[Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Sampeginterferon-ß1a in the Treatment of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: a Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial 104-Week Results]. / Dolgosrochnye dannye po effektivnosti i bezopasnosti preparata sampeginterferon-ß1a u patsientov s remittiruyushchim rasseyannym sklerozom: rezul'taty 104-nedel'nogo randomizirovannogo dvoinogo slepogo klinicheskogo issledovaniya.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of sampeginterferon-ß1a (samPEG-IFN-ß1a) 180 µg and 240 µg administered once every 2 weeks compared to placebo and low dose interferon beta-1a (LIB) 30 µg administered once weekly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis aged 18-60 years, with Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≤5.5 were randomized at a ratio of 2:2:2:1 to the following groups: samPEG-IFN-ß1a 180 µg, samPEG-IFN-ß1a 240 µg, LIB, placebo. After 20 weeks, the placebo group completed the study. After week 52, the final analysis was performed, which included the primary endpoint analysis, the LIB group patients completed their participation in the study. The patients in samPEG-IFN-ß1a groups continued to receive therapy with samPEG-IFN-ß1a 240 µg until week 100 inclusive. The results of the final analysis after 52 weeks have been previously published. The current article presents a long-term efficacy and safety of samPEG-IFN-ß1a after 104 weeks of the trial. RESULTS: The annualized relapse rate over the second year was 0.16 in the samPEG-IFN-ß1a 180 µg group and 0.09 in the samPEG-IFN-ß1a 240 µg group. By week 104, the proportion of relapse-free patients was 77.0% (87/113) and 83.3% (95/114) in the samPEG-IFN-ß1a 180 µg and 240 µg groups, respectively. There were no negative dynamics of MRI markers, neurological deficit parameters and cognitive functions by scales and tests. The safety profile of samPEG-IFN-ß1a was consistent with the known safety profile of IFN-ß therapy. CONCLUSION: Treatment with samPEG-IFN-ß1a is an effective and safe first-line therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients.

[Clinical and epidemiological aspects of neuromyelitis optic spectrum diseases in the russian population]. / Kliniko-epidemiologicheskie aspekty zabolevanii spektra optikoneiromielita v rossiiskoi populyatsii.

OBJECTIVE: To present clinical and epidemiological aspects of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in the Russian Federation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 142 patients who met diagnostic criteria of 2015 for NMOSD. Sex, age at disease onset, presence or absence of aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G antibodies (AQP4-IgG), mail clinical symptoms, oligoclonal IgG, therapy for the treatment of exacerbations and prevention of exacerbations, compliance with 2006 diagnostic criteria were assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of women is 4.26:1, the most frequent age at disease onset is 18-29 years (36% of cases). The laboratory aspects of the disease are characterized and approaches to the treatment and prevention of exacerbations of NMOSD in patients of the Russian population are evaluated. Approaches to diagnostics are compared depending on the applied diagnostic criteria (34% of patients do not meet neuromyelitis optica 2006 diagnostic criteria). A prognosis for the prevalence of NMOSD in the Russian population has been proposed: 0.45-4.21/100000. CONCLUSION: This is the first published data on clinical and epidemiological characteristics of NMOSD in the Russian Federation.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of mediastinal neoplasms]. / Diagnostika i khirurgicheskoe lechenie pri novoobrazovaniiakh sredosteniia.

The authors share their experiences with examination and surgical treatment of 163 patients with various neoplasms of the mediastinum. The first place among the neoplasms is occupied by tumors of the lymphatic apparatus (33%), the second--by tumors of the thymus (21%). The video-thoracoscopic technique was used in 17 of 131 operations performed. Complications after the operations took place in 6 patients (4.5%), two patients died (1.5%). A conclusion is made that the patients of this category must be treated not only by thoracic surgeons but also by hematologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and specialists in radiation therapy.