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Aim. To determine the presence or absence of specific IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 antigens in outpatient clinic staff and to compare clinical and immunological features from April to August 2020.Materials and Methods. The control group comprised 386 employees of the Novosibirsk City Clinical Polyclinic №13.The determination of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 antigens in blood serum was performed by using the ELISA method. A real time method of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction was used to extract RNA SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs.Results. Specific IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 antigens were detected in 32 (8.42%) employees of the polyclinic. Antibodies were not detected in 91.58% of employees. 9 members (28.12%) had clinical symptoms of varying degrees of disease severity in the group of employees with the presence of antibodies, 4 members of this group (12,51%) had bilateral community-acquired pneumonia with signs of COVID infection, another 5 members (15.61%) with antibodies had signs of ARVI of mild and moderate severity. RNA SARS-CoV-2 in the group of employees with the presence of antibodies and clinical implications was not detected in any case; 23 (71.88%) members with the presence of IgG-antibodies did not have clinical implications of the disease.Conclusion. The presence of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in employees with clinical implications of COVID-19 without detection of the RNA virus in the biological material is a retrospective confirmation of the etiology of the transferred infection. The detection of specific antibodies in persons who did not have clinical implications can serve as confirmation of the asymptomatic course of the transferred coronavirus infection.

Background. In recent years, the studies concerning the role of melatonin and cytokines in the development of various pathological processes have been conducted in various fields of medicine, including ophthalmology. Purpose. To study the effect of melatonin-containing therapy on the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines, melatonin in the lacrimal fluid and melatonin in the blood serum in patients with non-exudative AMD in the course of surgery for uncomplicated senile cataract. Material and methods. During the study, 2 groups have been formed: group 1 (main group) – 40 patients who took the drug «Melaxen» (3 mg at night) for 3 months before the surgery; group 2 (control group) – 40 patients who did not take melatonin before the surgery. Laboratory studies of blood samples and tear fluid for the hormone melatonin and cytokines (IL-1β and IL-8) were carried out using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. When taking exogenous melatonin in patients of the main group, the concentration of melatonin in blood serum and lacrimal fluid was significantly higher during the entire observation period, compared with the control group patients. Also, melatonin-containing therapy contributed to a decrease in the concentration of pro-inflammatory IL-8 and IL-1β cytokines. A correlation analysis of the level of cytokines and the content of melatonin in lacrimal fluid of the examined groups patients revealed a significantly higher feedback before surgery and significantly weaker and direct after the surgery. Conclusion. An increase in the concentration of melatonin in the lacrimal fluid after surgery for senile cataract in both groups indicates a possible increase in its production in response to surgical treatment and is aimed at reducing the activity of the local inflammatory process. The obtained results allow us to conclude that melatonin has an antiinflammatory effect.

The review presents data from contemporary scientific literature regarding the role of the various classes of cytokines and growth factors in the pathogenesis of in the pathogenesis of primary openangle glaucoma. Information of the role in the mechanisms of glaucoma development of biologically active molecules, involved in the inflammatory and proliferative processes, is a basis for studying the pathogenesis of the pathological process and creating new approaches to treatment. glaucoma; inflammation; cytokines; growth factors

Purpose . To evaluate the clinical-ophthalmic effectiveness of using of autologous platelet-rich plasma as part of a comprehensive treatment regimen for uveitis associated with systemic diseases and accompanied by macular edema. Material and methods . The study included 120 people (176 eyes) from 18 to 50 years old with uveitis associated with systemic diseases, accompanied by macular edema: 46 men, 74 women. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the main group consisted of patients receiving antiinflammatory treatment and autologous platelet-rich plasma application; control group consisted of patients receiving anti-inflammatory treatment. All patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination. Results . It was found that autologous platelet-rich plasma application during anti-inflammatory treatment for patients with uveitis associated with systemic diseases and accompanied by macular edema improves best-corrected visual acuity, statistically significant decrease in retinal thickness in fovea and increase in retinal photosensitivity relative to the data obtained in the control group. Conclusion . The use of autologous platelet-rich plasma in combination with anti-inflammatory treatment decreases incidence of relapse of uveitis associated with systemic diseases, contributes to reducing macular edema and improving functional performance.

Purpose. To study the concentration of cytokines and growth factors in the aqueous humor of patients with congenital aniridia. Patients and methods . The study comprised 10 patients (10 eyes) with congenital aniridia and 10 patients (10 eyes) with agerelated cataract. Aqueous humor was collected at the beginning of routine cataract surgery before the primary incision was created. A concentration of 27 cytokines and the transforming growth factor- β 2 (TGF- β 2) was determined using a Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Cytokine 27-plex Assay and Bio-Plex Pro™ and TGF β 3-plex Assay kit by flow-through fluorometry on a Bio-Rad MAGPIX (Luminex Corp. Austin). Intergroup comparisons were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results . A comparative analysis showed a statistically significant increase in the concentration of IL-7 ( p = 0.004), IL-15 ( p = 0.008) and a decrease in the content of IL-9 (p = 0.008), IL-10 ( p = 0.034) and GM-CSF ( p = 0.045) in patients with congenital aniridia compared with the age-related cataract group. Inflammatory mediators (IL-1 β , IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-17A, MCP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the aniridia group did not statistically differ from the comparison group. Conclusion . Statistically significant difference was detected in IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, IL-15, GM-CSF concentrations in the aqueous humor in patients with congenital aniridia when comparing to non aniridic patients with age-related cataract. The other cytokines with proinflammatory, angiogenic and profibrotic properties did not significantly differ from the comparison group.

