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Gyrate chorioretinal atrophy (GCA) is a rare hereditary disease with certain complications; one extremely rare complication of GCA is foveoschisis. For the first time in Russian ophthalmology, a 10-year-old female child has been described to have genetically verified GCA associated with the OAT gene in combination with ornithinemia and foveoschisis. The diagnosis was made on the basis of fundus examination, perimetry data, autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography, fluorescence angiography, electroretinography, mass spectrometry with confirmation by molecular genetic research. The presented clinical case illustrates the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of GCA with diagnostic algorithm involving various examination methods and doctors of different specialties.

The article describes a clinical case of a 14-year old patient with RDH5 mutations (OMIM *601617) in patient with fundus albipunctatus (OMIM #136880) and characteristic biomarkers of this disease with previously described pathogenic variant of nucleotic sequence in exon 3 of the RDH5 gene (NM_002905.3:c.500G>A), causing a missense change (p.Arg167His) in heterozygous state and previously not described pathogenic variant of nucleotic sequence in exon 5 of the RDH5 gene (NM_002905.3:c.838C>T), leading to a missense change (p.Arg280Cys) in heterozygous state with characteristic biomarkers of the disease. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20. Nyctalopia was accompanied by reduced b-wave of scotopic (dark-adapted 0.01) ERG and decreased amplitude of a- and b-waves of maximum (dark-adapted 3) ERG. Decreased amplitude of the a- and b-waves of photopic (light-adapted 3) ERG and the amplitude of high-frequency (light-adapted 30 Hz) Flicker ERG shows the involvement of retinal cone system in the process. Fundus autofluorescence imaging of both eyes produced fuzzy and grainy images with slight hyperfluorescence of retinal flecks. Optical coherence tomography showed focal thickening centered in the photoreceptor outer segment corresponding to the multiple discrete albipunctate dots.

Purpose: To assess the changes in photoreceptor retinal layers and the choroid in comparison with bioelectrical activity of the macula in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP)., Material and Methods: The study included 10 patients (20 phakic eyes) with RP. Mean age was 27±18.5 years; mean best corrected visual acuity was 0.38±0.22. In addition to standard ophthalmological examination and fundus photography, each patient underwent an electrophysiological study on an electroretinograph MBN (Russia) recording general electroretinogram (ERG), maximal ERG (cone-rod response), 30 Hz flicker ERG and macular ERG (mERG). Choroidal thickness (CT) measurement and segmentation of the retina with following calculation of the thickness of different retinal layers was performed on SD-OCT RS-3000 Advance 'Nidek', Japan), it included obtainment of the 6-mm-diameter map in accordance with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS)., Results: The study revealed a decrease in thickness of the choroid, retina, and the photoreceptor layers: 1) the layer with photoreceptor outer segment (OS) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and 2) the layer with photoreceptor inner segment (IS) and outer nuclear layer. Decreased thickness of these layers is associated with the reduction of bioelectric activity of the macula as seen with mERG., Conclusion: Decreased thickness of the retina, choroid and photoreceptor layers in all segments of the macula according to EDTRS standards is associated with reduced bioelectric activity of the macula recorded with mERG.

Aim: to determine the diameter and length of cardiomyocytes (CMC) in the ventricular septum (VS) of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and to analyze correlations of a change in CMC sizes with the anatomical features of the heart in the patients., Material and Methods: Longitudinal sections of intraoperative myocardial biopsy specimens taken from 23 patients aged 15-59 years with HCM were treated using immunohistochemical detection of connexin 43; the sizes of 50 CMCs were measured; a 4-point scale was used to assess the degree of myofibril loss (MFL) in these cells. The change in the diameter and length of the cells during their rearrangement as MFL gradually increased, as well as the correlations of CMC sizes with the anatomical parameters of the heart were analyzed., Results: VS CMCs from the patients with HCM were hypertrophic and were in the early stages of rearrangement accompanied by MFL. During this rearrangement, CMCs in some patients grew in length and, less frequently, diameter. The average diameter of CMCs was directly correlated with VS thickness. The average length of the cells in the CMC population with a considerable degree of MFL also directly correlated with VS thickness., Conclusion: The findings could suggest that the factor raising VS thickness in HCM may be an increase in not only diameter of CMCs, but also in length of CMCs, which had impaired orientation in the VS - which are oriented perpendicular to their normal tangential position. The presence of such CMCs in the VS myocardium in patients with HCM can be discussed due to the typical large number of myocardial areas with the impaired parallel arrangement of CMCs.

