Cryptic taxonomic diversity and high-latitude melanism in the glossiphoniid leech assemblage from the Eurasian Arctic.

The family Glossiphoniidae is a diverse and widespread clade of freshwater leeches, playing a significant role in functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The taxonomy and biogeography of leeches from temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions attracted much attention of zoologists, while their taxonomic richness and distribution in the Arctic are poorly understood. Here, we present an overview of the Eurasian Arctic Glossiphoniidae based on the most comprehensive occurrence and DNA sequence datasets sampled to date. This fauna contains 14 species, belonging to five genera and three subfamilies. One genus and five species are new to science and described here. The world's northernmost occurrences of glossiphoniids are situated on the Taymyr Peninsula at 72° N, although further records at higher latitudes are expected. Most Arctic leeches are characterized by broad ranges crossing several climatic zones (e.g., Glossiphonia balcanica and G. nebulosa), although the distribution of two new species may be confined to the high-latitude areas. The Taymyr Peninsula with the nearby Putorana Plateau represents the most species-rich area (totally 9 species), while the European Arctic, Iceland, Kolyma Highland, and Chukotka Peninsula house depleted faunas (2-4 species per subregion). Finally, we show that the high-latitude melanism is a common phenomenon in glossiphoniid leeches.

The Differences in the Levels of Oxidative Status Marker and Soluble CD95 in Patients with Moderate to Severe COPD during an Exacerbation and a Stable Period.

Studying the features of changes in markers of oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation indicators in COPD patients depending on the degree of bronchial obstruction is one of the priority directions for improving the prognosis and monitoring of the course of this pathology. We conducted a comparative investigation of changes in markers of OS and apoptosis at the systemic and local levels in patients with moderate to severe COPD during exacerbation and stable phase. 105 patients with COPD aged 46-67 and 21 healthy nonsmoking volunteers comparable in age were examined. COPD patients were divided into four groups: moderate COPD (GOLDII) during the exacerbation (GOLDIIex, n = 25) and in the stable phase (GOLDIIst, n = 27), severe COPD (GOLDIII) during the exacerbation (GOLDIIIex, n = 29), and in the stable phase (GOLDIIIst, n = 24). We studied the levels of such lipid peroxidation (LPO) products as diene conjugates (DC) and Schiff bases (SB) and parameters of induced chemiluminescence (Imax, total light sum-S, Imax/S) in blood serum, as well as sCD95 concentration in blood and exhaled breath condensate (EBC). The relationship between the values of the OS system indicators with sCD95, as well as with the parameters of lung function, was investigated. Multidirectional changes in OS indicator levels in COPD patients depending on the severity of obstructive airway disorders have been established. The maximum values of DC (0.26 ± 0.046 RU), Imax (0.265 ± 0.19 RLU), and Imax/S (0.13 ± 0.05) were typical for patients with moderate COPD, while the highest SB level (5.7 ± 2.3 RU) was observed in severe COPD during an exacerbation. The exacerbation of the disease was characterized by an increase in DC concentration in both GOLDIIex (0.26 ± 0.046 RU) and GOLDIIIex (0.209 ± 0.02 RU) compared to the stable moderate and severe COPD (0.202 ± 0.028 RU and 0.19 ± 0.03 RU, respectively, p < 0.05). The established decrease in high values of DC, Imax, Imax/S, and sCD95 and an increase in SB concentration in GOLD III can serve as quantitative indicators of the prognosis of the severity of the disease. The serum concentration of sCD95 in GOLDIIex (366.4 ± 70.5 U/ml) and GOLDIIst (361.4 ± 72.8 U/ml) did not differ from the control group (393.7 ± 80.9 U/ml, p > 0.05). In patients with FEV1 < 49% during the exacerbation and stable phase, the serum levels of Imax/S (0.058 ± 0.01 and 0.062 ± 0.01) and sCD95 (318.2 ± 66.3 U/ml and 321.4 ± 42.5 U/ml) were lower than the values of healthy volunteers (0.08 ± 0.01 and 393.7 ± 80.9 U/ml, respectively, p < 0.05). A positive correlation between sCD95 concentration and airway obstruction degree in all examined COPD patients was established. The revealed numerous associations between sCD95 and OS marker levels in GOLDIII indicate a relationship between systemic radical stress and apoptosis processes both in the respiratory tract and the whole body under conditions of severe inflammation. The established correlations between the values of DC, Imax, and sCD95 in the blood serum and the lung function parameters in all studied patients allow us to consider these indicators as additional prognostic indicators of disease intensification. Our work results help clarify the participation and detail of FRO and apoptosis processes in developing pathophysiological features in moderate to severe COPD in different periods and, accordingly, improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

