The significance of polymerase chain reaction in diagnosing causes of subfebrility in children and adolescents

Examination of 37 children and adolescents with long-term subfebrility and other manifestations of intoxication without local pathological changes included blood test (polymerase chain reaction) for M. tuberculosis. Tuberculous bacteriemia was discovered in 16(43.2%) cases. Non-acute onset and long-lasting intoxication, rejection of other reasons, tuberculin sensitivity, reduction or disappearance of the intoxication in antituberculous treatment, negative results of repeated PCR for M-tuberculosis gave grounds to suspect active tuberculosis in 13 children of 16. Clinical and x-ray picture corresponded to tuberculous intoxication in children and adolescents.     

UV filter decomposition. A study of reactions of 4-(2-aminophenyl)-4-oxocrotonic acid with amino acids and antioxidants present in the human lens

Deamination of UV filters, such as kynurenine (KN), in the human lens results in protein modification. Thermal reactions of the product of kynurenine deamination, 4-(2-aminophenyl)-4-oxocrotonic acid (CKA), with amino acids (histidine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, tyrosine, cysteine) and antioxidants (ascorbate, NADH, glutathione reduced) were studied. The rate constants of the reactions under physiological conditions were measured. The rate constants of CKA addition to cysteine k(Cys)=36+/-4M(-1)s(-1) and to glutathione k(GSH)=2.1+/-0.2M(-1)s(-1) are 4-5 orders of magnitude higher than the rate constants of CKA reactions with the other amino acids and antioxidants. The Arrhenius parameters for k(Cys) and k(GSH) were determined: A(GSH)=(1.8+/-0.7)x10(5)M(-1)s(-1), E(GSH)=29.2+/-5.6kJmol(-1), A(Cys)=(2.7+/-0.9)x10(8)M(-1)s(-1), E(Cys)=40.4+/-5.7kJmol(-1). The large difference in frequency factors for k(Cys) and k(GSH) is attributed to steric hindrance, peculiar to the bulky GSH molecule.     

Effects of Prolyl-Glycyl-Proline (PGP) Peptide on Disorders in Rat Mesenteric Lymphatic Vessel Function Induced by Injection of Substance 48/80

Injection of substance 48/80 to rats led to dysfunction of mesenteric lymphatic microvessels, in particular inhibition of their contractility and modification of their reaction to norepinephrine. Injection of PGP peptide before and after substance 48/80 alleviated these disorders. The results indicated the possibility of peptide correction of lymphatic vessel dysfunction.     

Effect of Acute and Moderate Repeated Stress on Disturbances in Reactivity of Mesenteric Lymphatic Vessels during Inflammation in Rats

We studied the effect of acute (single immobilization for 1 h) and repeated (daily immobilization for 1 min, 5 days) moderate stress on disturbances in contractility of mesenteric lymphatic vessels in rats with experimental peritonitis. Acute stress was shown to potentiate, while moderate repeated stress attenuate the effect of inflammatory stimulus. It can be hypothesized that moderate repeated stress improves adaptive capacities of the organism, which manifests in reduction or prevention of dysfunction in contractile activity of lymphatic vessels.     

Distribution of the Sum of Sanguinarine and Chelerythrine in the Above-Ground Part of Macleaya Microcarpa

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal -     

Clinical-immunological characteristics of the state of the thyroid gland in children exposed to ionizing radiation because of the Chernobyl AES accident]

Overall 806 children evacuated from the city of Pripyat were examined for the thyroid condition. The children who received a dose of more than 30 rad for the thyroid manifested primary response in the form of euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia, a high risk of the development in future of autoimmune diseases in the lack of hypothyrosis.