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 unde r- diagnosing of the illness that causes a significant decrease in patient’s quality of life and even results in disability. The n umber 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

HYPERPROLACTINEMIA AND ANTIPSYCHOTIC THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS WITH HASHIMOTO\u27 S THYROIDITIS

Introduction: Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL) is known as a side effect of some antidepressants and antipsychotics. These medicines are common in treatment of schizophrenia. Thus, HPRL is often observed in schizophrenic patients. It is also known that HPRL can occur in Hashimoto\u27 s thyroiditis due to prolactoliberin effect of thyroliberin. The clinical pathophysiology of the patients with the comorbodity of schizophrenia and Hashimoto\u27s thyroiditis, receiving antipsychotics, is of special interest.It\u27s fair to assume that these patients have higher risks of HPRL. To analyze risks of HPRL with antipsychotic treatment, to identify an association between the antipsychotic therapy (AT) and HPRL in Hashimoto\u27s patiens receiving AT ,to explore the association of HPRL and other laboratory parameters in patients with Hashimoto\u27s thyroiditis and schizophrenia during AT. Subjects and methods: We studied 17 patients with HT in comorbidity with schizophrenia receiving AT (mean age 46,5+-12,8 years), all euthyroid or with light hypothyroidism. Different laboratory parameters such as anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) antibodies, blood levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and prolactin (PRL) were analysed. Results: The study revealed the high levels of PRL, anti-TPO and anti-TG autoantibodies. Thus, patients were classified into 3 groups by the degree of expected HPRL risk from the antipsychotics used: without expected risk, with low and high expected risks. The correlation analysis detected an inverse significant correlation (R=-0.51; p=0.037) between expected level of drug-associated HPRL risk and actual PRL levels in studied group. At the same time, we detected a positive significant correlation between the levels of PRL and FT4 in the groups (R=0.53; p=0.03). The correlations between the levels of PRL and other parameters such as TSH, FT3, anti-TPO, anti-TG, anti-TSH receptor antibodies were not statistically significant. Conclusions: HPRL in the group was not associated with taking of antipsychotic drugs with high expected HPRL risk. Yet, a significant positive correlation existed between the levels of PRL and FT4.Hence, in Hashimoto\u27s thyroiditis accompanied with treated mental illness there are some non-iatrogenic stimulants of prolactogenesis. It cannot be ruled out that antipsychotics may interfere with prolactin metabolism, which creates a false effect of a positive correlation between prolactin and free thyroxine levels, in contrast to common HPRL of hypothyroidism

SYNOPSIS AND PROSPECTS OF AUTOIMMUNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT WORLDWIDE (AFTER THE MATERIALS OF THE 11th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS IN LISBON, MAY 16-20, 2018). PROCEEDING I: FIRST ACADEMY OF AUTOIMMUNITY

A review article is an aftermath of the 11th International Congress on Autoimmunity and First Academy of Autoimmunity, happened 14th to 20th May, 2018 in Lisbon. The first part of paper discusses the formation, main problems and prospects for the development of Autoimmunology as a new integral branch of fundamental and clinical Medicine engaged in the research, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of autoimmune diseases of various organs and systems, totally circa 90 of them. A summary of all lectures conducted during the Academy of Autoimmunity is given, including a discussion of the newest and controversial aspects of the development of the modern concepts of the immune system, autoimmunity and autoimmune pathology. Article reviews data on the current problems of Immunology associated with the use of large databases of clinical and laboratory findings and extrapolation of animal experimentation data to humans. The newest ideas about congenital immunity, including the populations of innate lymphoid cells, on the role of various groups of receptors of the innate immunity system, on the participation of the mechanisms of innate immunity in pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders are highlighted. Modern concepts of antigen presentation are offered, including classification of dendritic cells, alternative pathways of macrophage activation, as well as on costimulatory and inhibitory interactions of ligands and receptors of lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. The latest data about the subpopulations of T lymphocytes and their role, including the functions of Tfh cells and the relationships of these subpopulations with various immune responses are highlighted. Influence of microbiota on T cell subpopulations is discussed. The main regularities of the phenomenon of immunological memory are formulated. The questions of antibody production and B lymphocyte functions are considered taking into account recently discovered mechanisms of intracellular penetration of immunoglobulins and details of affinity maturation of lymphoid clones. The new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of autoimmune diseases associated with influences on B and T lymphocytes are described. Mechanisms of central and peripheral autotolerance have been highlighted, taking into account data on the function of the AIRE gene and T regulators. The role of T regulators in placentation is considered. The role of interleukin-2 and its recombinant analogues in immune interactions is interpreted in a new way, taking into account not only their immunostimulating, but, under certain conditions, immunosuppressive potential also. Considerable attention has been paid to the inhibitory receptors of T lymphocytes and to immuno-biotherapeutic effects on them. The history and current status of Oncoimmunology and the use of blockers of inhibitory T lymphocyte receptors in Oncology, including the side effects of treatment with check-point inhibitors, are briefly discussed. Information was given on the held on 21-23 September 2018 2nd Academy of Autoimmunity in St. Petersburg