Aim: to investigate changes in the diameter and length of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes (CMCs) in the dilated left ventricle (LV)., Subjects and Methods: Light microscopy, morphometry, and statistical analysis were used to investigate the status of the contractile apparatus and changes in the length, diameter of CHC and diameter of CMC nuclei, by using intraoperative dilated LV biopsy samples from 31 patients with valvular disorders and dilated cardiomyopathy. Morphological findings were compared with the clinical parameters of the patients., Results: CMCs in the patients with the dilated LV were hypertrophic and were at different stages of restructuring with progressive myofibrillar loss (PML). In 81% of patients, the diameter of CMCs was not significantly changed as their zones of PML extended. The length of CMCs, which correlated with the enlarged LV cavity, was increased in 52% of patients during cell restructuring with PML. In 42% of patients, the CMC nuclear diameter increased during restructuring with PML, which appeared to be associated with CMC polyploidization; in some of these patients (19% of the total number of patients), the diameter of CMCs increased in parallel with the higher diameter of their nuclei., Conclusion: The findings suggest that after completion of their transverse growth, hypertrophic CMCs are involved in a restructuring process with PML. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that dilatation of the hypertrophied LV cavity is related to the preferential elongation of CMCs with an inadequate increase in their diameter. The results of the investigation may assume that the higher CMC diameter that brings to completion before the entry of the cells into the restructuring process with PML, resumes in the cells, the ploidy of which increases in the course of restructuring with PML, triggering an additional mechanism for raising the CMC diameter at this stage of myocardial hypertrophy. The results are indicative of different mechanisms for increasing the diameter and length of hypertrophic CMCs, since the diameter of CMCs directly correlates with that of their nuclei, and the length increases as the zones of PML extend in the CMCs.

Complicated high myopia is one of the leading causes responsible for the disablement in the children associated with visual impairment especially when it is combined with other pathological conditions and abnormalities among which are disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In the present study, we for the first time examined visually impaired schoolchildren (n=44) who suffered from high myopia complications making use of the computed optical topographer for the evaluation of the state of their vertebral column. The control group consisted of 60 children attending a secondary school. The study revealed various deformations of the musculoskeletal system including scoliosis, misalignment of the pelvis, kyphosis, hyperlordosis, torsion, platypodia, deformation of the lower extremities and the chest. These deformations were more pronounced in the visually impaired schoolchildren in comparison with the children of the same age comprising the control group (p<0,05). It is concluded that the assessment of the state of the vertebral column with the use of the apparatus yields an important information for the elaboration and application of a series of measures for the timely provision of medical assistance needed for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the visually impaired schoolchildren presenting with high myopia complications.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to examine the peculiarities of the changes in Z-bands of myofibrils in the cardiomyocytes from patients with Ebstein's anomaly., Material and Methods: Electron microscopy assay of intraoperative biopsies of the right heart chambers in 41 patients aged from 9 months to 57 years was performed., Results: Some patients exhibited Z-disk alterations of two types in individual cardiomyocytes, namely: local symmetrical bead-like expansions of Z-disks or longitudinal deposits of Z-material of different lengths along the myofibrils. Z-disk alterations were more common in atrial cardiomyocytes than in the ventricle. The presence of Z-disk alterations in the cardiomyocytes correlated with a number of clinical parameters. In particular, the occurrence of longitudinal deposits of Z-material in atrial cardiomyocytes directly correlated with the manifestation of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in the patients., Conclusions: Above characteristic ultrastructural changes in Z-bands of myofibrils in the cardiomyocytes from patients with Ebstein's anomaly have a certain similarity to Z-band diseases in skeletal muscle at sarcomeric protein gene mutations described in the literature, which suggests the mutations in the genes of proteins included in Z-bands of myofibrils in the cardiomyocytes from patients with Ebstein's anomaly.

