Up-to-date approach to the treatment of rectal cancer

During the last 15 years 2404 radical operations of various types were carried out for cancer of the rectum. The rate of postoperative complications made up 28.3% and mortality--2.9%. The tendency to increase of locally spread forms of cancer up to 96.2% with metastases to regional lymph nodes up to--52.3% was detected. The use of adequate chemotherapy, updated suturing devices and new variants of radical operations, combined and extended ones in particular havw much contributed to carrying out radical interventions with complete restoration of bowel continuity in 70% of patients. 5 year survival rate of patients after sphincter saving plastics and restorative procedures made up 60.2-65.3%, after extirpations with colostomy--54.2%. Promising results of improvement the indices of 5 year survival were obtained when preoperative irradiation in regime of multifractioning SOD 45-55 Gy was used together with administration of 5-fluorouracil (5-7.5 g).     

The regional morphological characteristics of the endothelium of the human thoracic aorta in perfusion fixation

The ultramicroscopic organization and the endotheliocyte surface relief in ventral portions of the thoracic part of human aorta and in zones of division of blood flow were studied under conditions of early post mortem examinations and perfusion fixation of corpses of 14 humans dead from accidental causes. Zones of entrance into the intercostal aortas are compared with the straight portions of the aorta and are found to be characterized, as compared with the latters, by polymorphism of the endothelium, higher adhesiveness of its surface to blood elements, as well as by the presence of intravitally de-endothelialized portions localized on the ridge of the intimal valve.     

The immunological and biochemical reactions of the cerebrospinal fluid in victims of blast injuries of the skull and brain

An analysis of immunobiochemical indices of the cerebrospinal fluid has shown possibilities to establish objective mechanisms of injuries of the brain by explosions. Biochemical manifestations of the cytolysis syndrome can be taken as symptoms of primary injury of the brain under conditions of burst polytrauma since increased activity of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial enzymes in the liquor is directly proportional to the brain trauma degree. The primary injury of the brain is characterized by a specific immune response: increased concentration of IgG, IgA in the liquor with the increased circulation of immune complexes.     

Diagnostic and prognostic value of interleukin-6 in malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Sixty six patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) were studied, interleukin-6 (IL-6) was revealed in the blood sera of 33 patients. IL-6 was revealed more frequently in patients with high-grade malignant (p < 0.05) than in those with low-grade malignancy. The largest group of IL-6 positive patients included NHL patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and angioimmunoblastic lymphoma. The marked relationship was found between the serum IL-6 levels and the stage of disease: the serum IL-6 level was significantly lower in untreated patients with Stages II and III disease than in those with end-stage (IV) NHL. IL-6 significantly decreased upon remission, comparable with its level before the initiation of treatment. Analysing the association of prognosis of disease with the serum IL-6 showed that in the group of patients with good (The SNLG index < 2) and intermediate (2 < SNLG index < by 2.6) prognosis, the concentration of this cytokine was significantly lower than in those with poor prognosis (SNLG index > 2.6). There was a significant decrease of the total survival rates of NHL with serum IL-6 found. Therefore, IL-6 is a good prognostic marker in NHL and associated with the activity of a malignant process. Additionally, the increased serum IL-6 levels correlated with NK activities positively and with serum IL-4 levels negatively.     

Clinico-audiological characteristics of secretory otitis media in children

At the 1995 status review of the Healthy People 2000 nutrition objectives, progress was reported in several areas. These include dietary fat consumption, calcium intake, use of nutrition label information, incidence of coronary and stroke mortalities and blood pressure and cholesterol levels. However, a lack of progress was reported in the incidence of overweight in both men and women. Physicians can help their older patients achieve better health by providing assessments for under- or over-nutrition and education in age-appropriate dietary practices.     

Expression of HIV-1 epitopes included in particles formed by human hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid protein

Hybrids of the core protein of hepatitis B virus (HBcAg) have been designed which carry N-terminal insertions of B- and T-cell epitopes of HIV-1 an immunodominant B-epitope from gp41, a T-cell epitope from p34 pol, and a cluster of B- and T-cell epitopes from p17 gag. The hybrids have been synthesized using two expression systems-one based on the thermoinducible PR promoter of bacteriophage lambda and the other one based on phi 10 promoter of bacteriophage T7 with 3-5% and 7-14% yields, respectively. The hybrids have dual HBV and HIV-1 immunospecificity and are assembled into particles similar to those formed by the protein carrier HBcAg. Sandwich ELISA and immune electron microscopy revealed that HIV-1 epitopes are exposed on the surface of the particles.