Inactivation of carnosine by staphylococci

The ability of staphylococci to inactivate natural dipeptide carnosine was revealed and a method for evaluating bacterial anticarnosine activity is described. The prevalence and expression of this sign are different in bacteria isolated from carriers and patients with pyoseptic diseases. Anticarnosine activity of staphylococci is regarded as a possible mechanism of their persistence. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 127, No. 5, pp. 545–546, May, 1999     

Some microorganisms inactivate thrombocytic cationic protein (β-lysin)

A new biological property of microorganisms realized through inactivation of a natural immunity factor, thrombocytic cationic protein, is described. This property may be associated with bacterial persistence. Species-specific differences in the incidence and degree of this potency in microorganisms were revealed. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 126, No. 7, pp. 66–67, July, 1998     

Origin of the aorta and pulmonary artery from the right ventricle

In the period of 1980 to February 1988, 60 patients aged 1 year 7 months to 23.5 years were operated on for concordant atrioventricular linkage and origin of the aorta and pulmonary artery from the right ventricle. Sixty-two heart specimens were examined to study the defect anatomy. The left ventricular outlet opened up in the subaortic cone (Type A defect) in 47 (78.3%) patients, in the common subaortic and subpulmonary cone (Type B) in 8 (13.4%) patients, in the subpulmonary cone (Type C) in 3 (5%) patients; 2 (3.3%) subjects exhibited nonconcomitant ventricular septal defect (Type D). Thirty-four (56%) patients had pulmonary stenosis. Concomitant heart diseases were found in 78%. Fifteen patients (25%) underwent radical operation after prior palliative interventions. The total fatal cases were 13.7% (out of 58 operated patients, 8 died) in the group of radically operated patients. The fatal outcomes were observed in Type A defect. The analysis showed that defect correction techniques, age, prior palliative interventions, presence or absence of pulmonary stenosis, concurrent heart diseases, and restrictive ventricular septal defect failed to affect the immediate result of surgeries. An inaccurate preoperative diagnosis and lack of surgical experiment were factors increasing the risk for correction from 1980 to 1986. In the 2 years, the death rates decreased from 17.9% (7 dead patients per 39 operated ones) to 5.3% (1 dead patient per 19 radically operated ones).     

Surgical treatment of congenital mitral valve insufficiency]

The experience of surgical treatment of 55 congenital mitral incompetence patients aged 3 to 34 years is analysed. Patients with the anomalies of the conotruncus, mitral stenosis, and open atrioventricular conduit were not included into the analysis. The preoperative clinical status of all the patients was evaluated as functional class III-IV. Twenty-one patients had attendant septal defects. Lung hypertension of group II was seen in 14 patients and of hemodynamic group IIIA in five patients. Pronounced disorders of intracardiac hemodynamics and circulatory impairments were indications to an operation. Failure of the mitral valve to close was secondary to several developmental defects. Deformities of the septa and of the chordal and papillary apparatus varied greatly. The mitral incompetence degree was aggravated in most patients by dilatation of the fibrous ring. The diversity of the morphological causes underlying mitral incompetence dictated a strictly individualized approach to the choice of the type and volume of a surgical intervention. Ten of the 55 patients underwent mitral valve replacement; various types of valvuloplasty were done to 45 patients. General hospital mortality rate was 10 percent; good and satisfactory outcomes were seen after reconstructive operations. Analysis of the outcomes of surgery for congenital mitral incompetence has shown that reconstructive operations on the valve are effective enough and may be recommended as a method of choice. Annuloplasty is required in most reconstructive procedures; in young children preference should be given to suture annuloplasty.