[Regularities of structural and functional visual system changes in patients with myopic refraction and presbyopia].

Two age groups of 57 patients with noncomplicated low or moderate myopia were examined to reveal the regularities of structural and functional visual system changes in patients with myopic refraction and presbyopia. Characteristics of visual impression, anatomic and physiologic parameters were studied. Presbyopia development in patients with myopic refraction was found to occur on the background of significant changes in anatomic proportions and optic parameters of the eye, decrease of functional capability of visual system and development of abnormal functional system of visual perception. The key mechanisms of presbyopia development in myopia besides the accommodation decrease are pupil dysfunction and binocular interactions disintegration i. e. all the near vision reflex components.

[Recovery of visual functions after multifocal intraocular lens implantation].

In order to study the features of visual system (VS) recovery after multifocal correction we examined in dynamics visual functions and subjective satisfaction with sight quality in 64 patients (mean age 52 +/- 2.5 years) at different time after binocular implantation of apodized refractive-diffractive intraocular lens (IOL) Acrysof Restor. These patients before surgery and 30 healthy subjects (60 eyes, mean age 48 +/- 4.5 years) served as controls. Over 6 months after surgery progressive improvement of mean visual acuity in the main distances (40, 70-80 cm and 5 m), contrast sensitivity and subjective satisfaction were observed. Gradual increasing of VS resolution suggests the need of search of postoperative rehabilitation methods that would provide faster adaptation to new optical conditions.

[Intravitreal ranibizumab for diabetic macula edema].

25 patients with diabetic macula edema (DME) treated with 0,5 mg intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis) were studied. Mean number of intravitreal injections was 1.7 (1-5 injections). Visual acuity improved from 0.29 +/- 0.03 to 0.36 +/- 0.04 after the 1st injection and to 0.38 +/- 0.04 after the last one (p < 0.001). Central retinal thickness reduced from 469 +/- 36.3 to 353 +/- 31.5 microm in a month after the 1st injection and was 346 +/- 30.3 microm after the last one (p < 0.05). No systemic or ocular adverse effects were observed. Intravitreal ranibitumab (Lucentis) leads to stabilization and improvement of visual acuity and reduction of DME. The procedure is a safe treatment option for DME.

[Regularities and mechanisms of visual perception transformation in presbyopia development].

66 healthy subjects were divided into 2 groups (mean age in the 1st group 18,6+/-0,4 years and 51,7+/-6,5 years in the 2nd group) to study regularities and mechanisms of presbyopia development. Visual pattern characteristics and anatomico-physiological parameters were studied using ultrasound biomicroscopy, electroretinography, ISCEV and visual evoked potentials. The most informative parameters for division of 2 groups are near visual point, fusion capacity in convergence, range of relative accommodation, binocular visual acuity, intraocular pressure, astigmatism, ciliary body thickness, A-wave amplitude on maximal ERG. Presbyopia development is accompanied with significant reorganization of visual analyzer activity, including binocular interaction. Surgical treatment of presbyopia should be supplemented with methods aimed to recover binocular interaction.

[Functional state of vision system under chronic mercury intoxication].

Examination of chronic mercury intoxication patients in distant (post-contact) period revealed marked vision disorders and inhibited neuro-conductivity--inhibited neuronal structures of retina and optic nerve.

[Membrane technologies in medicine and ecology].

The paper considers the state-of-the-art of membrane technologies, as applied to the needs of medicine and ecology, the major benefits of membranes for microfiltration and ultrafiltration, and perspectives for the application of new membranes based on new materials. A number of membranes based on aromatic polyamide imides (PAs) have been investigated using rotavirus models. Due to the good solubility of PAs in amide solvents, their based asymmetric membranes can be formed in one step, by applying a water setting bath. The one-stage procedure developed at the Institute of High Molecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, for the synthesis of aromatic PAs allows one to prepare polymers with required viscosity and strength characteristics. This gives rise to a membrane as porous films of digitiform morphology and asymmetric porous structure.

[Mechanisms of disturbance in regenerative processes in chronic traumatic osteomyelitis].

Analysis of long-term observation and treatment of patients with long bone fractions complicated by chronic traumatic osteomyelitis and relevant literature data made it possible to elucidate general and local mechanisms of disturbance of regenerative processes. Key pathogenetic factors in chronic traumatic osteomyelitis proved to be stress reaction, impaired functional thyroid activity, suppressed immune responsiveness, disturbed bone metabolism, dysbalance of micro- and macroelements, secondary disturbances of peripheral blood flow in the affected limb segment (chronic venous insufficiency), formation of Staphylococcus-dominated microflora in wound discharge, enhanced pathological bone resorption followed by regional osteoporotic changes. It is concluded that the development of pathogenetically-sound treatment modalities based on the above findings will help to avoid undesirable outcomes of chronic traumatic osteomyelitis.

[Classification signs of end-stage pigmented retinitis].

