Lead article
Sergei Petrovich Botkin owns a large number of outstanding discoveries in the field of medicine, which have not lost their relevance at present. He is one of the founders of scientific clinical medicine, its physiological direction. Sergey Petrovich put forward a number of innovative ideas, which subsequently served as the basis for the creation of new scientific and practical disciplines: sanitary transport, disinfection, medical statistics, laboratory examination, medical gerontology, he formed a school of domestic infectious disease doctors, including the paitomorphological department, domestic therapeutic school. He embodied scientific approaches in clinical practice, brought domestic medicine to the forefront of science and its promising scientific areas remain relevant at present, continuing to strengthen the development of domestic medicine.
Review
Herpetic diseases are widespread among cancer patients and are of interest to specialists in various fields. It is herpetic infections that are often common among cases of infant mortality. The main causative agents of herpetic phenomena in humans are manifested by the 8 most studied types of the virus. The article presents a review of modern scientific literature on herpetic diseases caused by herpes viruses 6 and 7. The issues of the history of the study of diseases, etiology, features of the distribution, the pathogenesis of diseases, a wide manifestation of manifestations in childhood, diagnosis, and tactics of managing patients are outlined.
During the pandemic, a large number of works devoted to COVID infection have appeared, which have made it possible to understand the pathogenetic features of the disease and to accumulate significant clinical experience. However, the question remains about the degree of participation of humoral and cellular (primarily T-cell) immunity in the mechanisms of immune defense and resistance to COVID-19, the individual features of the immune response in different subjects. Post-COVID syndrome is currently a separate diagnosis included in the ICD-10 International Classification of Diseases, but the long-term effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on the immune system are not yet well established. At the same time, a long-term increased activity of the immune system can contribute to the development of autoimmune reactions. The review of the literature presents the results of studies, mainly devoted to immune system disorders after COVID infection. The changes in subpopulations of T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, their functional properties, the complement system and other factors of humoral immunity, as well as the production of a number of cytokines are described. Data on immune disorders in post-COVID syndrome and during the convalescence period are presented in detail. Since COVID-19 is an infection that has a significant impact on the hematopoietic system and hemostasis, special attention is paid to the category of subjects with an increased risk of severe complications. Among the latter are elderly patients, persons suffering from diabetes mellitus, oncological and oncohematological patients, in particular, with hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue neoplasia, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma. The review pays special attention to the peculiarities of the course of COVID-19 and the response of the immune system to vaccination in patients with oncohematological diseases. Deciphering the significance of individual links of cellular and humoral immunity in patients who have undergone COVID-19 is an important issue in creating effective vaccines and improving therapeutic methods.
Original Research
Purpose: to assess the functional state of the brain in critically ill encephalopathy in children with infectious diseases.
Materials and methods: 75 patients aged from 1 month to 17 years 11 months with infectious diseases, who were in the intensive care unit of the clinic, were examined, divided into two groups: the main group and the comparison group. Exclusion criteria: patients with cerebral palsy, organic lesions of the central nervous system, neuroinfections and epilepsy. Conducted daily clinical and neurological examination; study of the level of neurospecific proteins (NSE, protein S100) in blood serum; electroencephalography; study of evoked potentials of various modalities; ultrasound examination of the optic nerves, neuroimaging.
Results: All patients had general infectious manifestations, the development of sepsis syndrome, cerebral systemic disorders with impaired consciousness, as well as convulsive syndrome. In the acute period of the disease in the main group, NSE values in 87.5% of children were within the upper limit of normal, S100 protein levels were many times higher than those in the comparison group. In dynamics, all patients showed an increase in the level of NSE, which correlated with persistent neurological symptoms in the form of irritability, weakness, and cognitive decline. In the comparison group, an increase in NSE occurred in 53% of children, an increase in S100 - in 83%. By the time of discharge, 47% of patients had an increase NSE and S100 protein. Visual evoked potentials in 84% of the children of the main group in the acute period, had a decrease the amplitude of the N2-P2 cortical response was revealed without significant dynamics in the future, which was accompanied by pronounced clinical manifestations, which made it possible to substantiate the expediency of dispensary observation of children who underwent a critical condition against the background of severe infectious pathology.
Conclusion: in infectious diseases in children that are not accompanied by inflammatory processes in the nervous system, but proceed with the development of a critical condition, there is a neuropsychiatric deficit in the outcomes, which necessitates follow-up follow-up of such patients in the future.
Purpose: to study the clinical and etiological features of pneumonia in children with a poor outcome of infectious diseases.
