[EVALUATED SERUM LEVELS OF BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR IN MEN AND WOMEN WITH CHRONIC BRAIN ISCHEMIA].

We measured serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in 25 elderly women in 23 men-patients with chronic brain ischemia (CBI), and in 26 gender and age matched healthy controls. The serum levels of BDNF were significantly lower in patients with CBI as compared to healthy controls. The serum levels of BDNF were also lower in men with CBI (7815,14 x 10 ng/ml) in comparison to women-patients (8466,05 x 10 ng/ml). The average serum levels of BDNF in patients with CBI proved to be significantly correlated with kinesthetic praxis disorders (p < 0.05), degree of cognitive impairment (p < 0.01), depression level (p < 0.01), especially in men. The obtained data may be important for individualization of therapeutic intervention.

[Personality characteristics in elderly men and women with initiatory stages of brain ischemia].

52 elderly women and 36 matched by age and education men with initiatory stages of chronic brain ischemia (CBI) have been studied using comparative analysis of personality characteristics. Women with CBI had higher level of psychosocial stress than men. The results demonstrate the predomination of extrapunitive frustration reactions among women. Intropunitive ones prevailed in men. Women-patients had higher levels of excitement, stress and anxiety than men that surpassed women by the indicators of emotional security. The received data may be important for individualization of therapeutic intervention.

[Stroke-induced nosocomial pneumonia in the acute period of cerebral hemorrhage: clinical pathogenic and age-associated aspects].

The article presents the clinical features of stroke-induced nosocomial pneumonia and interleukin-1alpha level monitoring in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of 100 patients with cerebral hemorrhage on the 1st, 3rd and 10th day. The authors show that 66% of patients with cerebral hemorrhage develop nosocomial pneumonia since the end of 2nd up to 5th day of conservative hospital treatment, more frequently in the serious cases with high level of neurological deficiency. The most important risk factors of stroke-induced nosocomial pneumonia are chronic focal infection, diabetes mellitus, cardiac failure, smoking, obesity. Since the first day of stroke the interleukin-1alpha level both in serum and cerebrospinal fluid exceeds 25-30 times its content in healthy people and increases more in the presence of nosocomial pneumonia. Interleukin-1alpha level can serve as an early risk marker of lethal outcome in patients with cerebral hemorrhage.

[Pathogenetic characteristics of diseases of the peripheral nervous system in workers having contact with chromium compounds]. / Patogeneticheskie osobennosti zabolevanii perifericheskoi nervnoi sistemy u rabotaiushchikh v kontakte s soedinenniami khroma.

When analyzing the results of clinical neurologic, neurophysiologic, psychologic and laboratory instrumental study of 105 chromium-exposed patients with lumbosacral diseases of the peripheric nervous system there were detected clinical and pathogenetic characteristics of this pathology: distinct manifestations of segmental (homolateral) and generalized vegetovascular disorders, deficiency of sympathetic activation, emotional shifts accompanied by disquieting, depressive and hypochondriac tendencies, elevation of the cerebrovascular tension, body sensitization to chromium, increase in its blood serum and urine content. The account of these characteristics is very important for the improvement of the diagnostic process and raising efficacy of treatment of diseases of the peripheric nervous system in chromium-exposed patients.