Pulse wave velocity and other indicators of arterial stiffness in hypertension comorbidity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

AIM: The aim is to study pulse wave velocity (PWV) and other parameters of arterial stiffness in patients with comorbid arterial hypertension (AH) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 32 patients with a combination of AH and COPD (group 1), 30 patients with isolated hypertension (group 2), 18 patients with isolated COPD (group 3), 30 healthy subjects (control group) were examined. Applanation tonometry and pulse wave contour analysis at the carotid-femoral segment were made by SphygmoCor (AtCor Medical). RESULTS: Aortic systolic blood pressure in patients with the combination of hypertension and COPD was higher compared to the group of the patients with isolated hypertension by 9.83% (p=0.02), and the patients with COPD by 41.5% (p = 0.000042), respectively. Central pulse pressure in the first group was higher compared to the second group by 29.58% (p=0.00022), in the third group - by 53.4% (p=0.0029). The combination of hypertension and COPD (ß=0.42, p=0.00019), age (ß=0.39, p=0.0002) and the level of aortic pulse pressure (ß=0.54, p=0.001) were marked as independent factors of PWV increasing according to the multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: In patients with a combination of hypertension and COPD the increase in PWV, systolic and pulse pressure in the ascending aorta was observed, compared to patients with isolated hypertension, isolated COPD and the control group during applanation tonometry.

[ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN WOMEN WITH CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND CONCOMITANT SEVERE OSTEOPOROSIS].

The aim of the study was to estimate arterial stiffness and bone mineral density (BMD) in women with coronary heart disease (CHD) and concomitant osteoporosis. It included 120 patients (mean age 68.5 ± 8.7 years) divided into 2 groups matched for age and CHD duration. Group I was comprised of 74 women with CHD and severe osteoporosis, group 2 consisted of 46 women with isolated CHD. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and central pulse wave were subjected to contour analysis by applanation tonometry using a SphygmoCor AtCor Medical apparatus (Australia). BMD was measured in lumbar vertebrae and proximal part of the femur by X-ray densitometer (XRD). Statistical treatment of the data obtained was performed with the use of Statistica 6.0 package, Wald-Wolfovitz criterion, and multifactorial regressive analysis; differences were considered statistically significant when the calculated P value was less than 0.05. Women with CHD and osteoporosis had higher arterial (diastolic/systolic) pressure, mean aortic pressure, and pulse wave velocity than patients with isolated CHD. The independent determinants of carotid-femoral segment stffness were age (ß = 0.3, 95% CI 0.08-0.11, p = 0.027), BMD in the proximal part of the femur based on Z criterion (ß = 5.02, 95% CI 8.4-10.6, p = 0.0059), BMD in the Wards area based on T criterion ß = 5.07, 95% CI 6.0-8.1, p = 0.005). It is concluded that women with CHD and osteoporosis have elevated parameters of arterial stiffness including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, central pulse pressure, BMD in lumbar vertebrae and proximal part of the femur. Age and BMD in the proximal part of the femur are independent factors affecting arterial stiffness.

[Experimental hybridization of voies of the genus Microtus s.l. M. socialis with species of the group arvalis (Mammalia, Rodentia)].

The results of interspecific crosses of the social vole Microtus socialis with the Altai vole M. obscurus, the East European vole M. rossiaemeridionalis, and the Transcaspian vole M. transcaspicus are presented. The role of the sperm head structure in the reproductive isolation of this species was studied. Hybrids were obtained in five of the six crossing combinations. It is established that significant differences in the sperm head shape in the social vole and in arvalis group species do not prevent fertilization. The sterility of hybrids indicates the existence of postcopulative mechanisms of reproductive isolation.

[24-hour monitoring central aortic pressure in patients with hypertensive disease and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

A total of 58 patients with essential hypertension were examined. 27 of them had a combination of essential hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 31 persons had isolated essential hypertension. The control group included 13 healthy individuals. The daily monitoring of blood pressure with a BPLab apparatus and the analysis of peripheral and central aortic pressure were performed. Comparison of groups was carried out using the Mann-Whitney test. The combination of hypertension and COPD was associated with increased daily and average daily peripheral and central aortic pressure compared with isolated essential hypertension and the control group. During daily monitoring of peripheral blood pressure the "dipper" type predominated in patients with isolated essential hypertension (41, 95%) and "non-dipper" type in those with comorbid disorders (44, 44%). The analysis of nocturnal blood pressure reduction in the aorta in patients with essential hypertension and COPD revealed the increased frequency of "non-dipper" type (55, 55%). The analysis of the central aortic pressure in patients with isolated essential hypertension showed the decreased incidence of "dipper" type (21, 87%). It is concluded that daily monitoring of the central aortic pressure permits to identify abnormal profiles with a higher frequency than the study of peripheral blood pressure.