Aim: to investigate correlations between changes in ocular hemodynamics revealed by color Doppler flow mapping (CDFM) and pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler imaging, one the one hand, and electrical activity of the retina, on the other, in patients with early, moderate, and severe retinitis pigmentosa (RP)., Material and Methods: A total of 20 patients (40 eyes) aged from 16 to 40 years (28.4 ± 8.2 years on average) with retinitis pigmentosa were enrolled. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers of the same age range. All participants underwent full-field electroretinography (ERG), flicker ERG, and macular ERG as well as blood flow assessment in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA), and short posterior ciliary arteries (SPCA) by means of CDFM and PW-Doppler., Results: Ocular blood flow in CRA and SPCA appeared disturbed in patients with early RP. In cases of moderate and severe RP, the peak systolic velocity of CRA and SPCA blood flow was significantly decreased. Systolic and end diastolic blood flow velocities in CRA and SPCA has been shown to be directly related to full-field ERG a-wave and b-wave amplitudes, correspondingly, but negatively correlated with their implicit times., Conclusion: The revealed decrease in CRA and SPCA blood flow indices proves retinal and choroidal circulation deficit in patients with advanced RP. As shown, moderate blood flow changes are already present in early RP and progress as retinal photoreceptors and bipolar cells become suppressed, which may be useful for RP diagnosis and monitoring.

The genetic diversity of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in the PCR-positive Taiga ticks collected in the Republic of Komi in 2010 was evaluated. The analyses of nucleotide sequences of the 5'-NCR fragments of viral genome from ticks had shown that 13 isolates of TBEV from 16 sequencing variants were represented by the highly pathogenic Far Eastern genotype of the TBEV and only 3 isolates were identified as the Siberian genotype of TBEV. The nucleotide sequences of 5'-NCR of viral genome strongly varied variable in individual ticks. Variability for the A1 element has been observed in all the tested samples, and for elements C1, B2, CS B--in more than 50%. A2 element and ATG codon of the 5'-NCR remained completely conservative. Computer simulation of conformations of the 5'-NCR of TBEV genome demonstrated the possibility of significant changes of the spatial structure of the 5'-NCR of viral genome in individual taiga ticks. The obtained data confirm the hypothesis that the variability in the 5'-NCR of TBEV genome can be crucial for efficient replication of TBEV in different hosts.

Light and electron microscopies were used to analyze cardiomyocyte structural changes in the dilated left ventricle in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and valvular heart diseases. The patients were found to have cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and ultrastructural rearrangement with a tissue-specific reduction. There was hypertrophic cardiomyocyte lengthening that continued after these cells stopped growing thicker, as well as occurred due to the loss of myofibrils, which increased during the cell rearrangement, and directly correlated with the lower ejection fraction and higher end-systolic volume of the left ventricle.

Cardiomyocytes (CMC) of 18 patients with both ischemic heart disease, aneurism of the front wall and reduced myocardial contractility of the left ventricle (LV) were hypertrophied and in state of chronic hibernation, which was characterized by weakening of tissue-specific signs. Widening of lack myofibrils' zones and in part gap junction of intercalated disk transfer on the side of cells was found The hypertrophy of CMC had positive correlation, but chronic hibernation - negative one with the volume of LV. The worse prognosis of clinical course was degenerative changes of hibernate CMC with accumulation of autophagosomes that correlated with increasing of LV sphericity index.

Aim: To study the progress of infection caused by mutant Listeria monocytogenes with deletion of Imo0028 gene coding L,D-carboxypeptidase (protein involved in metabolism of peptidoglycan)., Materials and Methods: Deletion of Imo0028 gene was performed with site-specific mutagenesis method using wild-type strain EGDe. Virulence was studied on mice of BALB/c line., Results: Strain GIMd0028 with deletion of Imo0028 gene did not differ from parent strain on in vitro growth rate, cytotoxicity and production of listeriolysin O and phospholipase PlcA pathogenicity factors. Effective LD50 for wild-type strain EGDe was 1x10(4) CFU/ mouse and 2x10(5) CFU/mouse for intravenous and intraperitoneal inoculation respectively. Deaths of animals were observed after 3 - 7 days. LD50 for mutant strain GIMd0028 was 1x10(5) CFU/mouse for intravenous inoculation. It was not possible to determine LD50 for intraperitoneal inoculation, and infection progressed atypically slowly. For example, deaths of animals were observed during 22 days (time of experiment) starting from day 4 when strain GIMd0028 in dose 10(6) CFU/mouse was used for inoculation. In average, death of 1 - 2 mice out of 75 inoculated was observed. Presence of L. monocytogenes was confirmed by its isolation from liver and brain of dead mice., Conclusion: Disruption of function of Imo0028 gene coding L,D-carboxypeptidase protein, which takes part in metabolism of peptidoglycan, changes dynamics of listeriosis.

