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.
Background: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is the most commonly used material in denture fabrication. The material is far from ideal in fulfilling the mechanical requirements. Midline fracture; poor thermal conductivity and water sorption, are common problem in this material. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of addition of surface treated Aluminum oxide nano fillers on some properties of heat cured (PMMA). Materials and methods: In addition to controlled group of heat cured PMMA the silanized (Al2O3) nanoparticles was added to PMMA powder by weight in three different percentages 1wt%, 2wt% and 3wt%, mixed by probe ultra-sonication machine. 200 specimens were constructed and divided into 5 groups according to the test (e
... Show MoreThe aim of the current study is to create special norms of the second edition of Minnesota multi faces personality inventory, and the fifth edition of the sixteen personality factor questionnaire of catel. To this end, the researcher applied the Minnesota multi faces personality inventory over a sample of (1646) secondary and university students as well as plenty of disorders. She also applied the sixteen personality factor questionnaire of catel on (4700) secondary and university students. SPSS tools were used to process data.
Objective: To compare the radiological and functional outcomes of patients of Comminuted intraarticular distal radius fractures treated with or without bone marrow injection along with external fixator ligamentotaxis. Methodology: This prospective comparative study on 41 patients with comminuted intra-articular lower end radius fractures distributed patients randomly into two groups depending on whether an aspirate of bone marrow was injected at the fracture site two weeks after fracture management with external fixation ligamentotaxis. Results: The mean age was 35.8 years, with male predominance. The radiological parameters (radial height, radial inclination, and volar tilt) at the 6th month follow up were lower in the group who did not re
... Show MoreTraumatic radial nerve injury in humeral shaft fracture is the most common traumatic nerve injury in long-bone fracture, with overall prevalence 2-18%, ranging from traction to complete transection. Spontaneous recovery may reach 88%. The aim of the study is to assess the sensitivity & specificity of the ultrasound to detect the radial nerve injury and to see if this can be used as a diagnostic test. This is a prospective study on 17 adult patients with a closed fracture of the humeral shaft, dividing into two groups, the first group of 7 patients had signs and symptoms of radial nerve palsy at presentation and the second group of 10 patients had intact radial nerve function was considered as a control group. All these patients had at leas
... Show MoreIn this paper, an eco-epidemiological prey-predator system when the predator is subjected to the weak Allee effect, and harvesting was proposed and studied. The set of ordinary differential equations that simulate the system’s dynamic is constructed. The impact of fear and Allee’s effect on the system's dynamic behavior is one of our main objectives. The properties of the solution of the system were studied. All possible equilibrium points were determined, and their local, as well as global stabilities, were investigated. The possibility of the occurrence of local bifurcation was studied. Numerical simulation was used to further evaluate the global dynamics and understood the effects of varying parameters on the asymptotic behavior of t
... Show MoreBackground: Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has relatively unsatisfactory mechanical properties such as low flexural strength and impact strength also dimensional instability. Material and method: Zirconium silicate nanoparticles were coated with a layer of trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate (TMSPM) before sonication in monomer (MMA) with the percentages 1% and 1.5% by weight then mixed with powder using conventional procedure, (150) samples were prepared and divided into three groups, each group consisted of (50) samples, the first group prepared from PMMA without addition (control), another group with the addition of 1% wt Zrsio4 nanoparticles (experimental) and the third one with 1.5% wt Zrsio4 nanoparticles (experimental). Each group
... Show Moren this research, some thermophysical properties of ethylene glycol with water (H2O) and two solvent mixtures dimethylformamide/ water (DMF + H2O) were studied. The densities (ρ) and viscosities (η) of ethylene glycol in water and a mixed solvent dimethylformamide (DMF + H2O) were determined at 298.15 K, t and a range of concentrations from 0.1 to1.0 molar. The ρ and η values were subsequently used to calculate the thermodynamics of mixing including the apparent molar volume (ϕv), partial molar volume (ϕvo) at infinite dilution. The solute-solute interaction is presented by Sv results from the equation ∅_v=ϕ_v^o+S_v √m. The values of viscosity (B) coefficients and Falkenhagen coefficient(A) of the Jone-Dole equation and Gibbs free
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