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.
This study focuses on producing wood-plastic composites using unsaturated polyester resin reinforced with Pistacia vera shell particles and wood industry waste powder. Composites with reinforcement ratios of 0%, 20%, 30%, and 40% were prepared and tested for thermal conductivity, impact strength, hardness, and compressive strength. The results revealed that thermal conductivity increases with reinforcement, while maintaining good thermal insulation, reaching a peak value of 0.633453 W/m·K. Hardness decreased with increased reinforcement, reaching a minimum nominal hardness value of 0.9479. Meanwhile, impact strength and compressive strength improved, with peak values of 14.103 k/m² and 57.3864568 MPa, respectively. The main aim is to manu
... Show MoreThis paper presents a new Azo dye that was prepared from the reaction of the Benzene-1,2-diamine and 1-(2,4,6-Trihydroxy-phenyl)-ethanone, Azo dye was used to prepare a new series of complexes with general formula: [Co2(H4L) Cl2(H2O)4] and [M2(H4L)Cl4(H2O)2] (M= Cr+3, Fe+3,Rh+3 and Ru+3). The prepared materials were different measurements including to infrared, ultraviolet-visible, and mass spectrometry, as well as thermo gravimetric analysis, differential calorimetry, and elemental analysis. Conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, metal content, and chlorine content of the complexes were also assessed. The complexes prepared from the dye were used to determine their ability to inhibit free radicals by measuring their antioxidant capacity us
... Show MoreThe complexes of the 2-hydroxy-4-Nitro phenyl piperonalidene with metal ions Cr(III), Ni(II), Pt(IV) and Zn(II) were prepared in ethanolic solution. These complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods, conductivity, metal analyses and magnetic moment measurements. The nature of the complexes formed in ethanolic solution was study following the molar ratio method. From the spectral studies, monomer structures proposed for the nickel (II) and Zinc (II) complexes while dimeric structures for the chromium (III) and platinum (IV) were proposed. Octahedral geometry was suggested for all prepared complexes except zinc (II) has tetrahedral geometry, Structural geometries of these compounds were also suggested in gas phase by using
... Show MoreThe culturalization of gender action occupies a wide range in culture, thoughts and modern studies as well as in fine arts and the ways of expressing them.
Theater, as one of these arts, plays roles in establishing the fundamental concepts that aims at stating the uncontrollable deed of the social community. It remains one of the most effective and suitable means to confine the uncivilized practices to overcome a certain crisis after gender and cyborg in societies.
The research concentrates on studying the culturalization of gender action in the Iraqi theatrical address because of the effect it has on the modernizing thought in arts and theater literature. It consists of chapter one which deals w
... Show MoreThe voice had a special place in the writting of the Andalusian poet (Ibn al-Abar ) , which aroused my attention because of the sonic capacity of the lettering inside the poetic at Ibn al-Abar poems . So Istudied the qualities of the lettering , structures and their exits . Scientists have not been able to determine the musical from the nonmusical sound , but we find the innate ability of Ibn al-Abar , which was able to determine this by using the lettering the right places and to revival the life to reflect the moments of his life , therefore came votes to express his purposes of praise and pride Etc. The poet Ibn al-Abar could exploit the lettering features in the effect of bilateral – static and moving and its ability to e
... Show MoreBackground: Determination of sex from an unknown human bone is an important role in forensic and anthropology field. The mandible is the largest and hardest facial bone, that commonly resist postmortem damage and forms an important source of information about sexual dimorphism. Mandibular ramus can be used to differentiate between sexes and it also expresses strong univariate sexual dimorphism. This study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of mandibular ramus as an aid in sex differentiation using CT scanning among Iraqi population. Materials and methods: 3D reconstructed computed tomography scanning of 140 Iraqi Arab subjects, (7 0 males and 70 females) were analyzed with their age range from 20-60 years old. The linear measurements w
... Show MoreIn this work, the dyes Rhodamine B and Coumarin 102 containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles were used as scattering centers to fabricate a random gain medium. The laser dye was dissolved in hexanol and methanol solvent respectively. The titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized by DC reaction magnetron spraying technique. The random-gain medium was made by adding 2.5 mg of titanium dioxide nanoparticles to Rhodamine and coumarin 102 dyes by coating the glass cell with two-sided titanium dioxide with high spectral efficiency and low production cost. A narrow line optical emission was detected at 565 nm for Rhodamine B and 534 nm for coumarin 102, where it was found that rhodamine B dye has FWHM 8 nm and coumarin dye 102 has FWHM 9 nm
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