[Extracorporeal circulation methods in the treatment of nonspecific aortic arteritis].

Aim: Development of a protocol of multiple-modality treatment of patients with nonspecific aortoarteritis (NAA) making use of plasmapheresis and specific plasma adsorption of proteinases.

Materials And Methods: Six patients with NAA aged 15 to 58 years were examined using ultrasonic dopplerography, magnetic imaging, and angiography of the large vessels. Red cell sedimentation rate was assessed, cathepsin G activity, antitryptic activity, and content of C-reactive protein in the blood measured.

[A trial of long-term lovastatin treatment in patients with a heterozygous form of hereditary hypercholesterolemia].

Patients with heterozygous family hypercholesterolemia (HFH) were divided into two groups. Group 1 patients received lovastatin in a daily dose 40-60-80 mg under control of lipids and peripheral blood biochemistry. In 17 patients lovastatin was given as monotherapy, in 15 patients it was combined with plasmapheresis.

[Hemosorption in the treatment of patients with ischemic heart disease and drug-resistant stenocardia].

A course of hemosorption combined with chemotherapy resulted in much less frequent attacks of angina pectoris and in compensation of cardiac insufficiency in 27 coronary heart disease patients resistant to chemotherapy. There was an increase in the drugs efficacy. Sensitivity of the lymphocytes to chemotherapeutic agents administered rose as shown by rosette test due to specific unlocking of the receptors.

[Effectiveness of low-volume hemofiltration in treating severe arterial hypertension with initial manifestations of renal failure].

High efficiency of low-volume hemofiltration, replacing 7 to 8 litres of the filtrate, is demonstrated. It has been used as part of combined treatment in 10 patients with severe arterial hypertension in combination with early signs of chronic renal failure. Low-volume hemofiltration brings down arterial blood pressure and allows reduced doses of hypotensive drugs; moreover, it improves basically eye-ground appearance in cases of malignant arterial hypertension as well as renal nitrogen excretion.

[Use of bicarbonate dialysis in patients with terminal renal failure].

Six patients with terminal renal failure were subjected to a comparative assessment of the effects of acetate and bicarbonate dialyses on acid-base and gas composition of the blood as well as on the tolerance to the procedures conducted. It is shown that the cross-over of the patients to bicarbonate dialysis made it possible to appreciably reduce the number of side effects. The rate of hypotonia and muscular convulsions reduced by 50%, headache by 30%, nausea and vomiting practically disappeared.