[Pathomorphological features of the placentas and the placental sites after in vitro fertilization with a donor egg]. / Patomorfologicheskie osobennosti platsent i platsentarnykh ploshchadok posle ékstrakorporal'nogo oplodotvoreniia s primeneniem donorskoi iaitsekletki.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the structural and immunohistochemical features of the placentas and the placental sites after in vitro fertilization (IVF) with a donor egg (surrogate motherhood). SUBJECT AND METHODS: Morphological and immunohistochemical studies were performed on the placental (a placental disk) and placental bed materials obtained after caesarean delivery. The investigation enrolled 26 patients whose pregnancy occurred with IVF with a donor egg according to the surrogacy (IVF-S) program. A comparison group included 13 patients whose pregnancy occurred after IVF with their own eggs. An immunohistochemical study was conducted on paraffin sections made from biopsy material; mouse antibodies to total cytokeratin (clone AE1/AE3, 'Dako'), HLA-DR (clone TAL.1B5, 'Dako'), and CD138 (clone MI15, 'Dako') were used as primary antibodies. RESULTS: The histological examination of the placentas in the IVF-S group showed the high incidence of central ischemic heart attacks (69%), dissociated cotyledon development (61%), pathological villous immaturity mainly with the predominance of intermediate differentiated villi (46%), and massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition (73%). The obtained differences between with the study and comparison groups were significant (p<0.05). The IVF-S group was characterized by the development of lymphoplasmacytic deciduitis (1.23±0.4 and 0.5±0.3 scores). Examination of the placental site biopsy material in the IVF-S group revealed the following changes: remodeling of the spiral arteries was incomplete in more than 40% of cases, and in 30% of the spiral arteries had no gestational changes. In the comparison group, more than 90% of the spiral arteries were characterized by complete remodeling during pregnancy. There was also an increase in the count of multinucleated trophoblastic giant cells (104.56±4.21 and 65.67±14.45) and HLA-DR positive cells (41.86±5.32 and 29.00±1.87). CONCLUSION: The placentas and the placental sites of the women whose pregnancy occurred with IVF-S are characterized by the development of high lyoplasmacytic deciduitis activity and pronounced placental immune alterations manifested by the high incidence of immune responses at the sites of the closest contact between maternal and fetal tissues. The placental bed exhibited defective spiral artery remodeling, development of chronic inflammatory lesions in the perivascular areas, and an increase in the counts of HLA-DR positive cells and multinucleated trophoblastic giant cells.

Dynamics of Metabolic Parameters in Rats during Repeated Exposure to Modulated Low-Intensity UHF Radiation.

Metabolic parameters in rats were studied at various stages of repeated exposure to modulated low-intensity UHF radiation. The volume of O2 consumption and level of heat release were reduced by day 4 of intermittent irradiation and remained low over the next 2 days in the absence of a source for electromagnetic radiation. The amount of expired CO2 slightly increased over the first 3 sessions of irradiation, but significantly decreased in the recovery period on days 5 and 6. Changes in metabolic parameters were most significant on day 7 of the study. It was manifested in the decrease of O2 consumption, CO2 release, and intensity of heat exchange not only during irradiation, but also in the inter-exposure period. Electromagnetic radiation can induce a change of metabolic processes in mammals, which is most pronounced during repeated irradiation and persists even under physiological resting conditions.

[Antibodies Against Immunologically Sequestered Antigens in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of anovulatory infertility. In recent times, autoimmune processes are supposed to play a role in a number of conditions with unexplained etiology. This includes some cases of human infertility. The attempts to detect antiovarian antibodies in patients with PCOS generally produced negative results. Presence of non-organ specific autoantibodies in patients with polycytosis has been reported, but the data are till inconsistent. Meanwhile, a number of recent sludies reveal a correlation between PCOS, hypothyroidism (manifested or subclinical) and autoimmunity. In this respect, many authors recommend thyroid function to be regularly checked in patients with PCOS. There are data that certain categories of women with polycystosis show an elevated concentration of antisperm antibodies. The problem is an interesting example how a pathological process can elucidate the complex interactions between the immune system and various compartments of the endocrine system that include immunologically isolated antigens.

Stress protein Hsp27 expression predicts the outcome in operated small cell lung carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma patients.

