Role of catestatin in development and decompensation of heart failure: a literature review

The current literature review covers the role of sympathetic nervous system activation (SNS) and the significance of a new biomarker catestatin (CST), which is a chromogranin A-derived peptide, for assessing prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF). This review details the works devoted to CST metabolism and its role in clinical conditions with excessive catecholamine production, including the ability to counterbalance the adverse effects of SNS on cardiovascular system. The paper also presents the central results of studies on HF patients and shows the correlation of the CST level with HF functional class and stage. In addition, particular attention is paid on the possibilities and potential benefits of assessing the CST in addition to conventional management of patients hospitalized due to acute decompensated heart failure

The study of diurnal profile of arterial pressure in middle-aged men with isolated course of arterial hypertension in combination with chronic heart failure

The article analyzes the results of daily monitoring of arterial pressure in middle-aged men with isolated course of arterial hypertension in combination with chronic heart failure. Studied the indicators of the daily index, time index, index, dimensions, area index, hypertension, and correlation analysis of parameters of ABPM.В статье анализируются результаты суточного мониторирования артериального давления у мужчин среднего возраста с изолированным течением артериальной гипертонии и в сочетании с хронической сердечной недостаточностью. Изучены показатели суточного индекса, индекса времени, индекса измерений, индекса площади гипертонии и проведен корреляционный анализ показателей СМАД

Relationship of sortilin and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 in blood serum with the severity of carotid and coronary atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients

Sortilin is an important molecular protein involved in lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis,  and aortic valve calcification. Sortilin presumably regulates the PCSK9 signaling pathways.Aim. To study correlations of sortilin and PCSK9 with atherosclerosis  development in hypertensive  patients.Material and methods. The study included 161 patients aged 30 to 65 years. We performed collection of complaints and anamnesis, physical examination, blood biochemical  test with the determination of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,  triglycerides, blood glucose,  serum creatinine with estimation of glomerular  filtration rate. Serum PCSK9,  sortilin and interleukins 8, 10 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The following investigations were also performed:  electrocardiography,  echocardiography,  extracranial artery ultrasound, coronary angiography.Results. Sortilin levels (b=2,37; odds ratio (OR),  10,74; 95% CI, 1,05-109,47, p=0,045), IL-8 (b=-2,42; OR, 9,74; 95% CI, 0,01-0,81, p=0,032), age (b=0,21; OR, 1,24; 95% CI, 1,12-1,37, p<0,001)  were identified  as independent predictors of coronary atherosclerosis  with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 70%. PCSK9 (b=0,005; OR, 1,00; 95% CI, 1,00-1,01, p=0,038) and IL-8 (b= -0,33; OR, 0,72; 95% CI, 0,55-0,94, p=0,014) were identified as independent predictors of carotid atherosclerosis  with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 71%.Conclusion. In addition  to non-invasive imaging, the determination of atherosclerosis biomarkers can make a significant contribution to the diagnosis and prediction of carotid and coronary atherosclerosis  progression.  It is noteworthy that not only PCSK9, but also sortilin can be a potential therapeutic target. Further large-scale studies are needed

Circadian variation of heart rate variability of patients with left ventricle diastolic dysfunction

The article discusses a study of heart rate variability during the day and night in patients with different types of diastolic left ventricular dysfunction. The data correlation analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and echocardiography markers of diastolic left ventricular dysfunction in the studied patients.В статье рассматриваются результаты исследования вариабельности сердечного ритма в дневное и ночное время у больных с различными типами диастолической дисфункции левого желудочка. Представлены данные корреляционного анализа показателей вариабельности сердечного ритма (ВСР) и зхокардиографических (ЭхоКГ) маркеров диастолической дисфункции левого желудочка у исследуемых пациентов

