[Disorders of Vasoregulative Endothelial Function, Echocardiographic Assessment of Myocardial Dysfunction and Hemodynamics of Pulmonary Circulation in Cirrhosis of the Liver].

AIM: to study relationship between parameters of intracardiac hemodynamics assessed by Doppler echocardiography and functional activity of endothelium, hepatic blood flow and severity of portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis of the liver (CL) of different etiology. RESULTS: We found that changes of structural and functional parameters of the heart in LC depended on the stage of compensation of portal hypertension and were accompanied by rearrangement of parameters of intracardiac hemodynamics. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was found in 11.1% of patients with LC. PAH was moderate and was more frequent in patients with end-stage disease (Child-Pugh class C) compared with those with initial stage of LC (21.4% and 6.3%, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Disorders of vasoregulating endothelial function in patients with CL were related to parameters of cardiopulmonary hemodynamics and functional state of the right ventricle and were more pronounced in patients with PAH.

[Somatopsychic manifestations in patients with chronic viral hepatitis].

The aim of the work was to study somatopsychic manifestations in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH). MMPI profiles, state and trait anxiety were assessed in 110 patients. Boundary psychic problems were evaluated using the Beck scale. It was shown that mean MMPI T-score in patients with CVH was above 50; half of them developed "neurotic triad"; hypochondria occurred in 37.3%, depression in 42.7%, and hysteria in 37.1%. The highest level of state anxiety was documented in patients with HCV infection and isolated HBCor At. The CVH-1b genotype was associated with enhanced occurrence of depression in patients having virus-positive blood for 1-5 years. The level of state and trait anxiety in them was lower than in patients with duration of viremia over 5 years.

[The parameters of collagen proteolytic and metabolic systems in chronic liver diseases of viral and toxic etiologies].

AIM: To study a relationship of the plasma activity of elastase-like and collagenase-like proteinases and their inhibitors to hepatic collagen metabolism and to detect the serum markers of fibrosis severity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-nine patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD), including 118 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH), 113 with CVH concurrent with alcoholic liver disease (ALD), 109 with ALD, and 19 with CLD in the presence of opiomania were examined. The activities of alpha1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2-MG) were determined by the unified spectrophometric assay from the inhibition of N-benzoyl-arginine ethyl ester hydrolysis. The activity of elastase-like proteinases was determined by enzymatic assay from the hydrolysis of the synthetic substrate N-butyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine-para-nitrophenyl ester. That of collagenase-like proteinases was determined, by using a collagen type 1 substrate and expressed in terms of micromoles of the resultant hydroxyproline. The content of hydroxyproline was determined by a color reaction with demethylbenzaldehyde, a free, peptide- and protein-bound hydroxyproline; their fraction was obtained under various conditions of plasma protein isolation and hydrolysis. Plasma fibronectin levels were measured by solid-phase immunoassay. Liver biopsy specimens were morphologically studied in the majority of patients to determine the histological hepatitis activity index and the stage of fibrosis. RESULTS: Fibrois formation in the liver in its chronic diseases was attended by a significant reduction in the activity of collagenase-like proteinases hydrolyzing collagen and by the lower activity of alpha2-MG, an inhibitor limiting collagen formation. CONCLUSION: The identified changes make themselves evident just in early fibrosis, which suggests the rapid onset of imbalance in the mechanisms responsible for regulation of connective tissue synthesis and promotes intensified fibrosis formation.

[Quality of life indices in patients with chronic viral hepatitis].

AIM: to estimate quality of life (QL) indices in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) and their relationships to the clinical characteristics of the disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred and ten patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH), including 58 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), 27 with chronic hepatitis B, and 25 with CHC + HBCor, were examined. The personality psychological profile, reaction and personality anxiety were evaluated; the Beck inventory was used to identify borderline mental disorders. The test developed by the Karelian Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, modified by Ya. M. Rutgaizer, and the Nottingham Health Profile were applied to estimate QL indices. RESULTS: Parameters characterizing the social and personality indices of life, such as qualitative performance of paid work, participation in social life, impossibility of adequate rest, and sexual life are most frequently influenced. The main indicators of worse QL were diminished vitality (vital energy), sleep disorders, and emergence of emotional reactions. This was largely seen in patients with active CVH infection and in those who had isolated HBcor antibodies. CONCLUSION: QL is directly related to the duration of viral infection.

[The diagnostic value of the detection of hepatic fibrosis serum markers in chronic viral hepatitis].

The diagnostic significance of serum markers of fibrosis was investigated in 92 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) by studying the collagenolythic activity of blood, proteasic inhibitor activity, collagen metabolism products (oxyproline fraction), and fibronectin. At the same time, the patients underwent puncture biopsy of the liver, which made it possible to determine the degree of process activity and the stage of its chronization. As the degree of fibrosis grew, the collagenase serum activity increased significantly, while the alpha1-proteinase inhibitor activity fell, the content of oxyproline (its fractions) increased, and the fibronectin level decreased. Hence, the measurement of the noted parameters allows for noninvasive diagnostics of CVH stages.

[Psychovegetative disturbances in patients with chronic non-calculous cholecystitis combined with chronic opisthorchosis].

A complex clinico-instrumental, laboratory and psychological examination of 122 patients with chronic non-calculous cholecystitis (CNCC), 63 of who had chronic opisthorchosis (CO), was conducted. The controls were 33 healthy individuals. Patients with CNCC and CO had hypomotoric dyskinesia, Oddi's sphincter dysfunction, higher levels of personal anxiety and depression more often than others.