[Platelet melatonin levels in healthy donors].

A convenient and reliable enzyme immunoassay of platelet melatonin has been developed using the Melatonin ELISA kits (IBL Hamburg GmBH). The proposed methods permit the quantitative determination of platelet melatonin, which opens up new prospects for using this indicator for diagnostic purposes.

[Melatonin expression in nasal polyps in patients with asthmatic triad].

The expression of melatonin in nasal polyps versus the histological structure of tissue was studied in 11 patients with aspirin-induced asthma (AIA), 8 patients with asthma without aspirin intolerance, 13 patients with polypous rhinosinusopathy (PR) without bronchopulmonary diseases, and 10 apparently healthy individuals without nasal polyposis. The expression of melatonin in the nasal mucosa was found to be normal in healthy individuals. It significantly increased in polyp tissue in PR. The specific feature of polyp tissue in patients with aspirin triad was its high eosinophils levels that correlated with the increased area of melatonin expression. Thus, in AIA patients, the role of eosinophils increases in the production and/or delivery of the hormone into polyp tissue along with a drastic reduction in platelet melatonin generation. The findings explain persistent recurrent PR in AIA patients and an exacerbation of the disease after polyp removal.

[Melatonin production in thrombocytes and their functional activity in patients with aspirin asthma].

The aim of the investigation was to study melatonin production in thrombocytes and their functional activity in correlation with 6-sulfatoximelatonin (6-SOM) urinary excretion in patients with aspirin-induced bronchial asthma (AIBA). Forty-three patients with bronchial asthma (BA) were examined. The main group consisted of 26 AIBA patients; the comparison group consisted of 17 BA patients with no intolerance to aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; 30 practically healthy individuals constituted the control group. The study found no melatonin production in thrombocytes of AIBA patients: only 13.0 +/- 1.3% of platelets expressed melatonin, while in healthy people 97.7 +/- 0.6% of the cells did. Besides, daytime urinary excretion of 6-SOM, the main melatonin metabolite, was lower in AIBA patients. Lower daytime and higher nighttime melatonin production in AIBA patients correlated with the acceleration of the 1st phase and increased intensity of thrombocyte aggregation, which evidences high thrombocyte reactivity to the inducing agent. The presence of a pathologic reaction of thrombocytes to exogenous melatonin, manifesting by changes in the 1st stage of aggregation, suggests the presence of pathology in thrombocyte membrane-receptor complex and the calcium homeostasis of the cell, which determines constant activation and the participation of thrombocytes in the development of asthmatic syndrome.

[Results of Befnorin clinical trails in healthy volunteers]. / Rezul'taty klinicheskogo ispytaniia preparata benforina na zdorovykh dobrovol'tsakh.

Clinical trails of Befnorin based on the human recombinant TNF-beta elaborated at the Research Design and Technology Institute of Biologically Active Substances, "Vector" State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, were carried out on healthy volunteers in compliance with a decision passed by the Committee of Medical and Immunobiological Preparations, Russia's Health Ministry. Single Befnorin doses of 5-10(4) U, 10(5) U, 5-10(5) U, and 10(6) U were administered as intramuscular injections. Clinical, biochemical and immunological parameters were registered for 7 days after a single dose. The drug had an impact on the below immunity indices: Fc-phagocytosis of monocytes, migration index and migration inhibition index. The dose of 10(5) U was proven to be most effective and safe. Supposedly, the drug can be effective in the treatment of herpetic diseases.

[Epifamine efficacy in aspirin bronchial asthma]. / Effektivnost' lecheniia épifaminom aspirinovoi bronkhial'noi astmy.

Nine patients with moderate and severe aspirin bronchial asthma (ABA) received epifamine (a course dose 400 mg) in addition to continuous antiasthmatic therapy. Matched 12 ABA patients received placebo. Epifamine was found to improve the patients' clinical condition, response of distal bronchi to berotek; to promote achievement of long remission and increased production of melatonin. Thus, epifamine is effective and can be used in pathogenetic strategic therapy of ABA.

[Immune status of patients with chronic bronchitis and neurocirculatory asthenia]. / Osobennosti immunnogo statusa bol'nykh khronicheskim bronkhitom s priznakami sindroma vegetativnoi distonii.

