Comorbid Conditions in Persons Exposed to Ionizing Radiation and Veterans of the Soviet-Afghan War: A Cohort Study in Kazakhstan.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of comorbid conditions in patients exposed to ionizing radiation and those who were involved in the Soviet-Afghan war. METHODS: This study analyzed the frequency and spectrum of morbidity and comorbidity in patients over a long-term period (30-35 years) following exposure to ionizing radiation at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site or the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and among participants of the Soviet-Afghan war. A cohort study, both prospective and retrospective, was conducted on 675 patients who underwent comprehensive examinations. RESULTS: Numerical data were analyzed using the Statistica 6 program. The results are presented as the mean±standard deviation, median, and interquartile range (25-75th percentiles). The statistical significance of between-group differences was assessed using the Student t-test and Pearson chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. We found a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (55.0%) and cardiac ischemia (32.9%); these rates exceeded the average for this age group in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative impact of causal occupational, environmental, and ultra-high stress factors in the combat zone in participants of the Soviet-Afghan war, along with common conventional factors, contributed to the formation of a specific comorbidity structure. This necessitates a rational approach to identifying early predictors of cardiovascular events and central nervous system disorders, as well as pathognomonic clinical symptoms in this patient cohort. It also underscores the importance of selecting suitable methods and strategies for implementing treatment and prevention measures.

Molecular and immunological changes in blood of rats exposed to various doses of asbestos dust.

BACKGROUND: Asbestos-related diseases are a group of diseases resulting from the inhalation of asbestos fibres and their subsequent deposition in the lung parenchyma, which causes the development of inflammatory and fibrotic processes in the respiratory system. Cases of the disease often occur in the practice of doctors. AIMS: The purpose of the study was to examine the level of circulating-free mitochondrial DNA (cf mtDNA), pro-inflammatory cytokines, immunological status and structural changes in the lung of rats exposed to various doses of asbestos dust. METHODS: Immune monitoring was performed using the peripheral blood samples of 40 male Wistar rats exposed and unexposed to asbestos dust. cf mtDNA copy numbers were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and cytokines were determined using a rat Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. RESULTS: A comprehensive assessment of the histopathological study performed under exposure to asbestos at a dose of 25 mg and 50 mg showed the presence of pronounced structural defects in the lung tissue of laboratory rats. The level of cf mtDNA in plasma of rats exposed to asbestos at a dose of 25 mg was reliably higher than that of control rats, and animals exposed to asbestos at a dose of 50 mg. The highest levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-a were also observed after asbestos dusting at a dose of 25 mg. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of the immunological status obtained, the decrease in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood plasma at 50 mg is due to the immunosuppressive effect in the rat immune system at this dose. A positive correlation was found between TNF-a level and copy numbers of cf mtDNA at a dose of 25 mg.

Psychosomatic Aspects of The Development of Comorbid Pathology: A Review.

Background: The article reviews the literature data on various somatic and mental pathologies, which are comorbid processes with similar pathophysiological, genetic and neurochemical mechanisms. The psychosomatic manifestations of cardiovascular diseases and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are considered. Particular attention is paid to post-traumatic stress disorder of participants in local wars. Comorbid pathology, in combination with depression and anxiety, aggravates the course of the disease, leading to disability in the adult population and premature death. Methods: The literature was searched in PubMed, Mendeley, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases to identify relevant studies published from 2012 to 2022. Results:Our literature search revealed a bidirectional association between comorbid psychiatric and somatic disorders. The prevalence of somatic diseases increases in people with a predominance of mental disorders. Conclusion:There is growing evidence that the combination of anxiety-depressive disorders and physical illness worsens the severity of the disease, complicating the diagnosis of the presence of one and/or several physical symptoms. However, more clinical trials are still needed to determine their full mechanisms of action.