Forty Listeria monocytogenes isolates obtained in European and Far East regions of Russia were differentiated on the basis of polymorphism of 5 markergenes. Total length of concatemers obtained after sequencing of internal fragments of genes inlA, inlB, inlC, inlE and prs was 3029 b.p. Comparative analysis of concatemers' sequences revealed 237 variable nucleotides. Totally, 25 sequence types were revealed, and isolates from European and Far East regions belonged to different types. On the dendrogram isolates split on 2 clusters, which correspond to early described phylogenetic lines of L. monocytogenes specie. Isolates obtained in European and Far East regions formed independent subclusters within main clusters. Fifteen clinical isolates of L. monocytogenes belonged to 7 different types. Analysis of epidemiologic data on time and place of isolates obtaining suggested that isolates of the same sequence type are epidemiologically related and might represent one strain; index of discrimination for proposed typing method was calculated as 0.982.

In erythrocytes and blood plasma of patients with the complicated peptic ulcer and postresectional syndromes there was the increase of conjugated dienes (and in the second group the increase in antioxidant activity). Under these conditions the main change was the sharp and identical decrease in glutathione activity. In patients with uncomplicated peptic ulcer there was sharp increase in erythrocyte and plasma glutathione activity and plasma GSH. In operated but basically healthy patients plasma glutathione peroxidase remained decreased but plasma GSH sharply increased. Evidently complicated peptic ulcer is characterized by decreased functioning of the glutathione system. Activation of this system and the decrease or disappearance of manifestations of oxidative stress are associated with a favorable course of this disease, especially at uncomplicated peptic ulcer. The revealed changes significantly differ from those observed in viral hepatitis, bile excretory treat diseases and strokes.

The paper considers the significance of complex entrance of chloroform from portable water into the human body (enterally, inhalationally, and through the intact skin). It shows it necessary to toughen the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of chloroform in the portable drinking, by taking into account of the multiplicity of routes of its action on the population. The authors present the results of their own investigations of the levels of chloroform in the air of bath and shower rooms before and after taking a shower and filling the bath with water, as well as in the airspace layer above the water of an indoor swimming pool, by using chromatographic mass-spectrometry.

The authors performed clinical and immunological evaluation of efficacy of treatment of patients with occupational chronic bronchitis (CB) working in contact with pneumotropic pollutants, including airway irritants and dusts. The complex therapy included an immune-correcting agent of bacterial origin, ribomunyl. The indicators to the drug administration were remission or moderate manifestations of the disease with disturbances of mucosal immunity, both isolated (imbalance of IgA, IgG and salivary lysozyme) or combined with systemic immunity disorder (decrease of neutrophilic phagocyte activity, serum IgM and IgG, and the number of T-lymphocytes). The course lasted 3 weeks; the regimen was standard: 3 tablets in the morning before meals 4 days a week. During the whole period of immune correction the patients were under clinical observation; respiratoryfunctions (RF), bronchial hyperactivity, and immune status were evaluated prior to and after the treatment. After the treatment with ribomunyl most patients displayed improvement of the symptoms and FF parameters. The study found significant improvement of a range of immunological parameters: reduction of the imbalance of salivary protective factors, elevation of the phagocyte activity of peripheral blood neutrophils, and a tendency towards increase of IgG and blood T-lymphocyte levels. The results show that clinical, functional and immune parameters normalized simultaneously, with the most evident matching in salivary immunity. The authors conclude that ribomunyl is efficient in treatment of occupational CB when administered with taking individual disturbances of mucosal and systemic immunity into account.