AIM: To study changes in immune system of patients with various forms of chronic bronchitis (CB) and neurocirculatory asthenia (NCA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Neurological and immunological examinations were made in 84 patients with CB exacerbation and 51 control subjects. RESULTS: It was found that 60% of CB patients had NCA. No negative effects of NCA on immune system in CB patients were registered. Suppression of immune system and secondary immunodeficiency occurred more frequently in CB patients without signs of NCA. 40% of CB patients had vagotonic NCA in which immunological disorders manifested most clearly. CONCLUSION: Vegetative disorders in CB patients do not affect immunological system. Functional testing of autonomic nervous system is suggested for prediction of immune system condition.

[Melatonin effects on functional activity of platelets in patients with bronchial asthma]. / Vliianie melatonina na funktsional'nuiu aktivnost' trombotsitov u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi.

AIM: To assess effects of epiphysial hormone melatonin in various dose regimens on ADP-induced aggregation of platelets in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). Correlations with urine levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (6-SOMT), basic melatonin metabolite, were made. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Melatonin was given to 17 patients with mild or moderate BA and 16 healthy controls. RESULTS: BA patients were found to have disorders in circadian rhythm of urine 6-SOMT excretion, lack of correlation between platelet functional activity and elevated nocturnal excretion of 6-SOMT, in vitro platelet activation in response to low-dose melatonin and absence of this reaction to high-dose melatonin. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that melatonin may be involved in genesis of bronchoobstructive syndrome in BA.

[The diagnosis of aspirin-induced asthma by using a functional model]. / Diagnostika aspirinovoi astmy s pomoshch'iu funktsional'noi modeli.

The analysis of case history, clinical, laboratory and instrumental findings, objectively characterizing the patient's condition in two alternative groups (nonaspirin and aspirin bronchial asthma) enabled the authors to create a functional diagnostic model for aspirin bronchial asthma. The model-based computer program designed by the authors can perform early diagnosis of aspirin asthma outpatiently without any risk for the patients.

[The effect of disorders of thrombocyte functional activity on the microcirculatory status in the lungs and on external respiratory function in patients with aspirin-induced asthma]. / Vliianie narushenii funktsional'noi aktivnosti trombotsitov na sostoianie mikrotsirkuliatsii v legkikh i funktsiiu vneshnego dykhaniia u bol'nykh aspirinovoi astmoi.

Platelet aggregation, pulmonary microcirculation and external respiration were studied against clinical appearance of the disease in 20 patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma (ASA) and 10 asthmatics without aspirin intolerance. All ASA patients were found to exhibit higher intensity and rate of platelet aggregation induced by ATP and heparin. Capillary pulmonary circulation in them was decreased 2-fold compared to nonaspirin asthma patients. All ASA cases had obstructive impairment of pulmonary ventilation in peripheral bronchi. The more serious were defects in platelet function, the more significant were microcirculatory and external respiratory alterations in ASA. Thus, it is evident that changes in platelet function play an important role in the genesis of pulmonary microcirculation and external respiration affections in ASA patients.

[Characteristics of functional activity of thrombocytes in patients with "aspirin" bronchial asthma]. / Osobennosti funktsional'noi aktivnosti trombotsitov u bol'nykh "aspirinovoi" bronkhial'noi astmoi.

Upon comparison of functional activity of platelets and their response to aspirin in 20 subjects with aspirin bronchial asthma, 19 patients with non-aspirin bronchial asthma and 21 healthy controls it was found out that in aspirin asthma platelet count is elevated, their response to aggregation inductors enhances while to aspirin is abnormal, plasmic thromboxane level is reduced. Aspirin asthma patients are believed to have a specific platelet defect.

[The results of the dynamic observation of bronchial hyperreactivity in risk-group subjects and in bronchial asthma patients. Some corrective procedures]. / Rezul'taty dinamicheskogo nabliudeniia za giperreaktivnost'iu bronkhov u lits grupp riska i bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi, nekotorye sposoby ee korrektsii.

The following bronchial provocation tests were carried out: 310 with acetylcholine, 216 with submaximal physical exercise, 246 with cold air inhalation, and 103 with aspirin in healthy subjects, relatives of bronchial asthma patients, in patients with preasthma and asthma in a stage of exacerbation abatement or remission. Based on the data obtained the authors show nonspecific hyperreactivity of the bronchi in healthy relatives of bronchial asthma patients, heterogeneity and a high incidence of responses to acetylcholine, cold air and physical exercise, augmentation of the reaction intensity to different stimuli in all asthma patients. The follow-up of bronchial hyperreactivity discovered its progression in the absence of the treatment and the lowering of its intensity as a result of the treatment with calcium antagonists, magnesium sulfate, punctate massage, sublaminal physical exercise, ultraviolet radiation of autologous blood, specific desensitization with aspirin.