Search

Back pain (BP) due to degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a severe, often disabling condition. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the expression level of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17), angiogenesis markers (VEGF-A and CD31) in intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue and IVD degeneration in young people with discogenic BP. In patients who underwent discectomy for a disc herniation, a clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of these factors in IVD were performed in comparison with the parameters of healthy group samples (controls). Histology image analysis of IVD fragments of the DDD group detected zones of inflammatory infiltration, combined with vascularization, the presence of granulation tissue and clusters of chondrocytes in the tissue of nucleus pulposus (NP). Statistically significant increased expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, VEGF-A and CD31 was evident in the samples of the DDD group compared with the controls, that showed a strong correlation with the histological disc degeneration stage. Our results denote an immunoinflammatory potential of chondrocytes and demonstrates their altered morphogenetic properties, also NP cells may trigger the angiogenesis.

Background: Liver diseases remain the most important medical and biological problem. Works devoted to the study of the vitamin A role have shown conflicting results of its effect on the fibrosis development. We tested the hypothesis that an increase of the copper content in the liver, an example of which is Wilson's disease, shifts the balance in the redox system towards pro-oxidants, which leads to the antioxidant systems inhibition, including a decrease in the vitamin A content; this affects the levels of liver function regulation and the development of fibrosis., Methods: In animals with Cu-induced liver fibrosis, neutrophil activity, the immunocompetent cells content, the activity of alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamylaminotransferase, the content of urea and creatinine in blood serum, as well as the vitamin A content in the liver, copper ions and its regenerative potential were determined., Results: It was found that three consecutive injections of copper sulfate to animals with an interval of 48 h between injections led to the death of 40% of the animals, and 60% showed resistance. The content of vitamin A in "resistant" animals at the beginning of the development of the fibrosis was reduced by 4 times compared to the control, the functional activity of the liver was somewhat reduced, and a connective tissue capsule was formed around the liver lobes in 75% of the animals. If animals with the initial stage of liver fibrosis received daily vitamin A at a dose of 300 IU/100 g of body weight, which was accompanied by its multiple increase in the liver (15 times on day 14), the mortality of animals decreased by almost 7 times, the functional activity of the liver did not differ from control. In the blood of these animals, the number of leukocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes was increased and phagocytic activity was increased. At the same time, the connective tissue capsule was developed more intensively than in animals receiving only copper sulfate, and was detected in 91% of the animals. Fragments of the liver, even more than in the case of fibrosis, lost the ability to regenerate in culture., Conclusion: We came to the conclusion that vitamin A leads to the connective tissue "specialization" formation of the liver and triggers vicious circles of metabolism and includes several levels of regulation systems. Further studies of the vitamin A effect mechanisms on the liver with fibrosis will allow the use of this antioxidant in the treatment., (© 2022 Indian National Association for Study of the Liver.)

The homeobox transcription factor Caudal has conserved roles in all Bilateria in defining the posterior pole and in controlling posterior elongation. These roles are seemingly similar and are difficult to disentangle. We have carried out a detailed analysis of the expression, function and interactions of the caudal ortholog of the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, a hemimetabolous insect with a conservative early development process, in order to understand its different functions throughout development. In Oncopeltus, caudal is not maternally deposited, but has a sequence of roles in the posterior of the embryos throughout early development. It defines and maintains a posterior-anterior gradient in the blastoderm and modulates the activity of segmentation genes in simultaneous segmentation during the blastoderm stage. It later defines the invagination site and the posterior segment addition zone (SAZ) in the germband. It maintains the posterior SAZ cells in an undifferentiated proliferative state, while promoting dynamic expression of segmentation genes in the anterior SAZ. We show that rather than being a simple posterior determinant, Caudal is involved in several distinct regulatory networks, each with a distinct developmental role., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present report is to describe a clinical case of toxocariasis. 37-year - old man was admitted to Pirogov Municipal Clinical Hospital No.1 in Moscow. He was presented with intense generalized abdominal pain. Three months before the described hospitalization, the patient had acute bronchitis, then pneumonia. During the examination there were found hyperthermia, ascites, shortness of breath, sweating, hypereosinophilia. Patient lost 8 kilos over the last 6 months. There were arisen many hypotheses, however, after a more detailed survey about patient's life it turned out that he travelled a lot. So that the parasitosis became the main conjecture, which later was confirmed by serological tests.

Comparative analysis covered emotional personality disorders in vibration disease patients'in dependence on presence and intensity of androgen deficiency. Parameters of depression, personal and actual anxiety in vibration disease patients are reliably higher in those with marked clinical and laboratory signs of androgen deficiency.

