EFFICACY OF A NEW OPERATION IN OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA ENDOTRABECULOECTOMY TREATMENT

Purpose. To development a technique and indications for trabecula ablation ab interno with forceps (endotrabeculoectomy) and to study its efficacy for open-angle glaucoma.Material and methods. Investigations were done in two groups. The first group consisted of 35 patients (38 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma who underwent the endotrabeculoectomy, and the second group included 108 patients (126 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma and cataract who underwent the endotrabeculoectomy and phaco. The mean tonometric IOP before surgery in the first group was 26.4±1.4mmHg, in the second group – 24.2±1.7mmHg. Reflux of blood into the Schlemm’s canal has been provoked intraoperatively in 134 eyes. Three degrees of the Shlemm’s canal blood filling were estimated using the gonioscope.Results. Absence of blood filling of the Shlemm’s canal was observed in 6 out of 134 eyes (4.5%) and was evaluated as a contraindication for endotrabeculoectomy. In 12 out of 164 cases an insignificant hemorrhage was detected at the moment of trabecula capture. No other complications were revealed. On the 7-th day after surgery the IOP was 18.5±1.2mmHg in the first group, and in second group – 19.0±1.3mmHg. Further the IOP did not change essentially in both groups. The quantity of hypotensive medications in the first group decreased from 2.3±0.5 before surgery to 0.7±0.3 6 months after the surgery, and in the second group – from 2.1±0.3 to 0.6±0.1. Coefficient of aqueous outflow facility increased from 0.12±0.01 before surgery to 0.39±0.02 6 months after surgery in the first group, and in the second group – from 0.15±0.01 to 0.35±0.02.Conclusion. The developed dosed endotrabeculoectomy seems to be an effective and safe mini-invasive procedure pathogenetically oriented for surgical treatment of open-angle glaucoma. It leads to significant and stable decreasing of IOP and improving of aqueous humor outflow. The intraoperative visualization of the aqueous humor outflow system can determine the level of the outflow resistance and help to choose a surgical tactic

Optimizing mixing in the Rudner-Levitov lattice

Here we discuss optimization of mixing in finite linear and circular Rudner-Levitov lattices, i.e., Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattices with a dissipative sublattice. We show that presence of exceptional points in the systems spectra can lead to drastically different scaling of the mixing time with the number of lattice nodes, varying from quadratic to the logarithmic one. When operating in the region between the maximal and minimal exceptional points, it is always possible to restore the logarithmic scaling by choosing the initial state of the chain. Moreover, for the same localized initial state and values of parameters, a longer lattice might mix much faster than the shorter one. Also we demonstrate that an asymmetric circular Rudner-Levitov lattice can preserve logarithmic scaling of the mixing time for an arbitrary large number of lattice nodes.Comment: To appear in JOSA B, 202

Electromagnetic interaction of arbitrary radial-dependent anisotropic spheres and improved invisibility for nonlinear-transformation-based cloaks

An analytical method of electromagnetic wave interactions with a general radially anisotropic cloak is established. It is able to deal with arbitrary parameters ($\epsilon_r(r)$, $\mu_r(r)$, $\epsilon_t(r)$ and $\mu_t(r)$) of a radially anisotropic inhomogeneous shell. The general cloaking condition is proposed from the wave relations for the first time. We derive the parameters of a novel class of spherical nonlinear cloaks and examine its invisibility performance by the proposed method at various nonlinear situations. Spherical metamaterial cloaks with improved invisibility performance is achieved with optimal nonlinearity in transformation and core-shell ratio.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure

FUNCTIONAL POLYMORPHISM OF THE PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE GENES IN PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

