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The methods of surface fire retardant treatment of textile materials (TM) and the chemical basis of the fire retardants used are considered. The possibility of developing a fire retardant composition for tissues that would not adversely affect the human skin upon contact has been studied. To determine the degree of danger of contact and of the penetration of chemicals through skin in contact with the fireproof TM, special studies were conducted to study the local irritating effect and resorption of the composition according to special developed laboratory methodological instructions. As the result the evidence was found that the irritating effect of the fire retardant composition developed on the skin and mucous membranes of the eyes of experimental animals was not detected. Comparative thermo analytical studies showing the effectiveness of the fire retardant action of the composition developed on the main stage of thermal decomposition of cellulose-containing TM are presented. Thus, the development of a fire retardant composition based on phosphorus-containing compounds and urea compounds and the selection of the optimum ratio of stabilizers for the processing of decorative and finishing fabrics with safe contact with human skin can be one of the effective ways to solve the problem under consideration.

Frullania (subg. Trachycolea ) sect. Trachycolea has been studied using integrative taxonomy methods and utilizing sampling from almost all areas of distribution of the species previously referred to this section. A phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosomal ITS1-2 and chloroplast trn L-F sequence data and a morphological study reveal a wide range of morphological variability within specimens that has largely disguised the overall taxonomic diversity. Frullania parvistipula , previously regarded as a widespread species, has been found to represent a group of separate species within different sections of F. subg. Trachycolea : F. caucasica and F. conistipula in F. sect. Trachycolea , F. parvistipula in F. sect. Australes , and F. fukuzawana in F . sect. Integristipulae II. Illustrations of the type specimens of F. conistipula , F. fukuzawana , and F. parvistipula , as well as illustrations of the sequenced specimens belonging to two of the discussed species ( F. conistipula and F. parvistipula ), are provided. The morphological differences separating the highly similar F. caucasica , F. conistipula , F. fukuzawana , F. koponenii , and F. parvistipula are discussed. A dichotomous key is presented for accepted species. New combinations are provided for two taxa.

A working checklist of accepted taxa worldwide is vital in achieving the goal of developing an online flora of all known plants by 2020 as part of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. We here present the first-ever worldwide checklist for liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and hornworts (Anthocerotophyta) that includes 7486 species in 398 genera representing 92 families from the two phyla. The checklist has far reaching implications and applications, including providing a valuable tool for taxonomists and systematists, analyzing phytogeographic and diversity patterns, aiding in the assessment of floristic and taxonomic knowledge, and identifying geographical gaps in our understanding of the global liverwort and hornwort flora. The checklist is derived from a working data set centralizing nomenclature, taxonomy and geography on a global scale. Prior to this effort a lack of centralization has been a major impediment for the study and analysis of species richness, conservation and systematic research at both regional and global scales. The success of this checklist, initiated in 2008, has been underpinned by its community approach involving taxonomic specialists working towards a consensus on taxonomy, nomenclature and distribution.

The review summarizes the results of studying the space and simulated microgravity effects on cell-to-cell interactions in three models: 1) interaction of a human lymphocytes culture with a subinoculated suspension culture of tumor myeloblasts K-562; 2) formation of embryoid bodies and differentiation of mice embryonic stem cells (ESCs); 3) gene differentiation and expression in multipotent mesenchymal cells (MCSs) obtained from the human marrow. It was shown that microgravity modifies the cell-to-cell interactions without cell contact inhibition; however, micro-g causes reversible changes in expression of genes responsible for regulation of the cytoskeleton, focal adhesion proteins, and some cytokines. Prolonged exposure of progenitor cells in simulated microgravity inhibits the differentiation processes of and reprofiles significantly expression of the genes that control various cell activities, including cell-to-cell interactions.

We studied activity and dynamics of apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with myocardial infarction and analyzed the relationship of these processes with expression of heat shock proteins with a molecular weight of 70 kDa playing an essential role in preventing cell death. Thus, we first demonstrated activation of apoptosis in peripheral blood cells of patients with myocardial infarction compared to the control (healthy individuals) and revealed the expected negative correlation between the expression of heat shock proteins with a molecular weight of 70 kDa by lymphocytes and intensity of their death. The observed dynamics of mononuclear cell apoptosis in the peripheral blood of patients with myocardial infarction can reflect activity of programmed cardiomyocyte death in the focus of ischemic injury.

