The effect of exogenous interferon on the in vitro production of alpha- and gamma-interferon by the lymphocytes of patients with respiratory papillomatosis]

The influence of various interferon concentrations in vitro on alpha- and gamma-interferon production by lymphocytes of children suffering from respiratory papillomatosis was studied for optimization of interferon therapy. Most of the children with clinical improvement after interferon treatment showed proportional dependence of alpha-interferon production upon exogenous interferon concentrations and stability of gamma-interferon production. In children without clinical improvement, initial production of both interferons was reduced significantly in the absence of IF in the medium, but no changes occurred when exogenous interferon was present in the medium. The test proposed here may be used for the determination of patients' sensitivity to interferon and for individualization of interferon treatment schedules in other long-lasting recurrent diseases.     

Status of the coronary bed in post-infarction stenocardia

Selective coronary angiography was performed in 80 patients with early postinfarction angina. All patients showed stenoses in at least one artery. Two vessels were affected in 37.5%, three vessels, in 51.3%, one vessel, in 11.3%. In 8.8% of cases, left coronary-arterial trunk was affected in addition to other arteries. Complete occlusion of one or several arteries was noted in 62.5%. There were marked collaterals in 20% of patients. The only difference between patients who showed relative resistance to medication and those whose condition could be stabilized was in the number of occluded vessels (69.2 and 35.1%, respectively). Coronary arterial lesions were operable in 68% of cases.     

Calcified giant aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery

A rare case of calcified giant aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery is presented. This is a 28-year-old female with seizures and right-sided hemiparesis in whom plain scull films and computed tomography revealed a large calcified lesion (measuring 7.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm) of the left cerebral hemisphere. The lesion was removed by the pterional transsylvian approach and found to be a calcified giant thrombotic aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery. The CT characteristics of these rare lesions and the success of surgery in this case are briefly discussed.     

Changes in the parameters of the rhythms of the electrolyte-excreting function of the kidneys in women in relation to the seasons of the year

The characteristics (period, mesor, amplitude) of the rhythms of urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus were examined in normal women during various seasons. The urine was collected for 5 days with 4-hour intervals. The rhythms were detected and their parameters established with the use of mathematical methods for the assessment of the tested curve fragments repetitions and by the least squares nonlinear method. The rhythms of renal urinary and electrolyte excretion were found very smooth, particularly so in the fall and winter. The circadian rhythms have been found the most stable during all the seasons. Examinations of individual electrolyte excretion have shown that Na and K excretion is more stable all the year round and therefore this parameter is the most informative for the detection of disorders in renal electrolyte excretion.     

The interferon status in helminthiases. 2. Alveolar hydatid disease

In 11 patients with Echinococcus multilocularis infection the blood levels of alpha-interferon (alpha-IF) and gamma-interferon (gamma-IF) were measured using vesical stomatitis virus culture. In patients with the disease the contents of alpha- and gamma-IF were significantly (p less than 0.01) lower than in healthy controls: 392 +/- 101.6 and 101.6 +/- 20.9 U/ml and 1024 +/- 83.2 and 187 +/- 16.9 U/ml, respectively. The lower levels of alpha- and gamma-IF were found in patients with multiorgan damages including the lungs, as compared with the liver and abdomen infestation: alpha-IF 160 +/- 56.6, gamma-IF 88 +/- 24.0 and 525.7 +/- 124.3 and 109 +/- 18.3 (p less than 0.01), respectively. The similar data have been found in patients with hydatid disease (S. N. Suntsov et al., 1990). After 5 to 6 courses of mebendazole therapy in a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight dai y for 30 days with 30-day intervals there was a tendency to a slight elevation of cytokines levels (S. N. Suntsov et al., 1990), as seen in hydatid disease. The estimation of IF levels in multilocular echinococcosis infection may be of prognostic value and perhaps for the evaluation of the efficacy of surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment.     

