Impact of direct-acting antiviral treatment of hepatitis C on the quality of life of adults in Ukraine.

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are highly effective in achieving sustained virologic response among those with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Quality of life (QOL) benefits for an HCV-infected population with high numbers of people who inject drugs and people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Eastern Europe have not been explored. We estimated such benefits for Ukraine.

[Gradient of mortality of persons aged 40-59 in regions of the Russian Federation].

Aim: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differences and factors that are interlinked with mortality rates of the population aged 40-59 years in the subjects of the Russian Federation.

Materials And Methods: To calculate mortality rates used by Rosstat data on population and number of deaths in the age groups 40-59 years among men and women in the regions of Russia, as well as indicators that characterize the socio-economic condition of the region.

Results: In the Russian Federation there is a significant mortality gradient between the regions, and among male and female population aged 40-59.

[Treatment of elderly and senile patients suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia and chronic prostatitis].

In the clinical settings and in animal experiments the research was conducted on effectiveness and safety of treatment the benign prostatic hyperplasia, chronic prostatitis in the stage of active inflammation in elderly and senile patients. The method of treatment including transrectal fonoforez of the Russian preparation of Tisol (Tisolium, gel, the company "Olympus" Yekaterinburg) in combination with diclofenac sodium protected by patents of the Russian Federation was used. The developed method of treatment has shown high efficiency and safety, which is confirmed by experimental, clinical, laboratory and instrumental studies.

[Identification in the rat olfactory epithelium new subgroup YM-1 chitinase-like protein].

Novel protein with a molecular mass of ~43 kDa from rat olfactory epithelium in pathophysiological conditions was discovered. Its amino acid sequence and affiliation with the family 18 glycohydrolase subgroup of chitinase-like proteins YM-1 were determined.

[A new method for studying the lipid transport in vitro: the protein with molecular weight 45-kDa from the rat olfactory epithelium--specific carrier of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate].

A new method for studying the lipid-protein interactions in vitro is developed. It enables the study of the transporting activity of a protein toward a lipid ligand, including the case with an unknown lipid type. The method can be considered as a variant of partition three-phase chromatography with two stationary (donor and acceptor) phases and one mobile phase.

[The system of collection, processing, storage and retrieval of x-ray diagnostic images].

The paper describes a system able to combine conventional techniques of diagnostic x-ray imaging with direct digital imaging on the original receiver with a resolution of 1.2 lin/mm. Digital roentgenography may be introduced into medical practice basing on the system of computers at the working places of roentgenologist and his assistant.

[Neural network algorithms for recognition of complex binary images without their previous segmentation].

The authors propose a new neural network algorithm for binary images. It is based on a binary version of the Grossberg ART-architecture. Its changes made in the mechanism responsible for the competition of categorical neurones are rolled on the neurophysiological findings indicative of the fact that there are intercalary neurons in the inhibitory feedback chains.

[Diagnostic criteria of pyloric helicobacter infection in peptic ulcer].

Helicobacter pylori (HP) in 41 patients (10 with stomach ulcer and 31 with duodenum ulcer) was found in gastro-biopsies from the stomach antrum before and after the treatment. The following methods to reveal HP were used: Giemsa staining, immunoperoxidase reaction with polyclonal monospecific antibodies against HP, urease rapid test. HP was also revealed in the blood serum by antibodies against HP by means of enzyme immunoassay.

Heme maintains catalytically active structure of cytochrome P-450.

Treatment of purified cytochrome P-450 LM2 and its liposome-bound form with hydrogen peroxide led to complete destruction of the P-450 heme. The apoenzyme thus produced could be reconstituted to catalytically active cytochrome P-450 by incubation with hemin, the reconstitution efficiency being 50% for the soluble enzyme and 80% for the liposome-bound enzyme. The removal of heme from the soluble hemoprotein resulted in a 3-fold decrease in the efficiency of its incorporation into sonicated liposomes.

[The role of heme in formation of the native structure of cytochrome P-450 LM2].

The role of heme in the formation of cytochrome P-450 native structure was investigated. It was shown that treatment of purified and membrane-bound hemoproteins with H2O2 results in the total destruction of heme. After incubation with hemine the apoprotein thus obtained forms a catalytically active cytochrome P-450.

Secondary structure and membrane topology of cytochrome P450s.

The secondary structure prediction of 19 microsomal cytochrome P450s from two different families was made on the basis of their amino acid sequences. It was shown that there is structural similarity between the heme-binding sites in these enzymes and those in the bacterial P450cam. An average predicted secondary structure of cytochrome P450 proteins with 70% accuracy contains about 46% alpha-helices, 12% beta-sheets, 9% beta-turns, and 33% random coils.

[Structural organization and localization of cytochromes P450 in the membrane].

The secondary structure prediction of 19 microsomal cytochrome P-450s from two different families was made based on their amino acid sequences. It was shown that there is a structural similarity between the heme-binding sites of these enzymes and the bacterial P-450cam. An average predicted secondary structure of cytochrome P-450 proteins with 70% accuracy contains about 46% alpha-helices, 12% beta-strands, 9% beta-turns and 33% random coil.

Effect of the microenvironment on the tertiary structure of cytochrome P-450 LM2.

The relation between microenvironment and the tertiary structure of cytochrome P-450 LM2 has been investigated. No complete relaxation to the most active state of the native enzyme took place in the case of membrane-incorporated hemoprotein with three or four intramolecular cross-links. The spatial organization of the enzyme was predicted to determine the cross-link location on the hemoprotein surface and membrane-incorporated parts of the polypeptide chain.

[Distribution of the LPa3 and PPa3 neuronal processes in the pedal ganglia of the edible snail].

By means of intracellular injection of the dye Lucifer yellow processes were revealed of the snail command neurones of escape behaviour LPa3 and RPa3 in pedal nerves ipsilateral to these neurones. A process of the neurone LPa3 was also found in the contralateral Nervus cutaneus pedalis secundus. Blockade of central chemical synapses by cadmium chloride did not lead to disappearance of motor reactions evoked by electrical stimulation of LPa3 and RPa3 neurones both on ipsi- and contralateral sides of the animal foot; this allowed to suggest a presence in the contralateral muscular pedal nerves of these neurones processes unrevealed by the used dyeing method.

[Comparative characterization of the morphologic changes induced by the cytotoxic action of a filtrate of Clostridium difficile strain B in cell cultures].

Investigations carried out by the authors have demonstrated the possibility of the simultaneous evaluation of the results of the quantitative and qualitative characterization of the cytotoxic action of the filtrate of C. difficile strain B in the cultures of diploid human cells and cells Fl. The action of the filtrate used in the same dilution (1:1,000) over equal incubation periods (15 minutes) has resulted in the appearance of different morphological changes in each of these cultures.

[Applicability of the fluorescence-detected circular dichroism method for the determination of the secondary structure of glucagon and albumin].

The fluorescence detected circular dichroism (FDCD) spectra of dansyl-leucine are reported. These spectra were obtained with the use of an unique device. FDCD, circular dichroism (CD) and absorption spectra of dansyl-leucine are combined to calculate CD spectra of the dansyl group in the given environment.

[Determination of the biological activity of Clostridium difficile toxins in in vivo and in vitro experiments].

The biological activity of the filtrates of 29 C. difficile strains was studied in vivo (suckling white mice) and in vitro (cell cultures of different species and origin). The action of the filtrates on the experimental models in vivo was evaluated from the cytotoxic effect index, while in vitro the intensity of the cytotoxic effect was evaluated from the percentage of dead cells in the monolayer.