[Patient selection for left ventricular assist device implantation. The main problems].

Aim: To analyze the experience of Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology in patient selection for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

Materials And Methods: 901 patients, whose documents were sent to Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology from regional medical and prophylactic institutions, were screened as selection for LVAD implantation. Firstly, all patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography performed according to the extended protocol with a comprehensive assessment of the left and right ventricle size and function.

Factors of Interleukin-6 Signaling in COVID-19 Patients with Lung Damage of Varying Degrees: A Pilot Study.

Specific features of IL-6 signal transduction were studied in 89 patients with lung damage of varying degrees during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave. The levels of IL-6 signaling components (IL-6, sIL-6R, and sgp130) and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were examined in patients with intact lungs (CT-0), mild (CT-1), moderate (CT-2), moderate to severe (CT-3), and severe (CT-4) lung damage. Seventy patients were re-examined 3-7 months after discharge from the hospital.

Ratios between the Levels of IL-18, Free IL-18, and IL-1β-Binding Protein Depending on the Severity and Outcome of COVID-19.

In 89 patients with COVID-19, the ratios between IL-18, free IL-18, and IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP) were analyzed depending on severity and outcome of the disease. At admission to the hospital, the levels of IL-18 and free IL-18 were significantly higher than 3 months after discharge from the hospital, the levels IL-18BP of being almost the same. In patients with more severe lung injury (computed tomography data), the levels of IL-18 and free IL-18 were higher and IL-18BP levels were lower than in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19.

Retrospective Analysis of Lipid-Lowering and Antiplatelet Therapy Regimen by Clinical Decision Support Service Based on Real-World Data from Electronic Medical Records "Intellect 3 Study".

Aim      To evaluate prescription of lipid-lowering and antithrombotic therapy in clinical practice and to compare differences in recommendations using the clinical decision support service (CDSS).Material and methods  Electronic medical records (EMR) of 300 patients from the Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, as well as from medical organizations controlled by the Department of Health of the Lipetsk Region and the Ministry of Health of the Voronezh Region, were analyzed for the period of August - December 2022, during the pilot implementation of CDSS. Retrospective information about the prescription of lipid-lowering and antithrombotic therapy from the EMR was compared with the CDSS guidelines under the expert supervision based on digitized clinical and laboratory profiles of patients.

Use of cardiac imaging in chronic coronary syndromes: the EURECA Imaging registry.

Background: The prospective, multicentre EURECA registry assessed the use of imaging and adoption of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines (GL) in patients with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS).

Methods: Between May 2019 and March 2020, 5156 patients were recruited in 73 centres from 24 ESC member countries. The adoption of GL recommendations was evaluated according to clinical presentation and pre-test probability (PTP) of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).

Clinical Characteristics and Factors Associated with Poor Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients with Novel Coronavirus Infection COVID-19.

Aim      To evaluate the clinical picture and factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in admitted patients with COVID-19.Material and methods This study included all patients admitted to the COVID Center of the National Research Center of Cardiology of the Russian Ministry of Health Care from May 1 through May 31, 2020. Clinical demographic, laboratory, and instrumental indexes and associated factors were studied with one-way and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Reactivity of skin microcirculation as a biomarker of cardiovascular events. Pilot study.

Background: The role of microcirculatory disorders is progressively being accepted in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: The purpose of current study is to assess whether we can consider skin microcirculation disorders as a biomarker of cardiovascular events.

Methods: Group 1 consisted of healthy volunteers (n = 31); group 2 (n = 42) consisted of patients with diseases that increase the risk of cardiovascular events; group 3 (n = 39) included patients with the history of cardiovascular events.

[Evaluation of Direct and Indirect Expenditures for Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease After Stenting of Coronary Arteries].

Assessment of cost of management of patients during 1 year after stenting of coronary arteries has shown that priority should be given to active introduction into practical health care of technologies increasing duration of life and lowering probability of invalidization. We stress the need for evaluation of indirect expenditures on patients care because of their substantial share in the total cost. We also consider essential to elaborate measures of state regulation of medication supply irrespective of type of treatment for shifting expenditures from hospital to ambulatory sector and improvement of effectiveness of pharmacotherapy.

