Association of TPH1 and TPH2 Gene Polymorphisms with the Risk of Developing Psychoneurological Disorders

Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology - The question of the involvement of impairments to the metabolism of melatonin and its precursors (tryptophan and serotonin) in the development of...     

Pharmacogenetic Markers for Metabolic Impairments in Treatment with Valproic Acid

Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology - This review presents studies of the association between the use of sodium valproate formulations and increases in body weight in patients with epilepsy, as...     

Estimation of the level of endogenous intoxication in septic infants

The investigation was undertaken to estimate the degree of endogenous intoxication (EI) in septic infants, by studying the levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) and leukocyte intoxication index (LII). A clinical trial was conducted in 46 patients with septic infants aged 1 month to 1.5 years. According to clinical and laboratory parameters, the author identified 3 grades of EI, which were directly related to the patient's condition. Despite clinical resolution, the levels of CIC and LII significantly remained at the high baseline level in 18% of the patient, which created conditions for developing complications and recurrences and suggested that the pathological process was incomplete. Therefore it is recommended to keep in mind these indicators in predicting sepsis and they may be extensively used in the practical health system.     

The epidemiological features of visceral leishmaniasis, revealed on examination of children by polymerase chain reaction, in the Papsky District, Namangan Region, Uzbekistan

Patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been registered in the Papsky District, Namangan Region, Uzbekistan, over the past 23 years. A total of 95 patients were notified in 1987 to 2009. In 2007-2008, a mass survey using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) within the international INTAS project 05-100006-8043 was conducted in 5 population aggregates of the Papsky District, Namangan Region, Uzbekistan, where VL cases had been regularly registered in the last years. Bone marrow and venous and peripheral blood smears were used as a test material. A total of 234 samples, including 3 bone marrow biopsy specimens, 9 venous blood samples and 222 peripheral blood ones, were tested. All the samples were on the glass slides. Three groups were identified among the examinees. Group 1 consisted of 13 subjects who had been ill at different times. Group 2 comprised 27 children treated at hospital for various diagnoses. Group 3 (the largest one, n=190) included apparently healthy children. All the children of this group felt well and had no symptoms of any illnesses at the examination. In this group, 85 (44.7%) subjects were PCR-positive. Twenty-four (55.8%) of 43 children in the age group of 0-3 years were PCR-positive; the 4-7-year age group comprised 66 subjects and 33 (50%) of them were PCR-positive. Group over 7 years of age included 81 subjects; 45 (55.5%) were PCR-positive. The results of the mass survey with PCR, which covered the 5 population aggregates in the Papsky District, Namangan Region, Uzbekistan, suggest the epidemic activity of a synathropic focus of VL and make us look at many fixed notions of its epidemiology in new contexts.     

Optimization of structural characteristics of a root canal wall during retrograde tooth filling on a basis of scanning electron microscopy data

Studies by scanning electron microscopy showed that dentin of the root stump (resection of the root apex is an obligatory condition of retrograde filling) has numerous regular dentin tubules, in contrast to the apical part of the root. Mechanical treatment of dentin during preparation of the platform for retrograde filling leads to the formation of a thick "lubricating" layer on the surface of these platform. This layer consists of corpuscles of destroyed tissue substance (smudge) and completely covers the ends of dentin tubules, thus preventing the formation of strong bonds between the filling material and dentin surface. Treatment (pickling) of the platform surface with the conditioner notably improved the adhesion of Russian filling material Dentis to dentin. The best adhesive effect of retrograde filling was attained with Kemfil, the material requiring no pickling pretreatment.     

In the heartland of Eurasia: the multilocus genetic landscape of Central Asian populations

Located in the Eurasian heartland, Central Asia has played a major role in both the early spread of modern humans out of Africa and the more recent settlements of differentiated populations across Eurasia. A detailed knowledge of the peopling in this vast region would therefore greatly improve our understanding of range expansions, colonizations and recurrent migrations, including the impact of the historical expansion of eastern nomadic groups that occurred in Central Asia. However, despite its presumable importance, little is known about the level and the distribution of genetic variation in this region. We genotyped 26 Indo-Iranian- and Turkic-speaking populations, belonging to six different ethnic groups, at 27 autosomal microsatellite loci. The analysis of genetic variation reveals that Central Asian diversity is mainly shaped by linguistic affiliation, with Turkic-speaking populations forming a cluster more closely related to East-Asian populations and Indo-Iranian speakers forming a cluster closer to Western Eurasians. The scattered position of Uzbeks across Turkic- and Indo-Iranian-speaking populations may reflect their origins from the union of different tribes. We propose that the complex genetic landscape of Central Asian populations results from the movements of eastern, Turkic-speaking groups during historical times, into a long-lasting group of settled populations, which may be represented nowadays by Tajiks and Turkmen. Contrary to what is generally thought, our results suggest that the recurrent expansions of eastern nomadic groups did not result in the complete replacement of local populations, but rather into partial admixture.     

Psychoimmune Interactions in Women of Reproductive Age with Endometriosis

Psychoimmune interactions were studied in women of reproductive age with endometriosis. Pronounced immunological shifts manifested in a shift of the T-cellular immunity, resulting in imbalanced production of pro- (IL-1β, IL-2, IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4) cytokines. Significant correlations between the severity of mental shifts and immunopathogenetic factors in the studied patient population demonstrated the psychoneuroimmune nature of endometriosis.