[The role of persistent viral infections with Herpes viridae and Papilloma viridae associated with chronic inflammatory pathology of the oropharynx]. / Znachenie persistiruiushchei virusnoi infektsii semeistv Herpes viridae i Papilloma viridae pri khronicheskikh vospalitel'nykh zabolevaniiakh glotki.

The high prevalence of chronic inflammatory oropharyngeal pathologies and a large variety of specific pathogenetic features of the persistent viral infections caused by the species of the families Herpesviridae and Papillomaviridae as etiological agents of the disease suggest the necessity of investigations with a view to evaluating the clinical significance of persistent viral infections with Herpesviridae and Papillomaviridae species in the patients presenting with chronic inflammatory oropharyngreal pathology. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the prevalence and clinical significance of viral infections caused by the pathogenic agents belonging to the families Herpesviridae and Papillomaviridae in the patients presenting with chronic inflammatory pathology of the oropharynx. We examined two groups of patients one of which was comprised of 174 subjects suffering from chronic inflammatory oropharyngeal pathologies while the other consisted of 31 healthy people. All the patients in both groups underwent the general clinical examination, real-time PCR diagnostics of the viral infections with Herpes viridae and Papilloma viridae using the scrapings of oropharyngeal mucosa, and the microbiological study of the oropharynx secretion. The study has demonstrated the high frequency of viral infections caused by Herpesviridae and Papillomaviridae species in the patients with chronic inflammatory pathology of the oropharynx in comparison with the control group of healthy subjects (81.03% and 45.16% respectively). It was shown that the certain types of pathological conditions were specifically associated with the concrete forms of viral infections. The results of the cytological study give evidence that all (100%) the patients with chronic inflammatory oropharyngeal pathologies had the specific changes in epithelium in the combination with the non-specific alterations. 63.6% of the patients with chronic inflammatory oropharyngeal pathologies and negative results of viral diagnostics using the real-time PCR technology were found to have non-specific changes in epithelium as opposed to 25.8% of the healthy subjects. The correlation analysis of the results of real-time PCR diagnostics and the bacteriological study showed that 45.1% of the carriers of the Epstein-Barr virus were infected with S. pneumoniae and 23.2% with Kl..pneumoniae whereas the mixed infection was documented in 31.1% of the EBV carriers. Moreover, 10.98% of such patients presented with Candida albicans infection whereas. 54.5% and 27.3% of the patients with HHV-6 were diagnosed as having S. aureus and S. pneumoniae infection respectively; the combined flora was found in 18.2% of such patients.

[Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis: the role of angiogenic factors, the inhibitory pathways of progression].

AIM: To assess the role of angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in interstitial lung diseases (ILD), such as fibrosing alveolitis, sarcoidosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The blood levels of endothelial dysfunction and neoangiogenesis markers (ET-1 and VEGF) were investigated in 96 patients with different clinical forms of ILD at it different stages; the found changes were compared with the clinical and morphological manifestations of the disease. RESULTS: It has been ascertained that regardless of the clinical type of ILD, there is a correlation between the blood levels of VEGF and ET-1 and the intensity of lung neoangiogenesis, the expression of VEGF by the endothelium of newly formed blood vessels, the production of angiogenic factors, the degree of endothelial dysfunction, the extent of pulmonary fibrosis, the degree of pulmonary vascular remodeling, and the severity of pulmonary hypertension. The findings suggest that the markers of neoangiogenesis play an important role in the mechanisms of ILD progression. CONCLUSION: The study of these parameters in the blood may be used to clarify the activity and prognosis of ILD.

[The new approaches to the treatment of inflammatory pharyngeal pathology].

The authors present a detailed characteristic of various topical medications applied for the treatment of tonsillopharyngitis with special reference to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These data give evidence of the advantages of such preparations over other pharmaceutical products for the topical treatment. It is concluded that the application of topical anti-inflammatory preparations should be a major component of the treatment of inflammatory pharyngeal pathology regardless of its etiology, either viral or bacterial.

[Shifts in metabolism and its regulation under the effect of spaceflight factors].

The review deals with the results of studying the adaptive changes in metabolism and its neuroendocrine regulation in humans and animals under the effect of spaceflight factors and ground-based simulation of the gravitational unloading. The majority of the investigations were concerned with the water-electrolyte and mineral turnover, as well as protein, lipid and carbohydrates metabolism. Biochemical measurements of the body liquids (blood, urine and saliva) before, in and after space flight or in ground simulation experiments were used as indictors of the status of sympathoadrenal, hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal and other systems involved in systemic regulation of metabolism, and also strength of stress-reaction to adversities. The authors generalized data on the interrelation and interaction of the neuroendocrine and psychophysiological status both in the real and simulated conditions of space flight.

[Urine proteome study for the evaluation of cardiovascular system state after spaceflight in human].

