Vol 33, No 3 (2022)

Objective. To study the dynamics of regional mortality rates from all causes and from 3 groups of causes (diseases, external causes, alcohol and drugs) in 20162019, to compare the average 4-year mortality rates with 2020 and to assess the «contribution» of COVID-19 to mortality rates from diseases. Material and Methods. Data from the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) on the average annual population and the number of deaths in one-year age groups for 2016-2020 were analyzed. Standardized mortality rates (SMR) from all causes, 3 causes (diseases, external causes, alcohol and drugs), average regional values of SMR and standard deviation were determined. Results. The regional mean SMR from all causes decreased from 2016 to 2019, but only 50% of regions recorded an annual decline in SMR; the remaining regions had a ripple effect. In 2020, compared to the average SMR value for 2016-2019, there was an increase in SMR (p<0.0001) by an average of 12.9±5.3% (from diseases - by 15.4±5.9%); only Sevastopol recorded a decrease (-0.2%) in SMR; the maximum increase in SMR was recorded in the Chechen Republic (+35%). Mid-regional SMR from external causes in 2020 (compared with 2016-2019) decreased by 9.4±9% (p<0.0001) but increased in 7 regions; the mean regional SMR from alcohol- and drug-related causes did not change significantly, increasing in 45 regions; the proportion of deaths from these 2 cause groups in 2020 was 10.5±3.2%. The proportion of deaths from COVID-19 to deaths from diseases averaged 6.6±3.5% (>13% in 3 regions; <2% in 8 regions; 2.2-11.0% in 71 regions). We found a weak correlation between the increase in SMR from all causes (including diseases) and SMR from COVID-19. Conclusion. There was pronounced interregional variability in SMR from all causes and individual groups of causes between 2016 and 2019; this trend worsened in 2020. COVID-19 only partially explains the changes and variability of regional mortality rates.

The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the fact that the microcirculatory bed (MCB) can individually give a reaction to the effects of both a chemical substance and a poison. This specificity can be used in the diagnosis of poisoning and the use of drugs containing cytotoxins and neurotoxins.

In the period of the ongoing pandemic, more and more often people who have not only had a new coronavirus infection, but have already been vaccinated against it, are seen by a neurologist. The authors are of the opinion that vaccination is the only sure way to help reduce the incidence and, as a result, mortality from COVID-19. However, this article provides information on clinical cases of possible complications from the peripheral nervous system after using vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. As the pace of the vaccination campaign accelerates, it is important to track individual response to determine the profile of side effects and any contraindications that may not have been previously identified.

The review of information on the role of the trace element selenium in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism is carried out. The data of clinical studies of selenium, which showed the importance of selenium deficiency in the pathogenesis of obesity and ovarian scleropolycystic disease, are presented. It has been shown that the method of preventing obesity and ovarian scleropolycystic disease can be the use of a biologically active supplement SELENBIO for women, obtained by biofortification of woolly-flowered astragalus with L-selenocystine, due to which the drug has high bioavailability and low risk of toxic effects.

In recent years, there has been an unprecedented increase in the resistance of bacterial strains to antibiotics. Millions of deaths per year are recorded worldwide due to the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains. However, in the human body there is a little-studied natural system of counteracting microorganisms - chemokines. To investigate the antibacterial properties of the chemokine CXCL9. The conducted study revealed the antibacterial effect of the CXCL9 chemokine on clinically significant bacterial species (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and Listeria monocytogenes). A bactericidal stable activity against the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes was noted within 7 hours after contact with the chemokine CXCL9. The findings demonstrated the presence of antibacterial properties of the chemokine CXCL9 in relation to a number of microorganisms with the different structure of the cell wall.

The paper presents the clinical case of the patient with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, development of secondary post-transfusion hemochromatosis with the possible cardiac involvement and chronic heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, as well as deep vein occlusive thrombosis of the left lower extremity and consequences of ischemic stroke as complication of thrombocytosis.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is characterized by a high incidence and a significant decrease in quality of life in patients, and is also a major risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. GERD and Barretfs esophagus are presently included in the list of comorbidities that aggravate the course of COVID-19. Antisecretory therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is the gold standard for the medical treatment of GERD; however, this therapy is unsuccessful in some cases, while it is not always safe during the novel coronavirus infection (NCI) pandemic. Taking into account the fact that motor functional problems of the digestive tract are the determining pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease; drugs with a prokinetic effect on the upper gastrointestinal tract are additionally indicated for the treatment of patients with GERD. Itopride hydrochloride (Retch), a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist and an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, is a new generation prokinetic. The features of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Retch allow it to be used in patients with GERD in basic and long-term anti-relapse therapy regimens using the drug in combination with PPIs and alone. The high efficiency of the drug in relieving the symptoms of the disease, the absence of its side effects, and the risk of drug interactions determine its importance in the treatment of GERD during the NCI pandemic.

Childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common disease of unknown etiology and multifactorial pathogenesis, which is embodied in the inefficiency of existing therapies. Objective to provide a rationale for the use of hydrotherapy (HT), non-selective chromotherapy (NCT), and low-intensity laser blood irradiation (NLBI) in the combination treatment of children with AD, taking into account skin barrier dysfunction. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 164 children (mean age, 8.0±2.9 years) with AD and 30 healthy children of the same age (a control group). The patients with AD were divided into 5 treatment groups: 1) basic drug therapy (BDT); 2) HT + BDT; 3) NCT + BDT; 4) NLBI + BDT; 5) HT + NCT + NLBI + BDT. Skin barrier function was evaluated, by measuring the skin pH, skin moisture (corneometry), and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Results BDT had no corrective effect on the indicators of skin barrier function. HT, NCT, and NLBI significantly improved the studied parameters: skin pH, moisture, and TEWL. Conclusion Combination treatment including HT, NCT, and NLBI during BDT more effectively corrects skin barrier dysfunction than each of the methods used alone, which is embodied in the restoration of skin pH, moisture, and TEWL to the level of healthy individuals.