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.
ABSTRACT— In primary teeth, root canal treatment is a time consuming and challenging procedure, particularly during the most important step in endodontic treatment which is the preparation of the canal. Pulpectomy is the treatment of choice in all the necrotic primary teeth. For better treatment protocol, advancing technology brought the rotary system to reduce the manual dexterity and improve the quality of treatment for pulpectomy. This study aimed to compare and assess the efficacy of cleaning and the time required for the instrumentation during the preparation of root canals of the primary molars using the rotary and the manual (conventional) systems. Thirty root canals of primary teeth were selected. These teeth submitted to a
... Show MoreExperimental results on harmonic distortions in 13.56 MHz RF Argon glow discharge using different grounded electrodes areas and electrodes spacing are presented. The experiment is carried out at four pressure values. RF power values used are between 20 and 90 watts. The results indicate significant increase in distortions at two specific values of the cone angle enclosing the two electrodes within its geometrical volume. The computation of the cone head angle gave the symmetry discharge or asymmetry as well as when the angle is small the condition is near symmetry discharge associated with decrease in the nonlinearity.
Knowledge of literature is an integral part of learning any spoken language. Learning literature expands the learner’s ability to understand the language studied. The field of literature is wide and cannot be limited to poems. It includes the etiquettes of a language and its environment, customs, and traditions etc. The Arabic language is among the languages with a centuries old history. It has achieved remarkable record accomplishments since the pre-Islamic era through to the present. This development is clear evidence of the great importance of literature in the revival of the Arabic language through different eras. As such, in Malaysia and other non-Arabic speaking countries, literature is taught in most schools, institutions and un
... Show MoreThe research location is the northern part of the Basin of Limboto Lake; the focus of the research is the limestone outcrop with 24 meter thickness in Yosonegoro area. The purpose of the study is to find out facies, standard microfacies and depositional environment on Limboto limestone. The research method carried out consisted of three methods namely the measured section, petrographic analysis and biostratigraphy analysis.
The limestone facies in the Yosonegoro area consist of two facies. Then, based on sedimentary structure, composition, color, precipitation texture, terrestrial origin components and the organism content, the two facies can divided into three different microfacies. Paleobathyme
... Show MoreBackground: Recently with improvement of dental implantology science, osseointegrated implants show a considerable durability, however; failures are not completely avoidable. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression is disturbed in many pathological conditions such as peri-implantitis and periodontitis. This study was carried out to investigate the tissue expression of MMP-2 in the extracellular matrix of osseointegrated and diseased implants. Subjects and methods: Gingival biopsies were collected from six patients having osseointegrated or working implants and twenty with diseased or non osseointegrated implants and (6) controls having no implants. In situ hybridization technique was used to analyze the changes in immunoreactivity of
... Show MoreSingle cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE), also called comet assay, is a rapid and sensitive technique used to analyse DNA Fragmentation Index(DFI). This study aimed to evaluate DNA damage in lymphocytes due to ionizing radiation in workers of Al-Tuwaitha nuclear site, which has been used for nuclear activities and contains a potentially significant amount of radioactive waste.The workers in this site are vulnerable to pollution due to a highly polluted environment of ionizing radiation. Blood samples were collected from 36 workerswho were divided into two groups;8 workers without protection and 28workers with protection, in addition to 30 control subjects.Alkaline comet assay was applied for analysis and the result
... Show MoreBackground: Vitamin D and Leptin appears to play a range of roles in beta cell growth and insulin secretion and most importantly interaction with other hormonal mediators and regulators of energy and metabolism. Objective: The aim of this study was to measure serum leptin and vitamin D levels and to investigate their relationships with vitamin D and other clinical laboratory parameters in patients with type II diabetes. Subjects and Methods: Blood samples were taken from 80 patients with type II diabetes mellitus encountered during their attending the Internal Medicine clinic consultancy in Ramadi Teaching Hospital and the National Diabetes Center for Treatment and Research at Al-Mustansiriya University and 60 healthy subject. From Decem
... Show MoreChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a permanent loss of kidney function which is diagnosed when the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is under 60 ml\min\1.73m2 for more than three months. The present study was conducted at Kidney Transplant and Dialysis Center in the Medical City in Baghdad from October 2018 to April 2019. Sixty CKD patients with an age ranged of 40 to 65 years and 25 healthy subjects were involved in this study. Blood samples were collected to evaluate the levels of kidney function parameters and thyroid hormones. The levels of urea, creatinine and uric acid showed highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) increases in CKD patient in comparison with the control group, while the values of GFR and creatinine clearance showed highly
... Show MoreOne of the most important challenges facing the development of laser weapons is represented by the attenuation of the laser beam as it passed through the layers of atmosphere.This paper presents a theoretical study to simulate the effect of turbulence attenuation and calculates the decrease of laser power in Iraq. The refractive index structure C_n^2 is very important parameter to measure the strength of the atmospheric turbulence, which is affected by microclimate conditions, propagation path, season and time in the day. The results of measurements and predictions are based on the Kolmogorov turbulence theory. It was demonstrated by simulations that the laser weapons in Iraq were severely affected due to the large change in temperatures,
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