PURPOSE: Heat shock protein (Hsp)27 is overexpressed in a range of human cancers and is implicated in tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, and survival. The aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic significance of Hsp27 expression in small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). METHODS: Surgically resected SCLCs (N=51) and LCNECs (N=15) were studied. The Hsp27 expression was detected immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Hsp27 positive immunoreaction in the cytoplasm was observed in 45 (88%) SCLCs and 14 (93%) LCNECs. A combination of cytoplasmic with nuclear Hsp27 expression was observed in 28 (62%) SCLCs and 14 (100%) LCNECs. There was a correlation between Hsp27 cytoplasmic overexpression and Hsp27 nuclear expression with patient survival confirmed by Cox multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the higher Hsp27 cytoplasmic expression and nuclear expression may represent favorable prognostic factors in SCLC and LCNEC.

Quantitative expediency assessment of the zeta sedimentation ratio and the plasma viscosity in arterial hypertension research.

Accepted methods of the ESR methodology (the Westergren mode and ZSR mode) and its alternative the plasma viscosity were tested for diagnostic utility in pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia. The receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis approved moderate diagnostic accuracy for the ESR methodology and supplied support for its preliminary estimated cutoff values but failed to indicate cogent discernment of pathology by values of plasma viscosity. Likely pathological whole blood alterations boost the erythrocyte aggregation while the concomitant depletion of macromolecules degrades plasma viscosity values.

On the interrelationships between erythrocyte aggregation, plasma viscosity and the total peripheral resistance in arterial hypertension.

A probable conjunction of hemodynamic- and rheological variables was tested in hypertensive patients. Most pronounced correlation was fixed for some indices (sizable in value for plasma viscosity and small but distinct for blood pressure and ZSR) vs. total peripheral resistance. These results of a small scale elaboration are encouraging to get up a study extension.

[The epidemiological surveillance of poliomyelitis in the Ukraine]. / Epidemiologicheskii nadzor za poliomielitom na Ukraine.

Correlation has been revealed between the circulation of polioviruses among the population and environmental objects. A rise in the circulation of polioviruses, type I, was caused by a decrease in collective immunity to this virus type. Water supply and sewage system purification was found ineffective with respect to enteroviral contamination. Vaccinal prophylaxis, carried out for many years, did not lead to the elimination of poliovirus strains, genetically different from vaccine ones.

[Portal hypertension in children: venous shunting in the early childhood]. / Portalnaia gipertenziia u detei: opyt venoznogo shuntirovaniia v rannem detskom vozraste.

Operations were carried out on 98 children with extrahepatic portal hypertension and on 6 with intrahepatic block and no signs of hepatocellular insufficiency. Mesenterico-caval H-shunt was formed in 78 children with the use of the internal jugular vein as the insert. The remaining children underwent formation of mesocaval anastomosis (8), distal spleno-renal shunt (4), portocaval anastomosis (1), Sugiura's operation (7). Among the operations 68 were planned, 12 emergency, and 18 preventive. The average age of the children was 6.5 years; 31 were under the age of 5 years and 19 under 3 years of age. The youngest child was aged 10 months, the H-shunt was successful. The results of the operation: thrombosis of the shunt 0%, portosystem encephalopathy 0%, recurrent hemorrhage 0%, lethality 1%. This is evidence of the expediency of performing shunting operations in early childhood.

[Value of dobutamine in children surgically treated for portal hypertension. Apropos of 23 cases]. / Intérêt de la dobutamine chez l'enfant opéré d'hypertension portale. A propos de 23 cas.

In children undergoing mesenterico-caval or distal spleno-renal shunting for extrahepatic portal hypertension, dobutamin (3-5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 24 hr postoperatively) prevents right ventricle dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension resulting from suddenly increased blood return to the heart by the inferior vena cava, thus improving cardiac output and myocardial contractility. Twelve 1-15 yr children benefitted from this inotropic therapy without any adverse side effect.

[Disorders of hemodynamics and their correction in children with nonhepatic portal hypertension during the course of surgical treatment]. / Narusheniia gemodinamiki i ikh korrektsiia u detei s vnepechenochnoi portal'noi gipertenziei na étapakh khirurgicheskogo lecheniia.

