[Mortality of the Penza region population from diseases of the liver and biliary tract in 2021-2022]. / Smertnost' naseleniya Penzenskoi oblasti ot boleznei pecheni i zhelchevyvodyashchikh putei v 2021­2022 gg.

A study was made of the structure of mortality of the population of the Penza region from diseases of the liver and biliary tract in 2021-2022. Data on registered deaths were analyzed, the main cause of which was non-tumor diseases of the liver and biliary tract (excluding hepatitis B, C). Statistical calculations were carried out using the STATISTICA program. Between April 2021 and April 2022, 285 deaths from diseases of the liver and biliary tract were identified. The proportion of the male population prevails over the female and is 57.5%. The largest number of deaths occurs in persons aged 45 to 59 years, the smallest - in people over the age of 90 years. There were no deaths from diseases of the liver and bile ducts among minors. Among the initial causes of death in the studied sample, cirrhosis of the liver (K74.6) is in the lead - 75.4%, in second place are gallbladder stones with acute cholecystitis (K80.0) - 4.9%, then - chronic hepatitis (K73.8) - 4.2%. The categories of the population that are at risk for mortality from diseases of the liver and biliary tract have been identified. Among males, the risk group is people aged 45-59 years, among women - 18-44 years. The risk of death among men is 14% higher than among women. The most likely cause of death is cirrhosis of the liver (the terminal stage of chronic liver pathology).

Complex Method of CT and Morphological Examination of Placental Angioarchitechtonics.

We propose an original method of complex assessment of the placental angioarchitechtonics based on computed tomography (CT) and morphological examination. A prerequisite condition of successful examination and assessment of the placental angioarchitechtonics is the pre-preparative stage including clearing of the placental and umbilical cord vessels from blood clots by placement of placenta into 10% hypertonic NaCl solution and then on a hygroscopic substrate. The major stage of this method is injection of contrast staining mixtures into the umbilical vessels followed by CT. The concentration of radiocontrast agent in water solution of gouache should be 70% for arteries and 15% for veins. The volumes of mixtures for contrast staining should be calculated according to the weight of the placenta. The contrast staining mixture was first injected into the catheterized unpaired umbilical vein, and then into both umbilical arteries. Each injection of the contrast staining mixture was visually inspected; then branching of the stained vessel was photographed and scanned by CT. The CT scans were used to construct 3D models of placental vessels and spectral color maps, which made it possible to examine the peculiarities of placental angioarchitechtonics, to identify and evaluate anastomoses of placental vessels, and to establish the type of these anastomoses.

[ Bioluminescent assay to detect melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) polymorphisms (R160W, R151C, and D294H)].

Several polymorphisms in melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene are shown to have associations with melanoma risk. In particular, rs1805007, rs1805008, and rs1805009 mutations causing the corresponding R151C, R160W, and D294H changes and associated with the phenotype ("red-hair mutations") are connected with melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer risks. The work describes the approach to detect these polymorphisms based on primer extension reaction with the following dual bioluminescent assay. Model plasmids with polymorphic MC1R fragments as well as several clinical DNA samples were tested using the developed technique. The results were in good correlation with those obtained by Sanger sequencing.

[The prognostic significance of particular immunological indicators of lachrymal fluid in patients using soft contact lenses].

The study was carried out to identify concentrations of vessel epithelium growth factor (VEGF), souble forms of VEGF receptor type I and II, chemo-toxic protein I and metalloproteinase-9 in lachrymal fluid. The immune enzyme analysis was applied. He sampling included patients with myopia without complications while using silicone hydro-helium and hydro-helium contact lenses and patients with hypoxic complications of contact correction. It is established that application of hydro-helium and silicone hydro-helium contact lenses more than one year is followed by increasing of concentration of detected substances in lachrymal fluid. Under hypoxic complications of contact correction the levels of substances are significantly higher than in cases without complications. This occurrence makes it possible to substantiate possibility of application of immunologic indicators as diagnostic markers.

[Immunological changes in old-age group children with primary and secondary tuberculous infection].