The formation of an ischemic focus in the myocardium is paralleled by autoimmune processes involving immunoglobulins with abnormal thermal solubility, cryoglobulins. Serum levels of cryoglobulins and their complexes were measured in 25 patients with Q-forming myocardial infarction on days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 of the disease. Cryoprotein levels were measured by spectrophotometry, concentrations of IgM, IgA, IgG, and fibronectin by ELISA. Cryocomplexes in patients with myocardial infarction consist of polyclonal immunoglobulins of the main classes IgG and IgM, less often IgA, while cryoglobulinemia in this patient population is referred to type III according to the commonly used classification by Brouet. Fibronectin was detected in the cryocomplexes throughout the entire period of observation, its dynamics being opposite to that of the cryocomplexes level.

The model of embryonic stem cells from R1 mice at the stage of embryoid bodies was used to study effects of slow clinostatting on neuronal differentiation with the help of two markers--beta-III tubulin (early differentiation) and MAP2 (late differentiation). As compared with the control, the number of beta-III tubulin-positive neurons was found increased and of MAP2-positive neurons--decreased. As regards MAP2- positive neurons, it is concluded that the gravity factors have a specific effect on EB. The beta-III tubulin staining makes possible determination of the total number of neuronal cells at different stages of development. The observed increase in the number of beta-III tubulin-positive neurons may evidence a nonspecific mechanic effect of clinostatting at the EB stage. It was shown that EB cells are particularly sensitive to clinostatting.

The composition of circulating immune complexes with cryo-properties (cryo-IC) were determined in 70 patients on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 and 21 after ischemic carotid stroke. The quantitative and qualitative assessments of cryo-IC content were conducted on a spectrophotometer and on a vertical electrophoresis, respectively. Concentrations of immunoglobulins (Ig) M, A and C, fibronectin, percentage of IgM with rheumatoid factor activity, IgG isotypes (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) were measured with ELISA. The control group included 15 healthy age- and sex-matched people. Compared to the controls, the cryo-IC content was higher in 100% of patients studied, it was higher in atherothrombotic variant than in cardioembolic one. The cryo-IC level was directly correlated with the clinical state severity (p < 0.01). IgG, IgM and fibronectin were observed in 100%, IgA--in 11% and IgM with rheumatoid factor activity--in 6% of patients. The percentage of IgG1 and IgG2 was not less than 90% of the total amount, with the IgG1 percentage about 50%. Cryo-IC changing in the time in dependence on ischemic variant were formed on different stages of development of acute brain ischemia. Dependence of concentrations of fibronectin and IgG, IgA, IgM on the time of observation was similar for both variants of ischemic stroke, but with a time axis shift, running faster and with a smaller range of changes of parameters studied in cardioembolic than in atherothrombotic stroke.

The paper covers a current state of molecular studies of liverworts including new data from authors. The traditional conceptions of liverwort phylogeny and systematics were changed greatly in a result of recent molecular researches. The phylogenetic inferences from studies of different DNA loci and species sampling are mainly congruent. The phylogeny and systematics of one of the largest and taxonomically difficult suborder Jungermaniineae was discussed based on analyses of internal transcribed spacer ITS1-2 of nuclear rDNA and chloroplast trnL-F of large species number.

The compensative effects of gravitation at the first stages of embryonic development stages have been investigated using slow clinorotation of embryoid bodies from mouse R1 stem cell lines. Semithin sections (1-2 microm) analysis and electron microscopy study of embryonic bodies cells allowed to reveal morphological features of cells at different maturation stages. Significant decrease in the number of embryonic stem cells undergoing apoptosis as well as noticeable reduction of "lacunas" relative areas were found in clinorotated embryonic bodies compared to control. We propose that large cyst absence may be caused by initial differentiation and morphogenesis stages delay associated with autophagy processes in embryonic bodies.

Seventy patients with carotid ischemic stroke (38 with atherothrombotic and 32 with cardioembolic variants) were examined. The dynamics of fibronectin level and its correlation with blood cryoglobulins concentrations were evaluated in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st days after disease onset. The quantitative assessment of cryoglobulins content was carried out using spectrophotometric method; fibronectin concentration was measured by ELISA. In patients with atherothrombotic variant of stroke, the level of fibronectin in the blood serum and in the cryocomplex was higher compared to patients with cardioembolic variant in the 1st day (p < 0.001) and during all the period of the study (p < 0.05). The concentration of cryocomplexes in the blood serum of patients with ischemic stroke was in reverse correlation with percentage of fibronectin in their content and with the pathogenetic variant of ischemia (r = -0.94; p < 0.05 and r = -0.87; p < 0.05 or atherothrombotic and cardioembolic variants, respectively).

