[Menopausal hormonal therapy and breast cancer.]

The most common treatment for menopausal syndrome is menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), however, the safety of MHT, due to the risk of developing and recurrent breast cancer (BC), is still a matter of debate. The review presents the results of randomized cohort studies of this issue. It has been shown that MHT increases the risk of developing of breast cancer and disease recurrence after treatment. Risk of breast cancer developing in women getting MHT, depends on body mass index (BMI), duration of hormone use and dose of drugs, and is greater in thin women comparing with women with increased BMI, and also greater in estrogen-progestin combined MHT users comparing with estrogen-only users. It was found that in women using MHT hormone-dependent forms of cancer developed more often, but by the time of diagnosis, disease was found in more advanced stage and metastases in lymph nodes were found more often comparing with patients who did not use MHT. Risk of breast cancer recurrence is less with the use of low doses of vaginal estrogen. An alternative option for the relief of menopausal disorders in breast cancer patients during and after treatment is using of pineal gland hormone melatonin, since, along with its anti-aging properties, it is able to suppress cancer at the stages of initiation, progression and metastasis and has the ability to reduce the toxic effects of anticancer drugs while increasing their effectiveness.

[Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with concomitant c-MYC and BCL6 gene rearrangements with primary skin involvement: A case report and a review of literature]. / Diffuznaia V-krupnokletochnaia limfoma s sochetannoi rearanzhirovkoi genov c-MYC i BCL6 s pervichnym porazheniem kozhi: sobstvennoe nabliudenie i obzor literatury.

Double-hit lymphoma (DHL) is a rare aggressive B-cell lymphoma with concomitant c-MYC, BCL2 or BCL6 gene rearrangements, which is characterized by the high frequency of extranodal lesions and by resistance to chemotherapy. The median survival does not exceed 18 months in patients with this disease. The majority of DHL is represented by с-MYC/BCL2 cases. The combination of c-MYC/BCL6 occurs rarely (5-8%). The paper describes a case of DHL with concomitant c-MYC and BCL6 gene rearrangements, which mimics diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg-type.

[Cross-sectional controlled study of the morphometric parameters of the epiphysis in patients with hyperpolactinemia by magnetic resonance imaging].

A cross-sectional study of the cerebral epiphysis, by using brain magnetic resonance imaging was studied in 146 patients with hyper-prolactinemia and 141 persons without diseases of the endocrine or central nervous system. The purpose of the study was to compare the volume and structure of the pineal gland in hyperprolactinemic patients with the similar values in apparently healthy individuals. There was a significant increase in the volume of the epiphysis and a rise of the proportion of cysts and cystic changes in the structure of the epiphysis in patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia as compared with healthy individuals. The increased volume of the epiphysis and the change in its structure may be pathogeneticalfy associated with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia. To clarify this as-sumption, it is necessary to perform a larger study and to include hormonal tests characterizing epiphyseal function into the study protocol and to reveal a relationship between the changes in the sizes and structure of the epiphysis and the level of secretion of major hormones.

Activity and stability of native and modified subtilisins in various media.

The activity and stability of native subtilisin 72, its complex with poly(acrylic acid), and subtilisin covalently attached to poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel were studied in aqueous and organic media by hydrolysis of specific chromogenic peptide substrates. Kinetic parameters of the hydrolysis of Glp-Ala-Ala-Leu-pNA by native subtilisin and its complex with poly(acrylic acid) were determined. Based on the comparative study of stability of native and modified subtilisins in media of various compositions, it was established that covalent immobilization of subtilisin on poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel is the most effective approach to improve enzyme stability in water as well as in mixtures with low water content.