[Factors Affecting Duration of Stay in IntensiveCare Unit After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery].

We studied predictors of prolonged stay in intensive care unit (ICU) after coronary surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass. Factors significantly associated with duration of ICU stay were elevated levels of glucose and lactate in venous blood, types of conduits used, and type of bypass surgery. Results of this study can be used for elaboration of a quantitative scale for prediction of duration of postoperative treatment in ICU.

[Fundamental bases for the use of silk fibroin-based bioresorbable microvehicles as an example of skin regeneration in therapeutic practice].

Aim: To assess whether silk fibroin-based microvehicles (MVs) may be used to grow fibroblasts (FBs) and keratinocytes (KCs), key cellular components in skin regeneration after injury.

Subjects And Methods: Cryogrinding was applied to derive MVs from fibroin-based and fibroin- and 30% gelatin-containing composite matrices. To examine the structure of the matrices and MVs, confocal microscopy was used to conjugate the polymer with the dye tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate.

[Change in the blood cytokine spectrum in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis].

Aim: To assess cytokine spectrum changes in different types of pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS).

Subjects And Methods: Twenty-seven PS patients without signs of pulmonary fibrosis and 14 patients with sarcoidosis complicated by pulmonary fibrosis were examined. Baseline serum Th1 and Th2 cytokine concentrations were studied.

[Catalytic autoantibodies in autoimmune myocarditis: clinical and pathogenetic implications].

Aim: To evaluate pathogenetic and clinical significance of autoantibodies (AAB) with catalytic activity in the serum of patients with autoimmune myocarditis (AM).

Material And Methods: The study was made on the sera from 99 patients with AM of different course: malignant, benign, myocardiosclerosis (MCS). In addition to standard immunological parameters, the study was made of serum levels of anticardiomyosine-antiCM (protabzymes) and anti-DNA (DNA-abzymes) of AAB.

[Achievements and prospects of clinical abzymology].

Catalytic autoantibodies (abzymes) are autoantibodies that are potentially ready to realize certain effects in the organism, first of all antibody-mediated catalysis and cytotoxicity. Natural abzymes with protolytic (protabzymes) and DNA-hydrolyzing DNA-abzymes) activity are of the greatest interest. The most impressive example of the catalytic activity of protabzymes is hydrolysis of specific proteins, revealed in patients with autoimmune diseases, such as bronchial asthma (vasoactive intestinal neuropeptide), autoimmune thyroiditis (thyroglobulin), multiple sclerosis (myelin basic protein), and autoimmune myocarditis (cardiomyosin).

[Cytokines as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in patients with myocarditis].

One of the leading causes of autoimmune myocardial lesion in patients with myocarditis is disbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, leading to the loss of functional tolerance to certain myocardial autoantibodies, and activation of autoreactive T-lymphocytes, which are able of myocardial cytotoxicity. The authors have conducted studies, which have shown that malignant myocarditis is characterized by abrupt increase of TNF-alfa and IFN-alfa basal serum levels, while at the same stage of the disease in patients with benign myocarditis only moderate increase of TNF-alfa level is observed, and IFN-alfa concentration is within normal limits. Abrupt increase of the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes, activated by IL-2 (LAK-cells), is a feature of malignant myocarditis.

[Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon alpha in patients with myocarditis.].

Aim: To elucidate the role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interferon alpha (INF alpha) in pathogenesis of infectious-immune myocarditis (M) and myocarditic cardiosclerosis (MCS).

Material And Methods: Patients with infectious-immune myocarditis (n=27) and myocarditic cardiosclerosis with symptoms of heart failure (n=19). Blood levels of TNF alpha and INF alpha were measured by immune enzyme analysis.

Modern aspects of immunopathogenesis of autoimmune myocarditis.

Myocarditis (MC) is an inflammation of the cardiac muscle. Viral infections appear to be the most frequent cause for induction of MC. According to the I.