Nuclear ITS1-2 and chloroplast trnL-F were sequenced for 21 taxa of Lophozia s. str., two species of Protolophozia, five species of Schistochilopsis, three species of Barbilophozia and Obtusifolium obtusum. The topologies of phylogenetic trees for 49 taxa constructed from combined sequences of these regions by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods are similar. The species of Lophozia s. str., excluding Lophozia sudetica, combine into two main clades and these contradict subdivisions of Lophozia s. str. based on morphology. The species status of Lophozia lantratoviae is confirmed, whereas Lophozia austro-sibirica is almost identical to Lophozia ventricosa var. guttulata. The genus Schistochilopsis is paraphyletic and occupies basal position to Lophozia s. str., while O. obtusum is clearly separated from Schistochilopsis. A low level of divergence was found between L. sudetica and Protolophozia debiliformes, which are closer to Barbilophozia than to Lophozia s. str. Molecular divergence between geographically remote populations of L. sudetica, Lophozia silvicoloides and Protolophozia debiliformis are low as opposed to those of Lophozia polaris, Lophozia pellucida or Lophozia excisa. Consideration of the trnL intron P8 region indels alone can adequately assign some clades revealed by tree building. A consensus secondary structure of the trnL intron P8 region could not be inferred for taxa studied mainly due to high sequence length diversity originated from deletions.

Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed for 21 taxa of Lophozia s. str. and the related genera, Schistochilopsis (5 species), Protolophozia elongate, and Obtusifolium obtusum based on pooled nuclear ITS 1-2 and chloroplast trnL-F DNA sequences. The trees were characterized by similar topology. It was demonstrated that the genus Lophozia s. str. was monophyletic, excluding L. sudetica, which deserved isolation into a distinct cryptic genus. The species distribution among the clades disagreed with the sections distinguished based on anatomical and morphological data. The relationships within the genus Schistochilopsis were consistent with the sectioning of the genus, based on morphological characters. Analysis of molecular data provided more precise definition of the systematic position of a number of taxa. Small genetic divergence of geographically distant forms was demonstrated.

We studied effects of changed blood theology in cryoglobulinemia on temperature-dependent disorders of peripheral circulation. The rheological status was assessed by aggregation characteristics of blood at temperature 37 degrees C and 4 degrees C at nephelometry of reverse light diffusion. Blood cryoglobulins concentration was determined spectrophotometrically. Turbidimetry estimated the size of cryocomplexes at different temperatures and energetic characteristics of their formation. It was found that blood of healthy donors in cooling does not change its rheological properties significantly. Blood of patients with cryoglobulinemia cooled to 4 degrees accelerated formation of linear erythrocyte aggregates and increased their strength. The results agreed with estimated values of molecular connection energy in cryocomplexes. The greatest difference between the patients' and donors' blood was in strength of the largest aggregates. Sharp strengthening of both large and small aggregates in blood cooling makes vascular red cell desaggregation impossible. This may entail microcirculatory arrest.

It was shown that proliferative rate of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) decreased during gravity vector randomization (clinorotation). Clinorotated hMSCs exhibited changes in expression of some external cell markers and adhesion molecules. Marked suppression of osteogenic differentiation of hMSC as to formation of bone nodules and calcium deposits was observed. F-actin stress fibers of cytoskeleton were altered in clinorotated cultures. Prolonged clinorotation of embryoid bodies (EBs) resulted in a delay of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) differentiation into cardiomyocytes. Percentage of beating cardiomyocytes in each EB was significantly reduced. Thus, long-term gravity vector randomization decreases the differentiation processes of precursor cells in vitro.

The most significant informative clinical laboratory parameters were determined and the exceptional value of cryoglobulin concentrations for predicting the clinical status was demonstrated. The efficiency of the proposed protocol of selective plasmapheresis for patients with atherothrombotic variant of stroke is confirmed, mathematical models describing and predicting the patient status are plotted.

