Trends in 25-year evolution of coronary atherosclerosis in males fom some cities of Europe and Asia]

AIM: Detection of changes in the course of coronary atherosclerosis (CA) which took place for 25 years of observation in male population in different cities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Epidemiological surveys of coronary AS by autopsy data according to WHO program were conducted in 1963-1966 (trial 1) and 1985-1989 (trial 2) in 9 cities: Ashkhabad (Turkmenistan), Bishkek (Kirghizia), Irkutsk, Yakutsk (Russia), Riga (Latvia), Tallinn, Tartu (Estonia), Kharkov, Yalta (Ukraine), Malme (Sweden), Prague (Czechia). The surveys enrolled males aged 20-59 years: 7470 males entered trial 1 and 9600 entered trial 2. AS was assessed visually-plan-imetrically in the three major coronary arteries (CA). By the data from Ashkhabad, Bishkek, Irkutsk, Kharkov, Yakutsk, AS in healthy males was also characterized. RESULTS: In 9 CIS countries' cities CS for 25 years has undergone noticeable changes: according to trial 2 atherosclerotic process accelerated, especially in males over 40, in healthy males as well. CA AS had the same features in both trials in Prague and was less pronounced in males from Malme. National differences between native population and immigrants in AS were evident in Ashkhabad, Bishkek and Yakutsk in both trials. In trial 2 CA stenoses were encountered more frequently in all the cities under study. Coronary arteries were more calcified. There was a direct relationship between severity of preatherosclerotic CA changes in young males (20-39-year-old) and speed of AS progression in older males. CONCLUSION: For 25 years there was a tendency to more severe course of coronary AS in CIS countries, in Prague males AS has undergone minimal changes, in Malme the situation with AS severity has improved. Severity of AS in males from different cities and CHD male mortality were correlated.     

Sex-related differences in disposition and response to phenprocoumon in rats

The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacological response to phenprocoumon have been studied in female and male inbred Lewis-Wistar rats. A significantly lower clearance was found in female than in male rats (7.9 +/- 1.4 vs 24.5 +/- 2.5 mL h-1 kg-1, respectively; t = 15.09, P less than 0.001) as well as a lower apparent volume of distribution (288 +/- 46 vs 617 +/- 105 mL kg-1; t = 7.58, P less than 0.001) and a longer half-life (25.5 +/- 3.4 vs 17.5 +/- 1.8 h; t = 5.16, P less than 0.001). The binding of phenprocoumon was higher in female than in male rats (fu: 0.0096 +/ 0.0008 vs 0.0124 +/- 0.0007, respectively; t = 6.66, P less than 0.001). The total (C) as well as the unbound concentration (Cu) needed to elicit a 50% decrease in the prothrombin complex synthesis rate was substantially higher in female rats: C50 was 377 +/- 98 ng mL-1 in female and 155 +/- 29 ng mL-1 in male rats (t = 5.32, P less than 0.001), whereas Cu50 was 3.6 +/- 0.7 ng mL-1 in female and 1.9 +/- 0.3 ng mL-1 in male rats (t = 5.50, P less than 0.001). However, because of the lower clearance and volume of distribution and the longer half-life in female rats, the female rats experienced a higher cumulative effect than male rats to 0.34 mg kg-1 i.v. doses.     

In vitro function and post-transfusion survival of granulocytes collected by continuous-flow centrifugation and by filtration leukapheresis

The function of granulocytes collected by continuous-flow centrifugation (CFC) and by filtration leukapheresis (FL) was studied in vitro, and the post-transfusion recovery and intravascular survival of these cells was studied by autologous transfusion in normal donors. Granulocytes collected by both FL and CFC leukapheresis (CFCL) functioned normally in the quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium, oxygen consumption, and chemotaxis assays. Bacterial killing was slightly but consistently decreased in FL but not CFCL granulocytes. The post- transfusion recovery of control granulocytes collected by ordinary phlebotomy averaged 52% in eight transfusions, compared with 34% for six CFCL granulocyte concentrates and 16% for six FL concentrates. The intravascular half-times were 3.8 hr for phlebotomy and 3.0 hr for CFCL granulocytes. FL granulocytes had survival curves which were nonlinear and a single half-life could not be calculated. The average half-time 30 min after transfusion was 1.3 hr, and 3 hr after transfusion it was 2.6 hr. Granulocytes collected by FL had a mild impairment of bacterial killing, decreased post-transfusion recovery, and altered intravascular kinetics. None of these abnormalities was found in granulocytes collected by CFCL.     

Cervical cancer in Calabar, Nigeria

Objective: To assess the prevalence of cervical cancer and histologic variants as seen in Calabar,Cross River state.Methods: This is a retrospective study involving histologically verified uterine cervix carcinoma between January,1997 and December,2006.Results: There were 1,207 malignancies diagnosed during the study period;175(14.5%) were malignancies of the genital tract while 113(9.4.0%) were carcinoma of the cervix constituting 64.6% of female genital malignancies.Cervical cancer was commonest between the ages of 40-59 years.There was no patient with carcinoma of the cervix below the age of 20 years.Squamous cell carcinoma(87.6%) of the uterine cervix was the main histological type.Conclusion:Cervical cancer is still the most common female genital tract malignancy in Calabar with most of these patients in their middle age.The use of PAS/Alcian blue stain as was used in this study eliminates most false-positive squamous cell carcinomas compared with Haematoxylin and Eosin stains used in most reports from most centres in this part of the world.Epithelial malignancies continue to be the predominant histological variant with squamous cell variety the commonest.There is also an urgent need for introduction of efficient and affordable population based cervical screening programme for early detection,use of vaccines against Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) and treatment of pre-malignant cervical lesions.     

Collagen fiber pathology in atherosclerotic plaques of the coronary arteries in ischemic heart disease

Structure-metabolic changes of collagen fibers (CF) in atherosclerosis plaques of the coronary arteries in the conditions of ischemic heart disease (IHD) have been studied. Segments of the coronary arteries were received from 68 men after a coronary artery bypass grafting. CF was study with using of the Van Gieson's and the Masson's methods. Histologic slices were studied by polarization microscopy. The atherosclerosis plaques with IHD were notable for lipidosis of CF. We've suspected lipidosis of CF is a crucial factor for the development of atherosclerosis plaques instability. Evident lipidosis of CF was attended with destructive changes probably resulted in accumulation of atheromatous mass in atherosclerosis plaques.     

Age-related dynamics of aortic atherosclerosis in males of Riga

The epidemiological autopsy study of 1338 men in Riga aged 20-59 was repeated 20-25 years after the first similar investigation. Aortas were stained with Sudan IV and atherosclerotic lesions were graded by visual-planimetric method. It was the significant growth, with age, of all kinds of lesions except lipoid streaks, having the most prominent increase in men aged 40-49. In the abdominal aorta the extent of lesions was significantly higher than in the thoracic aorta beginning from the fourth decade of life. Significant increase of various lesions in aorta was observed in the same male population 20-25 years after the first examination. The tendency to the earlier transition of fibrous plaques into more severe forms of atherosclerosis (complicated lesions and calcinosis) is noted.