Background. A common cause of visual impairment in patients with non-infectious uveitis is macular edema, developing in 38–84 % of cases. Plasma enriched with platelets is widely used in various branches of medicine, the effectiveness of its use in the treatment of non-infectious uveitis, accompanied by macular edema, has not been sufficiently investigated. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of autologous platelet-rich plasma in the complex treatment of non-infectious uveitis accompanied by macular edema.Material and methods. The study was conducted on the basis of the academician S.N. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution in the period from 2016 to 2018, which included 123 people (176 eyes) from 18 to 50 years with non-infectious uveitis, accompanied by macular edema: 46 men, 77 women. Patients were divided into 2 groups. The main group consisted of patients receiving autologous platelet-rich plasma and anti-inflammatory treatment; the comparison group consisted of patients receiving anti-inflammatory treatment. The results of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, biomicroophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography of the macular zone, microperimetry, ultrasound examination on the side of the affected eye were evaluated. Statistical processing of the data was carried out in the program Statistica 10.Results. Maintenance of autologous platelet-rich plasma contributes to a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity on the 10th day of treatment by 64.2 %, a decrease in the thickness of the retina in fovea by 36.3 % and an increase in retinal photosensitivity by 34.6 % compared to the group of patients receiving only anti-inflammatory treatment. Conclusions. The use of autologous platelet-rich plasma in the complex treatment of non-infectious uveitis allows to accelerate the natural mechanisms of tissue regeneration, contributing to the reduction of macular edema, and improve visual performance.

Age-related macular degeneration is one of the most widespread multifactorial eye diseases. Polymorphic functional alleles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) combined with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene variants may influence the development of disease. We have performed frequency analysis of their polymorphisms in regulatory regions of VEGF (rs 699947, rs 3025039), ММР2 (rs 2438650), ММР3 (rs 3025058), ММР9 (rs 3918242), TNFα (rs1800630, rs1800629, rs 361525) genes, and their combinations in a group of patients with age-related macular degeneration (MD). Frequencies of TNFα (rs1800629) genotypes significantly differed for the MD patients and control group. Upon the combined genotype analysis, we have revealed six constellations of VEGF-ММР genes that were positively associated with the disease development. Five of them included minor homozygous genotype VEGF-2578АА. A combined analysis of VEGF – TNFα genes polymorphisms has shown presence of both positive and negative complex genotypes. The most significant differences have been detected by comparative analysis of the complex genotypes frequencies which included 8 polymorphic regulatory gene regions of all genes studied. In most genetic complexes associated with the disease development, homozygous TNFα-863СС, homozygous MMP2-1306 ТТ, and MMP9-1562СС genotypes have been detected, together with the combination of homozygous VEGFA+936СС genotype in the same patients. We can assume that harboring allelic variants, which may contribute to angiogenesis prorcesses is typical for the genome of patients with macular degeneration, along with low-level production of pro-inflammatory regulatory factors and enzymes participating in degradation of extracellular matrix. Analysis of complex genetic factors, procing some factors taking part at the pathological process being the regulators of production for each other, is more informative when detecting protective and resistant markers of the disease development rather than single genetic markers, thus being useful for genomic screening.

Typical blood capillaries and vessels in uveal melanoma were shown and different types of uveal melanoma stromal cells were determined by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical analysis. Macrophages, fibroblasts of varying degrees of differentiation and endothelial-like cells with numerous caveolae in the cytoplasm were found in the channels of the extracellular matrix surrounding accumulations of tumor cells. The presence local structures positively stained for markers of the blood and lymphatic vessels (CD31 and podoplanin) in channels of the extracellular matrix suggests that the described endothelial-like cells can be the structural basis for blood and lymphatic vessels of the tumor.