The blue pansy Junonia orithya Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) is widely distributed along the tropical areas of Africa, Asia and Australia. It is also known as a migrant species in the Levant. Here we record Junonia orithya in south Israel and provide a DNA-barcode-based evidence for its Asian (non-African) origin.

It is difficult to interpret mitochondrial diversity in terms of taxonomy even in cases in which a concordance exists between mitochondrial, ecological and morphological markers. Here we demonstrate this difficulty through a study of Israeli Hyponephele butterflies. We show that samples commonly identified as Hyponephele lycaon are represented on Mount Hermon in Israel by two sympatric groups of individuals distinct both in mitochondrial DNA-barcodes (uncorrected p-distance = 3.5%) and hindwing underside pattern. These two groups were collected in different biotopes. They also tended to be different in length of brachia in male genitalia, although the latter character is variable. We reject the hypothesis that the discovered COI haplogroups are selectively neutral intraspecific characters. We hypothesize that they represent: either (1) two different biological species, or (2) a consequence of a strong positive selection acting at intraspecific level and resulting in two intraspecific clusters adapted to low and to high elevations. If we accept the first hypothesis, then provisionally these two haplogroups can be attributed to transpalearctic Hyponephele lycaon sensu stricto and to Hyponephele lycaonoides, previously known from Iran and East Turkey.

The article deals with new scientific data on influence of industrial vibration on prevalence of androgen deficiency in vibration disease pateints, correlation between androgen deficiency level and general somatic diseases in vibration disease patients, criteria of early diagnosis of the combined pathology.

The article presents study results that demonstrate biochemical and neurohumoral disorders in machinery construction workers. The authors defined characteristics of changed functional state of adrenocorticotropic and luteotropic regulation, that is presented in central and peripheral endocrine system divisions.

The review considers issues of pharmacodynamics and clinical applications of drugs with the metabolic type of action, which stimulate regeneration and provide the protective action on articular cartilage in cases of osteoarthritis. Published data of the experimental and clinical trials of the main chondroprotective agents are analyzed.

Morphology of gastric mucosa is characterized in the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) and Herpes viruses (HSV-1 and CMV). A total of 85 patients were examined (20 patients with primary APS and 65 with SLE). Chronic active gastritis was revealed in 85% patients with APS and 96% with SLE. 60% patients with APS and 45% with SLE had mucosal erosions. HP was detected in 70-87% of cases. Mixed infection of the gastric mucosa was observed in all the groups which was significantly associated with increased fibroblast and plasma cell number in the tunica propria. Tissue eosinophilia of the antral part of the stomach was observed in 39% of SLE patients. Glucocorticoid therapy was not associated with erosions and was combined with vascular thrombosis of gastric mucosa.

The clinical and morphological evidence of rheumatoid synovitis of 3 months to 5 years duration was analyzed. Its early lesions were characterized by angiomatosis, vasculopathy, and proliferation of synoviocytes and fibroblasts. Protein infiltrates contained IgG and C3 complement. Herpes simplex was detected in the vessels and synoviocytes. Structural changes may be explained by immune mechanisms and by infectious agents as well. Chronic inflammation, vasculitis, and sclerosis were prevalent in late rheumatoid synovitis. Lymphoid follicles, macrophages, and endothelial proliferation can be markers for infectious persistence.

Aim: Morphological study of gastric and duodenal mucosa in patients with vibration disease., Materials and Methods: 64 patients with vibration disease stage I and II were examined endoscopically, histologically, bacterioscopically and morphometrically irrespective of the presence or absence of gastrointestinal complaints., Results: Erosive gastroduodenitis, non-erosive gastroduodenitis and gastritis, polyps in the stomach and gastric ulcer were diagnosed in 19(29.7%), 40(62.5%), 2(3.2%) and 1(1.6%) patients, respectively. Small intestinal metaplasia occurred in 22% of patients. Helicobacter pylori occurred most frequently in the antral part of the stomach (90.24%). Advanced dissemination often combined with metaplasia of the small bowel. Morphometrically, there were slight differences from relevant values in patients with chronic gastroduodenitis who were not exposed to occupational hazards. Vibration disease patients exhibited impairment of duodenal vessels (large endothelial nuclei, thick arteriolar walls) 2 times more frequently than controls., Conclusion: In vibration disease, gastric and duodenal mucosa, as a rule, shows signs of chronic gastroduodenitis.