In the present time, incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) becomes broader, due to spreading resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) to anti-tuberculosis drugs and infection with highly virulent strains of M. tuberculosis. The MBT antigens can cause dysfunction of the receptors and modulate the cytokine secreting function of immunocompetent cells. Polymorphic genes of pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in the mechanisms of defense responses of innate immunity, determine the degree of resistance to individual mycobacterial infection, as well as severity and duration of the disease in cases of clinical manifestations. The aim of the study was to investigate the connections between allelic polymorphisms of IL2, IFNG and TNFA genes and changes in secretion of the corresponding pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IFNγ, and TNFα in vitro in patients with the newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), depending on the clinical form of the disease.A total of 334 patients (220 men and 114 women) aged 23 to 50 years with newly diagnosed infiltrative and disseminated TB were enrolled into the study. The control group consisted of 183 healthy donors (130 men and 53 women) of corresponding age. The material of the research included DNA extracted from the whole blood and supernatants of culture suspensions of mononuclear leukocytes isolated from venous blood in healthy volunteers and patients with TB. The evaluation of cytokines secretion was performed by measuring their concentration in the blood mononuclear cell culture supernatants. using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To study polymorphic regions of cytokine genes, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied. Analysis of the obtained data was carried out by means of the program Statistica for Windows Version 6.0 (StatSoft Inc., USA).It was found that the imbalance of secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in TB patients was associated with the polymorphic variants of genes of these cytokines. It was found that the hypo-secretion of IL-2 is determined by the carriage of the G allele and genotype GG (T-330G) of the IL2 gene in both the control group and in patients with TB, regardless of the clinical form. In patients with DTB carriers of the homozygous genotype TT (T-330G) of the IL2gene, increased protein secretion was established. The maximum secretion of TNFб was recorded in patients with the AA genotype (G-308A) of the TNFA gene in the control group and in ITB patients; the minimum concentration of TNFα was associated with the carrier of the homozygous GG genotype (G-308A) of the TNFA gene in all the examined groups. In patients with ITB and DTB, an increase in IFNγ secretion by mononuclear blood leukocytes is not associated with the carrier of polymorphism +874A/T of the IFNG gene.Reduced secretion of IL-2 and TNFα in TB patients is associated with polymorphisms of their genes – (T-330G) of IL2 gene and (G-308A) of TNFA gene, respectively. The polymorphism (+874A/T) of the IFNG gene does not have a modulatory effect on the secretion of IFNγ in patients with TB, regardless of clinical form of the disease

Факторы иммуносупрессии при различных патологиях

Until recent time it has seemed obvious that suppressive function in the immune system is provided by one subpopulation of Tlymphocytes-suppressors. At present it is usually considered that regulatory cells (T-reg) are key cells-suppressors of the immune response. There exist two main mechanisms of T-reg immunosuppression realization: direct (when there is direct contact between cells) and distant (cytokine-dependent). For suppression of the immune response Т-reg cells produce cytokines with suppression activity: TGF-β, IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-35. Meanwhile the increasing number of facts indicates that suppression of the immune response is a multi-component process. A considerable role in suppression of the immune response is assigned to the endocrine system. However, immunosuppression mechanisms under infection, neoplastic processes and the influence of xenobiotics on the organism are not completely clear.До недавнего времени казалось очевидным, что супрессирующая функция в иммунной системе обеспечивается одной субпопуляцией Т-лимфоцитов-супрессоров. В настоящее время принято считать, что ключевыми клетками-супрессорами иммунного ответа являются регуляторные Т-клетки (T-reg). Существуют два основных механизма реализации иммуносупрессии T-reg: прямой (при непосредственном контакте между клетками) и дистантный (цитокинзависимый). Для супрессии иммунного ответа Т-reg выделяют трансформирующий фактор роста β, интерлейкины-10, -35, интерферон-γ. При этом все большее количество фактов указывает на то, что супрессия иммунного ответа является многокомпонентным процессом. Значительная роль в супрессии иммунного ответа отводится эндокринной системе. До конца не ясными остаются механизмы иммуносупрессии при инфекции, неопластических процессах, воздействии на организм ксенобиотиков

Роль галектина-1, -3 в механизмах дисрегуляции Т-клеточного звена иммунного ответа при раке толстого кишечника

