[Hyponatremia in chronic heart failure].

Hyponatremia - lowering of sodium in blood serum below 135 mmol/l - is a frequent disorder of electrolyte metabolism in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Hyponatremia is a risk factor of elevated mortality, repetitive hospitalizations, and worsening of kidney function in patients with decompensation of CHF. In this review we present pathophysiology of hyponatremia and propose therapeutic approach to correction of this disorder.

[Alterations of the complement system in patients with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome].

Aim: To investigate alterations of the complement system in patients with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS).

Subjects And Methods: Four patients (2 men aged 23 and 40 years and 2 women aged 39 and 58 years) diagnosed as having CAPS, including 3 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and 1 patient with primary APS, were examined. The activity of the complement components C1-C5 and total hemolytic activity were determined in all the patients at the moment of an acute episode and in 1 patient after treatment.

[Successful treatment of massive thrombosis of the vena cava inferior with nephrotic syndrome and chronic bilateral pulmonary artery thromboembolism in a patient with genetic thrombophilia].

A case is reported of a 23-year-old male patient who developed, after severe blunt injury of the lumbar region, massive thrombosis of the vena cava inferior (VCI), both renal veins, bilateral pulmonary artery thromboembolism (PATE), nephrotic syndrome (NS). In spite of anticoagulant therapy, the condition of the patient progressively aggravated for 1.5 year: thrombosis involved the ileac and femoral arteries on the right, thrombus floated in the right atrium with PATE recurrent episodes, pulmonary hypertension reached 120 mm Hg with formation of decompensated cor pulmnonale, proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia deteriorated, anasarca edema developed Multigenic thrombophilia was diagnosed (1 homozygous and 5 heterozygous mutations).

[Comparative characteristics of hemostasis system in patients with endstage renal disease admitted for urgent and elective hemodialysis].

Aim: To evaluate parameters of hemostasis system in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with consideration of elective or urgent start of dialysis treatment.

Material And Methods: A total of 47 patients with ESRD entered the study. They were divided into two groups depending on urgent (group 1) or elective (group 2) start of hemodialysis.

[Endothelial dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].

It is currently shown that endothelial function study is a rather informative way of assessing the cardiovascular risk. Many investigations have shown the high rate of endothelial dysfunction (ED) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, clinical data on ED in patients with SLE are scarce; which seems to be generated by difficulties in the diagnosis of this condition and to necessitate the modification of the existing diagnostic methods. The signs of ED were detected in 40% of the patients.