A new freshwater leech species from Asian Swamp Eel stocks in China.

Discoveries of new Hemiclepsis species (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) in East and Southeast Asia were expected. A peculiar freshwater leech was found on the body surface of Asian Swamp Eel Monopterus albus (Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China. Here, we describe this leech species as Hemiclepsis yangtzenensis sp. nov. It could be distinguished from other congeners based on a combination of morphological features such as very small size, translucent body with dense green reticulate markings throughout dorsum, very large posterior sucker with a characteristic reticulate pattern, and two pairs of well-developed drop-like eyespots. It also represents a phylogenetic lineage that is distant from other members of the genus based on the COI and 18S rRNA sequences. This leech species seems to be a specialized fish parasite that could negatively affect farming and wild stocks of Asian Swamp Eel in China.

The Relationship Between Bronchial Patency and Parameters of ECG Supraventricular Component in Children With Bronchial Asthma.

Background: Uncontrolled asthma (BA) can be complicated by cardiac conduction disturbances and arrhythmias. It is typical mainly for adult asthmatics patients. In asthmatics children the effect of bronchoconstriction on cardiac conduction, including the supraventricular component of the ECG, is currently under discussion. The objective of the research is to analyze ECG parameters of the atrial complex and atrioventricular conduction and to assess their relationship with spirometric indicators in children with BA. Methods: Hundred three patients with BA from the age of 6-17 years were examined. The spirometric parameters were evaluated, including the Tiffeneau index (TI): FEV1/FVC (%), according to the level of which the patient groups were distinguished. Group 1 (G1): with TI more than 85%, (n = 15); Group 2 (G2): with TI from 85 to 75%, (n = 40); Group 3 (G3): with TI <75%, (n = 48). The ECG parameters that characterize supraventricular conduction, including the PQ interval (sec) and the sPQ segment (sec), were analyzed. We had calculated relative PQ (rPQ) by the formula rPQ=PQ/PQmed, where PQ is the patient's PQ, PQmed are the median PQ values of healthy children of age selected. Results: The duration of the PQ in groups G1 and G2 was 0.13 (0.11; 0.14) s; and 0.13 (0.12; 0.14) s, respectively, which is statistically significantly less than in patients of groups G3-0.14 (0.13; 0.15] s, p = 0.01. The duration of the sPQ segment in children of groups G1 and G2 was also generally shorter than in patients of groups G3, and amounted, respectively, to 0.05 (0.04; 0.06) s, 0.04 (0.04; 0.05) s, and 0.06 (0.04; 0.07) s, p = 0.02. The rPQ increased progressively as TI decreased and amounted in G1 to 92.9 (85.7; 106.3) %, in G2 100.0 (92.9; 103.0) %, and in G3 104 (100.0; 107.7) %, p = 0.009. A statistically significant negative correlation between IT and PQ-r = -0.23, p = 0.02; with sPQ-r = -0.20, p = 0.045; and with rPQ-r = -0.25, p = 0.01 was revealed. Conclusion: A decrease in TI in asthmatics children is associated with a prolongation of the PQ. This may indicate a slowdown in supraventricular conduction in patients with uncontrolled asthma and, thus, be considered as a risk for the formation of subsequent supraventricular arrhythmias.