CHEMOKINE MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY REJECTION OF KIDNEY ALLOGRAFT

It is known at the present time that immunological biomarkers may become more sensitive, non-invasive methods of graft rejection diagnosis than those currently used. A growing amount of studies in animal models shows that chemokines, as active participants in the immune process, may be used to this purpose. Our earlier studies have shown an important prognostic significance of IL-6, IL-2, 17A and IL-1RA increase in pre-operative period as markers of acute kidney allograft rejection. When assessing changes in studied peripheral blood growth factors, we concluded that a sharp decrease in BDNF content is a diagnostically significant early sign of kidney allograft rejection. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic role of serum chemokine levels at the preoperative stage, taking into account the production of anti-HLA antibodies during the post-transplant period as a risk factor of kidney allograft rejection. A comparative analysis of chemokine serum concentrations was performed in the patients with terminal-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). In the patients from main clinical groups, the blood cytokine levels were measured 6 hours before transplantation, i.e., Eotaxin (CCL11), GRO-α (CXCL1), IL-8 (CXCL8), IP-10 (CXCL10), MCP-1 (CCL2), MIP-1α (CCL3), MIP-1β (CCL4), SDF-1α (CXCL12), RANTES (CCL5), MIG (CXCL9) by means of multiplex immunological assays, using appropriate test systems. The studies have shown significant changes in several chemokines in the CKD patients compared to age-matched controls. However, the following diagnostically significant biomarkers associated with early rejection of transplanted kidney should be considered: increased concentration of CCL2 and CCL4 chemokines, as well as an acute decrease in CCL11. Significantly decreased CXCL12 concentration in peripheral blood could be considered a marker of favorable posttransplant clinical course.  Occurence of HLA antibodies in recipients is also associated with elevated serum levels of CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL4, and CCL5

Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Testing in Human Influenza Viruses: A Laboratory Surveillance Perspective

Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) are vital in managing seasonal and pandemic influenza infections. NAI susceptibilities of virus isolates (n = 5540) collected during the 2008–2009 influenza season were assessed in the chemiluminescent neuraminidase inhibition (NI) assay. Box-and-whisker plot analyses of log-transformed IC50s were performed for each virus type/subtype and NAI to identify outliers which were characterized based on a statistical cutoff of IC50 >3 interquartile ranges (IQR) from the 75th percentile. Among 1533 seasonal H1N1 viruses tested, 1431 (93.3%) were outliers for oseltamivir; they all harbored the H275Y mutation in the neuraminidase (NA) and were reported as oseltamivir-resistant. Only 15 (0.7%) of pandemic 2009 H1N1 viruses tested (n = 2259) were resistant to oseltamivir. All influenza A(H3N2) (n = 834) and B (n = 914) viruses were sensitive to oseltamivir, except for one A(H3N2) and one B virus, with D151V and D197E (D198E in N2 numbering) mutations in the NA, respectively. All viruses tested were sensitive to zanamivir, except for six seasonal A(H1N1) and several A(H3N2) outliers (n = 22) which exhibited cell culture induced mutations at residue D151 of the NA. A subset of viruses (n = 1058) tested for peramivir were sensitive to the drug, with exception of H275Y variants that exhibited reduced susceptibility to this NAI. This study summarizes baseline susceptibility patterns of seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses, and seeks to contribute towards criteria for defining NAI resistance

ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ ОЦЕНИВАНИЯ БАССЕЙНОВОЙ ТРАНСПИРАЦИИ НА ОСНОВЕ ИЗМЕРЕНИЯ СТВОЛОВОГО СОКОДВИЖЕНИЯ: ПОСТАНОВКА ЗАДАЧИ