[The immunologic disorders and dysfunction of endothelium as predictors of development of hypertrophy of left ventricle of heart in patients with hypertension disease].

The sampling included 231 patient with hypertension disease of stage I-II. The hypertrophy of left ventricle of heart was established in 97 patients (group I) and 134 patients had no hypertrophy of left ventricle of heart (group II). The control group consisted of 25 healthy persons. The increase of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin beta was established in group I as compared with group II and control group. In patients of group I the expressed dysfunction of endothelium was observed. The increase of endothelin I and number of desquamated endotheliocytes as compared with group II and healthy persons was established. The direct relationship between increase of concentration of analyzed cytokines and presence of hypertrophy of left ventricle of heart is revealed.

[Phasing and continuity of the treatment of thyroid eye disease in patients with Graves' disease].

 According to modern concepts, thyroid eye disease (TED) is an independent progressive autoimmune disease of the organ of vision, closely associated with the autoimmune pathology of the thyroid gland (TG), (ICD code - H06.2, proptosis in case of impaired thyroid function E05.0). TED treatment is a long step-by-step process, including immunosuppressive therapy, radiation therapy of the orbits and surgical treatment.TED is a multidisciplinary problem. A patient with thyrotoxicosis clinic and TED symptoms will be taken to an endocrinological clinic for normalization of thyroid hormones and treatment of thyrotoxicosis complications. At the same time, under the supervision of an ophthalmologist, TED diagnostics and treatment will be carried out. Teamwork is of utmost importance because the effectiveness of TED treatment will depend on the speed of achieving a stable euthyroid state, the accuracy of determining the TED activity and severity, and the presence of complications requiring surgical treatment.There are two main phases in the TED development. In the first phase of active inflammation, an increase in the symptoms of TED occurs, then a plateau phase follows, when the symptoms of activity persist but do not progress, then the symptoms regress and the process becomes inactive, while visual disturbances and cosmetic defects may persist. Determining the TED activity is very important from a clinical point of view, because the choice of treatment and tactics of patient management depend on the inflammation activity.We describe a clinical case of phasing treatment of TED complicated by optic neuropathy and movement disorders in a patient with Graves' disease, resistant to immunosuppressive therapy with glucocorticoids and requiring deep lateral bony orbital decompression.

Long-Term Sheep Implantation of WIMAGINE®, a Wireless 64-Channel Electrocorticogram Recorder.

This article deals with the long-term preclinical validation of WIMAGINE® (Wireless Implantable Multi-channel Acquisition system for Generic Interface with Neurons), a 64-channel wireless implantable recorder that measures the electrical activity at the cortical surface (electrocorticography, ECoG). The WIMAGINE® implant was designed for chronic wireless neuronal signal acquisition, to be used e.g., as an intracranial Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) for severely motor-impaired patients. Due to the size and shape of WIMAGINE®, sheep appeared to be the best animal model on which to carry out long-term in vivo validation. The devices were implanted in two sheep for a follow-up period of 10 months, including idle state cortical recordings and Somato-Sensory Evoked Potential (SSEP) sessions. ECoG and SSEP demonstrated relatively stable behavior during the 10-month observation period. Information recorded from the SensoriMotor Cortex (SMC) showed an SSEP phase reversal, indicating the cortical site of the sensorimotor activity was retained after 10 months of contact. Based on weekly recordings of raw ECoG signals, the effective bandwidth was in the range of 230 Hz for both animals and remarkably stable over time, meaning preservation of the high frequency bands valuable for decoding of the brain activity using BCIs. The power spectral density (in dB/Hz), on a log scale, was of the order of 2.2, -4.5 and -18 for the frequency bands (10-40), (40-100), and (100-200) Hz, respectively. The outcome of this preclinical work is the first long-term in vivo validation of the WIMAGINE® implant, highlighting its ability to record the brain electrical activity through the dura mater and to send wireless digitized data to the external base station. Apart from local adhesion of the dura to the skull, the neurosurgeon did not face any difficulty in the implantation of the WIMAGINE® device and post-mortem analysis of the brain revealed no side effect related to the implantation. We also report on the reliability of the system; including the implantable device, the antennas module and the external base station.