The material of intraoperational biopsies of right ventricle obtained from 54 patients aged 9-40 years with Fallot's tetrad was studied to analyze the changes of cardiomyocyte (CMC) ultrastructure and dimensions in the process of their hypertrophy. The results of the present investigation and the analysis of the literature indicate, that CMC ultrastructural remodeling in course of their hypertrophy follows the pattern of progressive dedefferentiation. Therefore, the loss of the myofibrils at the advanced stages of hypertrophy is not the manifestation of CMC degeneration, but is the result of their relative dedifferentiation. Relative dedifferentiation combines the processes of remodeling of hypertrophied CMC and CMC in a state of chronic hibernation. CMC dedifferentiation in the course of these processes may have a common nature and may reflect the variants of a single general biological phenomenon.

Cell death types in the multicellular organism may be divided into two groups: (1) natural cell death--programmed, or apoptotic cell death, which involves the activity of regulatory factors including genetic mechanisms, and (2) occasional (pathologic) death, encompassing numerous types of death that result from the severe cell injuries, caused by damaging factors and which are incompatible with cell life. It is suggested that the term "necrosis" should be applied to describe the process of cell destruction and fragmentation within the living organism, following any type of its death. For the cells, that have died by the mechanism of apoptosis, the period of necrosis is usually short and seems to correspond to the duration of apoptotic body existence. In some cases, specific apoptotic bodies may persist for a longer intervals, performing important functions in the organism (epidermal cornified scales, platelets etc.).

Fatty degeneration (FD) was studied histochemically and ultrastructurally in surgical biopsies from 147 patients aged 22 days to 40 years with Fallot's tetralogy. FD was most pronounced in patients aged 3 to 6 years when the main part of cardiomyocytes completed the program of ontogenetical growth and started growing as hypertrophic mature cells. An increase of FD is considered as manifestation of an initial stage of hypertrophy of mature cardiomyocytes.

Visual field losses and changes of the optic nerve disk are signs of optic neuropathy in glaucoma; psychophysical and electrophysiological tests can contribute to an early detection of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Electrophysiological methods, like pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and visual induced cortical potentials can be useful in the diagnosis of glaucoma since they are compatible with the functions of retinal ganglion cells. A combination of psychophysical and electrophysiological examination methods contribute to an early diagnosis of glaucoma because they make it possible to study different aspects of visual functions. The results of psychophysical tests correlate to a greater extent than electrophysiological tests with defects in visual fields. Temporal, temporal-and-spatial contrast sensitivity and visual induced cortical potentials, whose changes are detected in the "preperimetric" stage of glaucoma, are the most sensitive parameters, while PERG changes later. Both the color contrast and light PERGs reduce in glaucoma. However, a significant correlation was detected only between the reduction of the color contrast PERG and visual field defects. A reduced sensitivity of dark and color channels of the retinal cone systems was also registered. Defects of color sensitivity are more pronounced and they precede the onset of light sensitivity changes. Defects of color and contrast sensitivity are an early sign of the progressing of optic neuropathy in glaucoma.

Studies of mortality among 3588 workers who contacted variable doses of methylmetacrilate (MMA) revealed that higher intensity of the exposure led to increased risk of death with lung and colon cancer. Immune state studies in 157 workers proved significant immune disorders due to MMA levels several times exceeding the MAC. Experiments evaluating immune functions under exposure to MMA levels equal to or under the MAC demonstrated mostly adaptational changes.

New data on the function of the retinal cone system in glaucoma are presented, which extend the symptom complex of optic neuropathy of glaucoma origin and the potentialities of initial diagnosis of glaucoma. A new symptom is detected: disordered topography of color (red and green) sensitivity, which can serve as the early symptom of glaucomatous optic neuropathy and indicate the degree of its progress. The location of the process, detected in examination of color sensitivity topography, is more extensive than it is detected by static perimetry. Primary location of functional disorders is detected in the parafoveal area and the disorders are the more severe the further from the center during the initial stage of glaucoma. As the process progresses, the central zones are involved in it.

Material of intrasurgical biopsies of the right ventricular (RV) myocardium of 28 patients with Fallot's tetrad was studied with light and electron microscopy. RV cardiomyocytes were hypertrophic and showed signs of growth and differentiation. Myofibrillogenesis intensity directly correlated with the pressure gradient between RV and pulmonary artery. At the same time there was a structural alteration of mitochondria and formation of a specialized population of intermyofibrillar mitochondria. Continuing myofibrillogenesis in cardiomyocytes may be one of the causes of decreased myocardial contractility.

