Search

Purpose of the study. Bioinformatic search for transcriptomic markers (based on metabolomic data) and their validation in the urine of serous ovarian adenocarcinoma patients.Materials and methods. The study included 70 patients with serous ovarian adenocarcinoma and 30 conditionally healthy individuals. The search for metabolite regulator genes and gene regulator microRNAs was performed using the Random forest machine learning method. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was isolated using the RNeasy Plus Universal Kits. The level of microRNA transcripts in urine was determined by real-time PCR. Differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney test with Bonferroni correction.Results. Using the Random forest method, metabolite-regulator gene (47 genes) and metabolite-regulator microRNA (613 unique microRNA) relationships were established. The identified microRNAs were validated by real-time PCR. Changes in the levels of microRNA transcripts were detected: miR-382-5p, miR-593-3p, miR-29a-5p, miR-2110, miR-30c-5p, miR-181a-5p, let-7b-5p, miR-27a-3p, miR-370-3p, miR-6529-5p, miR-653-5p, miR-4742-5p, miR-2467-3p, miR-1909-5p, miR-6743-5p, miR-875-3p, miR-19a-3p, miR-208a-5p, miR-330-5p, miR-1207-5p, miR-4668-3p, miR-3193, miR-23a-3p, miR-12132, miR-765, miR-181b-5p, miR-4529-3p, miR-33b-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-6866-3p, miR-4753-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-491-5p, miR-196b-5p, miR-6843-3p, miR-423-5p and miR-3184-5p in the urine of patients compared to conditionally healthy individuals.Conclusion. Thus, urine transcriptome profiling allowed both to identify potential disease markers and to better understand the molecular mechanisms of changes underlying ovarian cancer development.

INTRODUCTION. Functional examination of the urinary system, and particularly the kidneys, is an important challenge in preclinical studies. Currently, there is no generally recognised and detailed approach to drug-induced nephrotoxicity detection in vivo, nor are there clear criteria for its assessment.AIM. This study aimed to analyse and systematise instrumental and laboratory methods for the assessment of urinary system function in laboratory animals and to identify the basic principles for studying drug-induced nephrotoxic effects.DISCUSSION. The study analysed the advantages and limitations of the methods used to study the nephrotoxicity of medicinal products, with considerations for the use of these methods in small and large laboratory animals. The effects of a test substance on the urinary system should first be evaluated using minimally invasive methods. One of these methods is urinalysis. For urinalysis, important considerations include the sampling technique, the volume of the biomaterial, and the turnaround time between urine collection and analysis. Ultrasonography is the most accessible instrumental method in preclinical studies. Ultrasonography can assess organ position, size, structure, and echogenicity and detect abnormalities and changes in real time. Dif ferent method settings are preferred for each species of laboratory animal. Further analysis can include macroscopic examination of organs, measurement of their masses, and microscopic analysis of tissues. Visual assessment should cover the size, colour, and consistency of the ureters, bladder, and kidneys. Nephrotoxicity may manifest as increased apoptosis, vacuolation of renal tubular epithelial cells, epithelial degeneration or dystrophy, oedema, diapedesis-associated haemorrhages, acute tubular and papillary necrosis, necrosis of the Bowman–Schumlansky capsule, casts and crystals in the tubular lumen, glomerulopathy with the corresponding changes, and inflammatory and vascular reactions.CONCLUSIONS. The study analysed and systematised instrumental and laboratory methods for assessing the functional state of the urinary system in preclinical studies. The authors outlined the basic principles for a structured and comprehensive study of the potential nephrotoxicity of novel medicines. The assessment of nephrotoxicity should start with simple and minimally invasive laboratory and instrumental methods, which include general urinalysis and microscopic examination of urine sediment. These methods can detect organ dysfunction that has not yet presented with an associated anatomical lesion. A more in-depth analysis should involve histological and immunohistochemical methods to examine the urinary tissues of laboratory animals.

Objective. To evaluate the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli isolates from the urine of patients hospitalized in medical institutions of Tashkent city from 2018 to 2021. Materials and Methods. The study included 1020 E. coli isolates from the urine of patients with clinical symptoms of urinary tract infections admitted to the reference laboratory of the Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center (ARRC) from three medical institutions in Tashkent city for the period 2018– 2021. Determination of sensitivity to 15 antimicrobial agents was carried out by disc-diffusion method in accordance with the guidelines of the European Committee for the Determination of Sensitivity to Antimicrobial Agents (EUCAST v.8-v.12, depending on the year of isolates isolation and testing). Results. A high level of resistance to aminopenicillins, including inhibitor-protected ones (88.0–91.1%), 3–4 generation cephalosporins (84.5–87.7%) and fluoroquinolones (74.2–81.8%) was detected. Carbapenems showed the highest activity among the tested antimicrobials: resistance to imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem was 0%, 0.8% and 18%, respectively. Notable increase in resistance to ampicillin and ceftazidime was found, but a consistently high level of resistance to piperacillin-tazobactam. A statistically significant increase (p < 0.001) was found between 2018–2021 in resistance to the aminoglycoside antibiotics amikacin and gentamicin from 3.2% and 37.8% to 85.4% and 80.6%, respectively. Conclusions. In our study, for most antibiotic groups, the level of resistance remained relatively stable from 2018 to 2021, except for an explosive increase in the frequency of resistance to aminoglycosides, as well as a further increase in resistance to ampicillin and ceftazidime. The need for monitoring and tracking of antibiotic pathogens when choosing treatment regimens for various infections is obvious.

