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Stem properties allow circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to survive in the bloodstream and initiate cancer progression. We aimed to assess the numbers of stem-like CTCs in patients with ovarian cancer (OC) before treatment and during first-line chemotherapy (CT). Flow cytometry was performed (Cytoflex S (Beckman Coulter, CA, USA)) using antibodies against CD45; epithelial markers EpCAM and cytokeratin (CK) 8,18; mesenchymal vimentin (vim); and stem-like CD44, CD133 and ALDH. This study included 38 stage I-IV OC patients (median age 66 (Q1-Q3 53-70)). The CK+vim- counts were higher ( p = 0.012) and the CD133+ALDHhigh counts were lower ( p = 0.010) before treatment in the neoadjuvant CT group than in the adjuvant group. The patients with ascites had more CK+vim- cells before treatment ( p = 0.009) and less EpCAM-vim+ cells during treatment ( p = 0.018) than the patients without ascites. All the CTC counts did not differ significantly in paired samples. Correlations were found between the CK-vim+ and CD133+ALDHhigh (r = 0.505, p = 0.027) and EpCAM-vim+ and ALDHhigh (r = 0.597, p = 0.004) cells before but not during treatment. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that progression-free survival was longer with the presence of surgical treatment (HR 0.06 95% CI 0.01-0.48, p = 0.009) and fewer CD133+ALDHveryhigh cells (HR 1.06 95% CI 1.02-1.12, p = 0.010). Thus, CD133+ALDH+ CTCs have the greatest prognostic potential in OC among the phenotypes studied.

Aim: To assess the risk of exacerbations of bronchial asthma (BA) in smoking patients with the asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) after inpatient treatment., Materials and Methods: 36 smokers with ACO (main group) and 36 non-smoking patients (control group) with severe or moderate exacerbation of bronchial asthma were examined. Assessment of the severity of exacerbation of BA before treatment, levels of control and risk of exacerbations of BA after treatment was determined according to the Federal clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of BA (2016). Spirometry, monitoring of blood oxygenation using transcutaneous spectral pulse oximetry and enzyme immunoassay for determination of matrix metalloproteinases 9 were performed. Smoking experience, smoking index and pack/years index were taken into account in patients with ACO. The carboxyhaemoglobin level was analyzed by the carbon monoxide fraction in the exhaled air., Results: For the first time in patients with the ACO, the ability of heavy tobacco smoking and associated decrease in blood oxygenation to potentiate the negative impact of other predictors on the risk of exacerbations of the underlying disease was revealed. In smoking patients with the ACO, for the first time, a direct association of higher levels of matrix metalloproteinases 9 (measured before inpatient treatment) with such a predictor of the risk of further exacerbations of the disease as more frequent detection of symptoms of uncontrolled BA was revealed. In non-smoking patients with BA, a direct relationship between increased sputum secretion and eosinophilia of blood and/or sputum (a predictor of exacerbation of BA) and the relative duration of episodes of decreased blood oxygenation was established., Conclusion: It was found that intensive and prolonged smoking increases the duration and reduces the effectiveness of inpatient treatment of patients with ACO, contributing to the preservation of air traps and low (forced expiratory volume in 1 second 60%) ventilation capacity of the lungs with the persistence of moderately reduced blood oxygenation; the risk of further exacerbations of BA in this phenotype of patients is significantly higher than in non-smoking patients with BA without combination with COPD.

The dynamics of the redox-dependent processes in blood plasma, neutrophils and erythrocytes of the patients with ovary cancer of the IIIrd clinical stage by FIGO after polychemotherapy according to the CAP scheme is considered. In the blood plasma and erythrocytes there were estimated the values of protein oxidative modification: carbonyl derivatives at λ = 346 nm, 370 nm, 430 nm and 530 nm; the lipid peroxidation parameters: malonic dialdehyde, dienic conjugates, ketodiens, shiff's bases; the fermentative chain of the antioxidant system: activities of catalase, glutationtransferase and superoxide dismutase. In the peripheral blood neutrophils there were cytochemically determined the myeloperoxidase activity and the number of the active neutrophils in the spontaneous NBTR-test. After the polychemotherapy there were detected higher levels of the protein oxidative modification products and the products of the lipid peroxidation in the blood plasma and erythrocytes of the patients. Simultaneous increase of the activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the blood plasma could be evident of a high level of the lipid antioxidants peroxidation system functioning, whereas the simultaneous decrease of the activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the erythrocytes was indicative of passible development of oxidative stress in them. After the chemotherapy there was observed a significant and reliable decrease of the total number of the neutrophils. After the second course of the chemotherapy the activity of myeloperoxidase in them in the spontaneous NBTR-test as well decreased. Such a dynamics of the redox-depended processes in various components of the blood in the tumour carrier was characteristic of the tumor biological picture and required the use of differential multicomponent antioxidant therapy in patients with ovary cancer.