Identification of objective criteria for early-stage pigmented retinitis (PR) remains urgent today. Visual system changes reflecting retinal metabolic and structural disturbances (a change in the time and amplitude parameters of ERG, an increase in dark adaptation, changes in the color palette and the thickness of layers of photoreceptors and pigment epithelium of the retina on the OST scans) were detected in 31% of the examined relatives of patients with PR. The authors show the diagnostic value of retinal optic coherent tomography in the diagnosis of PR and the expediency of its use for objective estimation of retinal structural changes along with functional studies. The statistical studies including descriptive, regression, and discriminant analyses have provided evidence that the characteristics of the visual system in patients with end-stage PR differ from those in the controls. Studies that can determine differences in the state of the visual system of the groups under study and significantly discriminate persons with the normally functioning visual system from patients with PR have been identified.

Epidemiological features of virus hepatitis in the Russian Army.

The last decade of the 20th century was characterized by the improvement of the virus hepatitis (VH) in diagnosis system, on the one hand, and by the change in the VH etiologic structure, on the other hand. This was due to the influence of several processes: the ongoing decrease of hepatitis A (HA) morbidity rate in most regions, the increase of hepatitis B (HB) morbidity, the introduction of methods for hepatitis C (HC) diagnosing and reporting, the emergence and progressive increase of VH number with combined etiology, the improvement of diagnosing and reporting of chronic VH. Analogous processes occurred similarly in the Armed Forces (AF) of Russia. Thus, VH in the army has definite epidemiologic features. It must be taken into account not only by military healthworkers but by civil specialists as well. This can be of critical importance when operating under extreme conditions.

[Ecology and clinico-epidemiologic characteristics of intestinal anthroponosis in troops]. / Ekologiia i kliniko-épidemiologicheskaia kharakteristika virusnykh kishechnykh antroponozov v voiskakh.

The change of the dominant strains of intestinal viruses in the different regions of Russia during 1980-2001 was analyzed. In the North-Western regions the following dynamics was observed: enteroviruses ECHO 4, 6, 14, 30, Koksaki B 5, 6, ECHO 4, 11, 20, rotaviruses, new enteroviruses (serotypes 68-71). The last years the polytype of agents is registered. The prevalence of enteroviruses Koksaki A5, B5, ECHO 7, 13, 24, 30, new enteroviruses (serotype 70) is observed in the Far-Eastern region of Russia. Koksaki A, B, ECHO, new enteroviruses (serotypes 70, 71) were noted in the Central and Southern regions. The standard bacteriological examination of 158 patients who had come from the epidemic focus of acute intestinal infections (AII) showed that the agents were in 33 (21%) patients (in 19%--Sh. Flexneri 2a and in 2%--EPIR O124). In the remaining 125 (79%) persons the etiological agent wasn't detected. The additional investigation of fecal and blood samples obtained from all admitted patients showed that among the AII agents of uncertain etiology rotaviruses (49%), ECHO viruses (18%) and Koksaki A (8%) prevailed.

[Modern notions of regularities and mechanisms of formation of Frank-Kamenetskiy glaucoma]. / Sovremennye predstavleniia o zakonomernostiakh i mekhanizmakh formirovaniia glaukomy Frank-Kamentskogo.

Frank-Kamentsky glaucoma, a hereditary disease of the eyes, transmitted by female partners with X-linked type. It is accompanied by typical progressive lesions in the stroma and in the iridal pigment sheet at the background of goniodisgenesis. Males suffer from these diseases most frequently. Glaucoma develops in the 2-nd--3-rd decades of life. Its course resembles that of in course open-angle glaucoma. Megalocornea and goniodysgenesis are aggravating factors pre-disposing to glaucoma. Microsymptoms in the iris of female conductors can serve as a prognostic test in planning progeny.

[Formation of idiopathic macular holes]. / Zakonomernosti formirovaniia idiopaticheskikh makuliarnykh razryvov.

Sixty-eight patients (136 eyes) with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) were examined, using optic coherent tomography. 91% of these patients were women, mean age 66.6 years. Preholes were detected in 14 eyes, lamellar ruptures in 11, and perforating ruptures in 78 eyes. Specific functional and morphological changes in the retina, vitreous, and vascular membrane were detected. Three main mechanisms of IMH formation were distinguished. Conceptual scheme of the pathogenesis of this condition was developed and a new more complete pathogenetically justified classification of IMH is offered, which helps more objectively diagnose, predict the functional outcome, determine the treatment strategy, and evaluate the efficiency of surgery.

[Classification of idiopathic macular ruptures]. / Klassifikatsiia idiopaticheskikh makuliarnykh razryvov.

Based on comprehensive examinations making use of optic coherent tomography, idiopathic macular ruptures were classified (by severity) as pre-ruptures, lamellar and perforating ruptures. A 10-point scale is proposed for quantitative analysis of ruptures. Regularities in retinal changes characteristic of each type of ruptures are detected. This helps accurately evaluate the rupture, choose treatment strategy, and evaluate its results.