Copyright of Methods & Objects of Chemical Analysis / Metody & Obekty Himičeskogo Analiza is the property of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of the study was to detect sertraline and its metabolites in urine under standardized thin layer chromatography (TLC) screening conditions and identify the metabolites using the mass spectrometry method. Materials and methods. Urine samples, collected within 30 hours in portions of 20–50 mL, commenced from the seventh hour after the administration of a single therapeutic dose of the drug. The sample preparation process involved dilute acid hydrolysis, followed by the extraction of the native compound and metabolites with chloroform at a pH of 8–9. Thin layer chromatography studies of the extracts were conducted using four unified TLC systems recommended by The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists for general drug screening. Chromatograms were subjected to color reactions with a variety of chromogenic reagents. For the analysis of eluates from chromatograms, a Varian 1200 L mass spectrometer (Netherlands) equipped with a dual quadrupole mass analyzer was employed. Identification was performed through direct sample introduction into the ion chamber, electron-impact ionization (70 eV), and full ion scanning mode. Results. The spot of the native drug on the chromatogram was identified by the Rf, value. Metabolite of sertraline was identified as N-desmethyltrihydroxysertraline by the molecular ion peak in the mass spectrum. Conclusions. The study demonstrated the ability of TLC to detect sertraline and its metabolite, N-desmethyltrihydroxysertraline, in urine after the administration of a single therapeutic dose of the drug. The chromatographic mobility of the native compound and N-desmethyltrihydroxysertraline in the unified TLC screening systems, along with the results of their visualization using chromogenic reagents for toxicological drug screening, was determined. Furthermore, the potential of coupling TLC with mass spectrometry for the separation, detection, and confirmatory identification of sertraline and its metabolic products in urine was established.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are currently frequently isolated from pets and farm animals. The long-term irrational use of antibiotics for the treatment of animals and humans is underestimated and requires further attention and research, including in Ukraine. The aim of our study was to identify bacterial isolates and study their sensitivity to antibiotics in urinary tract inflammation in dogs. According to the statistical data of the VetForce system of the BTNAU clinic, out of 202 dogs examined in the clinic, 15 (7.43 %) were diagnosed with diseases with signs of urinary tract inflammation. It has been established that a large number of microorganisms, mainly E. coli, Streptococcus urinae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, causes inflammatory processes of the urinary tract in dogs. A less common microorganism, Klebsiella pneumonia, proved to be resistant. It was found that bacterial cystitis (the first group of animals) prevailed 1.5 times more often than in animals with urolithiasis. In dogs of the first group of 6–12 years old and over 12 years old, the percentage of the disease was higher compared to the group from 0.6 to 1.6 years old by 10.2 and 22.2 %, respectively. Dogs of the second group, aged 1.6–12 years, suffering from urolithiasis (66.6 %), suffer from bacterial diseases 4 times more often compared to animals aged 0.6–1.6 years. Streptococcus urinae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated and identified from the urine of dogs in this group. In the associated form, E. coli and Streptococcus pyogene predominated in the urine of dogs. A resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumonia to amoxicillin, streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin and tetracycline was identified. Antibiotics should be used rationally, taking into account that for the treatment of animals it is necessary to determine the sensitivity of the pathogen with which the animal was infected. Antibiotic therapy should be carried out until complete elimination, which is sometimes achieved through prolonged treatment.

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is an alternative to antibiotic therapy method for biocidal action against microorganisms, which can be used for lithotripsy and sanitation of the bladder cavities. Objective. Selection of parameters and application PDI against uropathogenic microorganisms. Materials and Methods. In this study we used bacterial strains isolated from urine samples of patients. Differentiation media and biochemical plates were used for identification of microorganisms. The sensitivity of uropathogenic microorganisms to PDI was studied on pure cultures and in native urine. The photosensitizer “Photoditazine” (50 µg/ml) was used in the work, as well as Triton X-100 (5 % vol.) was applying to increase the permeability of the cell wall of gram-negative microorganisms. The samples were irradiated by a medical laser device “Latus-K” with a wavelength of 662 nm. To assess the effectiveness of PDI, the values of the logarithmic decrease of colony-forming unit (CFU) of the microorganisms were calculated. Statistical analysis was made by Statistica 10.0 and Mann-Whitney criterion. Results. 50 strains of uropathogens belonging to 18 species were isolated from 36 samples of native urine. Among them, the most common were S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae. The value of logarithmic decrease in CFU for gram-positive bacteria ranged from 5 to 6, which corresponds to inactivation 99.999-99.9999% of bacterial cells in a sample. For gram-negative strains, this value was slightly lower and ranged from 4 to 5.5, which, nevertheless, corresponds to inactivation 99.99-99.999% of CFU bacteria. The addition of Triton X-100 increase the efficiency from 46% to 99.99% for E. coli, from 99% to 99.99% for P. mirabilis, from 16% to 94% for K. pneumoniae and from 97% to 99.999% for P. aeruginosa. It should be noted that the PDI was affect microorganisms both in isolated pure cultures and in native urine. Conclusions. Photodynamic inactivation may be considered as an alternative to antibiotic therapy method of biocidal action against uropathogenic microorganisms.

