The Redox Process in Red Blood Cells: Balancing Oxidants and Antioxidants.

Red blood cells (RBCs) are a vital component of the body's oxygen supply system. In addition to being pro-oxidants, they are also essential components of the body's antioxidant defense mechanism. RBCs are susceptible to both endogenous and exogenous sources of oxidants.

Female reproductive status and exogenous sex hormone use in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with tocilizumab and csDMARDs.

Objectives: Sex is well known to influence risk, severity and treatment outcomes of RA, although the underlying causes are uncertain. The aim of this research was to examine whether factors influencing female sex hormones (reproductive status and exogenous sex hormone use) are associated with the efficacy of DMARDs.

Methods: Individual participant data were pooled from five phase 3 clinical trials where RA patients were treated with tocilizumab and/or conventional synthetic DMARDs.

A review of liquid biopsy as a tool to assess epigenetic, cfDNA and miRNA variability as methotrexate response predictors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting 0.5-1% of adults worldwide. Achieving long term remission or low disease activity is possible through early diagnosis, rapid initiation of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and implementation of a treat to target approach.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines in haemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study from Palestine.

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and herbal therapies, are accepted worldwide, and have been important from medical, sociological and economic perspectives, among haemodialysis (HD) patients. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the use of CAM among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are undergoing HD.

Methods: Face-to-face interviews of patients with ESRD undergoing HD from ten outpatient renal departments at a national level in Palestine were conducted from June 2014 to January 2015.

Factors affecting quality of life in patients on haemodialysis: a cross-sectional study from Palestine.

Background: Haemodialysis (HD) is a life-sustaining treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). HD can bring about significant impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and outcomes. Therefore, we sought to describe the patterns of HRQOL and determine the independent factors associated with poor HRQOL in Palestinian patients on HD.