Assessment of homeostasis by body''s adaptative responses in patients with tuberculous pleurisy]

AIM: The study of the detection rate and potential pathogenetic significance of antibodies to low density oxidated lipoprotein (LDOL) in patients who had ischemic cerebral circulation disorder (ICCD) at young age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The examination (enzyme immunoassay, general and neurological investigations, laboratory and instrumental tests) covered 148 patients who survived ICCD at young age (mean age 37.2 years). RESULTS: 48 of 108 (44%) patients had LDOL antibodies. Antibodies to cardiolipin, lupus anticoagulant were recorded in 33 (31%) patients. LDOL antibodies were higher and occurred more frequently in patients with Sneddon's syndrome (35% of patients, mean LDOL antibodies-44 units) and primary antiphospholipid syndrome (17% of patients, 45 units) than in atherosclerotic affection of the major head arteries (4%, 29 units) or occlusion of cerebral arteries of unclear genesis (8% of patients, 29 units). CONCLUSION: ICCD were not related to fast development of cerebral atherosclerosis or periaortitis due to production of LDOL antibodies as no relationships were found between their rise and atherosclerotic lesions of cerebral major arteries or periaortitis as shown by ultrasonic dopplerography or cerebral angiography. Feasibility of LDOL antibodies participation in the coagulation cascade and induction of hypercoagulatory condition causing ICCD needs special investigation.     

The biotype and genetic characteristics of an isolate of the cowpox virus causing infection in a child

The study included 138 patients operated on for endo-extracellular pituitary adenomas which extend both intracranially and into the structures of the base of the skull. Operations via transcranial and transsphenoidal access to various tumor sites were performed in 38 patients (a main group), while 100 patients (a control group) underwent one of these operations. Two-stage operations, followed by removal of the suprasellar and basal regions of a tumor, are expedient for enhancing the efficiency of surgical treatment, reducing the incidence of complications associated with traumatic attempts at removing tumor parts hard-to-reach by transcranial or transsphenoidal approaches, as well as at reducing the number of relapses. At the first stage of surgical treatment it is advisable to make an intervention via transcranial access especially in cases of complex configuration of the suprasellar part of a tumor. The recommended interval between transcranial and transsphenoidal surgeries is 3-5 months. Two-stage surgical treatment does not lead to significant structural changes and to the increased number of complications, and to higher mortality rates as compared to one-stage surgery (transcranial or transsphenoidal surgeries alone).     

<Superscript>63</Superscript>Cu and <Superscript>115</Superscript>In NMR study of CuInS<Subscript>2</Subscript> semiconductor

Two CuInS₂ semiconductor samples synthesized from chemical elements with the equiatomic cation ratio (N _Cu/N _In = 1) and either an excess or stoichiometric sulfur content have been investigated by ⁶³Cu and ¹¹⁵In nuclear magnetic resonance. The spectra were recorded on a Bruker Avance-400 spectrometer at a temperature of 290 K and frequencies of 106.14 MHz (⁶³Cu) and 87.67 MHz (¹¹⁵In). Numerical simulation made it possible to determine the quadrupole coupling constants: 0.34 MHz (⁶³Cu) and 1.1 MHz (¹¹⁵In). For the samples synthesized with excess sulfur (above stoichiometry), distortions are revealed in both the ⁶³Cu and ¹¹⁵In spectra.     

Scanning tunneling microscopy study of cytochrome P450 2B4 incorporated in proteoliposomes

In the present paper, the application of scanning tunneling microscopy in cytochrome P450s membrane topology is discussed. The method enables visualization of heme location in the lipid-bilayer-incorporated protein. It is supposed that the membrane-bound cytochrome P450 on the tunneling microscope substrate should behave as 'molecular diode'. A model explaining the liposome and the proteoliposome images observed is proposed.