Semen Semenovich Zimnitsky is an outstanding Russian internist of the early XX century. He created a functional direction and made a significant contribution to internal medicine, infectiology, immunology and microbiology, but his studies of gastroenterology are fundamental. The Zimnitsky’s works on hepatology, pancreatic diseases, and balneology are interesting. S. S. Zimnitsky discovered 5 types of gastric secretion, which turned out to be reversible, and proposed a repeated breakfast. The pinnacle of his work is Zimnitsky’s test, which makes it possible to determine the renal function without resorting to any invasive procedures and in no way burdening the patient. The onset of test creation was laid by S. S. Zimnitsky in his doctoral dissertation devoted to gastroenterology.

The pinnacle of S. S. Zimnitsky scientific heritage is the Zimnitsky, which makes it possible to assess the renal function without invasive procedures and burdening the patient. Proposed a hundred years ago, the Zimnitsky test shows its effectiveness at the present time. S. S. Zimnitsky proposed an original classification of hydronephrosis, described a special form of nephritis and rejected the filtration theory of urine formation, promoting the secretory one. In his purely scientific nephrological articles, S. S. Zimnitsky acts as a sincere and ardent patriot of his great homeland.

The determination of the concentration of procalcitonin (PCT) in blood serum and other biological fluids is used for the diagnosis and monitoring of the course of sepsis and the syndrome of a systemic inflammatory reaction. This review summarizes the data on the diagnostic value of the definition of procalcitonin in the practice of urologists and andrologists. The content of procalcitonin in such biological fluids as urine, seminal plasma is almost 10 times higher than the level of this protein in blood serum: this phenomenon is manifested in physiological conditions and in pathological processes. The relationship of clinical and laboratory indicators of inflammation with the severity of urosepsis was analyzed. Elevated serum procalcitonin levels are considered as a predictor of septic shock in patients with urolithiasis, and determine the management tactics of patients with urinary tract obstruction. The marker function of this protein was studied in inflammation in the renal parenchyma, in malignant neoplasms of the kidneys, bladder, ureter, prostate and testis; in the diagnosis of testicular torsion and orchiepididymitis. The article describes the regular changes in the level of urinary procalcitonin depending on the severity of vesicoureteral reflux, the severity of the manifestations of the inflammatory reaction. There were significant differences in the concentration of procalcitonin in seminal plasma between the groups of men with reduced and normal ejaculate fertility.

The purpose of this work was to study the relationships between urinary cytokines, mast cells and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). Sixty-eight women with clinically diagnosed IC/BPS were under study. Their mean age was 54.2±12.4 years. Urinary concentrations of interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and NGF were determined by ELISA technique. Mast cells were identified in biopsies of mucous membranes from urinary bladder harvested during cystoscopy. Statistical evaluation was performed by Statistica program in Microsoft Excel. Pearson correlation quotients were calculated. Depending on the type of IC/BPS, the patients were divided into 2 groups: group I included 36 patients with classic type of disease; group II comprised 32 patients with non-ulcer type of IC/BPS. No significant differences were revealed between the groups. In 13.9% of patients from group I, the onset of clinical manifestations of the disease was observed at the age of less than 40 years; in group II, 28.1% of the examined mentioned appearance of the disease symptoms at this age. The levels of IL-1β in the patients from group I was 2.4 times higher than in controls (p < 0.05). IL-6, IL-8 and TNFα concentrations exceeded control values by 2.0 (p < 0.05), 2.5 (p < 0.05) and 2.0 times (p < 0.05), respectively. In the patients from group II, the content of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFα was 2.4 (p < 0.05), 2.0 (p < 0.05), 2.0 (p < 0.05) and 1.9 (p < 0.05) times higher than in the control group, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups I and II, in IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα levels, except of IL-8 in women of group I that was 20.3% higher than in group II. The urinary NGF level in the patients with IC/BPS exceeded the control level 1.6 times (p < 0.05) for group I, and 1.5 times (p < 0.05) for group II. The number of mast cells in the patients of group I was significantly higher than in controls and in group II, i.e., 1.6 (p < 0.05) and 1.4 times (p < 0.05), respectively. In most cases, a direct weak correlation was revealed between the indices. Only in group I, a moderate correlation (r = + 0.508) could be detected between IL-1β and mast cells. Determination of cytokine levels allows to detect activation of inflammatory cells in bladder tissue and provides an opportunity for developing diagnostic strategies. Increased numbers of mast cells may indicate the importance of these cells in the disease progression, whereas elevated levels of NGF in urine suggests that IC/BPS may be caused by chronic inflammation.