In order to find markers to assess the functional state of the cardiovascular system before and after spaceflight (first and seventh day after landing), we analyzed the urine proteome in ten cosmonauts aged of 35 to 51 years who have completed 169 to 199-day spaceflight onboard the ISS. A special sample preparation was performed, followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of the minor proteins was performed on a nano-HPLC Agilent 1100 system (Agilent Technologies Inc., USA) in combination with a LTQ-FT Ultra mass spectrometer (Thermo, Germany). A total of 238 proteins was identified. According to the TIGER database, a tissue origin was established for 129 proteins. We identified 20 proteins related to the cardiovascular system. It was found that changes in cosmonauts' urine proteome comprehensively reflect the adaptive responses of cardiovascular, renal and neuroendocrine systems to long-term microgravity conditions.

[Cerebral sodium-uretic peptide: pathogenetic and clinical significance in pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with interstitial diseases of the lungs].

Sodium-uretic peptides (SUP) are the main humoral system opposing pathological remodeling of vascular bed in diseases of cardiovascular system and kidneys. In the paper, pathogenetic and clinical significance of the cerebral SUP in pulmonary arterial hypertension, including the one associated with interstitial diseases of the lungs.

[Clinical significance of markers of endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis in progressing of the lung interstitial diseases].

The data obtained suggest an important role of the FRES and ET-1 in progressing of the lung interstitial diseases; they can be used as diagnostic criteria of the disease activity, risk of pulmonary hypertension, and extra-pulmonary manifestations.

[Natriuretic peptides in diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension].

Pathogenetic and diagnostic role of natriuretic peptides in different variants of pulmonary hypertension is discussed. Structure, mechanism of action and physiological effects of some natriuretic peptides and their role in diagnosis and monitoring of the course of pulmonary hypertension are described.

[Estimation of plasmic concentration of the brain natriuretic peptide in interstitial pulmonary diseases with pulmonary hypertension: clinical role].

AIM: To study a plasmic concentration of the brain natriuretic peptide (BNUP) in patients with interstitial pulmonary disease (IPD) as a possible diagnostic parameter in pulmonary hypertension (PH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Plasmic BNUP concentration, external respiration function were studied in 24 patients with IPD. The following tests were also made: 6-min walk, echocardiography (echo-CG) with estimation of systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery, multislice computed tomography of the chest with measurement of the mean diameter of the pulmonary artery trunk. RESULTS: As shown by echo-CG and chest MSCT half of the IPD patients had PH. IPD patients with PH had a significant elevation of plasmic BNUP concentration which, in intact left ventricular contractile function indicates development of secondary PH characterized by reduction of volume parameters of the respiratory pulmonary function. The rise of BNUP concentration correlated with reduction of 6-min walk distance and functional lung capacity. CONCLUSION: Plasmic BNUP can be used for diagnosis of PH in IPD patients.

[Endothelin-1 and brain natriuretic peptide in the development of pulmonary hypertension in interstitial lung diseases].

AIM: To study the plasma concentration of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) as markers of pulmonary hypertension (PH) developed in interstitial lung diseases (ILD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Along with physical examination, 97 patients with ILD underwent measurements of the plasma concentrations of BNP and ET-1, 6-minute walk test, external respiration function test, echocardiography, by measuring pulmonary artery systolic pressure (P(syst)), and chest multispiral computed tomography, by estimating the mean diameter of the pulmonary artery trunk. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of ET-1 proved to be significantly higher in the presence of active lung lesion (5.2 +/- 3.9 and 2.8 +/- 1.8 pg/ml; p = 0.0001). In patients with ILD, persistent PH was associated with the significantly elevated plasma concentrations of BNP (69.3 +/- 341.35 and 23.7 +/- 26.69 pg/ml; p = 0.018). The increase of plasma BNP concentrations correlated with the shorter distance covered during a 6-minute walk test and diminished functional vital capacity. CONCLUSION: The increased plasma levels of ET-1 in ILD reflects the transient pulmonary artery pressure elevation associated with the activity of the pulmonary process while those of BNP are indicative of developed persistent PH.

Effects of exposure to space flight on endocrine regulations in experimental animals.

This minireview summarizes the results of the observations on changes in endocrine functions of rats exposed to space flights for various periods. The results found after space flights are compared with those obtained from rats in acute or repeated restrain stress. A slight increase of plasma catecholamine levels was observed in rats after space flight of longer duration (>14 days), but no changes in catecholamine content in the activity of catecholamine synthesizing enzymes were noted in adrenal medulla and in hypothalamus. The norepinephrine content was, however, decreased in several nuclei selected from hypothalamus of flight rats. Plasma corticosterone levels were increased after space flight and morphological examination of pituitary showed elevated activity of corticotrophs. However, the plasma levels of ACTH were not increased in rats 6 hours after space flight. These changes in plasma hormone levels affected the activity of enzymes involved in metabolism of amino acids in liver and lipolysis in adipose tissue. The plasma levels of testosterone and triiodothyronine were diminished after space flight suggesting the suppression of the thyroid and gonadal activity. Increase of plasma insulin and glucose levels were found in rats after space flight, but the glucagon values were not changed. Comparing these results from flight rats with the animals exposed to acute or repeated stress indicate that long stay in microgravity do not represent very intensive stressogenic stimulus for adrenocortical and sympatho-adrenomedullar systems, and hormone alterations observed after space flight may be due to acute gravitational stress resulting from a return to Earth gravity. Therefore further studies including the inflight animal experiments on a board of International Space Station are necessary for elucidation of the effects of microgravity on endocrine functions.