Objectives. To investigate the possible role of cystatin C in eye biological fluids locally and in serum and lactoferrin revealing anti-tumor activity in eye tumor development.Background. The increased number of eye tumors was registered recently not only in the countries with high insolation, but also in the northern countries including Russia (11 cases per million of population). Search for new biological markers is important for diagnosis and prognosis in eye tumors. Cystatin C, an endogenous inhibitor of cysteine proteases, plays an important protective role in several tumors. Lactoferrin was shown to express anti-tumor and antiviral activities. It was hypothesized that cystatin C and lactoferrin could serve as possible biomarkers in the diagnosis of malignant and benign eye tumors.Study design. A total of 54 patients with choroidal melanoma and benign eye tumors were examined (part of them undergoing surgical treatment). Serum, tear fluid and intraocular fluid samples obtained from the anterior chamber of eyes in patients with choroidal melanoma were studied. Methods. Cystatin C concentration in serum and eye biological fluids was measured by commercial ELISA kits for human (BioVendor, Czechia); lactoferrin concentration by Lactoferrin-strip D 4106 ELISA test systems (Vector-BEST, Novosibirsk Region, Russia). Results. Cystatin C concentration in serum of healthy persons was significantly higher as compared to tear and intraocular fluids. In patients with choroidal melanoma, increased cystatin C concentration was similar in tear fluid of both the eyes. Lactoferrin level in tear fluid of healthy persons was significantly higher than its serum level. Significantly increased lactoferrin concentration in tear fluid was noted in patients with benign and malignant eye tumors. Conclusion. Increased level of cystatin C in tear fluid seems to be a possible diagnostic factor in the eye tumors studied. However, it does not allow us to differentiate between malignant and benign eye tumors. Similar changes were noted for lactoferrin in tear fluid.Keywords: choroidal melanoma; cystatin C; lactoferrin; eye biological fluids; tears; serum(Published: 5 August 2013)This paper is part of Supplement 1, 2013, ICCH15 Proceedings. More papers from this Supplement can be found here.Citation: Int J Circumpolar Health 2013, 72: 21087 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21087

The concentrations of cytokines (interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma) in blood plasma from patients with remission of chronic herpes infection were measured during immunocorrective therapy. Our results indicate that immunocorrection is pathogenetically substantiated and immunologically effective. It was manifested in reduction of inflammation and activation of antiviral protection.

Prooxidant-antioxidant factors were studied in the blood of pregnant women with gestosis of different severity. Comparative study showed that activation of peroxidation and decrease in the antioxidant potential depend on the severity of gestosis.

To establish possible association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cytokine genotype polymorphisms; for that promoter regions of a number of cytokine genes were studied, namely, TNF-A863C, TNF-A308G, TNF-A238G, IL1β-C-31T, IL4-C590T, IL6-C174G, and IL10A-1082G.A total of 102 AMD and 100 non-AMD participants in the same age range were examined at the Novosibirsk branch of the Academician S.N. Fyodorov IRTC «Eye Microsurgery». In all cases restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed.The frequency of TNF-308 GA and IL10-1082 GG genotypes was higher in AMD patients than in the controls, while the TNF-308 АA minor genotype has proved protective against the disease. Moreover, AMD has been found to be positively related to 48 genotypic combinations and negatively - to 32 (with specificity as high as 98-99%). The odds ratio was also higher in combination analysis as compared to monogenotypes.Complex genetic analysis of cytokines gives an idea of the balance of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in AMD and, therefore, plays an important role in studying the disease pathogenesis and exploring therapeutic options.Цель - проведение анализа полиморфизма промоторных регионов генов цитокинов TNF-A863C; TNF-A308G; TNF-A238G; IL1β-C-31T; IL4-C590T; IL6-C174G; IL10A-1082G и IL10-А592C у пациентов с возрастной макулярной дегенерацией (ВМД) для выявления единичных и комплексных генотипов, ассоциированных с заболеванием. Материал и методы. Обследованы 102 пациента с ВМД на базе Новосибирского филиала ФГБУ 'МНТК 'Микрохирургия глаза' им. акад. С.Н. Федорова' и 100 пациентов без ВМД аналогичного возраста. Исследование проводили методом анализа полиморфизма длин рестрикционных фрагментов. Результаты. Частота генотипов TNF-308 GA и IL10-1082 GG увеличена в группе пациентов с ВМД. Минорный генотип TNF-308 АA протективен в отношении заболевания. Выявлено 48 комплексных генотипов, позитивно ассоциированных, и 32 комплексных генотипа, негативно ассоциированных с ВМД. Уровень специфичности комплексных генотипов составляет 98-99%, при этом значения OR более высоки, чем при анализе моногенотипов. Заключение. Комплексный анализ генов цитокинов важен в исследовании механизмов патогенеза, возможных терапевтических стратегий этой болезни и может отражать особенности баланса про- и противовоспалительных цитокинов при развитии ВМД.

In present work, we studied some interrelations between tobacco smoking and the processes of immune system stimulation in healthy blood donors. In our opinion, this issue is especially important for the big industrial center, with rather strong antigenic exposure of the organism. The levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) were used as a marker index which reflects specific antigen-antibody interactions during inflammation. According to the results obtained, the majority of persons who have high CIC levels were tobacco smokers (53.76%). Moreover, the percentage of persons with high CIC content, like as the mean values of this index is increased proportionally to the duration of smoking. A mixture of tobacco smoke components seems to exert direct toxic effect upon various compartments of the immune system and causes local irritation of bronchial tree, thus producing local and systemic inflammatory reaction. It is, possibly, an additional factor which determines activation of immune system, with a background of adverse antropogenic exposures typical to industrial centers. The data obtained allow us to affirm a toxic action of tobacco smoke upon the organism of smokers, with development of inflammatory reactions that are displayed as increased CIC levels at preclinical stage.