[Leonid Vasilyevich Sobolev: the first Russian diabetologist, or the History of an unnoticed discovery]

Leonid Vasilyevich Sobolev is an outstanding pathologist, whose name definitely should occupy an honorable place in the galaxy of great scientists of Russia. However, his name was undeservedly forgotten, and the role of his work was underestimated. This Russian scientist made the most important discovery: he proved in an experiment that it is the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that secrete a humoral regulator, "factor X", the deficiency of which leads to diabetes mellitus. This mysterious islet factor will be isolated from the pancreas of dogs in 1921 by the future Nobel laureate Frederick G. Banting and will become part of the medicine as insulin. However, there is every reason to believe that the discovery of F. G. Banting, who repeated a series of experiments by Leonid Vasilyevich Sobolev, is, in fact, secondary, which is the research subject in this paper.

Heart Dysfunction in Essential Hypertension Depends on Systemic Proinflammatory Influences: A Retrospective Clinical Pathophysiological Study

Low-intensity systemic inflammation is an important element of heart failure pathogenesis. The aim of this study is to assess proinflammatory status serum indicators (C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6)) in middle-aged males (M) and females (F) with essential hypertension (HTN) depending on left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). The main group comprised 55 M and 49 F with the first- to second-severity grade HTN with mild heart failure and a preserved LV ejection fraction ≥50%. Patients had sinus rhythm, first or second-severity degree LVDD, LV hypertrophy, left atrium dilatation, and NT-proBNP > 125 pg/mL. Comparison group: 30 hypertensives without cardiac dysfunction; control group: 31 normotensives. Quantitative features were compared using the Mann−Whitney test, median χ2, ANOVA module. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were determined to identify the relationship between the proinflammatory pattern and exercise tolerance. Hypertensive M had markedly higher CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels compared to F. All mean values corresponded to reference range. In patients with second-degree LVDD, CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were significantly greater than in subjects with first-degree LVDD (both within M and within F samples). Significant negative associations between CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α levels and the 6 min walk test existed in hypertensive M and F. The study demonstrated a close relationship between the proinflammatory pattern and LVDD and exercise tolerance indicators, regardless of the hypertensive patient’s sex.

Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (Hakim-Adams Syndrome): Clinical Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus is a chronic steadily progressing disease. Nowadays a vital and acute socially significant problem still has not been solved. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disease remain so far poorly understood. Variable clinical manifestations, as well as difficulties in differential diagnosis with other neurodegenerative diseases - lead to underdiagnosing of the illness that causes a significant decrease in patient's quality of life and even results in disability. The number of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus has been steadily increasing. That is why, the coverage and a full study of this problem is of great interest for a broad circle of medical professionals.

[CALCIFYING NANOPARTICLES IN PATHOMORPHOGENESIS OF STRUCTURAL LESIONS OF HEART VALVES]

Over the last 10 years, calcifying nanoparticles (CNP) have attracted attention as structures detected. together with many other nanostructures in biopsies from patients operated for the correction of aortic valve malformations. The results of the present work performed with the use of high-resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopes agree on the whole with the data of other authors. Some new findings include CNP adhesion to collagen fibers and specifically-shaped, shallow invaginations or craters at their surface. The possible pathophysiological mechanisms that promote involvement of CNP in the development of the disease are considered.

[New approaches in treatment of patients with perforated duodenal ulcer]

The results of examination and treatment of 152 patients with perforated duodenal ulcer were analyzed with the aim to make the ground of systemic approach to their surgical treatment in consideration of contemporary achievements of laboratorial and instrumental diagnostics and the opportunities of minimally invasive surgery. The results of conducted clinical study showed that in order to establish the correct preoperative diagnosis and the choice of rational treatment of patients with perforated duodenal ulcer it is necessary to conduct a purposeful complex investigation, including an assessment of general somatic state and the operative-anaesthetic risk of patients and changes of pyloroduodenal zone and the severity of peritonitis and prediction of lethality. The diagnostic algorithm let the authors make a diagnosis of perforated duodenal ulcer before the operation and decide on an adequate volume of surgical intervention. It is established, that the integral assessment of the examination results and surgery, the evaluation of the titres of antibody to ulcerogenic strains Helicobacter pylori, studying of psychophysiological profile of patient can justify the complex program of medicamentous therapy in postoperative period, providing the remission of peptic ulcer.