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.
The study included gross morphology and pollen of plants – which collected during field trips , and dry ones for most specimen preserved with the Iraqi herbaria – related to the genus Lycopus L. , and to identify the unidentified species and rectify the error there in , so according to that the species L. europaeus L. only were specified for the genus . Through this work the varity L. europaeus var. glabrescens Schmidely were found at the first time , and suggested to record anew for Iraq . Pollen were of medium size, and had an ellipsoid shape in the equatorial view , and hexagonal in the polar view. The ecological and soil quality where these genus plants grows were specified , and were geographically distribut
... Show MoreSJ Mohammed, AA Noaimi, KE Sharquie, JM Karhoot, MS Jebur, JR Abood, A Al-Hamadani, Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal, 2015 - Cited by 20
Serum levels of iron,copper,ceruloplasmin and transferrine were estimated in three groups of patients with ?- thalassemia: 24 patients have splenectomy thalassemia major, 29 patients have non splenectomy thalassemia major and 19 patients have thalassemia intermedia , data were compared to normal and pathological controls (anemia and minor). There were significant increase in trace element levels in all studied groups of pateints as compared to normal and pathological controls. Also there were a significant increase in ceruloplasmin levels,While the result revealed that there were a significant decrease in transferrine levels in all groups of patients studied as compared to normal and pathological controls. The result also indicate that the
... Show MoreThe paper deals with claims in construction projects in Iraq and studies their types, causes, impacts, resolution methods and then proposes a management system to control the impacts of claims. Two parts have been done to achieve the research objective (theoretical part and practical part). The findings showed that the main types of the claims are extra work claims, different site condition claims, delay claims and the main causes of the claims are variation of the orders, design errors and omission, delay in payments by owner, variation in quantities and scheduling errors. The claims have bad impacts on the cost by increasing (10% to 25%) and also on the duration of the project by increasing from (25% to 50%).The negotiation is the main
... Show MoreThe present paper is a qualitative descriptive study. It aims to examine the macro-cultural schemata addressing the concept of violence against women in Iraq from a cognitive linguistic point of view. To meet this objective, a number of Iraqi social caricatures have been selected from two popular and active Iraqi caricaturists, Odeh Al-Fahdawi and Nasser Ibrahim. The selection and the analysis of data have been achieved following the validity and reliability procedures and the ethical considerations. To meet this objective, Sharifian’s Model (2011) of Cultural Schemata has been adopted in data analysis. The study has concluded that the macro-cultural schemata regarding the concept of violence in the selected panels reveals that violenc
... Show MoreNutlets of 22 taxa of Stachys (13 species and seven subspecies and two varieties), representing seven of the currently recognized sections distributed in northern Iraq were examined by light microscope. The basic shape of nutlets in most taxa studied is Obovoid, but Oblong also found in S.megalodanta Hausskn.& Bornm. ex P.H.Davis, S.setirefa C.A.Mey. subsp daenensis (Gandog.) Rech.f.and S. kurdica Boiss.& Hohen. var.kurdica, while the Subgloboid shape found in S. iberica M.Bieb. and S. inflata Benth., more over the Broad triangular shape was found in S. nephrophylla Rech.f. and S.lanigera (Bornm.) Rech.f.., the biggest size of nutlets was found in S.inflata L. and the smallest was in S.melampyroides Hand.-Mzt. Regarding sculpturing pa
... Show MoreThe study of the dynamic behavior of packed distillation column was studied by frequency response analysis using Matlab program. A packed distillation column (80 mm diameter) (2000 mm height) filled with glass packing (Raschig Rings 10mm), packing height (1500 mm) has been modified for separation of methanol-water mixture (60 vol%). The column dynamic behavior was studied experimentally under different step changes in, feed rate (±30%), reflux rate (±22%), and reboiler heat duty (±150%), the top and bottom concentration of methanol were measured. A frequency response analysis for the above step response was carried out using Bode diagram, the log modulus and the phase angle were used to analyze the process model. A Matlab progra
... Show MoreAnimation is an industry that is expanding more quickly than ever. Every child’s favorite activity is watching cartoons. Therefore, it is essential to be cautious of the kinds of cartoon films children and teenagers tend. Because children and teenagers are the target audience for these films. This study aims at exposing a hidden enactment, namely racism, in a well-known cartoon film, Lion King, which has been selected accurately by the researchers because it shapes a set of ideas about black people and constructs prejudiced beliefs in their minds. This study is to answer the inquiry ‘Is the ideology of racism imposed in Lion King? And how?’ The significance of the present paper lies in highlighting the educational function of
... Show MoreThis paper presents the intricate issues and strategies related to the translation of children's books, and it particularly focuses on the comparative analysis of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter and "Le Petit Prince" (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The study finds that the typical problems in translation are, idiomatic expressions, cultural reference, and the voice preservation, along side-sheet-specific challenges which each of the text faces. The translator of Potter's work should have skills of transposing all culturally oriented peculiarities of the UK land to the international audience to keep it accessible. On the contrary, "Le Petit Prince" translation will be the process of capturing the abstra
... Show More