Relationship of Serum Levels of IL-17, IL-18, TNF-α, and Lung Function Parameters in Patients with COPD, Asthma-COPD Overlap, and Bronchial Asthma.

Determination of markers of systemic inflammation is one of the important directions in the study of pathogenesis and improvement of diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), and bronchial asthma (BA). The aim of our work was a comparative study of the features of changes in serum levels of IL-17, IL-18, and TNF-α in patients with COPD, ACO, and BA with various severity of the disease, as well as evaluation of the relationship between the level of these cytokines and lung ventilation function. A total of 147 patients with COPD (n = 58), ACO (n = 57), and BA (n = 32) during a stable period have been examined in this study. The control group included 21 healthy nonsmokers with similar sex-age indicators. Serum levels of IL-17, IL-18, and TNF-α were determined by ELISA. The concentrations of these cytokines in the circulation in the studied patients with COPD, ACO, and BA were higher than those in healthy nonsmokers (p ≤ 0.001). IL-17 and IL-18 levels in the blood serum were comparable in all examined patients. The mean TNF-α concentrations in the circulation in COPD and ACO were significantly higher than those in BA (p < 0.001). In patients with COPD, the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α increased progressively against the background of a decrease in numerous spirometric indicators, which allows us to consider these cytokines as systemic biomarkers of disease severity. In BA, the inverse correlations between the level of IL-17 and FEV1/FVC (%) and FEV1 have been found. In patients with ACO, the increase in IL-18 levels was associated with a decrease in FEV1 and TNF-α with FEV1/FVC (%). These findings indicate that IL-17, IL-18, and TNF-α can participate in the mechanisms of systemic inflammation and the genesis of disorders of airway obstruction in COPD, AСO, and BA. An increase in the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α may be associated with impaired bronchial patency in COPD and BA. The established associations of the IL-18 concentration in the blood serum and FEV1 only in patients with ACO allow using the level of IL-18 as a potential marker of the degree of impaired airway obstruction in this disease.

The Relationship Between Indicators of Nasal Respiratory Function and Spirometric Parameters in Children With Bronchial Asthma.

Introduction: The relationship between objective indicators of nasal obstruction and airflow limitation in children with bronchial asthma (BA) and allergic rhinitis (AR) has not yet been studied. Objective: To study the relationship between objective parameters of nasal obstruction and airflow limitation, determined using the methods of anterior active rhinomanometry (AARM) and spirometry in children with BA and AR. Materials and Methods: Eighty eight children and adolescents with BA and AR, boys-65.9% (58/88), were examined. The median age was 11.09 [10.42; 11.76] years. To determine airflow limitation, the following spirometric parameters were evaluated: forced vital capacity of the lungs (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), the ratio of FEV1/FVC, and maximum expiratory flow at the point 25% of the flow-volume loop (MEF25). Data were recorded both in absolute values and in relative units (% pred). Nasal respiratory function was determined by AARM based on the total nasal airflow (TNAF) in absolute (Pa/cm3/s) and relative units (RTNAF, % pred). Results: In the general cohort and in boys but not in girls, a statistically significant direct correlation was found between TNAF (Pa/cm3/s) and absolute spirometry parameters of bronchial patency-all had p < 0.01. Also, RTNAF and relative MEF25 values (% pred) in the general cohort were R = 0.22, p = 0.04, and in boys, R = 0.28, p = 0.03. In girls, there was no statistically significant correlation between nasal respiratory function and spirometric parameters, all p > 0.05. Additional analysis of literature was conducted to ascertain that the identified gender differences were not occasional. Conclusion: The significant positive correlation of absolute values of AARM and spirometric parameters in children with BA and AR was established, which apparently reflects the physical development of children. Of all the relative indicators of spirometry, only MEF25 (% pred), which indirectly reflects the patency of small bronchi, had a distinct direct correlation with RTNAF. These patterns are clearly expressed in boys with BA. In girls with this disease, however, the relationship between nasal respiratory function and spirometric indicators seems to be more complex and requires further study.