62 Chernobyl wreckers with erosive gastroduodenitis (50 cases) and ulcer (12 cases) were admitted to hospital where they received standard drugs and local He-Ne laser treatment of erosions and ulcer located in the antral stomach and duodenal bulb. Histological, bacterioscopic, morphometric and immunohistochemical examinations have identified chronic inflammation and disturbance of local immunity. After treatment epithelialization of erosions was not accompanied by normalization of morphometric and immunohistochemical parameters. This suggests a high risk of recurrences.

Mucous membrane of the bronchi, antral zone of the stomach and duodenum were studied histologically, morphometrically, immunohistochemically and bacterioscopically in 47 children of 5 to 14 years of age with bronchial asthma (16 patients), obstructive bronchitis (12 patients), chronic pneumonia or chronic nonspecific bronchitis (19 patients). All these children had also gastroduodenitis. There was an increase of local production of IgE and enhanced degranulation of mast cells in bronchial mucosa and gastroduodenal zone in children with bronchial asthma and obstructive bronchitis. The proportion of CD4+/CD8+ decreased to 0.92 in bronchial asthma. Gastritis was associated much more frequently with Helicobacter pylori in children with chronic obstructive bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

The paper presents the results of studies of the specific features of an inflammatory reaction of the mucosa in the gastric body and antrum in chronic gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori (HP) in females of reproductive age and in menopause. In the gastric body, there were prevalent chronic inflammatory processes with developed mononuclear infiltration in reproductive females whereas there were predominant elements of exudative and destructive inflammation in older females. The antral mucosa of young females showed predominantly destructive changes. The magnitude of HP seeding in the superficial and fossular mucosa was much higher both in the fundum and antrum in menopausal than reproductive females. There was great differences in the nature of inflammatory and immune reactions in either females with HP-associated chronic gastritis.

634 biopsies of distal colon mucosa from 393 patients with acute intestinal bacterial and viral infections were studied histologically, histochemically and morphometrically. Acute catarrhal or catarrhal-hemorrhagic inflammation was found regardless of the colitis etiology (Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, rotavirus). The most pronounced inflammation was in shigellosis and minimal one in rotavirus infection. Marked eosinophilic infiltration of the epithelium and tunica propria was observed in colonic contamination with C. pylori. Correlation analysis between morphometric indices in shigellosis and salmonellosis revealed a decrease in the number of strong functional links and the appearance of new ones indicating morphofunctional derangement.

A relationship between clinical forms of glomerulonephritis and incidence of viral antigens in renal tissue was revealed: Hepatitis B virus antigens (HBsAg) are more frequently detected in the glomeruli in the patients with nephrotic glomerulonephritis, Herpes simplex antigens are detected in the glomeruli in mixed glomerulonephritis, and cytomegaloviral and Herpes simplex antigens are detected in the epithelium of the proximal canaliculi in patients with hematuric glomerulonephritis. No correlations between the persistence of Herpes simplex type 1, cytomegalovirus, and HBsAg in the renal tissue were detected. HBsAg is detected in the renal tissue mainly in the children without free HBsAg in the blood serum. This may be indicative of an important role of specific immune complexes in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis associated with hepatitis B viral infection. The results point to an appreciable contribution of a persistent viral infection to the progress of glomerulonephritis.

Stomach biopsies from 16 adult patients at the age from 18 to 55 years, 16 adults of 56-68 years and 23 children were studied histologically, immunohistochemically and morphometrically. The frequency of Helicobacter pylori findings was dependent on the age. Local production of IgM and IgG was higher in the adults of young and mature age. Number of IgA producing cells decreased and that of IgG producing cells sharply increased in the aged persons; in this category also was increased the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes and of T-lymphocytes relating to the subpopulation of suppressor cytotoxic cells.

The duration of persistence of S. sonnei in the tissues of a guinea pig eye (Serény's model) has been studied. Bacteriological and histological investigations made with the use of fluorescent antibody techniques have revealed that S. sonnei can be preserved in macrophages (histiocytes) and intercellular space of the eye epithelium for a long time (up to 277 days). The injection of ACTH or Shigella vaccine into the animals may provoke the exacerbation of the infectious process and the release of the infective agent.

Mucous membrane of the antral region of the stomach and that of duodenum were studied in 36 teenagers, 21 of them had erosions revealed endoscopically and histologically. Morphometric indices of the inflammation were more pronounced when erosions were present; the latter did not influence the local production of IgA, IgM and IgG. The content of IgG was particularly high. Contamination with Helicobacter pylori was found in all cases and was more pronounced in erosive gastroduodenitis. High frequency of lymphoid follicles formation was found, particularly in the antrum.

