[The burden of COVID-19 in a heterogeneous population of immunocompromised patients - realities of the postpandemic].

On July 3, 2023, an interdisciplinary Council of Experts "The burden of COVID-19 in a heterogeneous population of immunocompromised patients - post-pandemic realities" was held in Moscow with leading experts in pulmonology, rheumatology, hematology, oncology, nephrology, allergology-immunology, transplantation, and infectious diseases. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the current clinical and epidemiologic situation related to COVID-19, the relevance of disease prevention strategies for high-risk patients. The experts addressed the following issues: 1) the disease burden of COVID-19 in 2023 for patients with immunodeficiency in different therapeutic areas; 2) the place of passive immunization with monoclonal antibodies as a method of COVID-19 prophylaxis among immunocompromised patients; 3) prerequisites for the inclusion of passive immunization of immunocompromised patients into routine clinical practice.

The rs1800470 Polymorphism of the TGFB1 Gene Is Associated with Myocardial Fibrosis in Heart Transplant Recipients.

The transforming growth factor ß1 (TGFß1), whose level may depend on the polymorphism of the TGFB1 gene, is involved in the formation of myocardial fibrosis. Myocardial fibrosis in a cardiac allograft may lead to a heart's structural and functional remodeling and subsequent dysfunction. The frequency of occurrence of alleles and genotypes of the TGFB1 gene polymorphic regions rs1800469, rs1800470, and rs1800471 in heart transplant recipients and their association with graft myocardial fibrosis were analyzed. Carriers of the CC genotype (p = 0.023, OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.017-1.0), and more often the G allele of rs1800471 (p = 0.023, OR = 7.76, 95% CI: 1.0-60.20), were found among heart transplant recipients less frequently than among healthy individuals. In patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), the GG genotype was less common (p = 0.035, OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.061-6.793), while the A allele of rs1800469 was found more frequently (p = 0.035, OR = 0.37 95% CI: 0.148-0.942) than in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In heart transplant recipients with the AA genotype of rs1800470, myocardial fibrosis, verified by endomyocardial biopsy, was detected more often than in carriers of the G allele (OR = 10.4, 95% CI: 1.152-94.538, p = 0.013). The revealed differences suggest a relationship between TGFB1 gene polymorphism and graft myocardial fibrosis. Studies on a larger group of patients would make it possible to characterize the influence of genetic factors on the formation of myocardial fibrosis in heart transplant recipients.

[MicroRNAs: a role in the development of cardiovascular disease, the possibility for clinical application.]

This review summarizes the published literature devoted to the analysis of diagnostic role of microRNAs in cardiovascular disease. MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and affect various cellular functions. Modern methods for the detection of microRNA are described. The data of variations in their concentration in ischemic heart disease, heart failure and other diseases are analyzed. At present, the accumulation of clinical data on the role of these biomarkers will allow to determine the diagnostic and prognostic significance of microRNAs (microRNA sets) in cardiovascular diseases.

[Laboratory diagnosis of atherosclerotic plaque damage in patients with coronary heart disease: PAPP-A (a review of literature)].

Vascular inflammation is a major pathogenetic factor for the progression of an atherosclerotic process and for the development of destructive plaque changes. Now an active search is under way for markers to diagnose acute coronary syndrome at the early stage of development. The paper discusses the role of markers of inflammation and endogenous destruction in the development of atherosclerotic plaque instability. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is its most promising marker. It may be used to stratify the risk of cardiovascular complications in coronary heart disease and to assess their prognosis.

[Neoangiogenesis and coronary atherosclerosis: diagnostic value of a novel biochemical marker placenta growth factor in patients with ischemic heart disease].

BACKGROUND: Placenta growth factor (PlGF), a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor family, promotes neoarteriogenesis and triggers intraplaque inflammation thereby stimulating atherosclerotic plaque progression and plaque rupture. OBJECTIVE: To investigate prognostic significance of circulating placenta growth factor (PlGF) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. METHODS: 78 patients, aged 44-81 years (mean age 61.6+/-13.1 years) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n=19), unstable angina (UA) (n=23), stable effort angina (n=23), and with no evidence of CAD (n=13) were followed-up for at least 48 months. Death, AMI, any revascularization, and hospitalization for UA or progressive effort angina were considered as end points. Plasma levels of PlGF, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), neopterin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), haptoglobin and homocysteine were measured at primary admission. RESULTS: During follow up (617+/-263 days) 3 deaths, 1 nonfatal AMI, 4 UA, and 7 angina progression related hospitalizations occurred. Mean event-free survival periods differed significantly between subgroups of patients with low (<7.5 pg/ml), medium (7.5-20.5 pg/ml), and high (>20.5 pg/ml) PlGF levels (1038+/-56, 729+/-55, and 578+/-63 days, respectively). Logrank survival in patients with low PlGF was significantly better than in high PlGF subgroup (p=0.038). PlGF levels did not correlate with age, lipid levels, blood pressure and smoking. A significant positive correlation was found between PlGF and haptoglobin (r=0.34, p=0.028), homocysteine (r=0.455, p=0.044), neopterin (r=0.31, p=0.048), and carotid intima-media thickness. CONCLUSION: Elevated PlGF plasma levels predict worse prognosis in CAD patients; PlGF levels correlate with haptoglobin, neopterin, and homocysteine blood levels and with the carotid artery intima-media thickness.