The objective was to optimize the topical diagnosis of the inflammatory process in the kidney and bladder in women with urolithiasisMethods and materials. Examined were 31 women aged 25 to 65 y. o., hospitalized for exacerbation of chronic cystitis with urolithiasis. The comparison group consisted of 15 healthy people without a history of urological diseases. In urine taken separately from the bladder and ureter, the level of pro-inflammatory interleukin 8 (IL 8) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results. With an isolated exacerbation of chronic cystitis in the urine taken from the ureters, the concentration of IL 8 ((39±7.6) pg/ml) did not go beyond the normal indicators ((35±7) pg/ml), while the content of this cytokine in the bladder exceeded the norm by at least 3 times ((120±3.5) pg/ml). With a combination of exacerbations of inflammation in the bladder and kidneys, the concentration of IL 8 in the bladder was about 10 times higher than the control values ((350±27) pg/ml), and in the ureter from the affected side, no less than 8 times ((280±16) pg/ml).Conclusions. A comparison of the content of IL 8 in urine from organs (kidneys, bladder) that are supposedly affected by the inflammatory process makes it possible to clarify the localization of the focus of inflammation in the urinary system.

Toxicants produce adverse effects on population health thus causing health risks; assessment of such risks is a relevant trend in contemporary hygienic research. A list of toxic elements that are to be controlled in biological media includes, for example, mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum (this element belongs to the 2nd hazard category). Aluminum is one of those elements which are the most widely spread in nature and it most frequently occurs in emissions from aluminum, mining, varnish and paint, and other productions. We developed a procedure for determining mass concentrations of aluminum in blood and urine via mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS) (FR.1.31.2017.27357); the procedure allows determining aluminum contents in blood within a range from 20 to 200 µg/l with 31% precision; within 200–700 µg/l, with 23% precision; in urine, within a range from 0.1 to 10 µg/l, with 30% precision; within 10–1,000 µg/l, with 23% precision. We analyzed 192 blood and urine samples taken from children (n = 96) and adults (n = 54) who lived in the Eastern Siberia in a zone influenced by a large metallurgic aluminum-producing enterprise. Simple mean (SM) of aluminum contents in children’s and adults’ blood amounted to 21 µg/l; 32 µg/l and 21 µg/l in urine respectively. The article also contains comparative assessment of aluminum contents in blood and urine of people living in Russia against reference concentrations applied in Europe and the USA when national programs for human biological monitoring (HBM) were implemented.

Background. It is known that electrolyte exchange parameters are subject to the regulatory effects of a wide range of nerve, hormonal and humoral factors. The dispersion of electrolyte levels in plasma, erythrocytes and diurnal urine, first, is different, and second, variable. Therefore, there are a number of quantitative and even qualitatively different variants of the exchange of electrolytes. It is logical to assume that such diversity is conditioned by the state of the regulatory systems and/or the balance between the entering and excretion of electrolytes. We have set a goal in experiments in rats and clinical physiological observations to identify a number of variants of the state of exchange of electrolytes and their neuro-endocrine, humoral and immune support. In this article we summarize the first stage of the path to the goal. Materials and methods. Experiment was performed on 58 healthy female Wistar rats 220-300 g. Among them 10 animals remained intact, using tap water from drinking ad libitum. The rats of others groups for 6 days administered through the tube various fluids at a dose of 1,5 mL/100 g. The day after the completion of the drinking course in all rats the plasma and urine levels of the electrolytes were determined. Results. The method of cluster analysis identifies four variants of the state of electrolyte exchange. Characteristic features of the members of the major (51,7%) cluster are a moderate decrease in excretion with daily urine of sodium and chloride as well as calcium and potassium plasma levels in combination with a moderate increase in magnesium excretion. In the members of the second largest cluster (22,4%), a similar decrease in the plasma level of potassium and calcium is combined with a slight decrease in the content of potassium in erythrocytes and a decrease in its excretion with the urine. Electrolyte exchange of the third largest cluster (19,0%) is characterized by a moderate increase in the excretion of sodium and chloride and a slight increase in the excretion of potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphate, as well as the content of potassium in erythrocytes. Finally, the minor cluster (6,9%) differs from others by drastically increasing sodium excretion, a significant increase in the excretion of chloride, calcium and phosphate, as well as the sodium content of erythrocytes in combination with a decrease in calcium (moderate), phosphate and chlorine (slight) plasma levels. Conclusion. Four quantitatively and qualitatively different variants of the exchange of electrolytes are revealed, which is caused, apparently, by different state of neuro-endocrine regulation.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignant tumor among women in the world. However, 90% of deaths occur in developing countries. Tumor pathogenesis is associated with exposure to high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), most often 16 and 18 strains. The sooner precancerous lesions or cancer are detected, the higher the chance of survival is. That is why prophylaxis is so important in this case. Due to the low turnout of women in cytology, new, alternative methods of prevention are needed. According to the research, women prefer tests in which samples are taken by themselves. Hence, more and more studies on the use of urine in the prevention of cervical cancer. Urine is a material that is easy to pick up. Patients feel comfortable because they can do it by themselves. Still, more research is needed to optimize its collection, transport, or tests used on samples.

