Role of certain neurohumoral factors in development of pulmonary hypertonia in patients with interstitial lung diseases

AIM: To ascertain the role of some neurohumoral factors--nitric oxide (NO), ACE, histamine--in development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 32 ILD patients were examined. Of them 14 had idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis (IFA), 6 had exogenous allergic alveolitis (EAA) and 12 patients had ILD in diffuse disease of the connective tissue (ILD-DDCT). In addition to routine tests, those for NO, ACE, histamine, serotonin in plasma were performed; Doppler echocardiography and high-resolution computed tomography were conducted. In 9 patients the diagnosis was verified at thoracoscopic biopsy of the lung. The control group consisted of 16 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The highest mean pressure in the pulmonary artery (PmPA) was registered in IFA vs EAA and ILD-DDCT patients (p < 0.001). NO concentration in plasma was higher in ILD-DDCT than in control patients. In IFA and EAA the level of NO was like in controls. Concentration of NO in plasma of IDL patients correlated with high activity of the process. No correlation was found between ACE in plasma and PmPA, ACE levels were much higher in controls than in the ILD patients (p < 0.05). Histamine levels were higher in ILD patients than in controls being the highest in ILD-DDCT. Serotonin was insignificantly higher in ILD patients than in controls. CONCLUSION: Damage to the endothelium of the pulmonary arteries and imbalance of neurohumoral factors may be considered as a mechanism of development and stabilization of PH in ILD patients.     

Occupational stress in naval personnel

Introduction: Increased stress levels have been reported and it has been implicated for mental illness amongst service personnel. However no study has been reported among Indian naval sailors.     

Prognostic significance of local and systemic indicators of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system in perforating wounds of the eyes and their time course during local antioxidant treatment]

Lipid peroxidation parameters malonic dialdehyde (MDA) and dienic conjugates (DC) and antioxidant defense (AOD) values superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, alpha-tocopherol were measured in the blood neutrophils and lacrimal fluid of 66 patients on days 1-2, 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22 after perforating wound of first, second, third, and fourth degree of severity according to P, 1. Lebekhov and in repeated injury, and the time course of these parameters during local treatment with therapeutic films with emoxipin and emoxipin + piridoxine was evaluated. A stable increase of MDA and DC levels in blood neutrophils, decrease of catalase, SOD, and alpha-tocopherol levels in blood neutrophils, and decrease of catalase enzymes and SOD activities in the lacrimal fluid of injured eye starting from days 7-8 are prognostically unfavorable signs. These data prompt the use of local and systemic treatment with antioxidants (emoxipin, tocopherol, etc.) in perforating wounds starting from the first days after the injury. Good clinical and antioxidant effect was observed after treatment with ocular therapeutic films with emoxipin and piridoxine.     

Clinical and immunological factors in predicting an early exudative reaction after extraction of senile cataracts with implantation of elastic IOL]

Clinical and immunological studies in 170 patients with senile cataracts carried out before and during the first 7 days after cataract extraction with implantation of intraocular lenses helped define the risk factors for development of an early exudative reaction: patients' age under 60 years, clinical signs of secondary immune deficiency presenting as infection syndrome, increased levels of nonspecific immunity factors with deterioration of the phagocytic component, T-lymphopenia, CD4/CD8 imbalance, and increased levels of interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor in the serum and lacrimal fluid.     

Forced vergence fixation disparity parameters with and without a central fusion lock

The effect of a central fusion lock on forced vergence fixation disparity curve parameters, that is, magnitudes of fixation disparity and associated phoria, curve type and the central slope of the curve, was studied in 84 subjects because of ambiguity in the previous studies. It was found that the magnitudes of exo fixation disparity and exo associated phoria decreased significantly when they were measured with the central fusion lock. The central lock had no noticeable effect on the type of the curve, although, the central slope of the curve was flatter in the presence of the central lock.     

Transient synovitis of the hip in children: role of US

Transient synovitis of the hip remains a common diagnostic problem for the clinician. The physical signs are not pathognomonic of the condition, and the classic technical examinations are of little help. Therefore, the authors retrospectively studied the value of hip arthrosonography in 46 children with clinical symptoms suggesting pathologic hip conditions. In 20 of the 21 patients with a final diagnosis of transient synovitis, articular effusion was detected on ultrasound (US). Conventional radiography showed an increased medial joint space in only eight of these patients. Increased echogenicity of the articular fluid was found in both transient synovitis and septic arthritis. The high sensitivity of US in detecting intraarticular fluid was demonstrated by cadaver studies.