The potential of high-frequency ultrasound Dopplerography in the assessment of microcirculatory disorders in post-COVID-19 patients with a cardiovascular profile

Introduction. Patients with cardiovascular diseases have endothelial dysfunction and a higher risk of severe course of COVID-19, and thrombotic complications. Associated endotheliitis caused by virus penetration and cytokines storm leads to the release of tissue factor, the formation of excess thrombin and fibrin and thrombosis. The aim. To identify the potential of high-frequency ultrasound Dopplerography (HFUDG) for the assessment of microcirculatory disorders in post-COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular profile and to assess the microcirculatory bed condition before and after treatment with sulodexide. Materials and methods. 49 patients recovered from moderate-severe COVID-19 one month ago, aged 20–80, were examined. 24 patients, received prophylaxis with POACs for 1 month, formed group I, group II – 25 patients without prophylaxis. The nail bed of the upper limb 1st finger was examined using HFUDG and a 25 MHz sensor. Shape and spectrum of curves taken from dopplerograms were analyzed. The control examination was performed 4 weeks after therapy. Results. In patients after COVID19, depletion of spectral characteristics was revealed in comparison with dopplerograms of healthy individuals. The predominantly red part of the spectrum corresponding to the fastest particles was recorded. Slow-moving particles corresponding to the lighter part of the spectrum were nearly non-existent. In patients administrated POAC prophylaxis, amplitude indices were higher. Significant increase in D-dimer, antithrombin III, and soluble fibrin monomer complexes (SFMC) was also detected. The remaining parameters of the coagulogram were within the norm before and after treatment. After a course of sulodexide therapy, the spectral characteristics and coagulogram parameters returned to normal. Conclusion. HFUDG allows to detect stasis of capillary blood flow, the appearance of shunt blood flow corresponding to microtrombosis. Microcirculation indicators in post-COVID-19 patients improved after a course of preventive therapy with sulodexide.

Prospects for the use of laser Doppler flowmetry to assess cutaneous blood microcirculation in diabetes mellitus

The аrticle considers the scientific and clinical aspects of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in the diagnosis of the state of the microcirculatory bed in diabetes mellitus. LDF is a non-invasive quantitative method of microcirculation assessment; its capabilities include the analysis of microcirculatory rhythms and functional testing with different types of provocation tests, which provides a study of the state of regulatory mechanisms of microcirculation. The difficulties with studying the microcirculation are caused by the very small size of microvessels. The prevention and treatment of various microcirculatory disorders is one of the most important problems in medical practice. The findings of some studies suggest that microcirculatory disorders are not only a pathogenetic link in the development of complications, but are also observed in patients with early disorders of carbohydrate metabolism and may precede the manifestation of diabetes mellitus. The use of LDF in scientific researches will make it possible to reveal changes in microcirculatory bed functioning that are characteristic of diabetes mellitus. The possibility of non-invasive quantitative assessment of the state of microcirculatory blood flow in real time and the relative ease of use explains the high popularity of LDF in scientific researches and makes this method promising for use in clinical practice. This method can be of important diagnostic value for the study of the state of different levels of regulation of the microcirculatory tract and dynamic monitoring of the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. Combined use of LDF to identify the risk of developing diabetic foot syndrome will allow to personify the treatment of diabetes. Among the most promising points of application should be noted the study of microcirculation in the early diagnosis of diabetes and its complications, clarifying the risk of complications, monitoring the effectiveness of treatment. The development of optimal evaluation methods of microcirculation is a prospect for further research.

Laser doppler flowmetry as the advanced non-invasive method of evaluation оf microcirculation status in patients with diabetes mellitus

Currently, the problem of diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most important medical and social challenges worldwide. This is primarily due to the widespread prevalence of the disease and tendency to further increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus.Systemic microcirculatory disorders play an impor­tant role in the pathogenesis of DM complications. They lead to the development of microangiopathy and neuropathy through the primary lesion of vessels involved in the blood supply of the peripheral parts of the nervous system. Currently, less than one-third of physicians recognize signs of peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes. Untimely diagnosis contributes significantly to high morbidity, disability, and mortality.The authorinvestigates the experience of the use of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in clinical practice as a method of studying the state of the microcirculatory bed in patients with diabetes mellitus.LDF is a non-invasive quantitative method of microcirculation assessment; its capabilities include the analysis of microcirculatory rhythms and functional testing with different types of provocative effects, which provides with investigating the state of regulatory mechanisms of microcirculation. The prevention and treatment of various microcirculatory disorders is one of the most important problems of medical practice. The difficulties of studying the microcirculation are caused by the very small size of microvessels and strong ramification of intra-organic vascular networks. The use of LDF in scientific research will make it possible toreveal the DM-specific changes in microcir­culatory bed functioning. The findings of some studies suggest that microcirculatory disorders are not only a pathogenetic link in the development of complications, but they are also observed in patients with early disorders of carbohydrate metabolism and may precede the manifestation of diabetes. However, the method has not yet become widespread in clinical practice.

