[Hormonal mechanisms of peripheral neuropathy in vibration disease].

Studies of peripheral limb nerves through stimulation electroneuromyography, evaluation of hormonal levels via radioimmune assay were performed in 59 patients having vibration disease caused by local vibration. Findings are obligatory signs of peripheral neuropathy and hypothyroid state without thyroid disease manifestations. Statistic analysis revealed reliable dependence between degree of motor axons functional deficit and level of serum triiodothyronine and thyroxin decrease--that could point to participation of thyroid hormones in peripheral neuropathy progression in vibration disease.

[Late psychopathological manifestation of professional neurointoxications].

A study of 47 firemen exposed to a complex of toxic substances while putting out fire and 46 subjects with chronic mercury intoxications was carried out 5-10 years after the exposure to toxic substances. Along with clinical psychiatric examination, neuropsychological testing was conducted. Non-specificity of mental disorders, polymorphism and progressive development were found. Psychoorganic syndrome with secondary neurotic disturbances proved to be a core feature of mental disorders. It is emphasized that neuropsychological examination or usage of neuropsychological methods during a psychiatric examination are important for practical diagnosis of exogenous organic mental disorders, especially for outpatient examination of corresponding occupational groups.

[Musculoskeletal impairment in workers engaged in mining industry of Northern regions]. / Skeletno-myshechnye narusheniia u rabochikh gornodobyvaiushchikh predpriiatii v severnykh regionakh.

Analyzing values of transitory disablement morbidity for workers engaged into mining enterprises of East Siberia and Asiatic Far North, the authors revealed high prevalence of locomotory disorders among inside workers. The authors specified diagnostic criteria for occupational etiology of those disorders, presented arguments against considering cervical and lumbar pains as occupational diseases.

[Progression of toxic encephalopathy in firemen]. / Progredientnost' toksicheskoi éntsefalopatii u pozharnykh.

The authors analyzed possible causes of encephalopathy progression in late occupational intoxication among firemen. Those causes are disordered autoregulation of cerebral vessels, oxidant and psychoemotional stress, autoimmune disorders.

[Characteristics of thermoregulation of hands in patients with vibration disease]. / Osobennosti teploobmena kistei ruk u bol'nykh vibratsionnoi bolezn'iu.

Calorimetry proved disorders of peripheral thermoregulation in vibration disease patients. The authors suggested formulae to calculate specific rate of heat flow from hand surface. Calorimetry was proved appropriate for early diagnosis of vibration disease associated with acroangiospasm fits.

[Vibration disease in miners of the Far North]. / Vibratsionnaia bolezn' u gornorabochikh Krainego Severa.

The article covers a specified concept model of vibration disease pathogenesis. The leading mechanisms underlying the disease are nervous and hormonal dysfunction presenting hypercortisolemia and low serum levels of thyroid hormones, associated tunnel compression of upper limb nerves and immune disorders resulting in autoimmune aggression. Informative diagnostic methods are suggested and diagnostic values are justified. The authors proved efficiency of therapeutic measures aimed to relieve compression and ischemic changes in peripheral nerves, to correct immune disorders.

[Electromyography in the diagnosis of vibration diseases]. / Elektromiografiia v diagnostike vibratsionnoi bolezni.

A total of 50 vibration disease patients were assessed by stimulation and needle myography. The authors revealed highly diagnostic parameters: wider range of excitation velocity in motor axons of mixed nerves, preferential decrease in minimal motor velocity, lower number of motor units (MU) functioning, denervation changes of MU action potentials, potentials of spontaneous activity of muscular fibers and fasciculations. Distal muscles of limbs demonstrate the most striking changes in electric activity of MU.

[Immunological disorders in vibration-related illness among miners of Northern regions]. / Immunologicheskie narusheniia pri vibratsionnoi bolezni u gornorabochikh severnykh regionov.

Evaluation of miners in Northern and East Siberian regions revealed disorders of humoral immunity: increased B-lymphocytes count, higher production of autologic antibodies to peripheral nerves, greater serum concentration of circulating immune complexes and cryoglobulins. Cytostatic medications suppressed antibodies production and considerably increased efficiency of complex therapy of severe vibration disease.

[Method of detecting excitability of skin receptors in the diagnosis of vibration disease]. / Metodika opredeleniia vozbudimosti kozhnykh retseptorov pri diagnostike vibratsionnoi bolezni.

The follow-up studies of patients with vibration disease caused by local vibration proved diagnostic value of minor skin response of dorsal hand surface and anterior surface of arm or forearm, if subjected to irritation with mixture of chloroform and ethanol. Depressed skin receptors during the disease are diagnosed through longer latent period of burning sensation in two of three points irritated on skin of the upper limb. The diagnostic method based on chemical stimulation of skin receptors is highly sensitive (86.9%) and specific (94.4%), especially for early stages of the disease, promoting detection of subclinical peripheral neuropathy caused by vibration. Due to its simplicity and availability the method could replace algesimetry in mass screening among workers exposed to vibration.

