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
The research aimed to test the relationship between the size of investment allocations in the agricultural sector in Iraq and their determinants using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method compared to the Error Correction Model (ECM) approach. The time series data for the period from 1990 to 2021 was utilized. The analysis showed that the estimates obtained using the ECM were more accurate and significant than those obtained using the OLS method. Johansen's test indicated the presence of a long-term equilibrium relationship between the size of investment allocations and their determinants. The results of th
... Show MoreBackground: The iron deficiency anemia along with hyperphosphatemia are the main complications of dialysis patients. Traditional iron supplement has been failed to correct iron deficiency anemia, therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of new phosphate binder, ferric citrate, in a sample of Iraqi patients with end stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Method: Prospective, randomized, open label, active controlled trial was conducted in one center for dialysis in Babylon governance. Patients were randomized to receive ferric citrate with dose of 6 g/d and calcium carbonate with dose of 3 g/d for eight weeks. Hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and count o
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The current research problem includes a variety of research motivations to serve the private health sector, which is witnessing a great competition from internal and external environments. In this regard, private medical clinics are increasingly seeking to attract and retain customers through the quality of their service offerings represented by health services. Innovative and effective marketing methods to improve performance and stay in competition, by relying on the physical evidence of the product as a component of the marketing mix of services and its role in particular in packaging and supporting the health service with concrete evidence that affects the customer an
... Show MoreDiscretionary Punishment, Public Regulation, Interest
This research tries to reveal how to manage and control the competitive edge for business by building managerial skills in various organizational levels. Our research aims at finding out the nature of various technical, human and in tellectual skills of a new president whose superiority is his competitive ness in the application field at general company for construe tioual industriesand testing the surveyed minor and major changes through a questionnaire to collect information from officials. The sample was composed of (45) director. The data was analyzed using some methods and statistical programs. The most prominent of these is (SPSS) that was used to extract the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, correlation coefficient
... Show MoreA cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 type 2 diabetic patients aged 20-60 years in Baghdad and 20 non diabetic persons as controls. Laboratory assessment of glucose related parameters; Fasting blood sugar (FBS), Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), Insulin and Insulin resistance (IR), renal function test; Blood urea, serum creatinine, Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorus (P), Calcium regulating hormones; Parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin and vitamin D, cytokines, Adiponectin and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and comparison these parameters between patients and controls. The results: a high significant (p˂0.01) increase in FBG level in the patients (211.34 ± 11.20 mg/dl) as compared with control (85.89 ± 3.07 mg/dl). A high significant (p˂0.01
... Show MoreThe aim of the research is to measure the change in the impact of the factors of the Corona pandemic on psychological sensitivity and COVID-19 phobia in a sample of Bisha University students and to detect the differences in the phobia (phobia) Covid-19 among the sample members in the measurement before the ban and after the ban was opened, in addition to the differences in psychological sensitivity of The sample has between sizes before and after the spread of the Corona pandemic, as well as the differences in them according to the gender variable (male, female). The researcher relied on the comparative approach. The scale of psychological sensitivity and COVID-19 phobia was applied to a sample of (62) male and female respondents.
... Show MoreManagement Representations Letter plays a significant role as an evidence to get conclusions the Auditor is looking for. These conclusions could show the professional opinion of auditor over the fairness and integrity of financial statements for many issues and numbers that management claims, Hereby, the research aims at highlighting the importance of Management Representations Letter and the way of using as an evidence with expressing its meaning and means of application in addition to identify the Responsibility of Auditor on that Letter, This research discusses also the effect of Management Representations Letter on the credibility of financial statement and enhancing the credibility of the submitted reports, From other side, in the t
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Social networking sites have become very popular since the beginning of the current decade and have become linked to our daily life. We follow the news, Analyses and opinions on the one issue in a way that attracts millions of users and the number grows every secon On Twitter, one of the most important social networking sites, all social groups rushed from the president to the last citizen to open accounts when they found themselves forced to do so . During the recent Gulf crisis, Twitter was buzzing with Twitter, which achieved the largest circulation globally. Instead of serving the issue and directing it to serve the Arab interest, most of the publications were on th |