[Effects of antimicrobial peptide from lactoferrin in blood serum and urine in patients with renal colica with urolithiasis and pyelonephritis].

AIM: To evaluate the role of lactoferrin and lactoferricin in blood serum and urine in patients with an attack of renal colic against the background of urolithiasis and pyelonephritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 149 patients admitted to the urological department of the City Clinical Hospital No. 3 of Astrakhan, according to emergency indications, with an attack of renal colic. Along with standard clinical, laboratory and instrumental research methods (general blood count, biochemical blood test, urinalysis, kidney ultrasonography), the concentration of CRP and lactoferrin was measured in all patients in the blood and urine using a set of reagents for ELISA (Lactoferrin "Vector-Best" Novosibirsk city). The sensitivity of the test for CRP and LF was 3-5 g/ml and 5 ng/ml, respectively. Studies of all collected material for lactoferricin were carried out deferred in the laboratory of the Astrakhan State Medical University. Based on the results of clinical and instrumental studies, patients admitted with an attack of renal colic were retrospectively divided into three groups: the first group included 38 patients with urolithiasis. The second group included 64 patients with obstructive pyelonephritis, and the third group included 47 patients hospitalized with characteristic signs of primary non-obstructive pyelonephritis. The groups were matched by sex and age. Blood and urine samples from 25 donors served as controls. RESULTS: When comparing a group of patients with urolithiasis with a group of patients with non-obstructive and obstructive pyelonephritis, highly significant differences (p<0.0001) were found in LF, LFC, CRP and the number of leukocytes in the blood and urine sediment. In urine, according to the results of ROC-analysis in couples with urolithiasis without pyelonephritis in comparison with obstructive pyelonephritis, the most significant differences were established for all four parameters studied: for LF (AUC=0.823), for LFC (AUC=0.832), for CRP (AUC=0.829 ) and the number of leukocytes in the urine sediment (AUC=0.780). DISCUSSION: In blood and urine in patients with urolithiasis and pyelonephritis, the effects of the bactericidal peptide LPC were compared with the levels in biological f luids of CRP, LF, and the number of leukocytes. The greatest diagnostic value of all four studied indicators was found in urine, and not in serum. ROC-analysis confirmed a more significant effect of the studied parameters on pyelonephritis than on urolithiasis. The level of lactoferrin and CRP in patients at admission correlates with the number of leukocytes in the blood and urine sediment and with the degree of inflammation in the body. And the level of LFC peptide in the urine reflects the degree of infection of the urinary tract. CONCLUSIONS: A comparative study of tests for Lf and LFC in blood serum and urine in patients admitted to a urological hospital with an attack of renal colic was carried out. Determining the concentration of lactoferricin in the urine is an informative indicator. Thus, lactoferrin and its hydrolysis product lactoferricin reflect different aspects of the infectious and inflammatory process in pyelonephritis.

[Steroid-binding protein levels in breast cancer patients].

Blood levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), transcortin and pregnancy-related alpha2-glycoprotein (PalphaGP) were assayed using commercial kits for alpha-protein analysis in 223 breast cancer patients and 180 healthy women. Elevated concentration of SHBG was characteristic of both the luteal stage of menstrual cycle and menopause. It occurred chiefly in patients under 59 whereas at older age no differences from control were observed. Blood- transcortin in tumor patients was significantly lower than in control; conversely, PalphaGP concentration was higher irrespective of age. Since steroid-binding protein levels in the blood of breast cancer patients appeared to differ from those in healthy women, relevant data should be considered when hormone-metabolic status of reproductive and menopausal patients is identified.

[Comparative evaluation of the action of serum proteins on tissue regeneration]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka deistviia nekotorykh syvorotochnykh belkov na regeneratsiiu tkanei.

Processes of skin and long tubular bones' reparative regeneration under the action of serum albumin and alpha-fetoprotein on the body were studied with the use of EPR and histological methods. Relations of spin probe rotatory mobility in cell suspensions and morphological change of examined tissues are shown. It is established that the biological activity of alpha-fetoprotein is more pronounced than that of serum albumin in the effect on the young connective tissue. The stimulating effect of the embryonic protein is demonstrated only in the first week of reparative process while that of serum albumin appeared much more late.