Endocrine responses to space flights.

Simultaneously with human space flights several series of observations were performed by using experimental animals--mainly rats--exposed to space flights on board of special satellites BION-COSMOS or in Shuttle Transportation Systems (STS). The aims of these experiments were to study in more details: the mechanisms of the changes in bones and skeletal muscle, the alterations of the function of immune system, the radiation effects on organism, the mechanism of the changes of endocrine functions, the evaluation of the role of hormones in alteration of metabolic processes in organism. The advantages of these animal experiments were the possibilities to analyze not only the plasma samples, but it was possible to obtain samples of organs or tissues: for morphological and biochemical analysis for studies of the changes in enzyme activities and in gene expressions, for measurement of metabolic processes and for investigation of the hormone production in endocrine glands and estimation of the response of tissues to hormones. It was also possible to compare the endocrine response to spaceflight and to other stress stimuli. These animal studies are interesting for verification of some hypothesis in the mechanism of adaptation of human organism to the changes of gravity. The disadvantage was, however, that the animals in almost all experiments could be examined only after space flight. The actual inflight changes were investigated only in two SLS flights. In this short review it is not possible to evaluate all hormonal data available on the response of endocrine system to the conditions of space flights. Therefore we will concentrate on the response of pituitary adrenocortical system, pituitary thyroid and pituitary gonadal functions.

[The effects of space flights on the lipid composition of blood, adrenal glands and liver in rats]. / Vliianie kosmicheskogo poleta na lipidnyi sostav krovi, nadpochechnikov i pecheni krys.

Numerous postflight biochemical and morphological investigations of rats evidenced some shifts in lipid metabolism due to weightlessness and/or gravitation stresses. In the "Spacelab-2" experiment with rats, lipid spectra of blood serum (plasma), liver and adrenal glands were explored with the thin layer silicagel chromatography with the aim of evaluating stress effects of space flight on lipid metabolism. For the first time tissues were gathered and analyzed on day 13 in microgravity. Lipid composition of the liver remained unchanged after 13 days of flight. Those were cholesterol ethers of blood serum that were significantly increased while no changes had occurred in the relative quantities of each class of lipids in their totality. The adrenal glands considerably reduced concentrations of total lipids, free cholesterols, triglycerides, and free fatty acids. Within four hours into landing, free fatty acids were found to increase in blood plasma whereas the relative content of triglycerides decreased. Hepatic lipids remained unchanged and the adrenal ones did not differ from the control. On day 14 of recovery, the total content of blood plasma lipids was significantly increased on the score of triglycerides, and free and esterified cholesterols. The liver displayed decreases in all classes of fats; however, similar changes were in the control rats, too. The lipid composition of the adrenal did not differ from that of control. According to the total balance of lipids in rats' blood serum and liver, no signs of acute or chronic stress had been developed by the concluding stage of the 140-day space mission. Yet, one cannot exclude an acute stress early in mission that might have been the cause for the shifts in lipid metabolism in adrenals resulting in their reversible delipoidization.

[HIV infection in children perinatally infected]. / VICh-infektsiia u detei s perinatal'nym infitsirovaniem.

During the period from 1987 to the middle of 1996 only 20 children were born of HIV-infected women, while during the following 1.5 years the number of such children were 59, the maximum number of seropositive children being registered in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region, in the Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol and Nizhny Novgorod (altogether 46 children). Out of 79 children born of HIV-infected mothers during the whole period of the epidemic, 8 children died. Out of the children born before 1995 who remained alive, 9 children were struck off the register after 3 years of observation due to the absence of HIV infection. By the end of 1997 63 children were registered, the majority of them born in 1996-1997.

[The clinical course of HIV infection in children who were parenterally infected]. / Klinicheskoe techenie VICh-infektsii u detei s parenteral'nym putem infitsirovaniia.

The data on the study of the clinical course of HIV infection in 127 children, 124 from these infected in nosocomial foci. The overwhelming majority of the children were infected at the period of their stay in hospitals of Elista, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Shakhty (Rostov Province) and Stavropol'. At the end of 9-9.5 years elapsed since the appearance of the first documented cases of parenteral infection 33 children (26%) died. The study revealed that at the age under 1 year the course of HIV infection could rapidly progress into the stage of AIDS in the presence of aggravated premorbid background linked with the unfavorable course of pregnancy in the mother and a severe disease in the child prior to contacting HIV infection.