Renal Mast Cell-Specific Proteases in the Pathogenesis of Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis.

Chronic kidney disease is detected in 8-15% of the world's population. Along with fibrotic changes, it can lead to a complete loss of organ function. Therefore, a better understanding of the onset of the pathological process is required.

[Stimulation of Research in Biomedicine. Role of Effective Contract].

Background: Analysis of publication activity in the field of biomedicine shows insignificant input of Russia in the world scientific product. This is largely due to the lack of incentives for researchers. Article describes stimulation of researchers in Russia, compares it with foreign models, formulates main shortcomings of support and stimulation of research in Russia and introduces the concept of effective contract.

[The endogenous intoxication in pathogenesis of nephropathies].

The endogenous intoxication of organism can be a primary cause of changing in content of protein molecules with enhancement of their capacity to adsorb microelements fastening conformation of proteins. Such an alteration add them antigen characteristics conditioning autoimmune damage of tissues, kidneys included. The most frequent syndromes (cases?) ofendogenous intoxication effecting kidneys pathology are presented.

[Ecopathology of the kidneys and individual sensitivity to heavy metal salts].

Investigations performed in the region contaminated with heavy metal salts revealed high prevalence of renal diseases in children. The test for blood polymorphic proteins indicated signs of genetic predisposition to renal damage. Greater occurrence in the population with econephropathy of a rare allele of transferrin C3 may be the cause of enhanced oxidative-radical processes in renal cells.

[Nephropathies in a region contaminated by heavy metal salts and the possibilities for therapeutic and prophylactic measures].

The study of the population in the region contaminated with heavy metal salts has revealed high incidence of nephropathies even in preschool children manifesting initially in the majority of cases with hematuria. All the patients had the signs of urinary dysembryogenesis and marked membranopathological process. Long-term exposure to even small doses of heavy metals is supposed to cause nephropathy.

[Viral antigens in kidney biopsies of children with glomerulonephritis].

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.

[HB viral infection in kidney diseases in children].

A total of 142 children aged 2-15 years with different nephropathies, among them 94 children with glomerulonephritis (GN), 26 children with pyelonephritis and 22 children with oxalate nephropathy, were examined. The diagnosis was histologically confirmed in 36 children. Mesangial proliferative GN was detected in 22 patients and membrane proliferative GN, in 14 children.

[The dynamic production of interferons, interleukins and arachidonic acid metabolites by the blood cells of children with glomerulonephritis associated with HB virus infection while treated with reaferon].

The efficacy of therapy with reaferon (recombinant alpha 2-interferon) was studied in children with glomerulonephritis (GN) associated with hepatitis B virus infection as well as its effect on the interferon status (IFN), production of interleukins (IL) 1 and 2 and synthesis of active arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites by the blood cells in the course of treatment. The IFN status, IL-1, IL-2 production, and synthesis of AA active metabolites (LTB 4- and 5-HETE) by the blood cells, as well as markers of HBV-infection (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc total and anti-HBc of the IgM class) were examined over time in 60 GN patients treated with reaferon alone and administered immunosuppression therapy (IST), with antioxidants, or IST alone. The employment of reaferon for treatment of GN patients was shown to increase the efficacy of GN treatment, especially in combination with immunosuppressive drugs, to prevent reactivation of hepatitis B virus when prednisolone and/or cytostatic drugs were used, and to reduce hepatitis activity.

[The incidence of detecting HB viral infection in the families of patients with kidney diseases].

A total of 33 families were surveyed with a view to determine the presence of viral hepatitis B markers in persons with diagnosed renal diseases. In all patients markers of hepatitis B virus infection (HBsAg, anti-HBs antibodies, anti-HBc total and IgM antibodies) were determined in the enzyme immunoassay. Those families in which examinees with renal pathology were found to have markers of hepatitis B virus infection exhibited a high level of contamination with hepatitis B virus.

[Presence of markers of hepatitis B in patients with nephrotic syndrome].

The purpose of the present work was to study the rate of HB viral infection from the standpoint of its pathogenetic importance in children with the nephrotic syndrome (NS). As many as 71 children aged 2 to 15 years with the NS were examined. 23 children with hematuric glomerulonephritic (GN) served as control.

[Study of serum levels of alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha macroglobulins in children with glomerulonephritis].

To define the clinico-pathogenetic importance of alpha 1-inhibitor of proteinases and alpha 2-macroglobulin of the blood in children with glomerulonephritis, a study was made of the phenotype of alpha 1-inhibitor of proteinases and its concentration in the blood serum of 156 patients with different clinical forms of glomerulonephritis. Overall 1290 practically healthy children were examined as control. The patients suffering from glomerulonephritis did not demonstrate phenotypes responsible for acute deficiency of alpha 1-inhibitor of proteinases (PISS, PISZ).

[A method of separate determination of enzymuria associated with impairment of glomerular filtration in kidney tissue].

Possibility of separate estimation of urinary enzymes after impairment of glomerular system and kidney tissue was considered theoretically. Activities of lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase and gamma-glutamyl transferase were studied in blood serum and urine of II patients with nephrotic syndrome (4 patients with nephrotic form of glomerulonephritis and 7 patients with mixed form of glomerulonephritis). Urinary enzymes derived from blood serum constituted 20-30% of total enzymatic activity in urine of the patients with mixed form of glomerulonephritis and it was related only to the blood serum enzymes with relatively low molecular mass and high activity (alkaline phosphatase and LDH).

[Clinical significance of enzymuria in glomerulonephritis in children].

The authors presented the results of a study of enzymuria (cholinesterase, gamma-glutamine transferase, alkaline phosphatase, beta-galactosidase and lactate dehydrogenase with separate determination of N- and M-subunits) in 20 patients with a mixed form of glomerulonephritis (GN), 36 with the nephrotic form of GN and 13 patients with the hematuric form of GN. The clinical importance of the determination of enzymatic activity in the urine in GN of children lies in the recognition of the degree of damage of the glomerular filter as well as the nephrothelium. Basing on enzymuria pathophysiological syndromes found in various combinations in the above forms of GN were identified.