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.
The neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have the potential to be inflammatory markers that reflect the activity of many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NLR and PLR as potential markers of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
The study involved 132 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 81 healthy controls matched in terms of age and gender. Their sociodemographic data, disease activity scores using the Bath Ankylosing
The tax system in Iraq plays a prominent role in the process of attracting foreign investments to operate the money in the investment market of our country, through the incentives provided by the legal texts that stimulate foreign investors and pay to contract, and those incentives are the tax exemptions and tax obtained by the foreign investor, The Iraqi turned to that issue in the Iraqi investment law currently in force and amended, but we will try to shed light in this study on the extent of those incentives compared to what is granted by the comparative legislation? Is it enough that the legal texts brought by the Iraqi legislator to encourage foreign investor and reassurance of his money through investment in commercial projects wit
... Show MoreAnal fistula is an anorectal condition with over 90% of cases being
cryptoglandular in origin and occurring after anorectal abscesses. The traditional method of
treatment of an anal fistula is by excision or de roofing the tract awaiting complete healing.. Aim:
The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of diode laser 980 nm in the treatment of low fistula in
ano. Methods: The study was performed between June 2019 to end of September 2019, at the
institute of laser for postgraduate study in Baghdad university. A cohort of ten male patients with a
provisional diagnosis of low type anal fistula were selected for this study and treated by interstitial
photothermal therapy of fistula epithelium by diode laser 980nm
Background: Oxidative stress may contribute to the etiology of hypertension in humans. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense mechanisms, causing damage to biological macromolecules and dysregulation of normal metabolism and physiology. Amlodipine as an antihypertensive agent is a long-acting calcium channel blocker that dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow. The aim of this study was to assess the oxidative stress in hypertensive patients on Amlodipine treatment through the assessment of salivary Malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as a marker of oxidative stress.
Mat
... Show MoreThe sense of motion generates a sense of the subject of action. The movement of the camera, the movement of actors, the movement of colors and lights, and other elements of the visual discourse, work together to enrich the image with a complete dynamic flow to reach the recipient. The research subject has been identified under the title "Motion Scenes Dramatic Treatment in TV Drama". The research is divided into an introduction and two theoretical sections in the theoretical framework:
The first section: The motion in TV drama in which the researcher dealt with the concept of motion and its types and the expressive and aesthetic role in television drama. The second section dealt with the elements of the visual a
... Show MoreThe research undertaken has provided a comprehensive insight into the practice of cupping therapy, a traditional treatment modality that has seen resurgence in. modern complementary medicine. This exploration, focusing on a spectrum of. Conditions such as migraines, lower back pain, neck pain, knee osteoarthritis, and chronic urticaria, highlights the potential benefits and the necessity for a deeper. Scientific understanding of cupping therapy. Cupping therapy, with its roots deeply embedded in ancient medical practices, offers a unique approach to treatment by promoting healing through increased blood flow and the release of toxins from the body. The application of this therapy in treating migraines has shown promising results, su
... Show MoreAcromegaly is a rare disease produce generalize and serious alteration in the patient with active disease. Many of these patients are also diabetic. Many analytes, hormones, markers are change in these disease. The objective of study is to assess the modification in a number of parameters that changed during the acromegaly as a result of excess in GH and IGF1 levels. The study included 36 patients and 38 healthy controls, paired by sex and age and BMI. Serum concentration of GH and the other parameters including (insulin, glucose, lipid profile, uric acid ) were determined by biochemical method .Compared to controls, acromegalic patients had increased levels of GH, insulin, glucose, triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein(VLDL) (p<0.05)
... Show MoreThis study is an approach to assign the land area of Kirkuk city [ a city located in the northern of Iraq, 236 kilometers north of Baghdad and 83 kilometers south of Erbil [ Climatic atlas of Iraq, 1941-1970 ] into different multi zones by using Satellite image and Arc Map10.3, zones of different traffic noise pollutions. Land zonings process like what achieved in this paper will help and of it’s of a high interest point for the future of Kirkuk city especially urban
... Show Moreإنّ التّأمّل في الدّراسات الأدبيّة النّقديّة الحديثة الّتي تنظر إلى النّصّ أنّه لوحة تتشكّل من مجموعة تداخلات نصّيّة سابقة للنصّ المُنتج أو مُعاصرة له، تدفع القارئ إلى الغوص في أعماق النّصوص وتحليلها والكشف عن الآليّات والإجراءات الّتي اعتمدت في إنتاجه، وإظهار الجماليّات الفنّيّة التي شكلت في مُجملها كائنا حيّا يُعبّر عن حالات إنسانيّة مُستمرة الحدوث رغم تقادم الأزمان.
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