Clinical improvement and serum amino acid levels after mud-bath therapy.

Spa therapy is an ancient approach to degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis, but until today this tradition has been predominantly empiric and intuitive and few studies have focused on the biological changes derived from this treatment. We assessed the clinical efficacy and variations in amino acid concentrations in serum samples from patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent spa therapy and put forward an explanation of their role in clinical improvement. Thirty-one patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent spa therapy underwent a clinical evaluation, and serum amino acid levels were assayed before and after a cycle of balneotherapy and mud-pack therapy. The thermal treatments were carried out in Sciacca. Analysis of the data showed a significant reduction in pain and improvement in joint motility. Serum concentrations of tryptophan, cysteine and citrulline were significantly higher than at baseline. No significant differences were observed in serum levels of the remaining free amino acids. The results of this study confirm the efficacy of spa therapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis. A possible role for changes in serum amino acid concentration is discussed.

[Effectiveness of an intensive pelobalneotherapy course in the treatment of patients with duodenal ulcer]. / Effektivnost' kursa intensivnoi peloidobal'neoterapii v lechenii bol'nykh iazvennoi bolezn'iu s lokalizatsiei iazvy v dvenadtsatiperstnoi kishke.

Intensification of peloidobalneation pattern results in cicatrization of ulcer in many patients with duodenal ulcer at the stage of partial clinical remission and attenuated exacerbation during 18 days promoting alleviation in chronic inflammation in gastroduodenal zone.

[Changes in the mineral metabolic indices of osteoarthrosis patients with the use of radon therapy and mud therapy]. / Izmenenie pokazatelei mineral'nogo obmena u bol'nykh osteoartrozom pri ispol'zovanii radonoterapii i griazelecheniia.

As shown by investigations of alkaline phosphatase, plasma levels of calcium, non-organic phosphorus, coefficient Ca/P in 58 patients with osteoarthrosis deformans before and after radon baths, mud applications or their combination, the highest biochemical effect was achieved in a group of patients on mud therapy.

[An experimental rationale for the use of sulfide sludge in adjuvant arthritis]. / Eksperimental'noe obosnovanie primeneniia ilovoi sul'fidnoi griazi pri ad''iuvantnom artrite.

The experiments on 176 Wistar rats were performed for the first time to clarify mechanisms underlying anti-inflammatory action of the Deshembinskoe Lake mud in experimental arthritis. The new data obtained gave evidence supporting application of Deshembinskoe Lake mud in inflammatory diseases of the joints.