Objective: to compare the morphological and functional properties of mesenchymal stem cells from mammary tissues and chemically-induced mammary tumor tissues. material and methods. The study included 25 female Wistar rats. In 20 rats, mammary carcinoma was induced by intramammary injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea after estrus synchronization with chorionic gonadotropin. The control group consisted of 5 rats. Mammary carcinoma was verified histologically and immunohistochemically. To examine, whether the cells isolated from normal tissue and tumor tissue belonged to mesenchymal stem cells, FACS Canto II flow cytofluorometer was used. The functional properties of mesenchymal stem cells were evaluated in MTT assay by the level of nitric oxide production in normal and by hydrogen peroxide-induced hypoxia. The levels of prolactin, luteinizing hormone and estradiol E2 in urine were studied using solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. results. Chemically-induced mammary tumor according to histological and immunohistochemical studies corresponded to luminal B type breast cancer in humans. In rats that developed mammary tumors, the urine prolactin levels after synchronization of estrus were increased. In rats that did not develop tumors, the levels of prolactin and luteinizing hormone were decreased, but the levels of estradiol E2 were increased. More mesenchymal stem cells with CD45-/CD90+phenotype were obtained from the breast tumor tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells from tumor tissue showed increased proliferative potential and were more resistant to hypoxia. conclusion. Tumor- associated mesenchymal stem cells having high proliferative potential and resistance to hypoxia were obtained from chemically-induced mammary tumor tissue. Morphologic and functional differences in mesenchymal stem cells obtained from mammary breast tissue and tumor tissue require further studies.

Urine testing has not only helped physicians to diagnose various diseases since ancient times, but has also stimulated the emergence of such areas of medicine as urology, nephrology, endocrinology. The method itself has evolved over the centuries from purely visual (uroscopy) to modern, physico-chemical, biochemical and microscopic examination of urine. Despite the emergence in recent years of new accurate and more advanced methods for the study of biological fluids, clinical analysis of urine remains one of the most frequently performed studies in the practice of a doctor, including a paediatrician. This relatively simple and quick analysis is a screening method for the diagnosis of diseases of the urinary system, as well as many other organs and systems. The article describes the current aspects of this laboratory study, which is still one of the most important in the arsenal of a pediatrician.

Background. It is necessary to study the microbial spectrum of urine in order to determine the features of the urinary tract infection (UTI) course and to make the right choice of a therapeutic approach. Objective. Our aim was to study the structure of urine microflora in children with community-acquired UTI and its change in the period from 1990 to 2015.Methods. We conducted a continuous analysis of case histories of children admitted to hospital with UTI (pyelonephritis, cystitis, non-site specific urinary tract infection) in 1990, 2000, and 2015. We studied the results of triple (in succession) urine cultures. Shedding in a concentration of ≥ 103 cfu/ml for primary pathogens, ≥ 103 cfu/ml in boys and ≥ 104 cfu/ml in girls for secondary pathogens, ≥ 105 cfu/ml for doubtful pathogens considered to be a diagnostically significant one.Results. Members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were the main causative agents of the UTI in 1990 (found in 90.4% of 502 samples), 2000 (in 79.7% of 632 samples), and 2015 (in 67.6% of 801 samples, df = 2, p < 0.001). Escherichia coli remained the most common microorganism, the isolation rate of which decreased from 79.9% in 1990 to 39.5% in 2015 (p < 0.001). In the period from 2000 to 2015, there was a decrease in the frequency of urine detection of Enterobacter spp. (from 5.9 to 2.5%; p < 0.001) and Citrobacter spp. (from 5.2 to 1%; p < 0.001) and, on the contrary, an increase in the isolation rate of Proteus spp. (from 7.8 to 11.7%; p = 0.005), Klebsiella spp. (from 2.8 to 12.9%; p < 0.001) and Enterococcus spp. (from 1.8 to 19.1%; p < 0.001); the latter two — due to more frequent shedding in boys (by 10.5 and 19.9%, respectively).Conclusion. The Enterobacteriaceae members, mainly E. coli and Enterococcus spp., remained the predominant UTI pathogens in children in 1990, 2000, and 2015. The isolation rate of E. coli has declined significantly in recent years, whereas that of Klebsiella spp. and Enterococcus spp. has increased.

