MicroRNA expression profile in patients with cystic echinococcosis and identification of possible cellular pathways.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical disease, caused by metacestode (larval) form of the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (sl) in humans. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, stable, tissue-specific RNA molecules encoded by the genome that are not translated into proteins. Circulating miRNA expression profiles vary in health and disease. The aim of this study is to determine the altered cellular pathways in CE by comparing the miRNA profiles of controls and CE patients with active or inactive cysts. Following abdominal ultrasonography (US) examination, 20 patients diagnosed with active CE (CE1, CE2, CE3a and CE3b) or inactive CE (CE4 and CE5) and three healthy controls were included in the study. The expression profiles of 372 biologically relevant human miRNAs were investigated in serum samples from CE patients and healthy controls with miScript miRNA HC PCR Array. Compared with the control group, expression of 6 miRNAs (hsa-miR-4659a-5p, hsa-miR-4518, hsa-miR-3977, hsa-miR-4692, hsa-miR-181b-3p, hsa-miR-4491) and one miRNA (hsa-miR-4687-5p) were found to be downregulated in CE patients with active and inactive cysts, respectively (p < 0.05). For downregulated miRNAs in this study, predicted targets were found to be associated mainly with cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell-cell interactions and cell cycle regulation. Further studies in this direction may elucidate the pathogenesis of human CE and the relationship between CE and other pathologies.

Effect of oxidatively modified and non-modified human serum albumin on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of human peripheral blood leukocytes stimulated with opsonized zymosan.

We studied the effects of native and oxidized human serum albumin on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of human peripheral blood leukocytes stimulated with opsonized zymosan. Human serum albumin was added simultaneously with opsonized zymosan at the beginning of the chemiluminescent reaction. Otherwise, leukocytes were incubated with human serum albumin at 37°C for various periods before addition of opsonized zymosan. Oxidized human serum albumin was obtained by the method of metal-catalyzed oxidation. In control to non-modified albumin, oxidized albumin produced an inhibitory effect on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of leukocytes. These changes were observed in experiments with addition of oxidized albumin at the beginning of a chemiluminescent reaction and after incubation of study agent with cells.

[The diagnostic efficacy of Soviet echotomoscope ETS-R-01 in pediatrics]. / Issledovanie diagnosticheskikh vozmozhnostei otechestvennogo ékhotomoskopa ETS-R-01 v pediatrii.

Healthy (134) and diseased (852) children at the age of 1 to 15 have been examined using a multi-purpose ultrasonic diagnostic device model eTC-P-01. A special attention has been paid to methodological aspects of echographic examinations of different organs in children as well as to echotomographic semiotics characteristic for diseases of the soft tissues, thyroid gland, liver, spleen, kidneys, and urinary bladder. Follow-up echographic observations of internal organs have been pointed out to be useful in the course of prescribed therapy. The recommendations are given how to improve echotomoscopes for pediatric studies.