[Steroidal leukocytosis and immediate results of treatment in patients with sarcoidosis].

The occurrence of steroidal leukocytosis at early stages of an observation may, to a certain extent, serve an objective criterion for predicting the pronounced immediate results of treatment in first detected patients with sarcoidosis (that of intrathoracic lymph nodes and the lung in particular) and thus makes it possible to judge the adequacy of therapy in the inpatient setting. When steroidal leukocytosis is absent, it is necessary to differentiately decide whether it is expedient to correct a hormonal therapy regimen in order to achieve the optimal results of its efficiency.

[Clinical and immunological characteristics and specific features of the treatment of patients with recurrent sarcoidosis of respiratory organs]. / Kliniko-immunologicheskaia kharakteristika i osobennosti lecheniia bol'nykh s retsidiviruiushchimi formami sarkoidoza organov dykhaniia.

In the past 35 years, the authors have followed up 5600 patients with sarcoidosis of respiratory organs (SRO), among whom 1.2 and 10.7% were found to have single and multiple recurrences. The clinical manifestations of recurrent sarcoidosis were moderate, by showing a drastic reduction in the count of T and T"a" lymphocytes, as well as helper lymphocytes, and an increase of circulating immune complexes and immunoglobulins G, A, and M. Poor adaptive responses (AR) defined by the blood leukocyte and lymphocyte counts that reflect the body's nonspecific responsiveness were concurrently diagnosed. In chronic recurrent SRO, poor AR as stress and superactivation amount to as much as 86.1%. To optimize treatment, the patients were given adaptogens (thymaline, levamisole, dibasole, etc.) that make AR better, by enhancing the efficiency of treatment, reducing its duration, and improving prognosis.

[Diagnostic features of focal pulmonary tuberculosis in new cases]. / Osobennosti diagnostiki ochagovogo tuberkuleza legkikh u vpervye vyiavlennykh bol'nykh.

The authors examined 120 new cases of focal pulmonary tuberculosis (FPT) during the good epidemic situation years (1982-1986) and 70 patients during the poor epidemic situation years (1995-1999). The latter years were marked by a worse social composition, more frequent contacts with those isolating bacteria, a more severe course with weight loss, prolonged subfebrile temperatures, anemia, an increasing tendency for lung tissue decay and even in large foci, a more frequent bacterial isolation along with progressive immunodeficiency. New diagnostic technologies, such as computed tomography, T-lymphocytic studies at the subpopulational level by using monoclonal narrow-specific antibodies, adaptive response tests that reflect the body's responsiveness, are of value in diagnosing FPT.

[The differential diagnostic characteristics of sarcoidosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes and of cardiovascular diseases]. / Osobennosti differentsial'noi diagnostiki sarkoidoza vnutrigrudnykh limfaticheskikh uzlov i nekotorykh serdechno-sosudistykh zabolevanii.

One hundred and fifty-four (5.7%) of 2690 patients who had been admitted to a hospital for sarcoidosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes (ITLN) were diagnosed as having various cardiovascular diseases (hypertensive disease, congestive lung, congenital and acquired cardiac diseases, atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms and myocarditis). Misinterpretation of the X-ray film of the lung root, no lateral X-ray films, inadequate scope of objective studies of the cardiovascular system are the most common errors at prehospital examination. The obligatory making of lateral X-ray films, tomograms, the use of computed tomography, ECG and phonocardiography, and thorough account of objective data are valuable additional methods in the differential diagnosis of ITLN sarcoidosis and cardiovascular diseases accompanied by the appearance of wide truncal large vessels of the root due to pulmonary hypertension.

[Long-term follow-up of patients with sarcoidosis of respiratory organs]. / Otdalennye rezul'taty nabliudeniia za lechenymi bol'nymi sarkoidozom organov dykhaniia.

Long-term (3-25 years) responses to treatment are available for 1820 patients with respiratory sarcoidosis. 65.7% of them were females and 34.3% males primarily at the age of 21-50 (92.7%). Sarcoidosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes (ITLN), sarcoidosis of the lungs and ITLN, diffuse forms of pulmonary sarcoidosis, generalized sarcoidosis were diagnosed in 64, 28.2, 4.6, 2.6% of patients, respectively. All the patients received combined pathogenetic treatment (hormones, antioxidants, antihypoxants, immunomodulators, angio- and hepatoprotectors) which proved highly long-acting in stage I-II (a complete response rate 84.3% and 82.7%, respectively, residual changes remained in 1/5 of the patients). Long-term recurrences occurred in 3.5% of patients who had marked residual changes in the lungs. The disease took a chronic course in 8.7%, progression was recorded in 9.3, lethal outcome in 0.7% of the cases.

[Clinical and x-ray features of lung lesions in influenza uncomplicated and complicated by pneumonia]. / Kliniko-rentgenologicheskie osobennosti porazhenii legkikh pri ne oslozhnennom i oslozhnennom pnevmoniei grippe.

Clinical and X-ray features of pulmonary lesions were studied in 858 inpatients with pneumonia-complicated and uncomplicated influenza. This showed it possible to establish a clinical and X-ray diagnosis of viral pulmonary lesions in the early period of infection. There was a correlation between influenza toxicosis and the magnitude of lung X-ray changes. There were variations in the X-ray pattern of secondary pneumonia in relation to the time of their occurrence.