The charge properties of cryoglobulins were examined during the first 21 days of ischemic stroke (atherothrombotic and cardioembolic). Routine drug therapy produced no effect on the charge of cryoglobulins. Plasmapheresis significantly modified the electrokinetic parameters of cryoglobulins during atherothrombotic stroke and produced less pronounced effect on these proteins during cardioembolic stroke.

Effects of randomized gravity vector (clinostatting) on embryonal stem cells (ESC) of mice were evaluated in vitro with respect to proliferation, proliferative potential, and differentiability. Colony formation remained normal up to hour 72 of clinostatting; however, further exposure led to fusion of the ESC colonies. No reliable shifts in the proliferative activity were found, whereas morphometric analysis showed different dynamics of the ESC colonies size in specific periods of the experiment comparing with the control. Evaluation of the ESC proliferative potential after the experiment revealed a trend upward in the number of colonies when compared with the dynamic and static controls. However, the number of resulted EBs in the control tended upward contrary to EBs formed under the conditions of clinostatting and continuous agitation pointing to the importance of local medium conditioning at the beginning of ESC differentiation.

For studies of the charge characteristics of human erythrocytes loaded with cryoglobulins the cells should be stored in Alsever solution with 0.1% sodium azide no longer than 1 week after blood collection. Erythrocytes should be loaded with cryoglobulins by incubation during at least 4 h, the final concentration of cryoproteins in the solution being no lower than 30 microg/ml.

Serum concentrations of cryoglobulins were measured in patients with ischemic stroke; inadequate changes in these concentrations over the course of the entire acute period of the disease were shown. Positive effect of selective plasmapheresis on the decrease in cryoglobulin concentration and recovery of patients was confirmed.

Effects of water with varying isotopic composition (high and low deuterium content) were studied on the model of cultivated human endothelial cells. In laboratory conditions, changes in the isotopic content of water in nutrient substrate did not affect significantly the cell proliferative activity. In cells cultivated in no-serum medium increased deuterium concentration inhibited growth with a consequent of cell death. Both decreased and increased concentration of deuterium activated proliferation in originally low-density cell cultures supplemented with serum. It is hypothesized that changed isotopic composition of water has an effect only when combined with some other cell cultivation factors.

Forty-seven patients: group A--17 patients with acute ischemic atherothrombotic stroke and group B--30 patients with acute Q-formation myocardial infarction. The levels of dynamics and comparative clinical relevance of crioglobulinemia in patients of the both groups have been evaluated. Crioglobulines (CG) in the peripheral blood serum were determined at 1, 2, 3, 7th and 14th days after the disease development. On the 1st day, the elevated CG level similar in the both groups as well as similarity of crioglobulinemia dynamics in whole was observed. In the group A, but not in the group B, the CG level was directly correlated with disease severity (p<0,05). In the group B, there was a trend, which depended on the blood CG level on the 1st day of the disease and on the presence of previous stenocardia (p<0,1).

Autoimmune processes take place during an acute phase of brain injury as well as during chronic vascular diseases. Cryoglobulinemia is a nonspecific marker of long-term stimulation of the immune system which reflects duration of autoimmune sensitization. It is characterized by production of abnormal temperature-dependent immunoglobulins named cryoglobulins. The highest cryoglobulinemia was found in patients with atherothrombotic stroke that corresponds to the results of previous studies reporting the greatest level of neurospecific antibodies during slow atherothrombosis development. It is shown that cryoglobulinemia is an important factor in pathogenesis of stroke which contributes to microcirculatory and hemorheological disorders, increases blood viscosity and results in the development of immunocomplex endovasculitis of small brain blood vessels in the ischemic lesion.

Forty-five patients with carotid ischemic stroke have been examined within the first 24 hours from the disease onset. The Orgogozo and NIH scales were used to objectify a severity of the patient's state and the Barthel scale--to evaluate a degree of functional rehabilitation. Cryoglobulins (CG) were measured in blood serum by spectrophotometric method on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 21st days. Selective plasmapheresis was included in the therapeutic complex for 22 randomly selected patients. In both groups, a level of CG positively correlated with a severity of the patient's state on the 1st day of the monitoring (r=-0.5; p<0.01). The study of hemostasis indicated the presence of a direct correlation between an increase of platelet aggregation, blood hyperviscosity and CG concentration (r=0.46; p<0.05 and r=0.74; p<0.01, respectively). Higher scoring on the Orgogozo scale and Barthel scale prevailed in the group treated with plasmapheresis that significantly correlated with a decrease in CG concentration in blood serum (r=-0.6; p<0.05 and r=0.5; p<0.05 respectively). An evaluation of platelet aggregation, blood viscosity and a coagulogram on the 21st day of the disease revealed a significant improvement of blood rheology in the group of patients switched to efferent therapy.