Dependence of Anterior Active Rhinomanometry Indices on Nasal Obstructive Disorders in Children with Atopic Bronchial Asthma Complicated by Nasal Symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Atopic bronchial asthma (BA) in children is associated with upper airways pathology (UAP). Among them, a combination of allergic rhinitis (AR) and nasal obstructive disorders (NOD), including hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil (HPT) and anomalies of the intranasal structures (AINS), is abundant. In such patients, anterior active rhinomanometry (AARM) is an important method of examining nasal patency. However, NOD can influence the AARM parameters in children with BA and nasal symptoms, and this effect must be taken into account in clinical practice. Study goal was to elucidate the effect of NOD on rhinomanometric parameters in this group of patients. METHODS: Total of 66 children with BA and AR were examined with AARM, rhinovideoendoscopy, spirometry, and standard clinical tests allowing revealing the structure of comorbid pathologies. In order to avoid the influence of anthropometric parameters of children and their age on AARM parameters, a special index of reduced total nasal airflow was used. RESULTS: It has been established that NOD, especially HPT, have a significant negative impact on the indices of anterior active rhinomanometry during the periods of both AR remission and AR exacerbation. The effect of AINS is much weaker and was remarkable only in combination with HPT.

Soluble HLA-I and HLA-II Molecules Are Potential Prognostic Markers of Progression of Systemic and Local Inflammation in Patients with COPD.

Soluble molecules of the major histocompatibility complex play an important role in the development of various immune-mediated diseases. However, there is not much information on the participation of these proteins in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of our work was to determine the content of soluble molecules of the major histocompatibility complex of classes I and II (sHLA-I and sHLA-II) in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and in the blood serum in patients with moderate to severe COPD during the exacerbation and stable phase. We investigated 105 patients (male) with COPD aged 46-67 and 21 healthy nonsmoking volunteers (male) comparable in age. The content of sHLA-I and sHLA-II molecules was studied using ELISA. We found an increase in the level of sHLA-I and sHLA-II molecules in EBC, as well as an enhancement in the serum content of sHLA-II in all the examined COPD patients compared to healthy nonsmoking volunteers. The revealed negative correlation between the serum concentration of sHLA-II and values of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in all examined patients with COPD gives a possibility to consider the content of these proteins as an additional systemic marker of disease severity. The maximum endobronchial and serum concentrations of sHLA-I and sHLA-II were detected in patients with severe COPD during the exacerbation. The negative associations between the content of these molecules in EBC and serum and the parameters of lung function in patients with severe COPD were established. These findings suggest a pathogenetic role of sHLA-I and sHLA-II molecules in the mechanisms of the development and progression of local and systemic inflammation in COPD.

Relationship of the Content of Systemic and Endobronchial Soluble Molecules of CD25, CD38, CD8, and HLA-I-CD8 and Lung Function Parameters in COPD Patients.

The definition of new markers of local and systemic inflammation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the priority directions in the study of pathogenesis and diagnostic methods improvement for this disease. We investigated 91 patients with COPD and 21 healthy nonsmokers. The levels of soluble CD25, CD38, CD8, and HLA-I-CD8 molecules in the blood serum and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in moderate-to-severe COPD patients during exacerbation and stable phase were studied. An unidirectional change in the content of sCD25, sCD38, and sCD8 molecules with increasing severity of COPD was detected. The correlations between the parameters of lung function and sCD8, sCD25, and sHLA-I-CD8 levels in the blood serum and EBC were discovered in patients with severe COPD. The findings suggest a pathogenetic role of the investigated soluble molecules of the COPD development and allow considering the content of sCD8, sCD25, and sHLA-I-CD8 molecules as additional novel systemic and endobronchial markers of the progression of chronic inflammation of this disease.