[The application of intravenous laser irradiation of the blood for the combined treatment of psoriasis].

The objective of the present comparative study was to estimate the efficacy of the treatment of 104 patients presenting with psoriasis with the use of PUVA therapy and intravenous laser irradiation of the blood or the combination of the two methods. It was shown that the latter treatment caused a faster reduction of the inflammatory processes than the former whereas their joint application was especially efficacious in inducing regression of concomitant infiltrative events. Erythrocytes from the patients undergoing intravenous laser irradiation of the blood were characterized by the enhanced activity of antioxidative enzymes that are known to play an important role in the cellular protection from oxidants. At the same time, PUVA therapy caused no appreciable changes in the antioxidtive status. Both treatments increased the levels of antiinflammatory cytokines and decreased those ofproinflammatory ones which suggests their immunomodulatory effect that was especially pronounced in the case of combined therapy. It is concluded that the introduction of intravenous laser irradiation of the blood in the combined treatment of psoriatic patients exerts positive effect on compromised immunoregulation, stimulates the antioxidative system, and improves microcirculation.

[Association of NAT2 polymorphism with risks to develop psoriasis and various dermatological diseases in Moscow population].

Ruacetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is one of key enzymes of the second phase of biotransformation that metabolize genotoxic compounds such as carcinogens and mutagens in different types of cells. There is a correlation between the decreasing activity of NAT2 gene product and the sensitivity to harmful environmental factors that increase the risk of occurrence of different multifactorial diseases, including dermatological ones like psoriasis. We developed the NAT2-biochip for 17 SNPs. The biochip was been tested on 279 clinical DNA samples from 180 patients with psoriasis and 99 healthy individuals, residents of Moscow. We found only six SNPs that were significant for European populations (282C > T, 341T > C, 481C > T, 590G > A, 803A > G and 857G > A). The analysis in psoriasis group did not show any genotype association. The increase in frequency of a slow acetylation phenotype in group of patients with type II psoriasis and in group of patients with normosthenic constitution, in comparison with control group (OR = 1.76,p = 0.177 and OR = 2.07,p = 0.050, respectively) has been revealed. The results for patients smoking one or more pack of cigarettes per day, and daily alcohol drinking in comparison with the control showed an increase in frequency for the genotype 341C/C, 481T/T, 803G/G (OR = 7.42, p = 0.008 and OR = 106.11, p = 0.003, respectively). We also found an increase of frequency of genotype 341T/T, 481C/C, 590A/-, 803A/A in patients with side reactions to medical products comparing with group of healthy donors (OR = 2.05, p = 0.099). Thus, the present data show that the certain NAT2 genotypes and some styles of life can be considered as risk factors of psoriasis development in this muscovite population.

[A methodological scheme for examination of the urban population, by making multilevel assessments of exposure to ambient air pollutants].

A novel methodological design comprising multilevel assessments of exposures of examinees to controlled ambient air pollution according to the data of route stations was developed to examine the population of large towns. The design was tested in 4 surveys of Moscow residents (apparently healthy and outpatients with a number of chronic diseases). The findings indicate the fundamental possibility of altering the traditional differential design of biomedical surveys of the population, by introducing more evidence-based regression analyses and dividing the contributions of individual chemicals to the observed changes in health indices.

[Identification of functionally significant mutations in NAT2 gene using biological microchips].

The product of gene NAT2 (N-acetyltransferase 2) is involved in the biotransformation system and participates in detoxication of some arylamine derivatives (in particular 2-aminofluorene, 4-aminobiphenyl and 4-naphthylamine) which are strongly mutagenic and carcinogenic. It also renders toxicological and pharmacological influence on a metabolism of medical products metabolized by the enzyme. We developed a microchip for detection of 16 functionally significant mutations coding 36 alleles of gene NAT2. Combinations of these alleles allow us to reveal more than 660 genotypes, which can be divided into four groups according acetylation phenotype: "fast" (R/R), "intermediate" (R/S), "slow" (S/S) and group with average or slow acetylating (R/S or S/S) alleles. The groups "R/S or S/S" include alleles, formed by a combination of 7 mutations (191G/A, 282C/T, 341T/C, 481C/T, 590G/A, 803A/G, 857G/A), theirs cis-trans position can be revealed by restriction analysis. In 37 of 71 DNA samples we unequivocally defined NAT2-genotypes, and other 34 samples have been characterized by more than two genotypes. 16 samples out of 34 had acetylation phenotype of group "R/S or S/S", which is characterized by the following combination of mutations: 282C/T, 341T/C, 481C/T, 590G/A and 803A/G. Thus, the developed biochip is a convenient screening method for primary detection of the majority of polymorphic replacements in gene NAT2.