[An epidemiological assessment of the chronic carriage of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen and other markers of this infection]. / Epidemiologicheskaia otsenka khronicheskogo nositel'stva poverkhnostnogo antigena virusa gepatita B i drugikh markerov étoi infektsii.

On the basis of prolonged (up to 10 years) observations of chronic HBsAg carriers (87 persons) slowly progressing chronic hepatitis B virus infection was detected in most of them (57.5%). In these persons up to 6 negative results of the analysis for the presence of HBsAg were periodically obtained, with the subsequent renewal of HBs-antigenemia. More profound examination of 192 persons with chronic lesions of the liver and other digestive organs helped diagnose chronic persistent hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis, accompanied by HBs-antigenemia and the circulation of other markers of this infection, in 63.5% of the examinees.

[Epidemiologic features of cryptosporidiosis in Turkmenistan]. / Epidemiologicheskie osobennosti kriptosporidioza v Turkmenistane.

AIM: To study epidemiological characteristics of cryptosporidosis (CS) in conditions of arid climate which contributes to suppression of the immune status of the organism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 1935 patients were treated for acute intestinal infection with watery diarrhea in Ashkhabad hospital in 1994-1999. Monocryptosporidiosis was diagnosed in 511 of them. Also, 46 mothers of CS children and 32 foci of the infection were examined. Cryptosporidial oocysts in the feces were detected by the Fulleborn's method. The preparations were stained by Ziehl-Neelsen. RESULTS: CS incidence in Turkmenistan was high, especially in children aged 2 to 7 years and adults aged 31-35 and 46-50 years. CS occurs throughout the year, but the morbidity is higher in summer and winter. The leading route of transmission is alimentary, it prevails over contact, watery and perinatal.

[Clinical and laboratory characteristics of cryptosporidiosis in Turkmenistan]. / Kliniko-laboratornye osobennosti kriptosporidioza v Turkmenistane.

AIM: The study of clinical symptoms of gastrointestinal lesions in subjects invaded with cryptosporidia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1994 to 1997 383 patients with monocryptosporidiasis were observed. 75.7% of them were children. Cryptosporidia oocysts were identified in fecalia using Fulleborn technique. The specimens were stained according to Cill-Nilsson. RESULTS: Clinically, the invasion was characterized by acute onset, severe course in children, involvement of the whole gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. CONCLUSION: Monocryptosporidiasis runs in Turkmenistan a more severe course compared to countries with moderately hot climate.

[Bacterial complications in acute hepatic failure in patients with hepatitis B]. / O bakterial'nykh oslozhneniiakh pri ostroi pechenochnoi nedostatochnosti u bol'nykh virusnym gepatitom B.

With virus hepatitis B (VHB) associated with acute hepatic insufficiency, precoma and coma, one third of the patients develop bacterial purulent inflammatory complications involving mainly biliary system and intestine. Attendant bacterial complications promoted rapid progression of hepatic coma seen commonly on day 1-10 of the disease. The diagnosis in relevant patients recognizing bacterial complications clinically should be based on alterations in the liver size, the presence of fever, elevated body temperature, relatively low decrease of prothrombin index and fibrinogen against leukocytosis with stab neutrophil shift. These symptoms call for introduction of antibacterial drugs.

[Factors of nonspecific resistance in hepatitis B and acute hepatic insufficiency]. / Faktory nespetsificheskoi rezistentnosti pri virusnom gepatite B s ostroi pechenochnoi nedostatochnost'iu.

Studies of nonspecific resistance factors in grave forms of viral hepatitis B (VHB) have revealed their significance in the prediction of acute hepatic insufficiency (AHI) development and its unfavorable outcome. IgM and IgA levels were found the most informative as far as the prognosis is concerned; these levels were the highest in the patients with precoma eventuating in hepatic coma. C3 complement concentration was reduced in all the patients whatever the disease severity, but more so in those developing AHI, which fact may serve the criterion predicting AHI development in VHB; to add to this, C3 complement level reflects the degree of hepatocyte destruction whereas the degree of transferrin level reduction is explained by its impaired synthesis by the liver as well. Transferrin levels were reduced in all the patients with AHI.