The interferon status in helminthiases. 1. Human unilocular hydatid disease]

In 51 patients with Echinococcus granulosus infection, blood IF alpha and IF gamma levels were measured using vesicular stomatitis virus culture. In patients with progressing disease, the IF alpha and IF gamma levels were significantly lower than in the benign form of the disease--144 +/- 28.8 and 51.6 +/- 10.1 U/ml, respectively (in healthy controls the levels were 1024 +/- 28.8 and 187.7 +/- 16.9 U/ml). The lowest levels of IF alpha and IF gamma were found in patients with primary localization of cysts in the lungs and multiorgan damages affecting the lungs--160 +/- 38.5 and 44.4 +/- 13.5 U/ml; 146.7 +/- 80.1 and 89.5 +/- 19.2 U/ml, respectively. After 5-6 thirty-day courses of mebendazole therapy (50 mg/kg body weight) at 30-day intervals, the average levels of IF alpha and IF gamma were 4 and 5 times higher. Measurement of IF levels in echinococcosis may be of prognostic value for the estimation of the efficacy of surgical and/or specific treatment.     

A randomized comparison of triple therapy Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens in children with peptic ulcers

An open, randomized trial was performed to compare the efficacy of three Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens in children with peptic ulcer disease. A total of 106 children (5 - 15 years) were treated for 1 week with metronidazole, 30 - 40 mg/kg per day depending on age, amoxycillin, 750 mg/day, and one of three anti-secretory agents: proprietary omeprazole, 20 - 40 mg/day depending on age; generic omeprazole, 20 - 40 mg/day; or ranitidine, 150 mg twice daily. The H. pylori eradication rate was significantly higher in patients receiving proprietary omeprazole (88.9%) than in those receiving generic omeprazole (80.0%) or ranitidine (74.3%), and this was associated with a trend towards faster ulcer healing. It is concluded that triple therapy consisting of an anti-secretory agent and two antimicrobials produces effective eradication of H. pylori and ulcer healing in children with peptic ulcer disease, and that proprietary omeprazole is more effective than both ranitidine and the generic formulation used in this study.     

Genetic analysis of interactions with eukaryotic rRNA identify the mitoribosome as target in aminoglycoside ototoxicity

Aminoglycoside ototoxicity has been related to a surprisingly large number of cellular structures and metabolic pathways. The finding that patients with mutations in mitochondrial rRNA are hypersusceptible to aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss has indicated a possible role for mitochondrial protein synthesis. To study the molecular interaction of aminoglycosides with eukaryotic ribosomes, we made use of the observation that the drug binding site is a distinct domain defined by the small subunit rRNA, and investigated drug susceptibility of bacterial hybrid ribosomes carrying various alleles of the eukaryotic decoding site. Compared to hybrid ribosomes with the A site of human cytosolic ribosomes, susceptibility of mitochondrial hybrid ribosomes to various aminoglycosides correlated with the relative cochleotoxicity of these drugs. Sequence alterations that correspond to the mitochondrial deafness mutations A1555G and C1494T increased drug-binding and rendered the ribosomal decoding site hypersusceptible to aminoglycoside-induced mistranslation and inhibition of protein synthesis. Our results provide experimental support for aminoglycoside-induced dysfunction of the mitochondrial ribosome. We propose a pathogenic mechanism in which interference of aminoglycosides with mitochondrial protein synthesis exacerbates the drugs' cochlear toxicity, playing a key role in sporadic dose-dependent and genetically inherited, aminoglycoside-induced deafness.     

Application of automated quantitative cytometry in diagnosis of lung cancer

The paper deals with evaluation of the literature data and our experience with automated quantitative cytometric examination of sputum for diagnosis of lung cancer and, in particular, early one. This novel procedure uses measurement of quantitative indices which characterise tumors-induced alterations. The LungSign computerized system was employed to scan cellular nuclei. The results were evaluated by linear discriminative analysis with the aid of ROC-curves and underlying areas. The procedures were run in 248 cases and its sensitivity was significantly higher that of a standard cytological one (36.6% and 13.3%, respectively; p = 0.033), albeit a slight decrease in specificity (93.7% and 100%, respectively; p = 0.003). Automated quantitative cytometric indices varied significantly in cohorts of patients with confirmed (-0.275871) and false (-1.24990) diagnosis of lung cancer (p = 0.0001).     

Treatment of critical lower limb ischemia at elderly and old patients with severe concomitant diseases

Effect of 96% ethanol para-neural injection on sympathetic trunk has been studied experimentally on 18 rabbits. It is demonstrated that ethanol injection leads to dystrophic alteration of sympathetic ganglia and acute aseptic inflammation of para-neural tissues. Clinical study has been carried out on 40 elderly and old patients with critical lower limb ischemia and diffuse arterial occlusive disease. All the patients were divided into 2 equal groups. At the patients of 1st group the revascularizing osteo-trepanation of femur and crus was performed, at 2nd group this operation was completed with ultrasonic-assisted lumbar chemical desympathetization on affected side. At 20% of 1st group patients the symptoms of critical ischemia have not be eliminated; there were no negative dynamics of ischemia at the patients of 2nd group.