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Severe mechanical injury is one of the main reasons behind children’s disability and mortality. Severe injury induces a complex host immune response to tissue injury, a parallel pro- and anti-inflammatory state, bearing an elevated risk for infectious complications (IC) and/or multiple organ failure (MOF). This study aimed to determine the informative immunological criteria of traumatic injury severity and prognosis outcome in children (severe injury group (SInj, ISS ≥ 16), n = 87; mild/moderate injury group (MInj, ISS < 16), n = 34) based on the assessment of absolute cell count (abs) and percentage of such T helper subpopulations as regulatory T lymphocytes – CD4+CD127lowCD25high(Treg), Th17 lymphocytes – CD4+CD161+ and CD4+CD127higtCD25high T cells(T127hi) in severe injury cases grouped by the outcome (favorable, n = 47; unfavorable, n = 40) and depending on IC (n = 16) and the development of MOF (n = 11) on the 1st, 3d , 5th, 7th, 14th day after injury. The control group was comprised of 80 apparently healthy children comparable in age and sex. An inverse relationship between severity of injury, degree of blood loss and outcome of injury was revealed with the abs of all Th populations, but for Th abs and Treg abs the most significant correlation was found (Spearman’s R ≤ -0,70, p < 0.00001). For SInj group, a pronounced decrease of Th abs, Treg abs, T127hi abs and Th17 abs, in the acute post-traumatic period with an increase to 14 days was revealed. The values of in the first day for indicators of patients with MInj group correspond to the values of control group and significantly differ from SInj group. There are different kinetics of percentage Th subpopulations in peripheral blood of children with severe injuries. The Th17%CD4+ and T127hi%CD4+ significant increase in 1st-3d and 3d -7th days after injury respectively in comparation with сontrol and MInj groups. There were no differences between groups in terms of Treg%CD4+. The lower-level Treg abs in trauma patients admitted to the ICU is significantly associated with develop the infectious complications and outcome of trauma. The Th17 abs is significantly reduced in 3-7th days after the injury in the SInj group with MOF. The results of the study indicate that in children levels of Treg, T127hi and Th17 is significantly associated with severity of injury and may be used to predict outcome of trauma and assess the risk of IC and MOF.

Psoriasis is considered an autoimmune disease with a predominantly cellular mechanism for the development of disorder. Studies in immune pathogenesis of psoriasis were performed either in animal model, which is not just similar to humans, or the data were obtained in patients by means of skin window method, which is traumatic, or by examining venous blood. However, it is difficult to discern parameters of the local immune response in venous blood samples. We have attempted to find an adequate method which would be convenient both for the patient and for the researcher, in order to assess local immune processes occurring in the skin affected by psoriasis. We examined 20 patients with a verified diagnosis of psoriasis, the average age was 44.3 years. The control group included 15 healthy adults, with average age of 46.6 years. Capillary blood was taken by fingerprick, whereas, in psoriatic patients, the samples were taken near the psoriatic lesion at a final volume of 400 μL in two microvettes. Venous blood (3 mL) was taken from the cubital vein into a vacuum tube with EDTA. Clinical analysis of venous and capillary blood was performed in automated hematological analyzer. Immunophenotyping was performed by four-color staining of whole capillary and venous blood followed by lysis of erythrocytes. Cytofluorometry was performed using techniques and reagents from BD Biosciences (USA). Plasma cytokines were determined by multiplex approach (MagPix, BioRad, USA). Upon clinical analysis of blood, the difference between capillary and venous blood was not found, either in healthy group, or among patients with psoriasis. In healthy people, the subsets of mononuclear cells, did not differ between venous and capillary blood. The samples of capillary and venous blood in the patients with psoriasis showed significantly increased levels of double-positive lymphocytes (CD45RA+/CD45R0+), B lymphocytes and NKT lymphocytes (both for relative and and absolute values). A significant increase in the percentage of naive T lymphocytes, activated helpers (Thact) and Treg, as well as B1 cells and Breg, and a significant decrease in B2 lymphocytes was registered in capillary blood of the patients with psoriasis. In venous blood samples from psoriatic patients, only a significant increase in Thact, Treg, and Breg was revealed. In the capillary blood of patients with psoriasis, we found a significant increase in the levels of non-classical M2 monocytes and inflammatory Minfl monocytes, and a decrease in classical M1 monocyte levels; in venous blood of psoriatic patients, only an increase in inflammatory Minfl monocytes was revealed. In capillary blood, all the studied cytokines in psoriasis patients significantly exceeded the levels of corresponding cytokines in healthy controls, except of IL-10. The levels of this cytokine did not differ from healthy group. In venous blood, the levels of most studied cytokines in the group of patients with psoriasis did not differ from the group of healthy ones. Approximately two-fold increase was revealed for IL-4, IL-21, IL-23 and TNF. First, the subsets of mononuclear cells and the cytokine profile of capillary and venous blood of healthy people did not differ significantly. Secondly, our proposed method for determining the subsets of mononuclear cells and capillary blood cytokines profile from the area of psoriatic lesions may be used to monitor local immunity in the patients with psoriasis. This approach is significantly less traumatic than the skin window method and more informative than the studies of venous blood.

