[Clinical efficacy of mechanical bacterial lysate in the prevention of infectious exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of mechanical bacterial lysate on the prevention of infectious exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with frequent exacerbations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included patients (n=60) with frequent exacerbations of COPD (groups C and D according to the GOLD classification). All COPD patients were divided into two groups by blind method. The first group (n=30) received conventional therapy for COPD plus MBL (the course included 3 cycles of 10 days therapy with 20-day intervals between them). The second group of patients (control, n=30) received conventional therapy for COPD without MBL.We evaluated the severity of symptoms, frequency of recurrence of COPD exacerbations, readmissions, need for emergency care and changes in basic therapy of COPD. Evaluations were done on 10 days, 1, 3 and 6 months from the start of the study. RESULTS: Adding of MBL to the therapy list of COPD resulted in a significant decrease of biomarkers of systemic inflammation and sputum purulence during compared to the control group. After 6 months of observation MBL group demonstrated statistically significant improvement of respiratory function, decrease in frequency of COPD exacerbations, needs for emergency medical service, reduced changes in basic therapy and hospitalization for exacerbation of COPD. Therapy with MBL showed a high degree of safety and low incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that MBL may be used for the prevention of severe infectious exacerbations of COPD.

[THE ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY STUDY OF STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEUTROPHILS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASES IN PHASE OF EXACERBATION].

The technique of atomic-force microscopy was applied to analyze the structural functional characteristics (morphology, force of adhesion, rigidity of membrane) of neutrophils in patients with chronic obstructive disease of lungs in phase of exacerbation. The regimen of force spectroscopy was applied to implement quantitative evaluation of module of elasticity (Young module) of cell membrane and force of adhesion of neutrophils. The study established decreasing of size of neutrophils, increasing of granularity of cytoplasm, increasing of Young module and force of adhesion in patients with chronic obstructive disease of lungs in phase of exacerbation.

[Effect of ivabradine on pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

In order to assess effect of If-channel blocker ivabradine on severity of pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) we studied 60 patients with III-IV stage COPD. We divided these patients into 2 groups with similar clinical characteristics and therapy. Patients of one of these groups received ivabradine (10 mg/day) for 2 weeks, patients of another served as controls. The use of ivabradine was associated with statistically significant lowering of pulmonary hypertension, heart rate, and increase of exercise tolerance without negative effects on myocardial contractility, electrophysiological parameters, or data of spirometry.