Materials and methods. The retrospective analysis of clinical, anamnestic, laboratory, instrumental data of 46 children who died from infectious diseases during the period from December 2009 to November 2019 was carried out, of which 26 patients had pneumonia at autopsy. The etiology of pneumonia was determined in vivo and postmortem using cultural, molecular genetic, serological methods and immunohistocytochemical examination of lung tissue. Pneumonia was classified into primary and secondary.
Results. In patients with pneumonia in the structure of generalized infections (n=26) secondary forms prevailed (septic – 14 cases, ventilator-associated (VAP) – 5, aspiration – 2); primary pneumonia was detected in 5 children. Clinical polymorphism and frequent absence of typical symptoms of pneumonia (cough, shortness of breath, auscultatory and percussion changes) were shown, that led to intravital underdiagnosis of pneumonia in 31% of patients. The probable etiology of pneumonia was detected in vivo and postmortem in 58% and 98% of cases respectively. S. pneumoniae (40%) and H. influenzae type b (40%) were main pathogens in primary pneumonia, N. meningitidis (36%) and S. pneumoniae (29%) – in septic pneumonia, commensals of naso- and oropharynx (S. salivarius) – in aspiration pneumonia, nosocomial bacteria (S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci) – in VAP. In children with HIV infection, pneumonia was associated with opportunistic pathogens (P. jirovecii, C. neoformans). In 87% of cases polymicrobial associations were found in lower airways, that makes it difficult to identify the main causative agent of pneumonia.
Conclusions. Most of symptoms of pediatric pneumonia in the structure of generalized infections are nonspecific. Post-mortem study improves the etiological verification of pneumonia and allow to suggest the most pathogenetically and thanatogenetically significant pathogen.
Cytomegalovirus plays an essential role in human pathology. Primary infection usually occurs in childhood and subsequently, a lifelong latency is formed which the virus replicates by evading the immune response. In recent years, more and more researchers have concluded that cytomegalovirus reactivation may occur in critically ill patients. Despite the available evidence, data on reactivation in this group of patients are limited by the relatively small sample size, the variety of patient groups studied, the differences in study methodology, and the variability in reported results, which excludes the possibility of summarizing the results.
This study aimed to determine the frequency of reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection in critically ill patients and to identify its main clinical features.
Materials and methods. The study included 118 critically ill patients with severe bacterial and viral-bacterial infections accompanied by multiple organ dysfunction. Cytomegalovirus reactivation was determined by the detection of DNA in combination with the presence of IgG.
Results. Reactivation was detected in 36.4% of cases. Frequency and terms of reactivation in blood and sputum as well as trends of viral load changes in dynamics were shown. The main clinical features of reactivation in different pathologies (sepsis of bacterial etiology, COVID-19, non-septic critical patients) were noted. HCMV DNA was more frequently detected in the blood of septic patients (44.8%) compared with COVID-19 (13.0%, p<0.05) and non-septic critically ill patients (19.2%, p<0.05). COVID-19 was characterized not only by lower detection of HCMV DNA in the blood but also by the lowest viral loads (p<0.05). HCMV DNA in sputum was detected comparably frequently in sepsis (38.1%) and COVID-19 (33.3%), but the highest viral loads were characteristic of patients with sepsis (p<0.05).
Objective: is to develop a model for early diagnosis of mixed infection of the non-erythema migrans form of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis using the assessment of the complete blood count and the blood leukocyte indices of patients in the first week of the disease.
Materials and methods. The retrospective clinical study involved Group 1 of 27 patients with the mixed infection of the non-erythema migrans form of Lyme borreliosis and the febrile form of tick-borne encephalitis and Group 2 of 29 patients with the monoinfection of the non-erythema migrans form of Lyme borreliosis, who were hospitalized no later than in the 7th day of the disease. The average age of patients in Groups 1 and 2 was 50.6±3.4 and 49.9±2.3. We analyzed 14 parameters of the complete blood count as well as calculated the leukocyte intoxication index and the body resistance index. Statistical significance assessment was carried out using the chi-square test and ROC analysis. Logistic regression model was developed using STATISTICA 12.0 modules.
Results. The levels of the band and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (<0,001 и p=0,002) and the leukocyte intoxication index (p<0,001) were significantly higher and the levels of the body resistance index (p<0.001), lymphocytes (p<0.001) and platelets (p=0.004) were lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. Informative predictors of mixed infection included the body resistance index (AUC=0.77), leukocyte intoxication index (AUC=0.75), the band and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (AUC=0.74), lymphocytes (AUC=0.77), and platelets (AUC=0.70). Logistic regression model has a “very good” predictive value (AUC=0.85) and include two parameters: body resistance index and platelets (×109/L).
Conclusion. The developed model has a “very good” predictive value for early diagnosis of the mixed infection of the non-erythema migrans form of Lyme borreliosis and tickborne encephalitis before laboratory diagnosis confirmation.