Investment attractiveness is an important parameter for making decision about investing. The steel industry in spite of temporary difficulties, was always attractive for capital investment. The significance of metallurgy from the viewpoint of GDP formation was determined by the relevance of the research topic. It was revealed that many scientists use to evaluate the investment attractiveness of enterprises, the indicators characterizing the financial state and did not include in their models the growth prospects of companies. The article analyzes the value chain of M. Porter with a view to the formation on its basis of key factors of success (KFU) metallurgical enterprises, making it attractive to investors. Indicators have been defined that characterize the KFU. The authors propose a modified value chain for steel companies, which is based on the value chain by M. Porter. The analytical results confirmed the possibility of practical use «value chain» for making investment decisions.

The article discusses the importance and features of the creative economy. Showing characteristics of the region with the creative economy, associated with the presence of tangible and intangible creative factors. It reflected the special role of the cultural environment, characterized by the possibility of different cultures in the region’s creative economy. Describes the operational orientation Creative culture and problems of its formation.

Age-dependent development of Th17 and Treg lymphocyte subsets in healthy humans is studied insufficiently. The present study aimed to investigate quantitative characteristics of Th17 and Treg subsets in peripheral blood of healthy subjects for various age groups.352 healthy humans (168 female and 184 male), one month to 85 years old, were subject to examination, including 79 infants in their first year of life; 34 children at aged 1 year to 2 years 11 months; 24, at 3 to 4 years 11 months; 28, at the age of 5 to 6 years 11 months; 25 children aged 7-8 years 11 month; 36 children aged 9 to 11 years 11 months; 39 adolescents aged 12 to 14 years 11 months; 26 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years; 25 young adults aged 20 to 35 years; 11 adults at 36 to 49 years old; 16 adults aged 59-70 years, and 9 elderly people over 70 years old. The study was performed with capillary blood in children under 2 years, and venous blood taken in elder persons. The basic and ‘minor’ subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes were evaluated by flow cytometry using four-color staining of whole blood and following erythrocyte lysis. We used the following surface markers: CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD127, CD161, CD45R0 for lymphocyte subsets detection.It has been shown that Treg percentage (a ratio of CD4+CD25hiCD127low/neg in the CD3+CD4+ gate) did not depend on age of the people under study, and can be approximated by a linear function. The absolute number of Tregs in childhood is progressively decreased and, after 10 years old, it reaches plateau values. This age-dependent relationship may be approximated by a logarithmic function. Evaluation of Th17 subset levels demonstrated a strong relative and absolute age-dependent growth of this cell subpopulation. Percentage and absolute numbers of Th17 lymphocyte (share of CD4+CD161+CD45R0+ in the CD3+CD4+gate), can be approximated by a square function. The age of 10-12 years seems to be critical to the immune system formation. We suppose the process of the immune system development to be completed at this age, and maturation of the immune cell populations is then observed. A decrease in both relative and absolute numbers of Treg and Th17 lymphocyte subsets was found in elderly persons (> 70 years old). Our data on peripheral blood Tregs and Th17 subsets, with respect to their percentage and absolute numbers in healthy humans, may be used as age-related reference values.