[Production of certain cytokines in blood sera of patients with hypertensive disease and early stages of concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

The results of investigation of blood serum interleikins in hypertensive patients in combination with early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are presented. The increase of interleikin 1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha in hypertensive patients of the I - II stages in comparison with healthy person was marked. In the presence of accompanied COPD of the I stage more increased number of cytokins was determined. Changes of interleukin-4 patients of both groups were not found.

[Lipid peroxidation in hypertensive disease concurrent with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

A hundred and thirty-four hypertensive patients were examined, 75 of them had concomitant first-degree chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As compared with the control group, the patients were found to have elevated levels of primary, secondary, and intermediate products of serum lipid peroxidation and lower activities of catalase of red blood cells and their peroxide resistance. All changes were most pronounced in concomitant COPD.

[Gastric cytomedines effects on immune response in acute immobilization stress in rats].

Effects of gastric cytomedines on repair and immune response were studied in 137 white non-inbred rats. Erosions of gastric mucosa were induced by acute immobilization stress. A decrease in antibody production, titers of hemagglutinins and hemolysins was found on day 2 after stress. Gastric cytomedines in a dose 0.15 mg/kg intramuscularly stimulate immune response (increased production of antibodies, antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity index, titers of hemagglutinins and hemolysins), fast erosions epithelization and have a protective action.

[Ventramine and lipid peroxidation in children with erosive gastroduodenitis].

43 patients and 20 healthy children, aged 11-15, were examined. Increased contents of primary, secondary, intermediary and final products of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in serum lipids as well as an intensified antioxidant activity were registered in children with erosive gastroduodenitis. Ventramine, when used in the treatment of erosive gastroduodenitis in children, arrests rapidly the clinical signs of the disease and normalizes LPO.

Polynomial neural network for linear and non-linear model selection in quantitative-structure activity relationship studies on the internet.

This article presents a self-organising multilayered iterative algorithm that provides linear and non-linear polynomial regression models thus allowing the user to control the number and the power of the terms in the models. The accuracy of the algorithm is compared to the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm using fourteen data sets in quantitative-structure activity relationship studies. The calculated data show that the proposed method is able to select simple models characterized by a high prediction ability and thus provides a considerable interest in quantitative-structure activity relationship studies. The software is developed using client-server protocol (Java and C++ languages) and is available for world-wide users on the Web site of the authors.

Purification and concentration of rabies virus by chromatography on chemically modified porous silicates.

Tissue culture rabies virus was purified by gel chromatography on chemically modified macroporous glasses (MPG). Modification of the MPG surface by egg or human albumin prevented rabies virions from interaction with the glass surface so that all purified virus was eluted from the column. Chemically modified MPG could be used on a preparative scale for the purification of both infectious and inactivated rabies virus, the immunogenicity of the latter having been preserved. Protein content of the purified virus fractions was up to 4 microgram/ml, of which virus protein represented up to 5%.

[Detection of rabies virus antibodies in human blood serum by an immunoenzyme method]. / Obnaruzhenie antitel k virusu beshenstva v syvorotke krovi liudei s pomoshch'iu immunofermentnogo metoda.

In a coded experiment on rabies virus antibody detection in the blood sera of humans immunized with rabies vaccines, coincidence of the results of indirect ELISA, neutralization test and radial hemolysis test (RHT) was observed in 83% and 90% of the cases. The correlation coefficient of antibody titres in ELISA and NT was r = +0.75, ELISA and RHT r = +0.81. Instances of discrepancy of the results were observed with sera of low titres, no more than 1:50 by neutralization test.

[Antigenic activity of a concentrated and purified cultured antirabies vaccine from the Vnukovo-32-107 strain]. / Antigennaia aktivnost' kontsentrirovanno i ochishchennoi kul'tural'noi antirabicheskoi vaktsiny iz shtamma Vnukovo-32-107.

Humoral response (virus-neutralizing antibody production) to immunization with inactivated 30-fold concentrated and purified tissue culture rabies vaccine was studied in monkeys and human volunteers. Two doses of the preparation spaced 20 days apart and given intramuscularly or intradermally to monkeys induced in them much more intensive antibody production (4--213-fold by titer) than 6 daily injections of unconcentrated vaccine. In 10 human volunteers immunized with 1.5 ml doses of the concentrated vaccine intramuscularly twice 20 days apart antibody titers 40 days after immunization varied from 1:79 to 1:6250 (average 1:1067). In another group of 10 human volunteers immunized intramuscularly with the concentrated vaccine 3 times at 0, 1st and 20th day, antibody titers 40 days after immunization were 1:112--1:3273 (average 1:508). These values are significantly higher than the average titers in humans vaccinated with unconcentrated tissue culture of brain vaccine of Fermi type. The concentrated vaccine proved to be a preparation of low reactogenicity: no systemic reactions were observed among vaccinated volunteers; 4 out of 20 volunteers had a mild, transient (1 day) local reaction (hyperemia of less than 1.5 cm in diameter).