Study of seasonal dynamics and evapotranspiration volume of forested catchments (mainly forest stand transpiration) is the relevant objective for fundamental knowledge and practical applications. However, there are many difficulties: labor efforts of direct observations, many factors affecting against each other, observational data scaling and so on. As a result, evapotranspiration during hydrological modeling is determined by the leftover principle and simplified techniques, leading to wrong representation of water balance structure. The presented article deals with the first results of our research group focused on setting up field measurements of xylem sap flow using trunk sap flow measuring sensors as well as development of sap flow assessment methods for individual trees and whole catchment. The investigations were performed for mixed coniferous-broad leaved forests at the territory of the Central Sikhote-Alin’ within Verkhneussuriyskiy biogeocenotical station of FSC of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity FEB RAS. This site is used for water balance measuring surveys from 2011. Sap flow was measured continuously during June-October of 2019 on one of the local dominant tree species. Apparently, such investigations are novel for the Russian Far East region. It is expected that direct sap flow measurements for individual trees refinement methods, data scaling and its integration to the hydrometeorological observations will help to make a comprehensive analysis of catchments water balance and to integrate measured data into hydrological models.Изучение сезонной динамики и объемов суммарного испарения лесных водосборов (главным образом транспирации древостоев) является актуальнейшей задачей как в фундаментальном, так и прикладном аспектах. Ее решение связано с рядом сложностей: трудоемкость прямого наблюдения, наличие большого количества влияющих друг на друга факторов, необходимость распространения данных точечных измерений на площадь и многие другие. Это приводит к тому, что при моделировании водного баланса речных бассейнов испарение определяется по упрощенным схемам, остаточному принципу, что ведет к неправильному отражению структуры водного баланса. Настоящая статья представляет первые результаты усилий инициативного коллектива исследователей, направленных на постановку экспериментальных измерений ксилемного потока с использованием современных датчиков стволового сокодвижения, а также развития методов оценки транспирации как отдельных деревьев, так и бассейновой транспирации на основе этих данных. Исследование проведено на территории смешанных хвойно-широколиственных лесов Центрального Сихотэ-Алиня в пределах экспериментального водосбора, входящего в состав Верхнеуссурийского биогеоценотического стационара ФНЦ Биоразнообразия ДВО РАН, на котором рабочей группой возобновлены воднобалансовые работы в 2011 г. и в настоящее время являются уже постоянными. Регистрация стволового сокодвижения выполнялась в период с июня по начало октября 2019 года на одном из доминантных видов местного растительного сообщества. В Дальневосточном регионе России работы такого плана, по-видимому, проведены впервые. Предполагается, что отработка методов оценки прямых измерений транспирации на уровне отдельных деревьев, попытка пространственной генерализации на территорию топологического масштаба и вовлечение полученной информации в комплекс гидрометеорологических наблюдений позволят выполнить исчерпывающий анализ водного баланса в пределах малого речного бассейна и интегрировать поток измеряемых данных по испарению в гидрологические модели. &nbsp

Inhibition of Neuraminidase Inhibitor-Resistant Influenza Virus by DAS181, a Novel Sialidase Fusion Protein

Antiviral drug resistance for influenza therapies remains a concern due to the high prevalence of H1N1 2009 seasonal influenza isolates which display H274Y associated oseltamivir-resistance. Furthermore, the emergence of novel H1N1 raises the potential that additional reassortments can occur, resulting in drug resistant virus. Thus, additional antiviral approaches are urgently needed. DAS181 (Fludase®), a sialidase fusion protein, has been shown to have inhibitory activity against a large number of seasonal influenza strains and a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain (H5N1). Here, we examine the in vitro activity of DAS181 against a panel of 2009 oseltamivir-resistant seasonal H1N1 clinical isolates. The activity of DAS181 against nine 2009, two 2007, and two 2004 clinical isolates of seasonal IFV H1N1 was examined using plaque number reduction assay on MDCK cells. DAS181 strongly inhibited all tested isolates. EC50 values remained constant against isolates from 2004, 2007, and 2009, suggesting that there was no change in DAS181 sensitivity over time. As expected, all 2007 and 2009 isolates were resistant to oseltamivir, consistent with the identification of the H274Y mutation in the NA gene of all these isolates. Interestingly, several of the 2007 and 2009 isolates also exhibited reduced sensitivity to zanamivir, and accompanying HA mutations near the sialic acid binding site were observed. DAS181 inhibits IFV that is resistant to NAIs. Thus, DAS181 may offer an alternative therapeutic option for seasonal or pandemic IFVs that become resistant to currently available antiviral drugs

LOCAL BARLEY ACCESSIONS FROM ETHIOPIA RESISTANT TO POWDERY MILDEW

The mlo11 allele associated with the loss of function of the Mlo locus and controlling mildew resistance in the majority of modern barley cultivars was identified in Ethiopian barley landraces. Twenty-seven accessions from Ethiopia were studied during laboratory experiments which resulted in identifying k-5448 as an accession resistant to powdery mildew. Three accessions (k-8555, k-8682 k-17554) were heterogeneous by the studied trait. With the help of molecular markers we showed that the resistant components of the selected forms are protected by the mlo11 gene