The aim of research: To investigate the genetic polymorphism of immune response molecules (TNFα-308G> A (rs1800629), IL4-589C>T (rs2243250), IL10-592C> A (rs1800872), IL10-819C> T (rs1800871), IL10-1082G>A (rs1800896), IL-17A-197G> A (rs2275913), IL- 17F-161His> Arg (rs763780), TLR-2-753Arg>Gln (rs5743708), TLR-6-249Ser>Pro (rs5743810) and assess their prognostic value in the development of acute virus-induced bronchiolitis.
Materials and methods. The study included children of the first year of life, whose average age was 4.2 ± 3.7 months. The main group consisted of 106 patients with moderate and severe acute viral bronchiolitis, more often associated with respiratory syncytial virus (56.6%). The control group consisted of 100 healthy children of the same age who had no signs of acute respiratory infection at the time of examination and did not receive passive immunoprophylaxis of respiratory syncytial infection. Genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction method. The analysis of the results included the compliance with the Hardy-Weinberg law, the χ 2 test, the relative chance, and its 95% confidence interval. To assess the distribution of the claimed gene polymorphisms and their alleles, we used the general (χ2 test, df =2) and multiplicative (χ2 test, df =1) inheritance models.
Results. It was revealed that the risk of developing acute viral bronchiolitis is increased compared to the healthy population in carriers of the following genotypes: CC, ST gene IL10-819C> T (rs1800871), GG, AA gene IL-17A-197G> A (rs2275913), HisHis gene IL-17F-161His> Arg (rs763780), SerSer, SerPro gene TLR-6-249Ser> Pro (rs5743810), GG gene TNF-α-308G>A (rs1800629). The TT genotype of the IL10-819C>T (rs1800871) gene is associated with a high risk of developing bacterial complications (pneumonia) in viral bronchiolitis. Carriers of genotypes AA, CC of the IL10-592C> A (rs1800872) gene have an increased likelihood of a severe course of viral bronchiolitis.
Conclusion. Genetic analysis of gene polymorphism IL10-592C> A (rs1800872), IL10-819C> T (rs1800871), IL-17A-197G> A (rs2275913), IL-17F-161His> Arg (rs763780), TLR-6-249Ser> Pro (rs5743810), TNF-α-308 G>A (rs1800629) can be used as a personalized developmental criterion acute virus-induced bronchiolitis in children, determining the severity of its course and the likelihood of complications.
The aim of the study was to analyze comorbidity in patients who underwent a course of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C with direct antiviral drugs.
Materials and methods: 288 patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C with stages of liver fibrosis from F1 to F4 according to the METAVIR scale, various genotypes, who underwent antiviral therapy with direct antiviral drugs in the period from 2018 to 2021, were under observation, with an analysis of comorbid and multimorbid diseases.
Results of the study: most often in these patients, regardless of gender and antiviral therapy regimen, lesions of the gastrointestinal tract were registered in the form of various inflammatory diseases, as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In second place in terms of frequency of occurrence, diseases of the endocrine system were diagnosed, primarily due to the development of metabolic syndrome, as well as damage to the thyroid gland, as an extrahepatic manifestation of chronic HCV infection. Slightly less marked diseases of the cardiovascular system. A relationship was found between the number of comorbid diseases and the body mass index, with an increase in which the stage of liver fibrosis progresses.
Conclusions: The frequency of comorbidity and multimorbidity in patients with chronic HCV infection is significantly higher than in uninfected patients. Patients with chronic hepatitis C with advanced stages of liver fibrosis (F3 and F4 according to the MEVIR scale) with overweight and obesity of varying severity are characterized by the highest incidence of comorbidities. A variety of extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C determine the polymorbid profile of the patient.
The purpose of the study: To evaluate comorbid conditions in patients with HIV-infection.
Materials and methods. The study included 779 HIV-infected patients, over 18 years old, identified in different years before the start of ART, who are on dispensary registration at the republican center for combating AIDS, were examined. The analysis of the age structure, the stage of HIV infection of patients and the analysis of the comorbidity index (CI) depending on the age and the number of CD4 lymphocytes before the start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) were conducted. The main predominant secondary and concomitant diseases were identified. CI of patients were evaluated by using the Charlson index to assess the long-term prognosis of patients.
As a result of the study, it was revealed that the majority of patients had comorbid diseases (82%), which is associated with high CI. High CI was detected as increasing patients` age (CI 6 or more in 85% of patients over 60 years of age). However, 59.25% of patients under 40 years had CI 6 or more points, which was associated with a poor prognosis of life.
