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.
Background: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)minor subsets (elastase , lysozyme , cathepsin G , lactoferrin & BPI )are detected among systemic lupus erythromatus patients causing vasculitis. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic immune complex disease, characterized by excessive autoantibody production, immune complex formation and immunologically mediated tissue injury.
Methods& Patients: A cross-sectional study was conducted on two main groups ,74 patients with SLE and 30 apperantly healthy control volunteers referred to immunology department in teaching laboratories \ medical city during period of (1st of march – 31st of May) 2011. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) ,Cathepsin&n
Objective: Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a common inflammatory disease that causes destruction to the supporting tissues of the teeth. Many treatment modalities tried to stop the disease progression. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the regenerative methods that used in adjunct to conventional periodontal treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of PRP by monitoring the lymphocyte count before and after its application to the periodontal pocket. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients, with CP and a pocket depth equal to or deeper than 4 mm, subjected to scaling, root planing, and PRP injection into the pocket. The lymphocyte count measured before an
The calibration of the three meter Baghdad University Radio Telescope (BURT) has been performed using two types of calibrations: Antenna Position calibration, and Detector calibration. The sun is used as a reference source to calibrate the telescope. The antenna position Azimuth (Az), and Elevation (El) are calibrate according to sun's azimuth and elevation in the date (11/10/2017; at time 10:19 AM). A calibration report is designed to illustrate the calibration parameters for each specific date and time. The detector calibration is representing a study for power spectrum response for the sun according to radio telescope frequency band (1.3 GHz – 1.5 GHz) with central frequency (1.42 GHz). Drift Scan function in the telescope's softwar
... Show More: The Aluminium (Al) material emerged as a plasmonic material in the wavelength ranges from the ultraviolet to the visible bands in different on-chip plasmonic applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the effect of using Al on the electromagnetic (EM) field distribution of a compact hybrid plasmonic waveguide (HPW) acting as a polarization rotator. We compare the performance of Al with other familiar metals that are widely used as plasmonic materials, which are Silver (Ag) and Gold (Au). Furthermore, we study the effect of reducing the geometrical dimensions of the used materials on the EM field distributions inside the HPW and, consequently, on the efficiency of the polarization rotation. We perform the study based o
... Show MoreHeat shock proteins (HSPs) are a group of intracellular proteins that promote proteins folding and unfolding under normal and/or stress conditions. In addition to their intracellular location, HSPs are found on the plasma membranes of stressed, but not normal, cells and in the extracellular milieu where they can trigger an immune response. For instance, the inducible form of heat shock protein 70 (HSPA1A) was found to be overexpressed, intra or extracellularly, by many types of stressed cells. In our study, we aim to investigate the levels of HSPA1A in the serum of untreated lung tumor patients and its expression in the tissues derived from lung tumors and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and healthy
... Show MoreThe Legend between reality and its future Treatment in threatre analytics study
Background: Quality of life in brain tumor patients is an emerging issue and has prompted neurosurgeons to recon¬sider the need for cognitive assessment in the course of treatment. To date there has been a lack of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment performed preoperatively and in the acute postoperative period in our hospitals.Objectives: to establish the effects of tumors and their surgical treatment, from a neuropsychological perspective, on cognitive functioning in patients with cerebral Gliomas. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in the Neurosurgical Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from January 1999 to January 2001. Any patient admitted during the period of the study with clinical history, signs, sy
... Show MoreTo investigate the effect of spraying some plant extraction and anti-oxidants on growth and yield of two cultivars of sunflower, a field experiment was conducted during fall season of 2009 and spring season of 2010 at the Experimental Farm, Department of Field Crop Science, College of Agriculture/ University of Baghdad. RCBD with three replications as factorial at two factors was used. First factor was cultivars Akmar and Shmoss, second was spraying with extraction of karkade at 25%, liquorices at 50%, vitamin C at concentration 1.5 mg.l-1 and nutrient which content 15 elements at concentration 15 % in addition to control treatment which sprayed with distilled water only. The result showed no significant differences between the two cultivar
... Show MoreThe research study included the synthesis of a new series of heterocyclic derivatives containing the antibiotic Levofloxacin. The first way provides for the reaction of Levofloxacin with thionyl chloride in benzene as a solvent to give an acid chloride derivative. A new class of acid hydrazide synthesized from Levofloxacin was studied. Schiff bases were produced via the reaction of acid hydrazide with substituted aromatic ketones in methanol. The next stage involved the response of Schiff bases with thioglycolic acid and mono chloroacetic acid in DMF to produce derivatives of the antibiotic levofloxacin that have five heterocyclic members, including the derivatives thiazolidine-4-one and oxazolidine-5-one. The FTIR, 1HNMR, a
... Show MoreEffect Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) on thyroid levels in patients with and
without polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS was studied, The results showed an
increase in AMH ,T3 ,T4 with increase of age while TSH , BMI decreased with
increase of age comparing to control in hyperthyroidism with PCOS patients.
Otherwise an increase in AMH, TSH, BMI, T3 and T4 with increase of Age
compared to healthy group in hyperthyroidism without PCOS. Effect of ovarian
hormones (AMH) on inventory levels of thyroid and perturbations in terms of
increases and its impact obesity as well as fertility in women was declared in this
research. Serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) was assessed using enzyme linked
immunosorbent kit [Elisa] whil