Twenty children with the extrahepatic portal hypertension syndrome were examined; echo- and doppler-cardiography were employed to assess the central hemodynamic status before and after mesenterial-caval H-shunting, making use of a vascular insert from the internal jugular vein. The status of the circulatory system varied in the patients prior to surgery, and a risk group was distinguished with the maximal deviations of the hemodynamic parameters from the age-specific norms. 70% of the patients developed within 3 h after surgery pulmonary hypertension and right-ventricular dysfunction in the presence of a drastic rise of venous reflux to the right heart. Later an attempt was made at correction of the circulatory disorders by dopamine infusion at the rate of 3-6 micrograms/(kg.min) (19 patients). The authors emphasize that directly after shunting inotropic dopamine maintenance is necessary to prevent the development of hemodynamic disorders.

Age-related changes of water-soluble proteins of human eye lens during the prenatal period.

Saline extracts from human lenses were studied during prenatal eye development. Using immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis with a specific antiserum against total extract of human adult lenses and monospecific antisera against the individual crystallin classes, it was established that alpha and beta crystallins were present in extracts from eye lenses from 5-week-old embryos while gamma crystallins could be detected in extracts from embryonic lenses at the beginning of the 6th gestational week. When analyzed by isoelectric focussing all alpha and beta crystallin components were found in extracts from 8-week-old embryos, while those of gamma crystallins were shown to appear successively within the period between the 8th and 14th gestational week. Some changes in the relative proportion of the different crystallin classes and subclasses were observed in the course of prenatal eye lens development between the 8th and 26th gestational week, as the percentage of alpha, high molecular weight and gamma crystallins was increased while the proportion of beta crystallins was gradually lowered.

Haemodynamic changes in children with portal hypertension during the postoperative period.

The cardiovascular changes following portosystemic shunt surgery (PSSS) in 33 children with extrahepatic portal hypertension (EPH) were studied to determine if portosystemic shunt surgery had any influence on the cardiovascular state. Haemodynamic data were obtained using two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography, pulsed-wave Doppler and direct invasive techniques. Postoperatively all patients developed a hyperdynamic state, associated with an increase in cardiac index (CI), heart rate (HR) and a decrease in systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI). In 16 patients (group I), who preoperatively exhibited a hyperdynamic state accompanied by pulmonary hypertension, postoperative studies found an increase in acceleration time to ejection time ratio (AT/ET) in the pulmonary artery from 0.32 +/- 0.05 (mean +/- SEM) to 0.43 +/- 0.01; P < 0.01. Nine patients (group II) who were normodynamic preoperatively developed pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction postoperatively: decrease in AT/ET from 0.42 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SEM) to 0.32 +/- 0.01; P < 0.01 and an increase in maximal peak pulmonary artery velocity to acceleration time ratio (Vmax/AT) from 702.56 +/- 69.10 (mean +/- SEM) to 1127 +/- 105.30 cm.sec-2; P < 0.01. In eight patients (group III) who were normodynamic preoperatively and were treated with dobutamine infusions at a rate of 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 postoperatively, the CI was found to increase from 5.28 +/- 1.1 (mean +/- SEM) to 7.97 +/- 1.64 L.min-1.m-2; P < 0.01, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from 69.0 +/- 4.1 (mean +/- SEM) to 81.0 +/- 2.9%; P < 0.01 and AT/ET from 0.37 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SEM) to 0.44 +/- 0.03; P < 0.01.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparative investigations on water-soluble crystallins of the embryonic, fetal, and postnatal human lens during development and ageing.

To compare the crystallin composition of embryonic and fetal human lenses with those of postnatal and adult lenses, we investigated the crystallins of lenses of various ages (from the 5th gestational week to 55 years) by gel chromatography, isoelectric focusing, immunodiffusion, and immunoelectrophoresis. Age-related changes were calculated as relative percentages of the different classes and subclasses of crystallins. During prenatal lens development the percentages of both high- and low-molecular-weight alpha-crystallins as well as gamma-crystallins gradually increased, whereas the percentage of beta-crystallins decreased. A considerable change in crystallin composition was found immediately after birth: the relative percentage of beta-crystallins increased, whereas that of gamma-crystallins decreased. Gel-filtration analysis of crystallins from juvenile and adult lenses showed a high-molecular-weight peak, which was not found in extracts from fetal and new-born lenses.