[Bilateral uveitis associated with protein kinase inhibitor-based treatment of skin melanoma (case study)]

The article presents a clinical case of bilateral uveitis with macular edema that developed during long-term administration of vemurafenib. Methods of conservative treatment of malignant tumors are presently available and reasonably effective. However, at the same time drugs can have toxic effect on normal cells in various tissues of the body. According to our data, the use of corticosteroids can ameliorate the clinical signs of macular edema associated with uveitis, but with a tendency to recur. Only complete cancellation of vemurafenib provided remission of sufficient duration, which is fully consistent with clinical observations made by colleagues. Therefore, when prescribing long-term therapy with vemurafenib, in addition to periodic observation by an oncologist, it is also mandatory to continue follow-up observation by an ophthalmologist. Partnership between health care specialists could help avoid severe ocular complications.

[Herpesviral infection as an etiological factor of acute idiopathic optic neuritis]

PURPOSE

To assess the etiological significance of herpesviral infection (HVI) in patients with acute idiopathic optic neuritis (ON) using clinical and laboratory monitoring.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Clinical and laboratory examinations were conducted for 10 years and were based on the results of etiological monitoring of 79 patients (85 eyes) with acute idiopathic ON in the period of 2005-2015.

RESULTS

During a complex examination of 79 patients with acute idiopathic ON, various infectious pathogens were diagnosed in 75 people (94.9±2.1%). HVI was clearly dominant (69 patients - 87.3±2.4%). These patients were divided into 3 etiological groups. The first group - 34 people with herpesviral monoinfection; the second group - 15 people with mixed viral-viral infections; the third group - 20 people with mixed viral-bacterial infections. In the general population of patients with acute idiopathic ON associated with HVI, herpes simplex virus-1 is the most frequent (by more than 2.5 times), the infections of Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus were detected less often (p<0.05). Active current HVI in the general group of patients was diagnosed in 58 patients (84%). At the same time, reactivation of chronic infection (79.7%) was noted to be prevalent, while primary acute HVI was diagnosed rarely (4.3%). The remaining 11 patients (16%) had chronic persistent HVI.

CONCLUSION

Clinical and laboratory monitoring of HVI in patients with acute idiopathic ON has shown the etiological role of herpesviruses in its development. Based on a complex of serological markers in enzyme-linked immunoassay reactions of blood serum, it was found that in patients with acute idiopathic ON the frequency of herpesviral infection is 87.3±2.4%. The proportion of active (etiologically significant) herpesviral infection is 84% of the total group. The results of the clinical and laboratory studies are of great practical importance for verification of the etiologic diagnosis and selection of adequate etiopathogenetic therapy in patients with acute idiopathic ON associated with HVI.

[Cytochemical study of peroxidase activity and the peroxidase-endogenous hydrogen peroxide system in the peripheral blood neutrophils of mice exposed to prodigiozan and retabolil]

The paper concerns changes in the activity of some enzymes of azurophil granules of mouse neutrophils under a single administration of the bacterial polysaccharide prodigiosan and the synthetic anabolic hormone retabolil. Prodigiosan increases 1.4-fold the activity of the peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide system in azurophil granules of intact mice. In mice with leukopenia, prodigiosan normalizes the leukocyte count after 24 hours. At the same time there is an increase in the activity of peroxidase. It is assumed that under the effect of the same drug the cells of the animals in different physiological conditions may show an activation of the different components of antimicrobial defence. Retabolil raises the activity of peroxidase 96 hours after the first administration. Following 192 hours the activity reduces to normal and remains unchanged after the second drug administration.

[Effect of cholerogen on tissue culture cells]

A study was made of various series of cholerogen on the cultures of human continuous cells of normal (F1, Rh) and tumour nature (HeLa). Cholerogen proved to produce a marked toxic action on the cultures of F1, Rh and HeLa cells causing a reduction of the number of living cells, depression of mitotic activity, a reduction of the intensity of staining on the sum total protein and RNA, a reduction of the activity in the cells of acid phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase, and also a reduction of production of protein-polysaccharide layer. Different cholerogens produced a different toxic action on the cells of the same type.

[Microexudation phenomenon in the testing of antibiotics]

Changes in formation of the surface protein-polysaccharide layer (microexudate) on the cell surface under the action of inhibitor antibiotics, such as puromycin, actinomycin D and mitomycin C, as well as protein substances with adhesive action, such as horse serum and triprotamine in low doses were characterized quantitatively on a model of HeLa cells ellipsometrically. Under the action of puromycin, actinomycin D and mitomycin C formation of the microexudate ceased, which was in full accordance with the data on ceasation of the intracellular synthesis of protein, RNA and DNA under the action of the above antibiotics respectively. Inhibition of the microexudate formation was reversible. Still, the time of the inhibitory effect of puromycin and actinomycin D was longer than that of mitomycin C. Under the action of horse serum and triprotamine production of the microexudate by the cells was increased and accelerated. Accounting with the relative simplicity of the ellipsometric method and possibility of rapid estimation of the results, the data substantiate the expediency of using the phenomenon of microexudation as a cytopharmacological test.