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.
Amino acids were analyzed in stomach regions of males & females of Felis catus (Domestic Cat) & Sciurus carolinesis (Eastern Gray Squirrel ), where it was stated that there are (18) amino acids as following : Aspartic acid (Asp), Glutamic acid (Gla), Serine (Ser), Arginine (Arg), Aspargine ( Asn), Cysteine (Cys), Alanine (Ala), Proline (Pro), Glyscine (Gly), Threonine (Thr), Tyrosine (Tyr), Valine (Val), Methionine (Met), Histidine ( His), Isoleucine (ile), Leucine (leu), Phenylalanine (Phe ) and Lysine (lys). Results have shown there are significant differences in concentration of amino acids between different region of stomach between males & females of Felis catus in part and between males & females of Sciurus carolinesis (Eastern Gray S
... Show MoreBreast cancer is the most common malignancy in female and the most registered cause of women’s mortality worldwide. BI-RADS 4 breast lesions are associated with an exceptionally high rate of benign breast pathology and breast cancer, so BI-RADS 4 is subdivided into 4A, 4B and 4C to standardize the risk estimation of breast lesions. The aim of the study: to evaluate the correlation between BI-RADS 4 subdivisions 4A, 4B & 4C and the categories of reporting FNA cytology results. A case series study was conducted in the Oncology Teaching Hospital in Baghdad from September 2018 to September 2019. Included patients had suspicious breast findings and given BI-RADS 4 (4A, 4B, or 4C) in the radiological report accordingly. Fine needle aspirati
... Show MoreAdipose tissue releases pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and hormones such as irisin, visfatin, and interleukin-6, which may be linked to periodontal diseases.
Our study aimed to determine salivary irisin, visfatin, and interleukin-6 levels in gingivitis and periodontitis patients, compare them with healthy periodontal patients, and evaluate the association between these biomarkers.
The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status for samples at the age of 17-15 years. These samples were taken from secondary schools and universities in Baghdad area, 123 of them were male and 261 were female. Data on weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were determined in each individual. Smaller sample of 215 individuals (male and female) from the original sample was taken in order to record their nutritional behavior and daily food intake during the 24 hours prior to the visit through personal meeting using special questionnaire. The results showed that the weight and the height were within the range of the people of neighboring Arab countries, who are in the same age. Beside 44.4- 55.95% of these samples were within t
... Show MoreObjectives: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential effects of ascorbic acid or and pyridoxine on diabetic renal microalbumiuria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on patients with diabetes mellitus at Al-Yarmouk teaching hospital from January to December 2012, Iraq-Baghdad. Twenty one patients with diabetes mellitus (D.M), 8 IDDM and 13 IDDM were selected from, the duration of disease were ranged from 2-12 years for both type (10 females and 11males) and all enrolled patients ages were ranged from 28-65years. The concentration of total protein in urine was calculated by a biuret colorimetric assay and the urine creatinine level was measured by a modified Jaffe test. Statistical analysis: results are expressed as mean
... Show MoreBackground: Insufficient sleep due to excessive media use is linked to decrease physical activity, poor nutrition, obesity, and decreased overall health-related quality of life.
Objectives: To assess the effect of using the internet and social media on the sleep of 4th-stage secondary school students.
Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional study with the analytic element; for 500 secondary school students, obtained by choosing two schools randomly from each of the six educational directorates, by using a structured questionnaire.
Result: Secondary scho
... Show MoreBackground In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks the tissue lining the joints on both sides of your body. Other parts of the body may also be affected. Unsure of the exact cause. Two separate genes termed IL12A (p35) and IL12 encode the heterodimeric cytokine known as IL12 (p40). Several different hematopoietic cell types can have several different hematopoietic cell types that can generate antigen-presenting cells (APCs), including DCs and macrophages. Objectives This study aimed to investigate if the interleukin IL-12B gene's common polymorphisms in an Iraqi population were associated with RA. Material and methods Blood samples were taken from 70 Iraqi patients with RA illnesses and 30 Iraqi controls during the periods from
... Show MoreOften times, especially in practical applications, it is difficult to obtain data that is not tainted by a problem that may be related to the inconsistency of the variance of error or any other problem that impedes the use of the usual methods represented by the method of the ordinary least squares (OLS), To find the capabilities of the features of the multiple linear models, This is why many statisticians resort to the use of estimates by immune methods Especially with the presence of outliers, as well as the problem of error Variance instability, Two methods of horsepower were adopted, they are the robust weighted least square(RWLS)& the two-step robust weighted least square method(TSRWLS), and their performance was verifie
... Show MoreThe dislocation and gifts at special is the aspect of social life they reflect us how rich and influential class of society, a special category of the ruling category of the caliph and his family and his ministers and his generals and senior statesmen, a powerful and wealth and power and study here dealing with the effect the media for the distribution of dislocations and gifts to the special category both internally and for employers the state and its men or externally represented foreign relations with princes in the state and the regions and include the definition of the concepts above with surrounding contents and events distributed as the some of which were distributed in certain occasions fixed times while others did not have a spe
... Show MoreThis paper deals with one of the most important issues in a foreign language teaching and learning, i.e. speaking test assessment. After giving a survey of literature written on the meaning and definition of a speaking test assessment, two sections have been devoted to tackle the most important issues in this topic. Section one, which is the theoretical part of this paper, sheds light on the basic definitions of the term ‘speaking assessment’ which are, according to the researcher’s point of view, sufficient to cover the area of the study. This section based on applied linguistic theories and researches in order to enhance our understanding of the what is meant by «a speaking test assessment«In addition,it explains the most importan
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