A study was made of the morphofunctional status and local defence of the gastrointestinal tract in 122 children aged 4 months to 6 years, suffering from food intolerance showed up by atopic dermatitis in 52 children and by chronic diarrhea in 70 children. Based on the allergological anamnesis, scarification cutaneous tests with food allergens, detection of antibodies to food antigens (RAST, HAIT) food allergy was revealed in all the children. Chronic gastroduodenitis was identified in all the children suffering from atopic dermatitis and in 95% of the children with chronic diarrhea. It should be mentioned that one-third of that group had a graver illness--diffuse duodenitis with sub-atrophy of the villi. The allergic genesis of the impairment of the gastroduodenal mucosa was confirmed. It was more remarkable in atopic dermatitis (tissue eosinophilia and high content of IgE-plasmacytes in the duodenal mucosa). The decrease of local immune defence of the mucous membrane, lactase deficiency, elevated growth of microorganisms in the duodenal contents promote the rise of intestinal barrier permeability for food antigens and enhancement of sensitization.

A total of 53 patients with dermatomyositis aged 4-14 with the disease duration of three months to eight years were under observation. Twenty seven patients complained of stomach-ache, II felt pain during palpation, 30 lost appetite. Electrogastrography revealed disorders in bioelectric activity of the stomach muscles in 99.9% of the patients. Endoscopic studies revealed lesions in the stomach and duodenum in all the patients, in 39 of them gastroduodenitis in the stage of exacerbation was diagnosed, in 7 erosion, in 3 peptic and duodenal ulcer. In 81.3% of the children during clinico-laboratory remission of dermatomyositis gastroduodenitis persisted at the stage of exacerbation. The vessels lying in the mucosa of the antral area of the stomach and duodenum underwent peculiar changes: arterial walls looked thickened, nuclei of the endothelial cells were enlarged, rounded up. One could observe infiltrates around the vessels consisting mainly of lymphocytes. Morphometric indices of the mucosa were also different in the antral area of the stomach and duodenum. Apparently, changes revealed in the gastric and duodenal mucosa of children with dermatomyositis occur due to vascular processes developing as a result of the main disease. This should be taken into consideration in the treatment of such children.

The defense properties of the gastroduodenal mucosa (lymphoid system cells secreting immunoglobulins A, M, and G, as well as the secretory component IgA) were studied in 85 patients with duodenal ulcer. The acid-producing function of the stomach was tested at the same time according to the pH value and the basal and maximal acid production. Various types of vagotomy were conducted in 52 patients and resection of the stomach in the remaining patients. The results were followed-up before and after the operation. Peptic ulcer was characterized by secondary immunodeficiency. Selective proximal vagotomy restored the tissue immune defense of the mucosa, gastric resection preserved and even increased immunodeficiency.

Histological, morphometric, and immunohistochemical studies of biopsy specimens from the mucosa of the body and antral portion of the stomach, the bulb and descending portion of the duodenum were performed in 27 children with systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) and in 12 with chronic gastroduodenitis. The inflammatory infiltrate from SLE patients was found to contain higher levels of young and mature fibroblasts than that from patients with chronic gastroduodenitis, mature fibroblasts being prevalent. The inflammatory changes in the gastric and duodenal mucosa were ascertained to be associated with the progression of SLE. In exacerbation of SLE, the walls of vessels (arterioles) exhibited immune complexes classified mainly as IgG and, to a lesser degree, as IgM. In remission, the luminescence of the vessels decreased. The serum level of immunoglobins did not correlate with their regional production in the gastric and duodenal mucosa.

Twenty-two biopsy specimens of colon mucosa were obtained from 16 patients with gastrointestinal campylobacteriosis histologically, histochemically and morphometrically. At the height of the disease colon mucosa of these patients showed a morphological picture of acute hemorrhagic and erosive--hemorrhagic colitis. When compared with such for other intestinal infections (shigellosis, salmonellosis, rotaviral gastroenteritis), the morphological features appeared to vary permitting a differential diagnosis with acute colitis due to above infections, but objective criteria to differentiate campylobacter-induced colitis from colitis in aggravation of nonspecific ulcerative one and Crohn's disease still remains to be found.

Two children (a 6-month-old girl and a 9-month boy) died from Rotavirus gastroenteritis as evidenced by virological, electron microscopic, and immune fluorescence studies of intestinal tissue. Histological and morphometric examinations of the small intestine revealed acute diffuse enteritis with enlarged and shortened villi, infiltration of intrinsic plates with lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages, enhanced mitotic activity of epitheliocytes and their increased lymphocyte-induced infiltration. The hepatic tissue showed central lobular fatty infiltration. The above changes should be regarded as manifestations of Rotavirus infection. Pneumonia detected in one of the children had been caused by influenza infection.

