[The use of taktivin for modulating the functional activity of the neutrophilic granulocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Primenenie taktivina dlia moduliatsii funktsional'noi aktivnosti neitrofil'nykh granulotsitov u bol'nykh sistemnoi krasnoi volchankoi.

The dynamics of the synthesis of active oxygen forms by neutrophilic granulocytes was studied and compared in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) given conventional therapy (n = 14) and combined therapy with the use of tactivin (n = 17). Evaluation of spontaneous fluorescence of neutrophils (FN) and of that induced by suspension of the killed Staphylococcus culture revealed an increase of the latter one after tactivin treatment, which was accompanied by the regression of articular and cutaneous syndromes and trophic disorders. It has been discovered that the dynamics of FN in the treatment with the use of tactivin was dependent on the initial characteristics of the synthesis of active oxygen forms.

[Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and kidney damage in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Faktor nekroza opukholi-alpha i porazhenie pochek pri revmatoidnom artrite.

AIM: To investigate clinical significance of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and kidney damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 94 patients (84 women and 10 men, mean age 45.2 +/- 11.9 years and the disease duration 7.5 +/- 6.5 years) with RA and 20 donors were examined. In 37(39.4%) and 57(60.6%) patients radiological stages I-II and III-IV, respectively, were determined. TNF-alpha and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Serum levels of TNF-alpha in patients with RA appeared significantly higher than in donors (10.9 +/- 22.1 pg/ml vs 0.6 +/- 2.0 pg/ml, p < 0.001). 33 (35.1%) of 94 patients had TNF-alpha levels above 6.6 pg/ml. High serum levels of TNF-alpha correlated significantly with the presence of nephrotic syndrome (r = 0.22, p = 0.03) caused by secondary amyloidosis. There were no correlations between high levels of TNF-alpha and sex, age, disease duration, stages and clinical activity in patients with RA. Positive correlation was found between high levels of TNF-alpha and ESR (r = 0.30, p = 0.003), CRP (r = 0.37, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Thus, TNF-alpha may be involved in pathogenesis of amyloidosis in RA.

[Clinical and pathogenic significance of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Kliniko-patogeneticheskoe znachenie faktora nekroza opukholi-al'fa pri sistemnoi krasnoi volchanke.

AIM: To examine the level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa) in the sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its clinical and pathogenic role. MATERIAL AND METHODS: TNFa was measured with ELISA (Immunogenetics N.V., Belgium) in the sera from 147 SLE patients (70 men and 77 women). The results were compared with those of 20 healthy subjects. RESULTS: TNFa elevated concentrations were found in 49% examinees with SLE. Concentration of TNFa, SLE activity and development of antiphospholipid syndrome correlated. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that TNFa is involved in pathogenesis of SLE. Quantitation of TNFa may serve a useful tool for monitoring SLE activity.

[Antibodies to beta2-glycoprotein-1 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Antitela k beta2-glikoproteinu-1 u bol'nykh sistemnoi krasnoi volchankoi.

Antibodies to beta 2-glycoprotein I (beta 2-GPI) and antibodies to cardiolipin (aCL) were determined by enzyme immunoassay in 58 patients with verified SLE. Elevated level of antibodies to beta 2-GPI was associated with development of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and aCL hyperproduction. It is evident that synthesis of antibodies to beta 2-GPI is an additional marker of APS in SLE.

[Clinical significance of myeloperoxydase and proteinase 2 antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Klinicheskoe znachenie antitel k mieloperoksidaze i proteinaze-3 u bol'nykh sistemnoi krasnoi volchankoi.

Content of antibodies to neutrophil cytoplasma--myeloperoxidase (MPO)--and proteinase-3 (PR-3) was measured in the sera of 65 patients with SLE and 20 donors. Antibodies to MPO (a-MPO) and proteinase-3 (a-PR-3) significantly outnumbered those of the control. The number of a-MPO appeared elevated in 13, lowered in 7, moderate in 6 cases and directly correlated with anemia, pulmonary lesions, a-PR-3 level, inversely correlated with cerebrovasculitis and polyneuritis. The number of a-PR-3 was elevated in 14 cases (10 low titers and 4 moderate titers). High levels of both a-PR-3 and a-MPO were recorded in 8 sera. The content of a-PR-3 correlated directly with age of SLE onset but inversely with leukocyte count. Neither course of the disease nor inflammation activity were related to level of neutrophil antibodies. Factor analysis has identified groups of elements influencing the value of a-MPO and a-PR-3.

[Functional activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus and periarteritis nodosa]. / Funktsional'naia aktivnost' polimorfno-iadernykh leikotsitov pri sistemnoi krasnoi volchanke i uzelkovom periarteriite.

The functional activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was studied in the test of biochemical luminescence (BCL) in 43 patients including 31 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 12 with nodular periarteritis (NP). Generation of the active forms of oxygen depended on the activity of the pathological process and the level of the circulating immune complexes (CIC). As established, under the conditions of hyperproductions IC PMNL in patients with SLE and NP preserve a rather high capacity to generate active forms of oxygen into intracellular space that allows one to speak about the role of oxygen radicals in the development of vascular lesions in patients with rheumatic diseases.

[Free radicals of oxygen and their effect on inflammation mediators in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Svobodnye radikaly kisloroda i ikh vliianie na mediatory vospaleniia u bol'nykh sistemnoi krasnoi volchankoi.

The active forms of oxygen (AFA) participate in modulation of mediation processes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. A direct correlation of AFA with serotonin and kallikrein was noted, a reverse one with the inhibitory systems. Reactivity of AFA proved to be most marked in patients with lupus nephritis. The role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the activation of vasculo-thrombocytic hemostasis is discussed.