Verification of zinc role in pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aim. Determination of the level of zinc and its fractions, as well as the enzyme neutrophilic elastase and albumin in persons suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as smoking actively and passively. Materials and methods. The study involved 30 patients with a diagnosis of COPD and 90 healthy persons (60 of them smoking at the present time, 30 - no) who underwent spirometry and determination of zinc levels and its pools, albumin, and neutrophil elastase. All data are subject to statistical processing. Results. It is determined that the studied parameters differ significantly in the groups of smokers with COPD, healthy smokers and non-smokers, and correlate with the volume of forced exhalation for 1 second as a percentage of the due. Conclusion. The revealed regularities make it possible to consider the indicator "share of bound zinc fraction" introduced in the study as a screening criterion in diagnosing COPD in smokers

A Case Report of Differential Diagnosis of Causes of Severe Valvular Heart Disease (Takayasu's Arteritis, Infective Endocarditis and Myxomatous Degeneration) with the Key Role of Histological and PCR Examination

Aortic valve lesion is a common and may have diverse causes, from degenerative, congenital and infectious diseases to autoimmune conditions. We present a rare case of Takayasu arteritis and severe heart lesion due to the myxomatous degeneration of the aortic and mitral valves associated with development of infective endocarditis (IE) complicated by abscess, fistula, valve perforation and recurrent acute decompensated heart failure in a young female patient. A combined use of histopathological and PCR analyses of valve tissues was critically important for differential diagnosis of the valve lesions, as it made it possible to identify the true cause of the disease. The presence of Takayasu arteritis has played an indirect role by creating conditions for the development of immunosuppression and determining the disease severity and its progression

Botanical gardens and arboreta of higher educational institutions of Federal agency on education of Ministry of education and science of Russian Federation

Botanical gardens and arboreta of higher educational institutions of Federal agency on education of Ministry of education and science of Russian Federatio