In modern society, there is a rise in the incidence of tuberculosis in all age groups, including children and adolescents. In old age group, a specific inflammation is detectable from Mantoux test results only in every four children. Tuberculous infection is diagnosed in half of cases when they turn to physicians for complains. Disseminated and complicated forms of tuberculosis are more frequently identified in these situations. The immune system has a particular emphasis on the course and outcome of the disease. The authors have established that caseous masses actively form, followed by the stimulation of the adequate cell pathway promoting the limitation of specific inflammation in old-age group children with primary tuberculosis. In secondary forms of tuberculous infection, there is an increase in the level of monocytes where the persistence and multiplication of the causative microorganism, as well as the activation of the humoral pathway inadequate for tuberculous infection are likely to occur, i.e. the infectious agent may be inhibited until activation of the Th-2 pathway of an immune response takes place.

[Predictors of the progress of latent tuberculosis to clinically active one].

The question recently arises as to the diagnosis of tuberculous infection at early stages of its development. Tuberculin diagnosis ranks below due to the rise ofcomorbidity, including allergic diseases. There is increasing evidence for the leading role in the development of this or that type of tuberculous infection. A mathematical model was used to identify 5 major of the 35 laboratory parameters characterizing the immune profile. The equations of classifying discriminant functions derived by the chosen immunological parameters make it possible to formalize data strictly and to organize an immunological screening with a high degree of accuracy in children with unchanged tuberculin sensitivity, without making compound statistical calculations. This fact can meet the requirements of immunological prediction of the development of tuberculosis in children.

[Training of physicians-phthisiologists in the Urals Federal Region]. / Podgotovka vrachei-ftiziatrov v Ural'skom federal'nom okruge.

The paper analyzes problems associated with the training and retraining of staff for phthisiological service and general practitioners, such as therapists and pediatricians, in the timely diagnosis of tuberculosis. The authors share their experience in organizing the training of physicians in antituberculosis aspects. Interaction of departments of tuberculosis and a regional research institute of phthisiopulmonology and the use of current educational technologies are required to enhance the efficiency of this work.

[Clinico-laboratory characteristics of viral hepatitis C with various HCV genotypes]. / Kliniko-laboratornaia kharakteristika virusnogo gepatita C pri razlichnykh genotipakh HCV.

Clinical and biochemical features of the acute phase of icteric hepatitis C in various HCV genotypes have been studied. The HCV genotypes determine the duration of incubation period and some clinical signs in the preicteric and icteric periods of acute hepatitis C. The biochemical picture and formation of chronic hepatitis virtually did not depend on the virus genotype.

[Headcase gene--proliferation or hormonal control?]. / Gen headcase--proliferatsiia ili gormonal'nyi kontrol'?

A new insertion allele of the hdc gene was isolated and described. The nucleotide sequence of the coding region had no detectable homology with genomic DNA of any other Drosophila species, except for D. mauritiana. Gene expression was found both in adult testes and ovaries and at embryonic and larval stages. This expression pattern exhibits a strong similarity to that of cell-cycle genes. In contrast to cycE (a typical cell-cycle gene), which leads to expression termination after in vivo culturing of the wing disk, hdc did not arrest expression. It is concluded that hdc is a species-specific differentiation gene, whose regulatory activity in the development of an organism differs from that of proliferation genes.

[Effect of hepatitis G virus on the course of acute hepatitis B and C]. / Vliianie virusa gepatita G na techenie ostrogo gepatita B i C.

Examinations of 204 patients with acute viral hepatitis revealed HGV RNA in 65 (32%) cases. Clinical and laboratory data in HBV or HCV monoinfection virtually did not differ from these in co-infection with HBV + HGV and HCV + HGV.

[Contingents of young children at a specialized hospital]. / Kontingenty detei rannego vozrasta spetsializirovannogo statsionara.

The case histories of 80 children aged 0-3 years with varying primary tuberculosis who were treated at the Pediatric Specialized Unit in 1990-1995 are analyzed Specific intrathoracic lymph nodal lesions (33.75%) were more common in the pattern of clinical tuberculosis, the primary tuberculosis complex being 2 times less. A third of children had a complicated course of local types of tuberculosis. In ill infants, the causes of primary tuberculosis were no BCG vaccination, familial tuberculosis contact, and infrequent use of specific chemotherapy.

[Y chromosomal factor controls transcription of autosomal fertility genes in Drosophila melanogaster males]. / Y-khromosomnyi faktor kontroliruet transkriptsiiu autosomnykh genov fertil'nosti samtsov Drosophila melanogaster]

Transposition of the P[1ArB] vector was used to generate three mutations inducing sterility in homozygous males: ms(3)P50, ms(3)P122, and ms(3)P115 located within 67A4-B13, 92A2-14, and 75D regions on the polytene map. Staining for beta-galactosidase synthesized by P[1ArB] allowed us to study enhancer activity of these ms genes in the testicles. Their activity correlated to the presence of the YS arm but was little affected by the presence of YL arm of Y chromosome.