[Cultivation of the rabies virus in the continuous kidney cell line 4647 from the green marmoset]. / Kul'tivirovanie virusa beshenstva v linii perevivaemykh kletok pochki zelenoi martyshki 4647.

Continuous cells of green monkey kidney 4647 were found to be highly sensitive to three variants of the Vnukovo-32 vaccine strain of rabies virus preliminarily adapted to the primary line of Syrian hamster kidney cells. The virus litre increased with passages in the 4647 cell culture. The resulting virus variants had sufficient immunogenic potency. The time course of virus replication at a temperature of 32 degrees C was studied. The heteroploid cell line 4647 was found to be promising for manufacture of medical and veterinary cultural rabies vaccines.

[Detection of arrhythmias in patients with ischemic heart disease using different methods of prolonged ECG recording on a magnetic tape]. / Raspoznavanie aritmii u bol'nykh ishemicheskoi bolezn'iu serdtsa s pomoshch'iu razlichnykh metodov dlitel'noi registratsii EKG na magnitnuiu lentu.

Prolonged ECG recording on magnetic tape was performed in 327 coronary patients. In 187 out of them, continuous 24-hour ECG recording (Holter's monitoring) was performed and in 178 subjects, intermittent recording (for 14 s every 15 min) was conducted over 24 hours. In 38 patients, both methods were used. Various heart rhythm irregularities were determined by these methods in 92.1 and 86.8% of the patients, respectively, with the nature and frequency of arrhythmias in both groups displaying basically the similar pattern. The employment of both methods made it possible to detect in a considerable proportion of patients cardiac rhythm disturbances which had not been elucidated in the previous clinical and ECG examinations. The method of Holter's monitoring proved to be more informative in comparison with intermittent ECG recording, i.e. it was effective in determining the precise number and duration of arrhythmia episodes occurring over the period of 24 hours.

[Treatment with inactivated cultured antirabies vaccine and antirabies gamma-globulin of persons biten by rabid wolves or those suspected of being rabid]. / Lechenie inaktivirovannoi kul'tural'noi antirabicheskoi vaktsinoi i antirabichesmim gamma-globulinom liudei, ukushennykh beshenymi ili podozritel'nymi na beshenstvo volkami.

The authors present the results of using inactivated cultural rabies vaccine from the Vnukovo-32 strain in combination with rabies gamma-globulin for the treatment of 39 persons; of this number 28 were bitten by rabid wolves (the diagnosis was confirmed by laboratory methods), 25 had wounds of dangerous localization, and 3 were children from 7 to 15 years of age. In examining the sera of all the 39 bitten persons it was found that the scheme of combined vaccinations with inactivated cultural ribies vaccine and rabies gamma-globulin, officially acting in the USSR, in case of bites of dangerous localization led to formation of early continuous and lengthy passive and active immunity of adequate intensity.

[Anti-arrhythmic effectiveness of ethmozine, cordaron and rhythmodan in treating ischemic heart disease]. / Antiaritmicheskaia éffektivnost' étmozina, kordakona i ritmodana pri lechenii bol'nykh ishemicheskoi bolezn'iu serdtsa.

The authors observed 127 patients with different disorders of the cardiac rhythm treated with ethmozine, cordarone and rhythmodan. To assess the efficacy of the therapy circadian ECG was recorded on a magnetic tape with a portable cardiomonitor, exercise tests (bicycle ergometry, treadmill and walking under ECG control) were conducted. Good effect was seen after a course of treatment in patients with ventricular and atrial extrasystolae, paroxysms of supraventricular, ventricular tachycardia and auricular fibrillation. Cordarone was found effective in the Wolff-Parkinson - White syndrome and paroxysms of supraventricular tachycardia.

[Effect of controlled normovolemic hemodilution on the microcirculatory bed and the incidence of postoperative complications in abdominal surgery]. / Vliianie napravlennoi normovolemicheskoi gemodiliutsii na mikrotsirkuliatornoe ruslo i chastotu posleoperatsionnykh oslozhnenii v abdominal'noi khirurgii.

Directed normovolemic hemodilution with the preoperative reservation of part of the patients' blood considerably reduced the pathologic effect of the operative aggression on the microcirculation system, allowed reduction of the frequency of postoperative complications and increased the efficiency of treatment of 93 patients with diseases of organs of the abdominal cavity.