Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune vesiculobullous mucocutaneous disease with life-threatening consequences. Rituximab (RTX) has recently emerged as an effective treatment for PV. Objectives: This study aims to determine changes in neutrophil and platelet counts for PV patients treated with RTX or corticosteroids combined with Imuran (azathioprine). Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. Thirty PV patients received two types of treatment: 15 patients were administered RTX and 15 patients took corticosteroids with Imuran (azathioprine). Neutrophil and platelet counts were detected at the hospital laboratory. Results: The age range of PV patients was 27–67 years, and the mean ±SD was 44.866 ± 10.979 years for the patient group treated with RTX and 44.133 ± 11.519 for the patient group treated with corticosteroids and Imuran. In patients treated with RTX, 26.6% were males and 73.33% were females, with a female-to-male ratio of 2.75:1. In patients treated with corticosteroids with Imuran, 40% were males and 60% were females, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.5:1. The results revealed that among patients treated with RTX, 30% of them had mucocutaneous lesions, 6.66% had oral lesions, and 13.33% had cutaneous lesions. Among the other groups treated with corticosteroids and Imuran, 23.33% had mucocutaneous lesions, 13.33% had oral lesions, and 13.33% had cutaneous lesions. Among the patients treated with RTX, 53.33% had normal range of neutrophil count, while 46.6% had neutrophil count above the NR, while in patients treated with corticosteroids and Imuran, 40% had a normal range and 60% had above the normal range. Conclusion: RTX was a more effective treatment compared to corticosteroids with Imuran because no patient remained in an active state during this study. PV was prevalent in females aged 40 years with mucocutaneous lesions.
Gaining the relationship between the central government and local governments is great importance especially after the expanded functions of the central government and became unable to carry out their works without all that delegate or transfer parts of its powers to lower levels.
The aims of the research is to determine the relationship of the central government with the local government in accordance with the principle of administrative decentralization with the presentation of the competent authorities, the control of local governments, according to the Provincial Council Act No. 21 of 2008 amended.
The research has a problem that has been the relationship of the central
... Show MoreBackground: Periodontitis is an infection attributable to multiple infectious; it causes an interrelated cellular and humoral host immune responses. Recent reports have indicated that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may contribute to pathogenesis of periodontitis. The HCMV can stimulate the release of cytokines from inflammatory and non-inflammatory cells and weaken the periodontal immune defense. This study aimed to reveal the presence of anti-CMV IgG, and determine the levels of ILâ€6 and TNF-α and to correlate the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) with cytokines levels. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with chronic periodontitis and 40 healthy control subjects (their age and sex were matched with the patients) were involved
... Show MoreObjective: To determine the effectiveness of hypothermia on renal functions for patients undergoing
coronary artery bypass graft CABG surgery.
Methodology: A purposive (non-probability) sample of (50) patients undergoing Isolated coronary artery
bypass graft surgery consecutively admitted to the surgical ward, and they were followed up in the
intraoperative, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the postoperative (surgical ward). Post-operative renal function
test (glumeruler filteration rate (GFR) by using the Crockroft-Gault formula and serum creatinine level) was
determined first week post operative and post operative renal function was classified on the base of peak of
the serum creatinine level and decline of glomeru
Particulate matter (PM) emitted from diesel engine exhaust have been measured in terms of mass, using
99.98 % pure ethanol blended directly, without additives, with conventional diesel fuel (gas – oil),to
get 10 % , 15 %, 20 % ethanol emulsions . The resulting PM collected has been compared with those
from straight diesel. The engine used is a stationary single cylinder, variable compression ratio Ricardo
E6/US. This engine is fully instrumented and could run as a compression or spark ignition.
Observations showed that particulate matter (PM) emissions decrease with increasing oxygenate
content in the fuel, with some increase of fuel consumption, which is due to the lower heating value of
ethanol. The reduction in
In this study, we focused on the random coefficient estimation of the general regression and Swamy models of panel data. By using this type of data, the data give a better chance of obtaining a better method and better indicators. Entropy's methods have been used to estimate random coefficients for the general regression and Swamy of the panel data which were presented in two ways: the first represents the maximum dual Entropy and the second is general maximum Entropy in which a comparison between them have been done by using simulation to choose the optimal methods.
The results have been compared by using mean squares error and mean absolute percentage error to different cases in term of correlation valu
... Show MoreSystemic lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology affecting multiple organ system. Reactive nitrogen and oxygen species are claimed to play a role in this disease. However, the potential of Nitrosative/Oxidative Stress to elicit an autoimmune, response remain till now largely unexplored in humans. This study was done to investigate the status and contribution of nitrosative/oxidative stress in Iraqi patients for systemic lupus erythematosus. Blood samples from 19 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 19 age-and sex- matched apparently healthy controls were evaluated for serum levels of nitrosative/oxidative stress markers including nitric oxide, peroxynitrite and malondialdehyde. Nitric oxide levels were
... Show MoreBackground:The most common pattern of dyslipidemia in diabetic patients is increased triglyceride (TG) and decreased HDL cholesterol level, The concentration of LDL cholesterol in diabetic patients is usually not significantly different from non diabetic individuals, Diabetic patients may have elevated levels of non-HDL cholesterol [ LDL+VLDL]. However type 2 diabetic patients typically have apreponderance of smaller ,denser LDL particles which possibly increases atherogenicity even if the absolute concentration of LDL cholesterol is not significantly increased. The Third Adult Treatment Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP III) and the American Heart Association (AHA ) have designate diabetes as a coronary heart dis
... Show MoreBackground: The miswak is a teeth cleaning twig made from a twig of the Salvadora persica tree (known as arak in Arabic).A traditional alternative to the modern toothbrush, it has a long, well-documented history and is reputed for its medicinal benefits. It also features prominently in Islamic hygienical jurisprudence. Materials and methods: Twenty maxillary first premolars were treated with the selected solutions which included siwak water extract (5%, 10%) and sodium fluoride 0.05% for 2minutes once daily for 20 days interval, deionized water was used as control negative. Then the concentration of the dissolved calcium ion in the etching solution of 2N HCL was measured. Results: The least amount of the dissolved calcium ion was registere
... Show MoreThis study was done to compare the morphometric parameters of placentas in well controlled patients with preeclampsia, diabetes, and preeclampsia-diabetes with that of normal uncomplicated placentas. Patients & Methods: A total of Twenty four placentas were freshly collected. Six placentas for control group and eighteen placentas for complicated group (preeclamptic-diabetic and preeclamptic--diabetic subgroups). The placentas were grossly examined (shape, number of cotyledons, weight, and thickness). After suitable fixation, tissue processing and sectioning, the sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin to study the general morphology and morphometry of the following parameters: number of terminal villi, number of syncytial knots, numb
... Show MoreThe problem of noise in the Baghdad airport has been examined in this study; and noise measurement and survey studies have been carried out at four high noise level (operation, training and development, quality system, and information and technology) zones located in this region. Noise exposure is a common hazard to workforce in general although at varying degrees depending on the occupation, as many workers are exposed for long periods of time to potentially hazardous noise. A questionnaire was completed by 122 workers during this study in order to determine the physical, physiological, and psycho-social impacts of the noise on workers and to specify what kind of measurements have been taken both by the employers and workers for protection
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