Epidemiology
Due to the high prevalence of anogenital warts, their significant economic and psychosocial burden, the lack of routine vaccination against papillomavirus infection, monitoring of the epidemiological situation for one of the common forms of papillomavirus infection – anogenital warts is relevant.
The aim is to assess the epidemiological situation of anogenital warts in Tatarstan Republic for 2011–2020.
Materials and methods. The study design is an observational descriptive epidemiological study. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of the incidence of anogenital warts in Tatarstan Republic for 2011–2020 was carried out. The analysis of long-term dynamics of incidence of the population as a whole and in age and sex groups is carried out. The structure of the incidence of anogenital warts was assessed. Intensive (per 100,000) and extensive morbidity rates (%) were calculated.
Results. There is a decrease in the incidence of anogenital warts in Republic Tatarstan from 123,80/0000 in 2011 to 68,80/0000 in 2020. The dynamics of the incidence of anogenital warts among the female and male population had a unidirectional character – a decrease in the incidence. A comparison of incidence levels showed that the incidence of women was higher than that of men (80,40/0000 versus 55,80/0000, respectively, in 2020). The greatest incidence of anogenital warts was observed in the 18–29 age group during the observation period. The average annual incidence of anogenital warts in women aged 18–29 was 535,60/0000, in men of the same age group – 233,00/0000.
Conclusion. Despite the decrease in the incidence of anogenital warts in Tatarstan Republic as a whole and in certain age and gender groups, high levels of incidence among people aged 18-29 years remain. The data obtained from the results of a retrospective analysis of the incidence of anogenital warts indicate the need to introduce routine vaccination against HPV infection, which will prevent large treatment costs, and will have a positive impact on public health indicators.
Clinical Case
A clinical case of a combined course of leptospirosis and coronavirus infection in a 71-year-old patient is presented. One of the features of this case was the difficulty of confirming the clinical diagnosis of leptospirosis in the absence of a typical clinical picture of this disease. Only the data of the epidemiological history and manifestations of the disease atypical for coronavirus infection allowed to suspect leptospirosis and confirm it by methods of specific laboratory diagnostics. The stages of differential diagnostic search in the practice of an infectious disease doctor are described.
Norwegian scabies is a rare variant of scabies, which has clinical differences from the classical variant, which can cause diagnostic errors. Risk factors for developing the disease are various immunodeficiency states (HIV infection, malignant neoplasms, leprosy). A clinical case of the development of Norwegian scabies in a 22-year-old patient with HIV-infection stage 4B, with a level of CD4-lymphocytes in the blood of 8 cells/µl, is presented. The patient was hospitalized with complaints of weakness, skin rashes, itching and fever up to 40°C. On examination, there was dryness of the skin with erythematous areas on the arms, legs, and torso, as well as massive dirty-gray crusts on the skin of the scalp, torso, palms, elbows, dorsal surface of the feet. Purulent crusts were visualized on the elbows (Ardy’s symptom).
Treatment of scabies was carried out by treating the skin with a solution of benzyl benzoate. Against the background of the therapy, there was a positive trend in the form of the disappearance of skin itching, unpleasant odor, and complete disappearance of crusts on the 7th day of treatment.
Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is the most common congenital infection, occurs in 0.6-5% of newborns worldwide, and is considered the leading non-genetic cause of sensorineural hearing loss in children. Most newborns with a manifest form of the disease develop psychomotor and cognitive disorders, and about half of them develop visual impairment.
The purpose of publication: to present a clinical case of severe congenital cytomegalovirus infection in the manifest period with multisystem manifestations (hemorrhagic syndrome, encephalitis, myocarditis, hepatitis, splenomegaly) and follow-up data at the age of 1 year.
Conclusion. this clinical example demonstrates diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in the acute period of the disease and a significant list of diseases resulting from infection. Based on the information presented, the importance and necessity of close attention to the results of a serological study of pregnant women during the entire gestation period with an assessment of the antibody titer to cytomegalovirus infection in dynamics are updated. Specific antiviral therapy, prescribed on the basis of a life-threatening course of a severe manifest form of the disease, made it possible to achieve positive dynamics in the acute period, eradicate the virus and prevent severe outcomes, including death.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, additional difficulties have emerged in the differential diagnosis of interstitial pulmonary abnormalities, especially in patients with HIV infection, in whom this kind of injury can be caused by a wide range of pathogens, including opportunistic diseases. The high probability of an adverse outcome of pulmonary disease in patients with severe immunodeficiency requires an urgent choice of effective therapy.
The article describes clinical cases of pneumocystis pneumonia in two COVID-19 patients with newly diagnosed HIV infection, illustrating the difficulties of differential diagnosis in these conditions.