[Radiographic morphometry of intervertebral spaces of the vertebral column in health and dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disks].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a radiographic morphometric procedure for estimating the sizes and shapes of intervertebral spaces in the thoracic and lumbar spine and to evaluate the status of intervertebral spaces in women in health in terms of their age and in dystrophic transformations of intervertebral disks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of a radiographic morphometric study of the sizes and forms of intervertebral spaces were analyzed in 127 women of different ages. Lateral thoracic and lumbar spondylograms performed in compliance with a number of requirements were used to estimate the sizes of anterior, middle, and posterior portions of intervertebral spaces (from T4 to L5); the magnitude of dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disks were determined applying semiquantitative methods. RESULTS: The intervertebral space width of the lower segment was more than that of the upper one. The differences in the width of intervertebral spaces of the neighboring segments in the lower portions of the vertebral column were greater than those in its upper portions. The intervertebral spaces (T4-T12) were biconvex in shape and those in the upper lumbar segments were posterior wedge-shaped. There was no noticeable narrowing of the intervertebral spaces with age. The age group of 70 years or older showed a significant moderate increase in the height of intervertebral spaces in the middle and lower thoracic vertebral segments. In varying degrees of dystrophic intervertebral disc changes, their most pronounced manifestations were found to be accompanied by a decrease in the width of intervertebral spaces in the lower half of the vertebral column in conjunction with their normal shape being impaired. CONCLUSION: The sizes and shape of intervertebral spaces show a number of regularities associated with the position of a segment in the vertebral column. In the bulk of the thoracic spine, the vertebral spaces are biconvex in shape and those in the transient thoracolumbar area and in the lumbar segment were posterior wedge-shaped. The age-related changes in the sizes and shape of intervertebral spaces are associated with their slight dilatation at the age of 70 years or older, without their normal shape being impaired. When dystro- phic intervertebral disk changes develop, there is a moderate narrowing of intervertebral spaces in the lower half of the vertebral column in conjunction with a wedge-like alteration in intervertebral discs, their shape.

[The x-ray morphometric characteristics of the spine in persons 50 and older]. / Rentgenomorfometrichskaia kharakteristika pozvonochnika u lits 50 let i starshe.

To specify shape of the vertebra in relation to age and sex, the authors studied roentgenomorphometric evidence upon examination of the thoracic and lumbar spine in 600 patients over 50. Vertebral deformities were found in 45.1 and 44.5% of the examined males and females, respectively. Changes corresponding to vertebral body fracture were recorded in 12.3% of the males and 15.3% of the females. Age-related trends in the frequency of various defects have been analyzed. The frequency differed in males and females.

[Prostaglandins in the blood serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis]. / Prostaglandiny v plazme krovi u bol'nykh revmatoidnym artritom.

Radioimmunoassay was used to study the content of prostaglandins in blood plasma of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (PGE in 133 and PGF2 alpha in 102 patients). It has been established that as compared to the control group subjects, it is appreciably elevated and reflects the degree of inflammatory process activity, being pronounced to a greater measure in persons not receiving glucocorticoids than in hormone-dependent patients. A relationship has been revealed between the content of PGE and PGF2 alpha and certain clinical and laboratory characteristics (disease standing, intensity of exudative component of inflammation, the presence of humoral and cellular immunity disorders, anemia, and some visceral lesions), which may be of definite importance in the assessment of the patient's status. The time-course of changes in blood plasma prostaglandins reflects on the whole the dynamics of the disease activity, being related to a greater degree to the application of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents than of glucocorticoids.

[Rheumatoid arthritis: cyclic nucleotides in the blood plasma]. / Revmatoidnyi artrit: tsiklicheskie nukleotidy v plazme krovi.

The content of cyclic nucleotides in blood plasma was measured in 151 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. As compared to the control, the patients demonstrated a significant decrease of the cAMP content and a rise of the cGMP content. The disease standing was found to produce an appreciable effect on the cAMP content. RA patients untreated with glucocorticoids manifested significant correlations between the content of cyclic nucleotides and some characteristics of inflammation and of the immune status. At the same time the majority of such correlations may be lost under conditions of hormonal dependence, which is likely to attest to dysregulation of inflammatory process. In the course of the treatment, the content of cAMP in the plasma increase is attended by a reduction increases in 63.8% of the patients. In the majority of them, that of the level of circulating immune complexes, thereby supporting the relationship between immunopathological and metabolic disorders at the cellular level.

[The effect of insulin on the lipid composition of the erythrocyte membranes of diabetics]. / Vliianie insulina na lipidnyi sostav membrany éritrotsitov bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom.

A study is presented of the dynamics of components of lipid spectrum of erythrocytic membrane in insulin-dependent type of diabetes mellitus against the background of traditional types of treatment (Porcine insulin and insulin-zinc-suspension) and use of monospike and monocomponent insulins. Insulins of high purity were found to produce a normalizing effect on the disturbances of the lipid composition. Thus, cholesterol indices normalized in 2-3 months. The level of general phospholipids and dien conjugates improved as well. The changes were accompanied by positive changes in the fraction ratio of phospholipids while disorders of the fraction of phosphatidylcholine remained abnormal and low values phosphatidylinosite were registered.

[Prostaglandins in the pathogenesis of vascular lesions in patients with rheumatic diseases]. / Prostaglandiny v patogeneze sosudistykh porazhenii u bol'nykh revmaticheskimi zabolevaniiami.

Using the radioimmunological method the authors studied the level of prostaglandins (PG) E and F2 alpha in 76 patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) including 34 with various forms of systemic vasculitis (SV), 30 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 12 with systemic sclerodermia (SSD). The condition of the microcirculatory bed was assessed by the method of bulbar angioscopy. A relationship between PG and first of all the pressor series, and the nature of vascular lesions in patients with RD was established. Hyperproduction of PGE was revealed in patients with lupus nephritis and SV in whom diseases ran their course with involvement of the kidneys and the nervous system. The level of PGF2 alpha correlated with the markedness of vascular disorders in patients with ischemic and vasospastic syndromes as well as with skin forms of vasculitis in SLE.