the period of (3:00 pm – 8:00 pm). The results of parametric study in case of continuous operating showed that the maximum average temperatur
Econazole nitrate (EN) is considered as the most effective agent for the treatment of all forms of
dermatomycosis caused by dermatophytes. This study was carried out to formulate a stable
Econazole nitrate solution for a topical use through preparation of different formulas and selected
the most suitable one. The results indicated that the use of propylene glycol and ethanol as a vehicle
for EN which is very slightly soluble in water gave amore stable formula as EN topical solution,
with a shelf life of about 3.15 years .The data also indicated that the light accelerated the
degradation of EN, while the type of container (glass or plastic) had no effect on the rate of drug.
The overall results of this study suggest t
A prepared PMMA/Anthracene film of thickness 70μm was irradiated under reduced pressure ~10-3 to 60Coγ-ray dose of (0.1mrad-10krad) range. The optical properties of the irradiated films were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The absorption spectrum showed induced absorption changes in the 200-400nm range. At 359nm, where there is a decrease in radiation-induced absorption, the optical density as a function of absorbed dose is linear from 10mrad-10Krad.It can therefore, be used as radiation dosimeter for gamma ray in the range 10mrd-10krad