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: Radioactive iodine-131 therapy is highly effective in treating patients with hyperthyroidism. An ablative dose is preferred by a number of endocrinologists, and, a fixed dose protocol seems to be better than a calculated dose in real practice.
Objective: To check for hypothyroidism in hyperthyroid patients one year after RAI therapy, comparing between the results of high ablative versus usual dosages of RAI-131.
Methods: This study included 174 hyperthyroid patients, 101 males and 73 females, divided into 2 groups, the first consisted of 162 patients given a usual fixed dose of RAI while the second consisted of 12 patients given a high fixed ablati
... Show MoreBackground: Modifications of life style are often critically important to adequately control excising hypertension.
Objective: :to determine the source of information regarding hypertension and lifestyle modification practices in the management of hypertension in a sample of Iraqi hypertensive patients.
Type of the study: Across-sectional study.:
Methods: The study was conducted over a period of two months during November and December 2015 at Primary Health Care center of Baghdad Al-GidedaAwaland Bab Al Mudhum primary health care centers. The sample included 219 hypertensive patients (102 females and 117males). They were subjected to a
... Show MoreThe corrosion behavior of low carbon steel in washing water of crude oil solution has been studied potentiostatically at five temperatures in the range (30–70)°C .The corrosion potential shifted to more negative values with increasing temperature and the corrosion current density increased with increasing temperature. Folic acid had on inhibiting effect on the corrosion of low carbon steel in washing water at a concentration (5× 10-4-- 5× 10-3 ) mol/dm3 over the temperature range (30–70)°C. Values of the protection efficiency were calculated from the corrosion current density .From the general results for this study, it can be seen that thermodynamic and kinetic function were also calculated (?G, ?S, ?H and Ea )
... Show MoreBackground: Although expression of the HER-
2/neuoncogene may be of some prognostic importance
in advanced ovarian cancer, its role in early-stage
disease has not been established. The current study
examined the prevalence and significance of HER-
2/neu expression in different grades of different types
of surface epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
Methods: Thirty eight female patients with surface
epithelial ovarian cancer were included in this study.
The blocks of corresponding formalin fixed, paraffinembedded
ovarian biopsies were retrieved from the
archives and hematoxylin-eosin slides of each ovarian
biopsy were reviewed and marked their grades of
differentiation , then a new sections from each sampl
The study of the " Speech act " in grammatical codes reveals great efforts in the study of the elements of linguistic communication contained in their efforts, and is part of the study of the linguistics of heritage, and the research has been designed to identify the verbal act in the blog of Ibn al-Khabaz (guiding the shine) by studying its sections comprehensively; To the spirit of grammatical discourse as well as the combination of the concept of the semantic act already verbal according to Searle, and its response in the form of indirect verbal acts more than direct acts, as well as the pure formulas of the opinions of the violators in the speech of Ibn al-Khabaz other than the proven verbal formulas Approval and approval, the class
... Show MoreThe banking sector is a cornerstone of the national economy because of its large role of economic development of a country, which requires the advancement of this vital sector and interest in all the accompanying changes to him in order to survive and grow and continue Accordingly dealt Find reversal (organizational culture, on the quality of banking service ) sought search to achieve a number of cognitive and practical goals by selecting (10), especially among the working banks in Iraq Iraqi banks and the period is the surveyed period (2005-2014) embodied the research problem in the dialectical relationship between the (organizational culture) and its impacts on banking service quality.
Through a set of
... Show MoreThe research aims to shed light on the impact of the application of the electronic services system on electronic banking activities in a sample of Iraqi banks, as investment in technology is the most important factor for the success and future growth of administrative companies in general, and banking in particular, as global economic developments in the field of Technology has led the majority of banking sectors in the world to undergo deep reforms and radical changes in the entity of their systems and mechanisms to confront competition and keep pace with economic changes, as the concept of banking services and its diversity changed with it, especially since persistence in the traditional approach no longer gi
... Show MoreThere is no doubt that the field of education and teaching (in any country and whatever its ruling system varies “d”) is considered one of the most specific and sensitive field, because it is related to the building of human. And as the human is a purpose (aim) and the means in the same time and he is the strategist capital, so he way of his rearing, education, choosing the educator, methods of working and the aims are considered serious matters.
The educational process has aim determined by the society for him self through its working establishments in this field and these are the official and public establishments. And as he feels that the establishments have failed to achieve its d
... Show MoreThis research aims to know and the role of the marketing recovery dimensions in improving the organization's reputation through an exploratory study of private banks in the city of Baghdad. The aim of the research is to define the role of the marketing recovery through its dimensions (compensation, apology, speed of response, assistance and problem solving), in improving the organization's reputation, as the research will attempt to provide a theoretical framework for the dimensions studied through the most important of what researchers presented and then conduct the applied aspect of the research. Data were collected using a questionnaire-based survey consisting of 35 questions and distributed to 110 managers of private banks in
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