The aim of the study was to characterize the features of the subpopulation composition and cytokine-secretory activity of T lymphocytes (Th1, Th17 and Treg) in relation to the concentration of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in the blood of patients with colon cancer.Materials and methods. A total of 26 patients diagnosed with colon cancer were examined. The study material included whole peripheral blood, blood plasma, and supernatants of suspension cultures of mononuclear leukocytes. Lymphocytes isolated from blood were typed by flow cytometry using monoclonal  antibodies. The content of galectin-1 and galectin-3 (in blood plasma) and IFNγ, IL-17A, and TGFβ (in supernatants of mononuclear leukocyte culture in vitro) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results obtained were analyzed by statistical methods.Results. In patients with colon cancer, a significant increase in the concentration of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in the blood plasma was found, which was associated with a decrease in the content of CD4+T-bet+ Th1 lymphocytes, CD4+RORC2+ Th17 lymphocytes in the blood and in vitro hyposecretion of IL-17. At the same time, positive correlations were revealed between the concentration of galectin-1 and galectin-3, the content of CD4+FoxP3+ Treg cells in the blood, and the secretion of TGFβ by mononuclear leukocytes in vitro.Conclusion. In colon cancer, increased levels of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in the blood are associated with quantitative deficiency and inhibited secretory activity of effector T lymphocytes and activation of the immunosuppressive functions of regulatory T cells. These results suggest a negative role of galectin 1 and galectin 3 in the mechanisms of regulation of the T cell immune response in colon cancer.Цель исследования – охарактеризовать особенности субпопуляционного состава и цитокин-секреторной активности Т-лимфоцитов (Th1, Th17 и Treg) во взаимосвязи с концентрацией галектина-1 и галектина-3 в крови у больных раком толстого кишечника.Материалы и методы. Обследованы 26 пациентов (14 мужчин и 12 женщин, средний возраст (62,9 ± 6,7) лет) с диагнозом рака толстого кишечника. В группу контроля вошли 17 здоровых доноров (11 мужчин и 6 женщин, средний возраст (58,2 ± 3,1) лет). Материалом исследования служила цельная периферическая кровь, плазма крови и супернатанты суспензионной культуры мононуклеарных лейкоцитов. Выделенные из крови лимфоциты типировали методом проточной лазерной цитофлуориметрии с использованием моноклональных антител. Методом иммуноферментного анализа определяли содержание галектина-1 и галектина-3 (в плазме крови) и IFNγ, IL-17A и TGFβ (в супернатантах культуры мононуклеарных лейкоцитов in vitro). Полученные результаты анализировали статистическими методами.Результаты. У больных раком толстого кишечника установлено значимое увеличение концентрации галектина-1 и галектина-3 в плазме крови, ассоциированное со снижением содержания CD4+T-bet+ Th1- лимфоцитов, CD4+RORC2+ Th17-лимфоцитов в крови и гипосекрецией IL-17 лимфоцитами in vitro. Напротив, выявлена положительная корреляция между концентрацией галектинов 1 и 3, содержанием CD4+FoxP3+Treg клеток в крови и секрецией TGFβ мононуклеарными лейкоцитами in vitro.Заключение. При раке толстого кишечника повышенный уровень галектинов 1 и 3 в крови сопряжен с количественным дефицитом и угнетением секреторной активности эффекторных Т-лимфоцитов, и, напротив, активацией иммуносупрессорных функций  регуляторных Т-клеток. Полученные результаты указывают на негативную роль галектина-1 и галектина-3 в механизмах регуляции Т-клеточного звена иммунного ответа при раке толстого кишечника

Broadening of Plasmonic Resonance Due to Electron Collisions with Nanoparticle Boundary: а Quantum Mechanical Consideration

We present a quantum mechanical approach to calculate broadening of plasmonic resonances in metallic nanostructures due to collisions of electrons with the surface of the structure. The approach is applicable if the characteristic size of the structure is much larger than the de Broglie electron wavelength in the metal. The approach can be used in studies of plasmonic properties of both single nanoparticles and arrays of nanoparticles.Comment: 9 page