[Early signs of disease caused by vibration in miners of the Far North and Arctic region]. / Rannie proiavleniia vibratsionnoi patologii u gornorabochikh KrainegoSevera i Zapoliaría.

Premorbid condition represented by slightly expressed signs caused by vibration was studied in miners of northern mines and showed the absence of clear clinical manifestations in comparison with the vibration disease. Functional studies showed the disordered skin sensors, peripheral hemodynamics and muscles of the disordered skin sensors, peripheral hemodynamics and muscles of the upper limb: decreased distal blood flow rate in the upper limbs, lowered static endurance of the forearm muscles. Statistic and discriminative analysis helped to differ the groups of miners with preclinical and clinical manifestations of vibration disease by means of using the functional parameters.

[Immunogenetic markers in the course of vibration disease]. / Immunogeneticheskie markery techeniia vibratsionnoi bolezni.

A total of 276 Russian deep mine workers engaged into perforant boring were examined. HLA phenotype was determined according to the antigens of class 1 and 2. The antigen HLA-DR 5 turned out to associate with the high risk of severe vibration disease development complicated by degeneration and dystrophy of locomotor apparatus of hands. The antigens HLA-B 35, B 40, DR 2 were proved to have protective function and to be markers of higher resistance to the industrial vibration.

[Cervical osteochondrosis in miners]. / Sheinyi osteokhondroz u gornorabochikh.

Characteristics, frequency and distribution of vertebrogenic diseases involving cervico-brachial region were studied in more than 1,000 miners from asian North and East exposed to vibration. The data were compared with the results of examination of drivers. The investigation revealed a high level of vertebrogenic cervical pain and cervico-brachial pain in miners with a long length of service, especially in those suffering from vibration disease and frequent osteochondrosis manifestation in younger age, especially in subjects working beyond the Polar Circle. Occupational hazards are proved to play a leading role in the early development of vertebrogenic diseases, and vibration disease predisposes to such pathology. The results make possible to consider the vertebrogenic cervical pain and cervico-brachial pain as occupational diseases in young-aged workers with long length of service or evaluate such diseases as complications of vibration disease in individuals facing this occupational pathology.

[Automated diagnosis of vibration disease]. / Avtomatizirovannaia diagnostika vibratsionnoi bolezni.

Based on a multidimensional discriminant analysis of the clinical and physiological characteristics derived as a result of examination of 593 miners, classification functions were plotted, allowing the diagnosis of vibratory disease in the automatic mode by means of mathematic computations. Functional indicators of skin sensitivity, particularly vibratory, dynamometry, rheovasography and thermography of the hand and fingers, a "white spot" symptom, and characteristics derived on a mathematic analysis of heart rhythm were established to be informative for automated diagnosis. The diagnosis was found to be more accurate in case of using a two-stage variant of the discriminant analysis where the differentiation is first made between healthy workers and workers with a pathology, followed by the discrimination of the preclinical and clinical phase of the disease. The automated diagnostic system is demonstrated to compare very favourably with the conventional method of diagnosis.

[A method of calibrating the aluminum wedge for x-ray photometric research in occupational pathology]. / Metodika tarirovaniia aliuminievogo klina dlia rentgenofotometricheskikh issledovanii v profpatologii.

Calibration procedure of aluminum wedge by optical density gradient of its X-ray image compared to density of standard bone wedge was described for X-ray photometric studies. Calibration of standard aluminum provided the opportunity to determine skeleton mineralization not only by wedge depth but also by units of mineral salt concentrations.

[Dimethyl sulfoxide in the therapy of vibration disease]. / Dimetilsul'foksid v terapii vibratsionnoi bolezni.

The article contains results of clinical studies of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) therapeutic application at vibration disease (VD) cases caused by local vibration and in comparison with the generally accepted complex therapy. 30% DMSO water solution skin compresses were used applied to the affected zones of the upper extremities for 1-1.5 hours daily with 12-15 procedures in the whole course. It was established that DMSO effects are positive in most VB manifestations: regional angiodystonia, sensor and vegetative--sensor polyneuropathy, arthroses, and particularly in cases of muscle dystonia and myodistrophy, humeroscapular periarthrosis. This kind of technique simplifies VD therapy as it excludes physiotherapy procedures and limits medication to a great extent, doing with no drugs at all in some cases. Treatment costs and clinical course duration are also lowered.

[Reflexotherapy of vibration-induced disease]. / Refleksoterapiia vibratsionnoi bolezni.

The authors have developed an acupuncture technique which ensures a good effect in moderate forms of vibration disease associated with muscular dystrophy and involvement of the structures of the bone and muscle apparatus. The technique is based on a combined impact on auricular acupuncture points (with needles and microneedles) and on the corporeal points (with needles, drug injections, and irritation of the underlying periosteal acupuncture point). The efficacy of the proposed method in patients with vibration disease is 1.8 times higher as against the conventional combined therapy.