A precise, selective, and sufficiently sensitive quantitative procedure for determining chemicals contents in environmental objects and a human body is often a key to correct health risk assessment. The authors describe optimized conditions for analyzing whole blood, urine, and hair samples used for determining total mercury contents with mass-spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (sampling, samples storage, preparations to analysis, instrumental settings of a device, analysis conditions). We quantitatively determined mercury in blood, urine, and hair samples with Agilent 7500cx mass spectrometer with octopole reaction/collision cell (Agilent Technologies, USA). To prepare for whole blood samples analysis, we applied acid dilution in concentrated nitric acid with consequent centrifuging. Urine samples were directly analyzed after 1/10 (V/V) dilution with 1 % nitric acid solution. The suggested conditions of conventional biological media analysis applied in total mercury determining with mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma allow to determine the element in blood within 0.5–100 µg/l with measurement error being equal to 29.4 %; in urine, within 0.4–100 µg/l with measurement error being equal to 24.2 %; in hair, within 0.001–100 µg/l with measurement error being equal to 22.4 %. When validating the procedure, we found the following limits of detection (LOD): 0.0015 µg/l for blood; 0.012 µg/l, for urine; and 0.003 µg/l, for hair. Correctness of the results was confirmed by examination of standards blood samples SERONORM (Sero AS, Norway) blood L1 (LOT 1103128), L2 (LOT 1103129), L3 (LOT 1112691), urine samples SeronormTM (Sero AS, Norway) urine (LOT 0511545), and hair samples Reference Material in Human Hair (IAEA-086, Vienna, Austria). Total mercury contents in children's blood was determine within 0.02–1.2 µg/l; within 0.45–0.8 µg/l in urine. Contents in urine taken from exposed adults amounted to 0.65–8.2 µg/l, and to 0.29–0.49 µg/l in hair.

Background. Children of preschool and school age are at risk of developing vitamin deficiency. Screening of the vitamin provision of children remains an urgent problem of pediatrics. Objective. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of low excretion of watersoluble vitamins among healthy preschool and school-age children.Methods. The study was conducted in March-April 2017. We determined the urinary excretion (fasting morning portion collected during 30–120 min after night-time urination) of metabolites of vitamins C, B1, B2, and B6 in healthy children. Riboflavin (vitamin B2 metabolite) was determined spectrophotometrically by titration with a riboflavin-binding apoprotein; 4-pyridoxyl acid (vitamin B6 metabolite) and thiamine (vitamin B1 metabolite) — by fluorescent method, ascorbic acid (vitamin C metabolite) — by visual titration with Tillman’s reagent. The excretion considered to be low (equivalent to vitamin deficiency) when thiamine excretion was < 7, 10, 11, and 12 μg/h and riboflavin < 6, 9, 10, and 13 μg/h in children aged 3–5, 6–8, 9–11, and above 12 years, respectively; 4-pyridoxylic acid — < 40, 60, and 70 μg/h in children aged 3–5, 6–8, and ≥ 9 years, ascorbic acid — < 0.2 and 0.4 mg/h in children aged 3–11 and ≥ 12 years, respectively.Results. Metabolites were excreted in 39 children (20 girls), 14 of them aged 4–6 years and 25 children aged 7–14 years. A low level of ascorbic acid excretion was found in 13 (33%) children, of thiamine — in 24 (62%), of riboflavin — in 16 (41%), of 4-pyridoxyl acid — in 26 (67%). Low excretion of at least one vitamin metabolite was detected in 30 (77%) children, of 3 or more metabolites simultaneously — in 15 (39%).Conclusion. A low level of urinary excretion of metabolites of at least one water-soluble vitamin (C, B1, B2, and B≥) occurs in most preschool and schoolage children.

One of the most widespread microbiological analyses in clinical practice is urine culture, and up to 80% of urine samples turn out to be negative. In this study we demonstrate applicability of coherent fluctuating nephelometry (CFN) method for rapid urine screening and negative samples identification for the purpose of reducing the workload of microbiological laboratory. 205 urine samples were tested by conventional culture method (CCM) and using CFN-analyzer. The agreement between CCM and CFN was 87.8%. Compared to CCM, CFN demonstrated sensitivity — 94.5%, specificity — 85.3%, negative predictive value — 97.7%, positive predictive value — 70.3%. In this study CFN-analyzer allowed to identify 85.3% of negative urine samples (63.9% of all tested samples) within 4 hours, and 94.5% of positive samples were retained for later CCM. Moreover none of samples with count ≥ 104 CFU/ml was omitted.

Purpose. To study urea kinetics in the body after liver resection in the experiment.Material and Methods. Experiments were carried out on 45 white female rats weighing between 180 g and 220 g. Liver resection (LR) was performed under ester anesthesia, wherein 15—20% of the organ weight was removed. Urea content was studied in biological fluids (arterial blood, venous — v.porta, v.hepatica, v.renalis — blood, choledochal bile, urine), and tissues of visceral organs (the thyroid gland, lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, intestine) on days 3, 7, and 14 after LR. Results. LR, while reducing the urea content in the v. hepatica blood, does not lead to similar changes in the arterial blood. This is accompanied by increased urea reabsorption in kidneys and higher v.porta blood urea content, which, depending on the postoperative time, results either from reduced urea excretion into the small intestine lumen or from its greater production by enterocytes followed by metabolite intake into the portal blood flow. The urea intake from hepatocytes into the hepatic bile ducts did not change on day 3 after LR; however, it increased on day 7 and slowed down on day 14. LR caused no changes in the gastric tissues urea content; never theless, it led to its increased content in the duodenal and colonic tissues. Without affecting the cardiac muscleurea content, LR entailed its increase in the lungs and thyroid gland on postoperative days 3, 7, and 14. At the background of absence of similar changes in the arterial blood data indicates promotion of urea production by the cells of these organs or metabolite retention therein.Conclusions. LR not only changes urea kinetics in the portal system organs, but also activates extrahepatic mechanisms aimed at preventing development of the arterial blood urea deficit because of its abnormal intake from the resected organ into the central blood flow.

