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A total of 104 patients with scleroderma were examined. Anticardiolipin antibodies were detected in 37.5 per cent of the patients with systemic scleroderma and in 3 per cent of healthy individuals; they were more often detected in 46.8 per cent of the patients with diffuse affections of the skin, atherosclerosis, Raynaud's syndrome accompanied by ulcero-necrotic affections of the skin as compared to patients with restricted affections of the skin (sclerodactylia and focal scleroderma)--29.8 per cent. No significant changes in the frequency of detecting a rheumatic factor, antibodies to Scl-70 were revealed in subgroups of patients with scleroderma, positive and negative anticardiolipin antibodies. Of the greatest interest is a significant difference in levels of C-reactive protein which were high in half of the patients with anticardiolipin antibodies. Anticentromere antibodies were detected twice as more often in patients without anticardiolipin antibodies that corresponded to systemic sclerodermia with minimum involvement of the skin into the pathological process. It is suggested that ulcero-necrotic affection of the skin in systemic sclerodermia is associated with C-reactive protein but it is not of an immunocomplex nature.

Examinations of the hemostasis system parameters in patients with scleroderma, psoriatic arthritis, malignant lymphoma of the skin have revealed a significant elevation of fibrinogen concentration, acceleration of blood clotting time, increased prothrombin consumption in all the patients. Elevation of the prothrombin index was detected in the patients with scleroderma and psoriatic arthritis. A direct relationship between the disease severity, size of the involvement of the skin integument, inflammation activity in the joints, and severity of hemostasis impairment has been revealed.

Studies of the function of cyclic nucleotide system in the lymphocytes of patients with focal scleroderma have revealed that this condition is characterized by growth of the intracellular cAMP/cGMP ratio, correlating with the process duration, severity, and dissemination. A correlation between lymphocyte regulatory function defect and the presence of immunodeficiency syndrome was demonstrated. Sensitivity of lymphocytic cyclic nucleotides in focal scleroderma patients to thymoptin, a thymic agent, was examined. Manifest clinical effect of this drug is based on stabilization of the function of lymphocytic cyclic nucleotides system and, consequently, on normalization of the immunologic parameters. Potentialities and prospects of thymic factors immunotherapy of focal scleroderma patients are discussed.

The incidence rates of combinations of A and B loci histocompatibility antigens in loci and haplotypes and of ceruloplasmin phenotypes have been examined in 137 patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) and scleroderma circumscriptum (SC). The studies have revealed that LE and SC are associated with certain haplotypes and HLA antigens combinations, this indicating the contribution of these phenotypes to the realization of the genetic predisposition to these diseases. In A1B8 haplotype carriers the disease is characterized by a benign course and manifests by integument forms of LE and scleroderma. IN A2B8 haplotype carriers the disease is more grave and presents as the systemic variant of LE. The third type of ceruloplasmin not detectable in normal subjects is usually associated with A9B18, A25B18, A3B27 haplotypes and with HLA A3A9 antigenic combination mostly in LE patients.

Presents thromboelastography data on the blood coagulation system in focal scleroderma patients over the course of electroacupuncture.

The course of scleroderma is compared in patients with and without diabetes mellitus. In combined pathology, bullous foci of injury and trophic abnormalities occur more frequently. All the patients were diagnosed to have abnormalities on the part of connective tissue metabolism.