[Clinical and X-ray characteristics of tuberculosis in adults and children and reasons for its late detection]. / Kliniko-rentgenologicheskaia kharakteristika tuberkuleza u vzroslykh i detei i prichiny pozdnego ego vyiavleniia.

The authors' findings suggest that the clinical pattern of tuberculosis morbidity in adults and children has recently become worse. Severe caseous pneumonia with its acute onset and malignant course by the type of galloping consumption with massive bacterial isolation and deaths in 42.8% of cases was analyzed. The complicated course mainly of the primary tuberculosis complex (40.8%) and tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes was seen in 25% of ill children. Tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed in 20% of cases in the morbidity pattern of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The reasons for late detection of disease are the poor organization of prophylactic fluorographic examinations of the adult population, tuberculin diagnosis, vaccination, revaccination of BCG and chemoprophylaxis in children at risk. The authors note unawareness of tuberculosis among the adult population, which was found through questionnaires.

[The diagnostic value of serological studies in the clinical picture of tuberculosis]. / Diagnosticheskaia tsennost' serologicheskikh issledovanii v klinike tuberkuleza.

Circulating antituberculous antibodies in the sera from 89 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 11 patients with tumors and nonspecific inflammation in the lungs were evaluated using indirect hemagglutination and enzyme immunoassay. Specific antibodies were detected in 81.6 and 30% of tuberculous and nontuberculous patients, respectively.

[Contingents of IIIA groups in the dispensary follow-up of children]. / Kontingenty IIIA gruppy dispansernogo ucheta u detei.

51 case histories of children with new-onset inactive specific lesions in thoracic lymph nodes and the lungs in the form of calcinates have been analyzed. The authors come to the conclusion that late diagnosis of tuberculosis in children is related to difficulties in diagnosis of minor thoracic tuberculosis in infiltration phase, insufficient diagnostic efficacy of mass tuberculin examinations for early primary tuberculous infection, defects in preventive measures (BCG vaccination, chemoprophylaxis in risk groups).

Quantitative PCR as a method for monitoring retroviral infection on the gene level.

For monitoring retroviral infection on the gene level, we propose the use of quantitative PCR with two internal standards: one for a fragment of the viral genome and the other for the host cell marker gene. The standards (one for HIV and the other for a human DNA marker gene HLA-DQ alpha) were constructed by PCR-mediated joining of DNA fragments and were found to be effective in quantitative PCR despite rather different structures of amplified fragments in target and standard DNAs. The number of HIV DNA copies was found to be 2-500 per 1000 lymphocytes in blood from HIV-infected patients and up to 5000+ per 1000 cells in chronically infected cell lines. The degree of infection thus measured was found to change over the course of treatment.

[The detection of provirus in lymphocyte DNA. The monitoring of HIV infection at the genetic level]. / Detektsiia provirusa v DNK limfotsitov. Monitoring VICh-infektsii na geneticheskom urovne.

The presence of HIV provirus in the cell culture and in the patients' blood was studied by polymerase chain reaction followed by hybridization in solution. It was shown that: (i) the hybridized product could be detected both by gel electrophoresis and by binding on hydroxyapatite; (ii) the detection level achieved was no more than 10 infected lymphocytes per million; (iii) the hybridization signal and sensitivity of detection could be enhanced by the transcription of PCR product by the phage T7 RNA polymerase. The observed lack of complete correlation between the amount of provirus and of the p24 antigen in the patients' blood possibly reflects the peculiarities of HIV infection.

[Tuberculosis morbidity in high-risk groups of children]. / Infitsirovannost' mikobacteriiami tuberkuleza deteiv gruppakh riska.

A follow-up of 2052 children has shown that the level of Mycobacterium tuberculosis contamination among the subjects frequently getting ill with ARVD is 1.5-2 times higher than among healthy ones. This parameter was 1.5-2 times higher among pyelonephritis patients than among healthy subjects. Hyperergic tuberculin reactions more often developed in children being in tuberculosis infection foci, including 58.3% from the bacillary environment. A close association of tuberculin hypersensitivity and the action of aggravating factors is often accompanied by immunity derangement. According to our data, even sufficiently adequate BCG vaccination fails to prevent local tuberculosis which develops in 1.9%.