Individuals working in atmosphere of relatively medium (up to 3 MACs) levels of irritant gases demonstrate 1.7 times higher incidence of chronic bronchitis vs. general population does. Chronic bronchitis in these cases is often preceded by moderate bronchial obstruction. The contact with irritant gases is accompanied by immunity changes.

In F2 hybrids between self-sterile plants of the Volkhova cultivar and self-fertile lines with established self-fertility mutations (sf-mutations) at the major incompatibility loci S (1R), Z (2R), and T (5R), the effect of sf-mutations on the inheritance of secalin-encoding, isozyme, and morphological markers located on the same chromosomes was investigated. Linkage between loci Prx7 and S and locus Sec3 coding for high-molecular-weight secalins on chromosome 1R was shown for the first time The frequency of recombination between Prx7 and Sec3 and between S and Sec3 was 29.1 +/- 4.8% and 30.9 +/- 7.0%, respectively. Independent inheritance of locus Z and isozyme markers of chromosome 2R, Est3/5 and beta-Glu, from locus Sec2 encoding 75-kDa gamma-secalins was shown; in hybrids, the recombination frequency between Est3/5 and locus Z varied from 19.2 +/- 8.1 to 50%. Independent inheritance of morphological (Ddw and Hs) and isozyme markers (Est4, Est6/9, and Aco2) of chromosome 5R from locus T located on the same chromosome was demonstrated.

Experimental and clinical investigations to evaluate immunity, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and antioxidative defense (AOD) under the action of tolylene diisocyanate at the level of MAC and 10 MAC were conducted for further studies of the agent's pathogenetic mechanisms. The experimental investigations showed the predominant activation of cellular and humoral immunities, as well as the suppression of nonspecific defence at 10 MAC, enhanced LPO, and phasic changes in AOD. Most profound immunological changes were observed in those having as long as 5 years of length of service.

The relation of the incidence of malignant neoplasms to the dose of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was studied in 3588 workers. There was a clear correlation between the dose of MMA and the risk for cancer of the genital system in females and of the lung in males. Examining the immunity in groups receiving different doses of MMA revealed significant immunological disorders when exposed to its high concentrations.

Hygienic principles in preventive and current sanitary surveillance of small-capacity enterprises of food industry have been worked out. Their introduction into practice makes it possible to control some parameters of the quality and safety of products.

The proposed system for evaluating the quality and efficiency of medical care, including universal parameters with quantitative expression, allows the comparison, evaluation, and mathematical processing of these parameters. The method helps detect violations of medical technologies, irrational utilization of resources, directly compare the results and use them for preliminary testing of validity of the managing decisions.

The authors compared main immune parameters in workers contacting various occupational hazards. The studies revealed that actual hazards induced variable associations of disorders in cellular, humoral immunity, nonspecific protective factors, local immunity of saliva and allergic reactivity.

The authors report a case of a male patient with urate nephrolithiasis aggravated with postrenal anuria due to total obturation of the single kidney's ureter with multiple calculi located as a path. The outcome was satisfactory.

Low-intensive laser radiation used by topical, intravenous, and transendoscopic routes was employed in the complex antituberculosis therapy of 120 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis concurrent with chronic nonspecific respiratory diseases (n = 48), diabetes mellitus (n = 20 patients), gastrointestinal diseases (n = 45). The results of treatment were compared with the parameters of 62 patients with the similar clinical and X-ray characteristics of a tuberculosis process and concomitant diseases. It was ascertained that laser therapy might enhance the efficiency of treatment of patients with concurrent abnormality statistically significantly, by reducing the time of bacterial isolation, closure of decay cavities in the lung tissue, hospital treatment and by accelerating the onset of stable remission of concomitant diseases.

The article presents results of immunologic studies in 111 vibration disease sufferers with variable exposure, age, sex and severity of disease. The examinees were proved to have depressed cellular immunity--lower E-RFC count with decreased number of active E-RFC and levamisole--correctable modifications of T-cells; inhibited humoral immunity--lower levels of IgM, IgG, IgA; contradictory changes of neutrophils functions--depressed phagocytosis and metabolic activity with pronounced rosette formation; halted immune factors of saliva.

