[Several mechanisms of immunological adaptation in the etiology of subacute infectious endocarditis].

The paper deals with the possibility of identifying the persons predisposed to the development of subacute septic endocarditis (SSE), with the prediction of the course of the disease and the clarification of reasons for the inefficiency of antibacterial therapy. The studies performed revealed the impairment of cooperative interaction of the immune system, which prevents it from fulfilling its main task, i.e.

[Circulating immune complexes and immunoglobulins A, M and G in the mother-fetus system in normal pregnancy and gestosis].

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) and immunoglobulins A, M, and G were measured in the maternal peripheral blood, mixed umbilical blood, and amniotic fluid in women with normal pregnancy and gestosis. CIC concentrations in the examined fluids did not surpass the levels typical of healthy donors. Maternal blood CIC levels were higher in gestosis than in normal pregnancy, and CIC levels in the umbilical blood and amniotic fluid were always lower than in maternal blood serum.

[Comparative studies of immunologic characteristics in plasmapheresis and hemosorption in patients with purulent diseases of the lungs and pleura].

The article deals with the comparative characteristics of the changes in immunological indices in 40 patients with non-specific purulent diseases of the lungs and pleura when plasmapheresis and hemosorption were included in the complex of therapeutic measures. The changes were found to be hetero-directional in character: a non-specific effect of immunostimulation in hemosorption, and immunodepression, particularly marked in the first 24 hours, in plasmapheresis. The post-aggressive reaction after plasmapheresis is either absent or delayed significantly, which makes it possible to conduct detoxification in extremely grave conditions of the patients without making the mechanisms of the post-aggressive reaction operative, as observed in performance of hemosorption.

[Immunological properties of the amniotic fluid in physiological pregnancy and gestoses].

Immunologic analysis of the amniotic fluid included measurements of immunoglobulins A and M, circulating immune complexes, rheumatoid and antinuclear factors, immunophoresis and electrophoresis, and tests for the presence of donor lymphocytes, Changed immunologic parameters of the amniotic fluid indicate a complicated course of pregnancy, development of gestosis among other things. Basing on their findings, the authors suggest that gestosis involve dysfunction of the adaptive mechanisms, that may result from disordered interactions of the immunity system components.

[Use of immunomodulators and low-frequency ultrasonics for prevention of acute postoperative pleural empyema].

Many methods for the prevention of acute postoperative pyothorax have been suggested, but no tendency towards a reduction of its frequency has been noted in the recent years. A group of 100 patients with various diseases of the lungs (malignant tumors, abscesses, bronchiectases) was examined. They were divided into 3 groups according to the degree of the risk of development of acute postoperative pyothorax: with increased, moderate, and high risk.

[Hyperbaric oxygenation in the comprehensive therapy of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (clinico-immunologic study)].

For 35 of 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis traditional drug therapy was a minor success for a long time. Without any modifications of the drug therapy every patient went through a course of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO): 21 sessions under 1.7 ata for 40 min.

[The immunomodulators levamisole and dibazole in the prevention of acute postoperative pleural empyema as one method of preoperative preparation].

Numerous methodologies had been suggested to prevent postoperative pyothorax, but the tendency towards reduction in the incidence of this condition couldn't be seen. Forty patients with different lung diseases (malignant tumours, abscesses, bronchiectases) were examined. Twenty patients received low-dose levamisole and dibazole pre- and postoperatively, while to the remaining 20 patients these immunomodulators were not administered.

[T-activin in multimodal treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in children].

The efficacy of taktivin was examined by comparison of the time-course of changes in cellular immunity, the course of the underlying disease and the incidence of infectious complications in two groups of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The first group included 49 patients aged 8 to 15 years receiving taktivin, the second one 34 children of the same age not given immunomodulatory therapy. The morphofunctional status of the thymus was studied in 9 cases on autopsy.

[The morphological and clinico-immunological characteristics of 2 types of myasthenia].

The thymus is studied morphologically in 139 cases of myasthenia (with no thymic neoplasia). Hyperplasia of true thymic parenchyma (without its intralobular perivascular spaces) was observed in 28%, no change in 40% and atrophy in 32% of cases. Two types of the disease were distinguished on the basis of morphological and clinico-immunological parameters: the 1st type with a hyperplastic or normal thymic parenchyma and the 2nd type with its atrophy.

[The physiological adaptation functions of cellular and humoral immunity in patients with phlegmons of the maxillofacial area].

In order to evaluate the necessity in immunocorrective therapy the patients with maxillofacial phlegmons were tested for their cellular and humoral immunity. A slight increase or decrease in immunity indices before surgery in several patients were not beyond the physiological norm. Postoperative repetitive investigations the immune parameters attained the mean levels or even went higher without immune-correcting therapy.

[Pathogenesis of the cytopenia syndrome in patients with cirrhosis of the liver complicated by portal hypertension].

One of the main causes of cytopenia and cellular immunodeficiency in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and portal hypertension is increased portal pressure, which, in turn, induces increased storage of formed elements in the spleen. Shunting operations producing a stable decompressive effect correct cytopenia similar to splenectomy but at the same time are devoid of the menacing postoperative complications characteristic of splenectomy.

[The theophylline test in the evaluation of the state of cellular immunity in children with different clinical courses of systemic lupus erythematosus].

An inverse reaction of T-lymphocytes to theophylline is sometimes observed in children with systemic lupus erythematosus. In this case the disease runs a more benign course and is less resistant to prednisolone therapy. The theophylline test is recommended for the prediction of the disease course.

[Immunoreactive systems in the healing of aseptic and infected wounds in an experiment].

Main parameters of systemic immune reactivity were studied in 240 mature Wistar male rats with simulated aseptic and infected surface wounds before surgical intervention, and 1-10, 12 and 15 days after it. It was stated that aseptic wounds were responsible for nonspecific systemic response to the stress, whereas the presence of bacterial flora in the wound inhibited the development of humoral immune response in the presence of T-cell activation thus causing the dysfunction of the immune system and therefore affecting the course of wound progress. The consideration of all factors mentioned permits averting wound purulent complications in postsurgical period.

[Dynamics of cellular immunity indices in patients with ophthalmic herpes treated with a herpetic polyvaccine].

Specific vaccine therapy resulted in clinical improvement or stabilization of the pathological process in some patients with herpetic conjunctivitis. The vaccine exerted an immunopotentiating effect on the immune status of the subjects under study the direction of which depended upon the initial status of the parameters examined. In some cases the positive clinical effect of the vaccine therapy was accompanied by a decrease in lymphocyte sensitization to herpes simplex virus and normalization of the lymphocyte count.

[Modern criteria of sarcoidosis activity and approaches to glucocorticoid therapy].

Altogether 190 sarcoidosis patients were investigated including cytology of bronchoalveolar rinses in 31 patients, lung scintigraphy with 67Ga in 48, determination of the blood angiotensin converting enzyme activity in 18, and daily calciuria in 100 patients; 50 patients had erythema nodosum which turned out to be one of the main clinical symptoms of sarcoidosis activity. Corticosteroid therapy in patients with erythema nodosum was performed only in the presence of pulmonary changes and/or changes of the other internal organs. Extrathoracic manifestations (liver, splenic, renal, cardiac, CNS lesions) observed in 34 patients, deteriorated prognosis.