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The Complement System in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Overview and Outlook

The Complement system is a participant in many diseases such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), hereditary angioedema (HAE), etc. Among these rheumatic diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is proved to have the closest relationship with the complement system.

In 1896, Jules Bordet discovered the complement system, and related research earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1919. At that time, it happened that World War I caused the Nobel Prize to cease for four consecutive years. Jules Bordet became the first recipient of the Physiology Award after the re-award.

After this, complement-related research has experienced many developments and even subversions. Compared to Jules Bordet’s study back then, today’s understanding of complement system is beyond recognition. This article will discuss the relationship between complement and SLE.

Defects in the Complement System Lead to SLE

Congenital defects in the complement system make people more vulnerable to bacterial viruses. This is a major category of congenital immunodeficiency. Interestingly, this not only leads to a decline in resistance to pathogens, but also brings autoimmune diseases.

About 93% of C1q-deficient people will suffer from SLE. Similarly, 75% of those with C4 deficiency and over 30% of those with C2 defects also lead to SLE. Most of the C1r and C1s defecting will also result in SLE. However, due to their low prevalence, it is not appropriate to accurately determine the strength of their association. No stronger innate factors related to SLE have been found. Fortunately, the incidence of such birth defects is low.

Secondary Complement Deficiency and SLE

Bacterial infections, SLE, etc. will cause the level of complement to drop. SLE brings a lot of immune complexes, which combine with complement to cause damage to the body. This is particularly evident in lupus nephritis.

Except that the combination of immune complex and complement leads to the decrease of complement, there are also antibodies against complement. The most widely used is anti-C1q antibody. About 30% of patients with SLE have anti-C1q antibodies, and it is 68% of patients with lupus nephritis. Therefore, a positive anti-C1q antibody indicates a high possibility of lupus nephritis.

Complement-related Drugs and SLE Treatment

The complement system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. The pharmaceutical industry has also developed many drugs in a targeted manner.

(1) Eculizumab

Eculizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody. The antibody binds to complement component 5 and prevents it from cleaving into C5a and C5b, and C5b is necessary to form a membrane attack complex (MAC), which is an important link for complement to participate in body damage, so eculizumab can be used to treat PNH and HUS. However, it is a pity that the clinical practical significance has not been seen in the clinical drug experiments for the treatment of SLE.

(2) Avacopan

The latest major breakthrough in the rheumatology research is Avacopan, a small molecule compound that targets the complement C5a receptor.

Recent clinical randomized double-blind controlled trials have confirmed that Avacopan can successfully replace hormones in combination with other drugs. The biggest problem of this experiment is that the number of cases participating in the experiment is not enough, and the observation time is not long enough. Can Avacopan replace hormones during SLE treatment? There is no reliable clinical controlled trial to verify.

Clinical experience tells us that compared with SLE, ANCA-associated vasculitis tends to rely more on hormones. Since ANCA-associated vasculitis can get out of hormones during treatment, it is possible to look forward to hormone replacement during SLE treatment. The complement therapeutics might the hope of the hormonal-free era of lupus treatment.

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5 Tips for Home Insurance Discounts

Once you are aware of this, it will certainly ease your premium payments to know when you are paying too much and areas where you can easily get big discounts. Here are some tips to get discounts on your home insurance.

1. Old to New: Insurers are always wary of the ‘old’. Older buildings, old wiring or non-weather proof roofing means that they may not be as effective at holding strong through extreme weather, storms, theft or other accidents. Hence, if you have your house renovated, or get new wiring done for the entire home, you should get a discount of up to ten percent. Stats from the Fire department show a high number of accidents due to old wiring, weak roofing, old fire-places etc.

2. Neighborhood safety: Insurance companies feel comfortable when they know you’re doing everything you can to keep your home safe. A safe home, keeps money in the insurer’s pocket. Thus, they like to encourage their policy holders by providing discounts whenever they take steps to reduce possible claims. Initiating or becoming a part of a home owner’s association can mean that as neighbor’s watch out for each other, the risk of loss through theft is greatly reduced. Additionally, having a home in a gated community also reduces risk. Hence great discounts can be obtained simply by informing your insurer about these facts.

3. Automatic Payments: As simple as it sounds, setting up recurring payment for your premium will also provide you a small discount, with the added benefit of not having to manually pay your insurer every time your premium is due.

4. Multi-policy discount: Many insurers provide discounts up to thirty percent, if you buy all your insurance (Automotive, home, business etc.,) from them. The discounts offered are a sort of reward for being loyal clients. The policies need not be of the same type, however, the insurance company does need to be the same. This discount may not always be possible if you’re buying your insurance from an insurance agent.

5. Discount on being claims-free: As mentioned earlier, insurance companies are delighted by anyone who reduces their risks and by those who have not claimed insurance anywhere from five years or more. Each insurer will have a different time period stated to avail this discount, so ask around, and you’re sure to get a discount of up to twenty percent, when you’re claims-free.
These are just five great ways to save on your premium payments, talk to your Insurer and you’re sure to get more discounts you never knew was possible.

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How To Treat Piles Problem With Natural Ayurvedic Pills?

Today, you can see many articles online dealing with herbal cures and products. Is it reliable to use herbal cure for the treatment of hemorrhoids? This is a common question heard from people. In this article, we are going to see natural ayurvedic pills for piles. We will start with apple cider vinegar, a common ingredient added for the preparation of herbal products.

Apple cider vinegar acts as a safe cure for treating many health issues. It reduces swelling and keeps your body healthy. For effective result, try to apply apple cider vinegar two to three times on the affected area. Similar to apple cider vinegar, coconut oil is another moisturizing agent to prevent dryness of skin surface.

Coconut oil, generally acts as a safe source to promote the moisturizing effect of skin. Another popular cure for treating hemorrhoid problem is witch hazel cream. Witch hazel cream can be used to reduce swelling and redness of inflammatory parts. If possible, apply this cream twice or thrice per day. Similar to witch hazel cream, butcher’s broom is another notable cure for this health issue.

Butcher’s broom is a key ingredient in many of the ayurvedic products. You can easily avail this herbal product from online stores and market. If you are in search of a safe cure to treat herbal cures, feel free to make use of this remedy. Application of aloe vera gel on affected region can give rise to many health benefits to person.

For example, inflammations due to hemorrhoids in body can be healed by the application of aloe vera gel. If you are in search of natural remedies, you could certainly try the above specified remedies. Deficiency of fiber in diet can lead way to several health issues in life. Which is the best fiber enriched food source that can be availed from market? This question is quite prominent from people.

Generally, food items like mango, flaxseed and oats are found to be as the potent composition of fiber compounds. For effective result, try to include a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in daily diet. Doing sitz bath is another cure for treating hemorrhoids. You can easily do this treatment from home. In case of need, you can make use of herbal oils like chamomile oil and lavender oil.

Garlic clove is found to be very useful to prevent inflammatory diseases. If you are in search of the best natural remedy to treat inflammations due to hemorrhoids, feel free to make use of garlic cloves in diet. Today, you can easily get garlic cloves from market in the form of pickles and extracts. If possible, include garlic extracts in food recipes you prepare and eat.

Pilesgon capsule is one of the best cures for treating the above specified health issue. Hence you can also make use of this product in daily diet. This herbal product ensures safe results within a short interval of time. Apart from the above specified herbal cures, you can also make use of elderberry, nettle leaf and ginkgo biloba in daily diet.

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