The authors studied immunologic features of saliva in 1714 workers exposed to vibration and other occupational hazards in microbiologic, chemical enterprises. The examinees demonstrated lower activity of lysozyme and concentrations of IgA, higher levels of IgG. Immunologic features of saliva was proved to have extreme diagnostic importance, therefore could be used to detect early signs of exposure to occupational hazards and to diagnose pathologic conditions caused by those hazards.

The clinical and immunologic study involving a complex of immunologic parameters covered 52 workers of yeasting hydrolysis production. The results are--depression of cellular immunity with modified T-cellular membranes; inhibited phagocytic activity of neutrophils and increased expression of E-receptors; disbalanced saliva immune factors; sensibilization to fungus producing hydrolysis yeast. The study revealed immune features varying with degree of exposure to the occupational materials, with length of service and health state of the examinees. Those features could be valuable for arrangement of prophylactic measures.

To examine the impact of low-intensive laser radiation (LILR) on endocrine function in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, the time course of blood levels of thyroid hormones, cortisol, and insulin was studied in 117 patients of whom 64 received complex treatment by using LILR. Pulmonary tuberculosis was ascertained to be characterized by a marked hormonal imbalance, including impaired metabolism of thyroid hormones, hypercorticism, altered pancreatic incretion, which negatively affects the efficiency of antituberculosis therapy. Intravenous and epicutaneous therapy promotes recovery of endocrine responsiveness and enhances the efficiency of treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Ultrastructural signs of compensatory hypertrophy (channels of granular endoplasmatic reticulum well developed Golgi complex, dilatation of T-system channels, alterations of the myofibrillar structure, appearance of non-parallel myofibrills, groups of small mitochondria, numerous intercalated disci) were found in the cardiomyocytes of the right ventricle effluent region of the adult (18-40 years) and young (6-12 years) patients with tetralogy of Fallot. Some cells showed degenerative changes-a transition of the hypertrophic cells in the stage of decompensation.

Compliance of the lungs and thorax was studied in 65 pregnant women during cesarean section. The measurements were carried out in a group of healthy controls and in patients with preeclampsia. The detected changes indicated increased rigidity of the lungs even in normal pregnancy. Comparison of the results indicates an appreciable increase of rigidity of the lungs in patients with preeclampsia, this permitting us to regard it as a status involving interstitial pulmonary hyperhydration.

The radioimmunoassay was used to study blood serum B2-M levels in 56 patients with pulmonary diseases (lung carcinoma in 20, chronic suppurative lung disease in 20, and benign lung disease in 16 patients) before the operation and in the early postoperative period. The control group was formed of 21 practically healthy individuals. A direct correlation between the character of the course of the postoperative period in patients with benign and chronic pulmonary diseases and the dynamics of changes of immunoreactivity (IR) was found. A favorable course of the postoperative period was marked by an increase of IR, in postoperative infectious complications IR did not change. Dynamics of IR was not revealed in patients with lung carcinoma, irrespective of the course of the postoperative period.

Nubaine (N) was used in 92 patients operated on the lungs, heart and major vessels, abdominal organs. N at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg caused adequate analgesia in 62-85% of cases on days 1-3 after surgery; it is an effective analgesic among those used in patients with acute postoperative pain. The effect of N on circulation, respiration, gas exchange, metabolism, and hormonal status was studied. It has been shown that N is a safe agent which has no considerable effect on respiration, hemodynamics, blood gas composition, and metabolism. In patients at high risk analgesia with N caused no serious side effects.

The experiment on 140 albino mice examined the relationship between the pulmonary thermogenesis and the functional activity of the hypophyseal-thyroid system at different stages of pulmonary tuberculous inflammation development, during Staphylococcus-induced pneumonia, aseptic inflammation in lung tissue. Deep abnormalities of the heat-generating function of the lung were revealed just at the early periods of specific inflammation. The degree of hypothermal reactions of lung tissue correlated with the inhibition of hypophyseal-thyroidal function at all developmental stages of a tuberculous process. The changes were rather pronounced, stable and phasic. Spontaneous regression of the tuberculous process was not accompanied by recovery in the activity of the hypophyseal-thyroidal system, despite the fact that there was a clear-cut trend to normalization of pulmonary thermogenesis.