Nephelometry technique was used to register the alterations of the scattering signal from a whole blood sample due to erythrocyte aggregates in stasis and under controlled shear stress. The measured parameters were: the characteristic times of linear and three-dimensional aggregates formation, and the strength of aggregates of different types. These parameters depend on the sample temperature in the range of 2/50 degrees C. Temporal parameters of the aggregation process strongly increase (by 3 times) at temperature 45 degrees C. For samples of normal blood the aggregates strength parameters do not significantly depend on the sample temperature, whereas for blood samples from patients with cryoglobulinemia high increase of the strength of both three-dimensional and linear aggregates and decrease of time of linear aggregates formation at low temperature of the sample (4 degrees C) was observed. The difference of these parameters of the pathological blood from that of the normal at room temperature was quite opposite. Possible reasons of such behavior of aggregation state of blood and explanation of the observed effects are suggested.

Loading of neutrophils with immune complexes changed their functional activity and intracellular pH. These changes depended on the size of immune complexes. UV irradiation of neutrophils loaded with immune complexes led to a molecular weight-dependent decrease in intracellular pH. After irradiation the chemiluminescence response to latex increased only in neutrophils loaded with non-phagocytized immune complexes with low (less than 10 units IgG) and high molecular weights (more than 25 units IgG).

The article reviews literature and original data on renal affections associated with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MCG), discuss etiology, clinical and morphological features of renal damage, variants of the clinical course and prognosis. Among 50 patients with mixed MCG selected by the presence of cryoglobulinemia (> 100 mg/dl) and in 75% with markers of hepatitis c virus infection, renal lesion was found in 14(28%). 7 of them had moderate urinary syndrome, 4 had nephrotic syndrome and 3--acute nephritic syndrome with subsequent rapid progression. 5 patients had cryoglobulinemic mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis. A clinical case is reported illustrating complications and difficulties of treatment of cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis.

The problem of cryoglobulins role in different diseases is very actual. Our preliminary investigations showed that activation energies of protein transition from the cryocomplex into solution correlate with clinical symptoms of cryoglobulinemia. The average meaning of activation energy show that the main type of interaction between the molecules in cryocomplexes is of Van-der-Vaalse type. The dependence of light scattering intensity on the temperature of the serum of patients with hepatitis C virus infection and cryoglobulinemia have been studied. From these data the activation energies of protein transition from the cryocomplex into solution have been calculated. The activation energies correlate with clinical symptoms of cryoglobulinemia. Low activation energies (2.6 +/- 1.4 kDg/M) accompany the kidney damage. If cryoglobulin level is not low at high activation energies the kidney damage is severe due to cryoimmunocomplex deposition in organ.

Effects of space flight on growth and biosynthetic features of plant cells were studied in two strains of ginseng (Panax ginseng) differing in growth and particularly biosynthetic activities, a strain of Lithospermum Erythrorhizon and a strain of Macrotomia Euchroma which produce biologically active naphroquin-derived pigments. --and also differ in growth and biosynthetic properties. Following exposure aboard MIR and a Space shuttle, cells of the callosal cultures were subjected to callosal or suspension passaging. Biomass yield and biologically active substances--ginseng saponins ginsenoids and shikonin were determined in the cells cultures. There was no evidence for the biomass yield to be significantly altered by space flight; however, the content of biologically active substances was materially changed with the strain.

Cytokines form a kind of regulatory net which normal functioning is critical for development of inflammation and regeneration in eye, namely cornea. In connection with this, we studied effects of complex of natural cytokine obtained from pig and comprising activities of IL-1, IL-6, TNF, MIF, TGFbeta1, on post-burn regeneration in rabbit cornea. The cornea burn was induced by 10% NaOH and cytokine complex was locally administered (over month after the burn) to the regeneration site observed as wall-eye. Hystologic analysis and in vitro experiment with mice (F1 hybrids of CBAxC57BL) peritoneal macrophages and human peripheral blood neutrophils were performed to reveal cytokine biological roles. CC augmented post-burn cornea regeneration that is distinctly observed at all regeneration stages and manifested as: (i) action on macrophages at the early regeneration (inhibition of migration, activation of phagocytosis, ROS production, cytokine synthesis and secretion); and (ii) attraction of cornea stromal cells to the regeneration site and enhancement of their main functions (proliferation, fibronectin and collagen synthesis). As a consequence of CC local administration, post-burn regeneration site displayed high plasticity, low scaring and vascularization, being close to those of normal tissue, that finally enabled progression of successful keratoplastics. The data reported below show wide perspectives for administration of natural cytokine complex to treat cornea alterations of various genesis.