The results obtained in the study of the dynamics of systemic and local immunity characteristics in children with prolonged and chronic dysentery under the influence of vaccinal therapy are presented. The vaccine, containing soluble antigenic complexes isolated from Shigella sonnei cells by disintegration with hydroxylamine, was introduced intrarectally in doses of 2-4 mg. The course of treatment consisted of 5-6 administrations. The vaccinal therapy resulted in an increase in the level of immunoglobulins and the titer of specific antibodies, particularly IgA, in sera and fecal filtrates. These data coincided with an increase in the number of IgA-producing cells in bioptic samples of the mucous membrane of the large intestine. The vaccinal therapy contributed to the cessation of the release of bacteria in 82.5% of the patients.

Histological and immuno-morphological examinations of the large intestine mucosa obtained by aspirational biopsy from 38 adult patients with acute dysentery in the mild, moderately severe and severe forms and from 4 normal subjects were carried out. In each case, a per cent ratio of immunocompetent cells in deep and superficial parts of the mucous membrane proper, the content of interepithelial lymphocytes, the cell density of infiltrate per 1 mm2 of the mucous membrane, the number of cells producing IgA, IgM, and IgG per 1 mm2 of the mucous membrane were determined. As the severity of clinical and morphological manifestations of dysentery increased, the number of cells actively producing immunoglobulins was found to increase and epithelium infiltration with lymphocyte to be enhanced. The main role in the development of local immune response in dysentery is played by IgA-producing cells, and in the moderately severe and severe forms of dysentery the number of IgM-producing cells increases.

The results of the study of systemic and local immunity in cases of prolonged and chronic dysentery in children are presented. These results indicate that a decrease in the levels of immunoglobulins and specific IgM and IgA antibodies in the blood serum and coprofiltrates was observed as the process became chronic. The titer of specific IgG antibodies in the serum remained on a relatively high level, thus indicating the presence of the active infectious process. The low level of specific IgA antibodies correlated with a decrease in IgA-producing cells in the mucosa of the large intestine, which suggested that this form of the disease was accompanied by disturbances in the mechanisms of local immunity.

Ultrastructural studies and counts of interepithelial lymphocytes and the density of cellular infiltration of the lamina propria were carried out on 10 biopsies of the small intestine from infants of 4 months to 2 years with the syndrome of disturbed intestinal absorption. The greatest disorders were found to occur in celiac disease and intolerance to cow milk protein and to be manifested in subtotal atrophy of villi and destructive lesions of enterocytes. The authors believe that the marked infiltration of the epithelial layer with lymphocytes and the lamina propria of the mucous membrane with plasma cells represent manifestations of the local immunological response.

In treatment of children with chronic pneumonia by 3-5 bronchoscopic cleansing procedures with endobronchial irradiation of the mucosa with a helium-neon laser beam the highest effect is produced by a dose of 15 mWt/cm2 and 2 minute exposure. Regression is stabler and occurs more rapidly in patients with moderate deformity of the bronchial tree. The mechanisms of the therapeutic effect of the method is explained by normalization of microcirculation, intensification of epithelial proliferation and biosynthetic activity which create favorable conditions for induction of reparative processes in the bronchial mucosa.

By means of histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical and morphometrical methods, according to 24 objective morphological parameters, bioptates of endoscopically unchanged mucosal membrane of the large intestine, obtained from 22 clinically healthy macaque rhesus males, have been studied. The data on vital structure and cellular interconnections in the mucous membrane of the distal part of the large intestine have been received. The data can be used for estimating certain pathological processes, when modelling the large intestine diseases in monkeys.

The comparison of the data obtained by using different modifications of the immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescent methods for detecting immunoglobulins in intestinal tissues was made. The direct immunoperoxidase method was shown to allow the quantitative study of immunoglobulin-containing cells. The direct immunoperidase method was found to be technically simpler, but the indirect and complex peroxidase-antiperoxidase methods proved to be more sensitive.

To assess the specificity and the activity of fluorescent antisera against human G-, A-, M-classes the authors used in the capacity of a substrate, containing specific antigen preparations, bone marrow cells of patients with paraproteinemic hemoblastosis. The method of making the preparations used permitted sufficiently objective assessment of the activity and specificity of the mentioned monospecific fluorescent conjugates. As revealed, the bone marrow preparations could be stored at -70 degrees C for over one year.