[Predictors of cardiovascular and cerebral complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

This 5-year long prospective cohort study of 124 young and middle-aged patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initially without signs of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) aimed at estimating the risk and predictors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. The patients remained under observation till the following end-points were reached: coronary heart disease, chronic heart failure, disturbed cerebral circulation, cardiovascular death. The following predictors of unfavourable outcome were analysed: CVD risk factors, RA inflammatory activity, and markers of preclinical CVD.

[Asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis and its predictors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

The aim of this work was to study prevalence, severity, and possible pathogenetic mechanisms of asymptotic atherosclerotic lesions in carotid arteries of young and middle-aged patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 100 cases without clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis (AS) were examined. Risk factors (RF) of cardiovascular complications were analysed and stratified.

[The response of erythrocytic system of mature rats to acute nitrite intoxication].

We studied an erythron response to acute nitrite intoxication in 30 white mature female rats. Sodium nitrite was subcutaneously injected into rats (10 and 50 mg/kg). One hour after the injection we observed development of hemolytic anemia followed by urgent reticulocyte withdrawal out of the bone marrow, methemoglobinemia, leucocytolysis and macrophages function depression.

[Use of alpha-tocopherol in correction of red blood (erythron) system disorders in rats with acute nitrite intoxication].

The erythron system response to acute nitrite intoxication and the possible antioxidant correction was studied in rats poisoned with sodium nitrite with and without pretreatment with alpha-tocopherol. The state of the experimental; animals was characterized by monitoring the peripheral blood parameters, the surface cytoarhitectonics and the hemolytic activity of erythrocytes, the level of methemoglobin and nitrate ions in the blood, and the cellular composition of hemopoietic organs, and the state of intracell erythrodiuresis. It is established that the acute intoxication with sodium nitrite leads to a hemolytic anemia accompanied by reactive ejection of reticulocytes from the red bone marrow, methemoglobinemia, leukocytolysis, and a decrease in the adhesive and phagocytic activity of macrophages.