Cryoglobulins were measured spectrophotometrically in the sera of 40 patients with renal diseases. 18 of them had chronic glomerulonephritis, 14 lupus nephritis and 8 nephritis. 20 patients with high concentration of cryoglobulins (100-600 micrograms/ml) exhibited high incidence of nephrotic syndrome (80%), arterial hypertension (90%), creatininemia (70%) and, respectively, 25, 25 and 15% of patients free of cryoglobulinemia. There was a correlation between cryoglobulins level and creatininemia (r = 0.468), proteinuria (r = 0.478), ESR (r = 0.393), systolic and diastolic arterial pressure (r = 0.393 and r = 342, respectively). An inverse relation existed with serum albumins (r = -0.526). Progression of renal failure was associated with high cryoglobulinemia. In decline of cryoglobulins content there was clinical improvement, lowering or normalization of blood creatinin levels.

The paper shows the role and place of medical physicists in modern society, gives an analysis and recommendations on training such specialists in our country and abroad.

Physical and chemical parameters of immune complexes were studied in cataract patients before and after surgery with laser nephelometry. The authors suggest a possible uveitogenous role of the circulating immune complexes of medium size (from 7 to 21 IgG) and high concentration (over 1.2 mg/ml) in the development of postoperative complications of an inflammatory nature.

The paper reviews the main up-to-date physical methods for assessing humoral and cellular components of immunity. The merits and shortcomings of the methods are described and compared with the routine biochemical and histological assays used for these purposes. Emphasis is laid on the necessity of a wider use of physical approaches and methods in immunology. According to the author's opinion, it holds promise for further studies into intimate mechanisms of immune defense of man.

We have studied physical and chemical properties of the circulating immune complexes of cataract patients before and after surgery as well as the influence of the technique of cataract extraction on the human organism inflammatory reaction, particularly on the lowering of concentration and dimensions of immune complexes in blood serum and tears. There is a hypothesis advanced on the influence of the immune complexes on the development of postoperative uveitis.

Bilignost, iodamide and triombrast were shown to increase the concentration and to decrease the size of the rat blood serum immune complexes in vivo and in vitro. A decrease of the size of immune complexes was also observed during angiography with the use of triombrast in humans. According to the relation to the action of roentgen contrast media on the concentration and size of immune complexes humans and rats can be divided in "sensitive" and "tolerant" ones.

Influence of concentration of aggregated immunoglobulins with varying molecular weights on the electrophoretic mobility of ram erythrocytes has been explored. It was shown, that electrophoretic mobility of ram erythrocytes depend on the quantity and the size of adsorption complexes.

Examinations of 78 patients with atopic dermatitis have confirmed the important role played by the immune complexes in the immunopathological and inflammatory processes. In atopic dermatitis elevated concentrations of immune complexes could be detected only in the patients with a severe diffuse process. The findings evidence that the most informative parameters of circulating immune complexes are their size and composition, that are of diagnostic and prognostic value in this condition. Studies of the relationships between the characteristics of immune complexes and the parameters of the immune status of patients have revealed correlations between serum IgE levels and immune complexes IgM, as well as between C4 concentration and size of the immune complexes.

A new method for the assessment of cryoglobulins is suggested, with due consideration for the circulating immune complexes. Optimal conditions for the formation of cryoprecipitates and assessment thereof have been found. Use of 7% PEG essentially cuts down the period for the formation of cryoprecipitates on the cold.

The complement-fixing capacity of aggregated immunoglobulins with varying molecular weights has been explored. It has been demonstrated that as the molecular weight of a complex rises, the complement-fixing capacity increases. The amount of unfixed complement depends nonlinearly on the concentration of complement added and aggregated complexes in solution. The size of the complexes rather than their concentration plays the key role in the measurement of the complement-fixing capacity of aggregated immunoglobulins.