Use of thymodepressin for treating autoimmune cytopenia

AIM: To study influence of thymodepressin on the course of autoimmune cytopenia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thymodepressin is a new synthetic hemoregulatory dipeptide (gamma-D-Glu-D-Trp). It was used for the treatment of 22 patients with autoimmune cytopenia. RESULTS: Hemoglobin levels were elevated in autoimmune hemolytic anemia and platelet levels were high in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. A thymodepressin course resulted in a fall of total lymphocyte count and activated CD3+CD69+ lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: The above results, safety, absence of toxicity and allergenicity, parenteral and intranasal useability open perspectives for further studies of therapeutic action of thymodepressin as an immunodepressant in autoimmune processes.     

Comorbidity of ulcerative erosive lesions of the gastroduodenal area and arterial hypertension

Comorbidity remains an important scientific and practical medical problem especially in respect to such prevalent and socially significant diseases as arterial hypertension (AH) and ulcerative-erosive gastroduodenal lesions (UEGDL). In these diseases there are common etiological and pathogenetic factors reflecting syntropy of this combination. These factors include systemic vascular disorders, homeostatic alterations, immunological disturbances, mental diseases, metabolic syndrome, impairment of cellular membranes as a result of activation of lipid peroxidation, etc. Adequate therapy is essential in AH comorbidity with UEGDL. It should be directed not only to lowering of blood pressure and local pathogenetic factors (acidopeptic, infectious, vascular) but also predict pharmacological impact on both diseases and other risk factors to reduce probability of unfavourable outcomes, correct damaged mechanisms of adaptive regulation of the organism and improve quality of patients' life. Specificity of the comorbide course of AH and UEGDL should be considered to perform adequate treatment, goal-oriented prevention and prediction of complications.     

Determination of sialic acids in the nasal mucosa lavage

A modified method of determining the sialic acids by using Ehrlich's reagent and according to G. Sydow (1985) was worked out; the method is characterized by a higher sensitivity as compared to the unified methods of Hess and Svennerholm, which enables to process the nasal mucous lavage that has an essentially lower concentration of sialic acids than the blood serum. A clinical approbation of the modified method (in patients with bronchial asthma, and with obstructive and non-obstructive bronchitis) showed that it preserved the specificity typical of the original method and is sufficiently sensitive. Examinations of 12 healthy volunteers showed that the concentration of sialic acids in their lavage amounted to 0.110 +/- 0.012 mumol/L.     

Expression of argyrophilic proteins from the nucleolar organizer regions as an index of maturity degree of benign and malignant adrenal tumors

Expression of APNOR was studied in 26 benign and malignant tumors of adrenal cortex and medulla. The histochemical method with silver nitrate was used. Expression of APNOR argyrophilic proteins in adrenocortical carcinomas was 4.59 times higher than in adrenocortical adenomas and 2.63 times higher in pheochromoblastomas than in pheochromocytomas. This index may be recommended as an additional method for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant adrenal tumors, particularly in difficult border line cases as well as determination of prognosis and metastatic potential of these tumors. Cytospecificity of APNOR expression in different types of adrenal cells was established.     

The main trends in a complex program of rehabilitation of children with oncological diseases

The present-day therapeutical programmes allow physicians to cure as many as 70% of children with malignant neoplasms, in some tumor forms, the proportion of recovered children is much higher, which shows it urgent to elaborate comprehensive rehabilitation programmes required for the effective integration of prior patients of children's cancer clinics into a group. The paper presents a complex rehabilitation programme worked out at the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Russian Cancer Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The basic directions of the programme are medical, psychological, pedagogical, and social rehabilitation. For medical rehabilitation, phytotherapy, medical laser, climate therapy, and therapeutical exercises are widely used. Of particular value are physical and recreational activities, which include the use of therapeutical exercises, active recreational activities, participation in sporting events, and conditioning swimming. Psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation is aimed at solving personality and familial problems, at developing intellectual abilities, and at eliminating steady-state bad habits and behavioral deviations. A psychological and pedagogical programme is based on the work of art-therapeutical shops where a child realizes his/her strivings, which promotes the recovery of his/her mental and social status. The work of psychologists and psychotherapeutists with children's parents occupies a highly important place since correction of child-parent relations serves as a necessary basis for mental recovery in a child. The most important factor of social rehabilitation is an educational programme aimed at acquiring knowledge and at stimulating cognitive activities. To implement the comprehensive programme increases life quality in children who have sustained cancer diseases, improves their social adaptation and thus facilitates integration of these children in society.     

Cell differentiation in human melanoma cells caused by dicarbamine (ultrastructural investigation)

The effects of dicarbamine (r) and polytransretinoic acid (PTRA) on human melanoma MEL-6 transplanted into Balb/c nude female mice have been compared by histological and electron microscopic procedures. It was discovered that long-term administration of 1.5 mg/kg dicarbamine caused melanoma MEL-6 cells to undergo terminal differentiation. As a result, the number of melanosome-containing cells was 3-4 times and the number of melanosomes in them--5 times those in intact controls. Dicarbamine effect was double that of PTRA.     

Ultrastructural characteristics of thyroid medullary carcinoma

17 thyroid medullary carcinomas (TMC) were studied electron microscopically (EM). Two cell groups were revealed regardless of their histological structure: EM differentiated (with signs of C-cell differentiation) and non-differentiated (without these signs). There is no correlation between histological structure of the tumor and the degree of its EM differentiation. In patients who lived 5 years maximum after the diagnosis there were different histological types but EM the tumors had relatively monomorphous structure with domination of non-differentiated cells (more than 70%), high content of dark cells (50% and more) and low content of desmosomes (less than 30%). The prognosis is more favourable the higher is content of EM differentiated cells, the better desmosomes are developed and the lower is content of dark cells. The scope of surgery and local metastases do not influence the prognosis while distant metastases (stage IV) deteriorate the prognosis.     

Treatment of patients with arterial hypertension in Moscow

AIM: To analyze treatment for arterial hypertension in Moscow. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 1056 case histories of hypertensive patients referred to Moscow city cardiological hospital in 1999 were analysed. The analysis covered the following issues: frequency of use of antihypertensive drugs depending on the disease stage; adequacy of the doses; changes in the treatment due to the presence of hypertrophy of the left ventricular myocardium, cardiac failure, vascular complications, diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Treatment of hypertension was not adequate in many patients. Often, inadequate decisions were made on the drugs doses, course regimens, monotherapy. CONCLUSION: Insufficiently effective treatment of arterial hypertension can result in aggravation of the disease and frequent complications.