Detection of total free light chains (FLC) of immunoglobulins and their ratio (kappa/lambda quotient) are used in diagnostics and monitoring of multiple myeloma and other gammapathies, primary amyloidosis and multiple sclerosis. Previously described immunoassays with monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against cryptic and constantly exposed epitopes of FLC failed to recognize rare variants of lambda Bence-Jones proteins and a significant proportion of lambda chains excreted with urine. Aiming to improve this approach, a novel murine Mab (IgG2b coded as 1C8) was employed, which specifically binds free lambda chains but doesn’t interact with native IgA, IgG, and IgM. The novel Mab recognized an epitope exposed at free lambda chains in peripheral blood of healthy donors and patients with multiple myeloma. It is not destroyed or masked upon renal filtration.The aim of this study was to determine basic features of improved assay system, and to estimate its potential in diagnostics of monoclonal gammapathies. The mixtures of three Bence-Jones proteins of either kappa- or lambda- types purified from the urine of multiple myeloma patients were used as calibrator samples.Improved immunometric assay is able to detect free kappa and lambda chains in serum and urine at a scale of 1 to 100 ng/ml, thus being three orders more sensitive than, e.g., detection levels of Freelite method based on polyclonal antibodies.A novel assay allows to detect free kappa and lambda chains at comparable levels in serum or urine, and to deduce kappa/lambda ratio. The proposed assay is able to detect FLC in 10,000-fold excess of whole IgG molecules. The calibrating plots for both antigens are linear on log-log scales, with very similar slopes. Detection thresholds for kappa or lambda chains proved to be 5 and 3 ng/ml, respectively. Mean concentrations of free kappa chains in sera of healthy donors were 6.7±2.1, in urine, 4.2±3.8 mcg/ml. Mean concentrations of free lambda chains were 4.7±1.96, and 1.6±1.0 mcg/ml, respectively. This method, if applied to serum and urine samples from multiple myeloma patients, revealed free light chains were similar to the paraproteins detected by means of electrophoresis/immunofixation. The values of kappa/lambda ratios corresponded to the types of gammapathies revealed.

Urine dehydration structurization at experimental trichinellosis of rats is studied. In 4 weeks after exposure rats urine was analyzed with biocrystallomics methods. It was stated, that urine crystallogenic properties changes according to intensity of infection.

Technogenic pressure contributes to the constant emission of significant amounts of chemical pollutants in the environment, thus increasing the risk of ecologically conditioned pathology in the population of urbanized areas. Of the variety of environmental factors that have a detrimental effect on the body of a future mother, cadmium plays a particularly important role as a risk factor for complications in the course of pregnancy. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to determine the influence of external exposures of cadmium on the level of internal contamination of the body of pregnant women and the frequency of manifestation of nephropathy among residents of Dnipropetrovsk region in the complex impact of different levels of environmental pollution. The research program included an assessment of the cadmium content in life-saving environmental facilities and biological substrates of 89 healthy pregnant women, as well as a retrospective analysis of data of the primary statistical documentation on the complication of pregnancy. It is established that cadmium has a constant presence in environmental objects, in concentrations that do not exceed the normative meanings. The level of cadmium in the blood and urine of women in industrial districts is significantly higher in comparison with the control (p

Aim. Study microflora of urine, ejaculate, urethra scrape in normal state and infertility. Materials and methods. 2 groups of men were examined: I (28) - control, conditionally healthy men (20 - 25 years of age), II (26) - infertile patients (25 - 35 years of age). Middle portion of morning urine, ejaculate, urethra scrape were studied in group I, in II - ejaculate. Bacteriologic study of urine and ejaculate was carried out in an extended kit of nutrient media (HiMedia) for facultative-anaerobic (FAB) and non-clostridia anaerobic bacteria (NAB). Urethra scrape and ejaculate were studied by PCR in group I. Results. In urethra scrape and ejaculate a wide spectrum of FAB and NAB was detected in group I. Corynebacterium spp. and coagulase-negative staphylococci (67.9% each) were the dominant cluster of FAB. Eubacterium spp. - in NAB. Bacteriologic study of ejaculate corresponded in PCR with similar results of dominating bacteria. Among FAB the same clusters dominated during bacteriologic study of ejaculate from group II patients, among NAB - Propionibacterium spp., Peptococcus spp. and Peptostreptococcus spp. Quantitative characteristics of ejaculate of group I and II differed insignificantly. Conclusion. The frequency of detection of certain genera of FAB and NAB was significantly higher in patients with infertility than in conditionally healthy men, however quantitative parameters of the isolated microorganisms practically did not differ between groups.

