Synthesis of some CC chemokines and their receptors in the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis.

We studied the expression of some CC chemokines and their receptors in the synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthrosis, and a history of joint injury. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the levels mRNA for some angiogenic and proinflammatory chemokines (CCL5/RANTES, CCL11/eotaxin, CCL24/eotaxin-2, and CCL26/eotaxin-3) and their receptors (CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, CCR4, and CCR5) was elevated. mRNA expression correlated with activity, stage, and serological status of rheumatoid arthritis. Obtained data confirm the importance of CC chemokines as mediators of angiogenesis and inflammation in the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis.

[The role of gastroesophageal reflux in malignization of post-burn and peptic esophageal strictures].

The subjects of the study were 221 patients with cicatrical esophageal strictures. 62 (28.5%) patients had peptic strictures, and 159 (71.9%)--post-burn strictures. 67 (30.3%) patients underwent esophageal resection with one-stage intrapleural esophagoplasty with the stomach, 152 (68.8%) patients--gullet bougienage in combination with surgical intervention or as an only treatment. The study revealed 8 cases of squamous cell carcinoma in patients with post-burn strictures, and 3 cases of squamous cell carcinoma in patients with peptic strictures. In 2 cases the researchers found early stage of esophageal cancer (verrucose carcinoma)--in 1 patient with post-burn stricture and 1 patient with peptic stricture. The results suggest an important role of chronic gastroesophageal reflux in the oncogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in patients with post-burn and peptic strictures.

[Osseous-perichondral autoplasty in surgery for tuberculosis of the joints]. / Kostno-peikhondrial'naia autoplastika v khirurgii tuberkuleza sustavov.

The results of 68 reconstruction surgeries made in the hip and knee joints in tuberculosis and concomitant diseases were studied. Advantages of operations involving the component plasty of joint ends (osseous autoplasty, as well as auto-perichondral plasty and their variations), including under the conditions of revascularization of the osseous bed, were proven on the basis of the results of a comparative analysis of clinical-and-functional data and X-ray examinations. The use of the method ensuring additional sources for vascularizing the joint tissues improves the conditions of autograft assimilation; the application of perichondral grafting preserves or expands the joint split, which provides an increased mobility amplitude in a damaged joint. The use of perichondral plasty and of its combination with revascularization of the joint osseous joint tissues secured more favorable results as compared to the implementation of osseous-plasty interventions alone.

[Computed tomography in the diagnosis of tuberculous spondylitis complicated by neurological disorders]. / Komp'iuternaia tomografiia v diagnostike tuberkuleznogo spondilita, oslozhnennogo nevrologicheskimi rasstroistvami.

Computed tomographic data were studied in 50 patients with evolutional forms of tuberculous spondylitis and 3 patients with its sequels. 95% of the patients were operated on. Cross sections displayed 3 variants of vertebral body destruction in tuberculous spondylitis. The vertebral canal was evaluated in 28 patients with neurological disorders and in 22 patients without them. Epidural abscess was revealed in all the patients with neurological disorders and in 12 patients without them. There was a relationship of the severity of neurological disorders as classified by Frankel et al. to the degree of stenosis of the vertebral canal, to the presence of its reserve space, and to the extent of vertebral and spinal lesion. The informative value of computed tomography in detecting spinal cord compression was 98.1 +/- 1.8%.