Growth of InSb and InI Crystals on Earth and in Microgravity

No abstract availabl

Hertz problem for a rigid punch moving across the surface of a semi-infinite elastic solid

The elastodynamic problem of a rigid punch moving at a constant sub-Rayleigh speed across the surface of an elastic half-space is investigated in the present paper. The unknown contact region is determined as part of solution from the unilateral or Signorini conditions. Numerical results are plotted showing how the eccentricity of the contact ellipse changes with the punch speed. Some asymptotic properties of the solution for the case where the punch speed is comparable with the Rayleigh wave speed are explored in details.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43462/1/33_2004_Article_BF00914874.pd

Influence of silicone mammoplasty on the immunoendocrine status of female recipients

The article concerns a study of early influence of silicone breast implants on the development of autoimmune reactions and dynamics of prolactin and thyroid hormone levels in women after mammoplasty. At the present time, this issue remains relevant for several reasons: more than 20 million pairs of implants have been installed in the world and the number of their implantations is constantly growing. Despite relative safety of the silicone implants, some of them are periodically banned by regulatory bodies in various countries. At the same time, there is a growing number of controversial publications in the scientific literature, about potential adverse consequences of their use. Some authors suggest an association between the silicone implants and risk of developing autoimmune conditions, connective tissue disorders, and occasional malignancies. On the other hand, the journals are full of publications about the overall safe tolerance of such medical devices by the patients. These considerations served as a pre-requisite to our research. As part of this project, we have assayed serum levels of autoantibodies to ten antigens, as well as contents of prolactin and thyroid hormones by means of ELISA technique in 27 patients before, 3 and 6 months after aesthetic and reconstructive mammoplastics performed within a period of September 2018 to November 2019. As a result, it was found that 5 out of 27 patients exhibited changes in the autoimmunity spectrum and intensity after mammoplasty. In particular, the concentrations of autoantibodies to modified citrullinated vimentin and IgM autoantibodies to cardiolipin exceeded the normal level at 3 and 6 months. In addition, the initially high prolactin concentration in mammoplasty recipients dropped to normal ranges by 3 months after breast surgery, even after several-fold increased initial levels. As for thyroid hormones, there were no statistically significant changes in their dynamics. The increase of autoantibodies to various target antigens after mammoplasty was statistically significant and positively correlated with each other. This can be explained, for example, by dependence on the adjuvant effect of silicone, which is not associated with antigen specificity. However, it may generally stimulate the immune responses

The pathogenic role of circulating Hashimoto's Thyroiditis-derived TPO-positive IgG on fetal loss in naïve mice

Problem: Antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), often are associated with recurrent fetal loss. One of the ATD is Hashimoto's thyroiditis which recently showed association with complications of pregnancy with increased levels of circulating autoantibodies reactive with epitopes on thyroid tissue such as thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO). In retrospective study of sera analyses in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, all patients had mainly elevated circulating anti-TPO autoantibodies. Aim: We assessed the potential of human anti-TPO highly positive IgG, derived from patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis sera associated with complications of pregnancy, to cause directly complications of pregnancy in murine model. Method of study: Naïve ICR female mice, infused intravenously with 100 μg of anti-TPO-positive IgG, showed increased fetal loss and embryo small for date (P <.001) in comparison with mice passively transferred with commercial IgG or PBS. Moreover, we observed embryos small for date in the mice passively transferred with anti-TPO-positive IgG, exemplified by reduced weight of embryos and placentae (P =.001). Histopathological examination revealed delay in fetal development in 50% cases of anti-TPO-positive IgG-treated mice. Importantly, pathological changes in the transition zone, state of glycogen cells, and significant structural changes in the labyrinth part of placenta were observed in all anti-TPO-positive IgG samples. Conclusion: The current study shows in the first time, a direct proof of concept, on the association of human TPO-positive IgG from Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients on fetal loss induction in murine model

'Heat from Above' Heat Capacity Measurements in Liquid He-4

We have made heat capacity measurements of superfluid He-4 at temperatures very close to the lambda point, T(sub lambda) , in a constant heat flux, Q, when the helium sample is heated from above. In this configuration the helium enters a self-organized (SOC) heat transport state at a temperature T(sub SOC)(Q), which for Q greater than or = 100 nW/sq cm lies below T(sub lambda). At low Q we observe little or no deviation from the bulk Q = 0 heat capacity up to T(sub SOC)(Q); beyond this temperature the heat capacity appears to be sharply depressed, deviating dramatically from its bulk behaviour. This marks the formation and propagation of a SOC/superfluid two phase state, which we confirm with a simple model. The excellent agreement between data and model serves as an independent confirmation of the existence of the SOC state. As Q is increased (up to 6 micron W/sq cm) we observe a Q dependant depression in the heat capacity that occurs just below T(sub SOC)(Q), when the entire sample is still superfluid. This is due to the emergence of a large thermal resistance in the sample, which we have measured and used to model the observed heat capacity depression. Our measurements of the superfluid thermal resistivity are a factor of ten larger than previous measurements by Baddar et al