Measurement technique of the primary metabolite indicator - 1-hydroxypyrene in human urine is developed for the purposes of the human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biomonitoring. The technique is based on the HPLC with a fluorescence detector use employing an internal standard method.

According to big clinical trails Mg 2+ deficiency plays a major role in health and promote development of different chronic diseases. It is necessary to cooperate clinical symptoms and results of objective methods (ECG, myography, bone densitometry, level of Mg 2+ in hole blood, erythrocytes, serum, saline, urine, nails, hair) in case of diagnosis Mg 2+ deficiency. It is desirable to analyze Mg2+ intake with food by standard questionnaires. To have the full picture of Mg 2+ deficiency it is necessary to define level of Mg2+ in different biosubstrates.

According to big clinical trails Mg 2+ deficiency plays a major role in health and promote development of different chronic diseases. It is necessary to cooperate clinical symptoms and results of objective methods (ECG, myography, bone densitometry, level of Mg 2+ in hole blood, erythrocytes, serum, saline, urine, nails, hair) in case of diagnosis Mg 2+ deficiency. It is desirable to analyze Mg2+ intake with food by standard questionnaires. To have the full picture of Mg 2+ deficiency it is necessary to define level of Mg2+ in different biosubstrates.

Background. Investigation of facies of biological fluids is utilized for the diagnostics of different disease in ophthalmology, dentistry, oncology, gerontology, neurology, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, tuberculosis, neonatology, nephrology. Objective. To familiarize a wide range of medical specialists with a diagnostic technology of investigation of biological fluids using the method of wedge dehydration. Methods. On the fat-free slide positioned horizontally a droplet of biological fluid of 0,01-0,02 ml is added. Within 18-24 hours at a temperature of 20-25 °C and a relative humidity of 65-70% the sample dry and is investigated with the help of microscope. Results. During dehydration a number of processes leading to the formation of the facies with a certain structure depending on the type of biological fluid are observed. Facia has 3 zones: 1 – central – the zone of the crystal structures, 2 – the transitional zone, amorphous and 3 – peripheral. The process of recognition of facies structures occurs qualitatively, not quantitatively and depends on the experience and skills of the image "reading" of the assistant. These deficiencies can be corrected by creation an automated image analysis system. Conclusions. We demonstrated the possibility of computer program to implement an automated processing of facies of biological fluids. Citation: Markevich VE, Kirilenko EA, Petrashenko VA, Zablotskaya TU, Bilokon TA. [Methods of wedge dehydration of biological fluids]. Morphologia. 2014;8(1):113-7. Russian.

The aim of the study is a comparative evaluation of the diagnostic value of determining of concentration of cyto-kines in the serum and urine of patients with acute pyelonephritis. Materials and Methods: The study of cytokine profile in blood serum and urine has been performed in 21 patients with acute pyelonephritis aged from 23 to 63 years. The concentration of interleukin (IL-1 p, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10) receptor antagonist, IL-1 (IL-1RA), tumor necrosis factor — alpha (TNF-a), C-reactive protein (CRP), in serum and urine of patients under the survey have been determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the appropriate reagent sets «Vector-Best» (Novosibirsk). The study of all these biomarkers in patients with acute pyelonephritis has been performed three times: at admission before antibiotic therapy (1 point); in a 5-7 days-period from the beginning of treatment (2 points); 1.5 months after completion of treatment (3 points,). Results: Before the treatment there has been an increase in levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1RA, TNF-a, CRP in serum. Simultaneously, the concentration of these substances in the urine has been higher. In 2 and 3-point changes the level of cytokines has been different; however, the content of them in the urine has been determined to be higher than in the serum. Conclusion: Analysis of changes in levels of cytokines and C-reactive protein in serum and urine showed that these biomarkers in acute pyelonephritis may be used as indicators of inflammatory activity. The data received suggest that the study of cytokine levels in the urine may be used to assess the severity of inflammatory changes in the renal parenchyma and in monitoring of therapy effectiveness.

The study is devoted to the identification of structural markers of ischemic nephropathy by studying facies (dry drops) of urine in newborn infants. The study involved two groups of full-term newborns with gestational age 38-41 weeks and signs of ischemic nephropathy: 1st - 75 children who suffered severe asphyxia, 2nd - 75 children with moderate asphyxia. Comparison group consisted of 20 infants without asphyxia at birth. Morphological changes were detected in dry drops by microscopy at 40-fold increase in 1-2 and 7-8 days of life. Asphyxia cause disturbance of renal filtration, tubular reabsorption and secretion that lead to increase levels of organic components and mineral salts in urine, crystallization of which forms a specific picture of facies. By urine’s facies morphology at 1-2 days of life is possible to evaluate renal function in newborns suffered from asphyxia. The number of inclusions in facies, their total area and distribution are depending on the severity of asphyxia. Structural changes in the urine of children with ischemic nephropathy remain till the end of the early neonatal period.