Platelet-activating factor effects on bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Endothelial cells (ECs) were isolated from bovine pulmonary artery and maintained in long-term culture. On reaching confluency, ECs formed a characteristic "cobblestone" monolayer. One hour after addition of 1 nM platelet-activating factor (PAF) to the growth medium, ECs underwent dramatic changes in shape from their normal polygonal morphology to more elongated spindle-shaped forms. More pronounced effects were evident in the presence of 0.1 nM phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), a potent activator of C kinase. It was found that at concentrations from 10(-11)-10(-7) M, PAF stimulates the phosphoinositide turnover in EC. The half-maximal activation in the release of inositol phosphates was at 10(-9) M. This finding suggested that an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and activation of protein kinase C were involved in the mechanism of action of PAF on EC. The metabolic responses of EC were evaluated by measuring the activity of beta-adrenergic receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase (AC) in a crude membrane fraction and by assay of prostacyclin and thromboxane released by cultured EC. AC from control membranes was activated by isoproterenol in a dose-dependent manner (EC50 = 30 nM) from 0.8-5.5 pmol cAMP/min/mg protein. If the membranes were isolated after preincubation of ECs with 1 nM PAF or 0.1 nM PMA, the AC activity was decreased by 70 and 90%, respectively; in both cases, affinity for isoproterenol was lowered threefold (EC50 = 100 nM). Our data suggest that PAF interaction with EC leads to an apparent beta-adrenergic receptor desensitization that probably acts via a phosphorylation mechanism involving C kinase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Randomized comparison of prophylaxis and on‐demand regimens with FEIBA NF in the treatment of haemophilia A and B with inhibitors

Factor replacement therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe haemophilia A and B can be complicated by the production of inhibitory alloantibodies to factor VIII (FVIII) or factor IX. Treatment with the nanofiltered anti‐inhibitor coagulant complex, Factor Eight Inhibitor Bypassing Activity (FEIBA NF), is a key therapeutic option for controlling acute haemorrhages in patients with high‐titre inhibitors or low‐titre inhibitors refractory to replacement therapy. Given the high risk for morbidity and mortality in haemophilia patients with inhibitors to FVIII or FIX, we conducted this Phase 3 prospective study to evaluate whether prophylaxis with FEIBA NF is a safe and effective treatment option. Over a 1‐year period, 17 subjects were treated prophylactically (85 ± 15 U kg^?1 every other day) while 19 subjects were treated on demand. The median (IQR) annualized bleeding rate (ABR) during prophylaxis was 7.9 (8.1), compared to 28.7 (32.3) during on‐demand treatment, which amounts to a 72.5% reduction and a statistically significant difference in ABRs between arms (P = 0.0003). Three (17.6%) subjects (ITT) on prophylaxis experienced no bleeding episodes, whereas none treated on demand were bleeding episode‐free. Total utilization of FEIBA NF for the treatment of bleeding episodes was significantly higher during on‐demand therapy than prophylaxis (P = 0.0067). There were no differences in the rates of related adverse events between arms. This study demonstrates that FEIBA prophylaxis significantly reduces all types of bleeding compared with on‐demand treatment, and the safety of prophylaxis is comparable to that of on‐demand treatment.     

Characterization of a Novel SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Variant with Distinct Spike Protein Mutations

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in Wuhan (Hubei, China), has been ongoing for about a year and a half. An unprecedented number of people around the world have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19. Despite the fact that the mortality rate for COVID-19 is relatively low, the total number of deaths has currently already reached more than three million and continues to increase due to high incidence. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a large number of sequences have been obtained and many genetic variants have been identified. Some of them bear significant mutations that affect biological properties of the virus. These genetic variants, currently Variants of Concern (VoC), include the so-called United Kingdom variant (20I/501Y), the Brazilian variant (20J/501Y.V3), and the South African variant (20H/501Y.V2). We describe here a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant with distinct spike protein mutations, first obtained at the end of January 2021 in northwest Russia. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the dynamics of its spread among patients with COVID-19, as well as to study in detail its biological properties.     

The effects of smoking on adolescent trauma patients: a propensity-score-matched analysis

Cigarettes have been demonstrated to be toxic to the pulmonary connective tissue by impairing the lung’s ability to clear debris, resulting in infection and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Approximately 8% of adolescents are smokers. We hypothesized that adolescent trauma patients who smoke have a higher rate of ARDS and pneumonia when compared to non-smokers. The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2014–2016) was queried for adolescent trauma patients aged 13–17 years. Adolescent smokers were 1:2 propensity-score-matched to non-smokers based on age, comorbidities, and injury type. Data were analyzed using chi square for categorical data and Mann–Whitney U test for continuous data. From 32,610 adolescent patients, 997 (3.1%) were smokers. After matching, 459 smokers were compared to 918 non-smokers. There were no differences in matched characteristics. Compared to non-smokers, smokers had an increased rate of pneumonia (3.1% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.01) but not ARDS (0.2% vs. 0%, p = 0.16). Compared to the non-smoking group, the smokers had a longer median total hospital length-of-stay (3 vs. 2 days, p = 0.01) and no difference in overall mortality (1.5% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.29). Smoking is associated with an increased rate of pneumonia in adolescent trauma patients. Future research should target smoking cessation and/or interventions to mitigate the deleterious effects of smoking in this population.