The role of disorders in the functional activity of platelets in the pathogenesis of microcirculatory disorders in patients with catarrhal gingivitis

A comprehensive examination of patients with chronic catarrhal gingivitis and with exacerbation of chronic catarrhal gingivitis with the inclusion of indicators of the microcirculatory link of the hemostasis system was carried out. In patients with exacerbation of chronic catarrhal gingivitis, platelet aggregation activity is increased compared to that in healthy individuals. This is accompanied by a statistically significant increase in the maximum degree of aggregation, a change in the time to reach the maximum degree of platelet aggregation Key words: platelet aggregation, catarrhal gingivitis, exacerbation of chronic catarrhal gingivitis.

Assessment of pathomorphological characteristics of the oral mucosa in patients with HBV, HCV and HIV

Introduction: Oral clinical manifestations in HBV HCV and HIV patients indicate a deterioration in general health status. The aim of the study was to assess pathomorphologic features of oral mucosa observed in patients with these diseases. Methodology: The study was conducted in N1 Dental Clinic of YSMU after M. Heratsi. The total number of patients taking part in the research was 120, including HBV (n = 40), HCV (n = 40) and HIV (n = 40). After biopsy and subsequent histological examination of the oral mucosa, statistical analysis was carried out using Excel 2013 and R software. Results: Pathomorphological examination revealed inflammatory infiltrations in all samples collected from HBV, HCV and HIV patients. These changes included microcirculatory disorders in 98.3% of samples: fibrinous-like deposits lining the surface of erosions and ulcers on the oral mucosa (1.67%), fibrosis of the mucous membrane (70%), dystrophy of squamous epithelium (93.3%) and bone sequestration (3.3%). Comparative analysis of pathomorphological characteristics revealed distinct content of infiltrates: lymphoplasmacytic infiltration in patients with HBV and HCV, while HIV patients showed neutrophils infiltration and lack of plasmocytes. Conclusions: There are common abnormal morphological changes in the oral mucosa typical of all patients with HBV, HCV and HIV, as well as liver diseases specific to each of them. Inflammation in the patients with HIV indicated impairment of the humoral immune system. Understanding the distinct characteristic of inflammation in the oral cavity could be useful for early differential diagnosis and management of patients with HIV, HBV and HCV.

The importance of eliminating microcirculatory disorders in the complex treatment of common soft tissue phlegmon

Background. The treatment of purulent-inflammatory processes of soft tissues remains today an area of surgery that is not given enough attention by specialists of both inpatient and outpatient levels, with many unresolved problems. Of particular importance in the pathogenesis of purulent-septic processes are the emerging microcirculation disorders due to the formation of micro-clots. An important point that aggravates the course of the disease is the development of thrombohemorrhagic syndrome. As a result, even with a variety of antibacterial drugs and the ыavailability of new treatment methods, it is often not possible to achieve positive results in the treatment of this heavy contingent of patients.Aim: to improve the effectiveness of complex therapy of patients with extensive soft tissue phlegmon by relieving thrombohemorrhagic syndrome.Materials and methods. Cryoplasma-anti-enzyme therapy in the composition of complex treatment was received by 59 (48.8 %) patients of the main group, 62 (51.2 %) patients of the comparison group received only the generally accepted treatment. In each group, there are three variants of the course of the disease – moderate, severe and septic.Results. The analysis of the clinical course of the disease showed that in patients of the first group, wounds were cleared of necrotic masses and purulent discharge with filling them with healthy granulation tissue 5.3 days faster than in the second group (p˂0.001). The number of deaths decreased – 11.9 % in the first group against 27.4 % in the second group (p˂ 0.001). The number of deaths decreased – 11.9 % in the first group against 27.4 % in the second group (p˂ 0.001). The proportion of thrombotic and thromboembolic causes of death in the first group (14.3 %) was lower than in the second (17.7 %) (p˂ 0.05).Conclusion. The use of cryoplasma-anti-enzyme therapy as part of complex treatment contributed to the effective relief of thrombohemorrhagic syndrome, the elimination of microcirculatory disorders, which allowed performing plastic closure of a wound defect 1.6 times faster, prevented the progression of multiple organ failure, and contributed to a reduction in mortality.

The Pathogenesis of End-Stage Renal Disease from the Standpoint of the Theory of General Pathological Processes of Inflammation

Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage chronic renal disease (ESRD), which requires the use of replacement therapy (dialysis or kidney transplant) in life-threatening conditions. In ESRD, irreversible changes in the kidneys are associated with systemic changes of proinflammatory nature and dysfunctions of internal organs, skeletal muscles, and integumentary tissues. The common components of ESRD pathogenesis, regardless of the initial nosology, are (1) local (in the kidneys) and systemic chronic low-grade inflammation (ChLGI) as a risk factor for diabetic kidney disease and its progression to ESRD, (2) inflammation of the classical type characteristic of primary and secondary autoimmune glomerulonephritis and infectious recurrent pyelonephritis, as well as immune reactions in kidney allograft rejection, and (3) chronic systemic inflammation (ChSI), pathogenetically characterized by latent microcirculatory disorders and manifestations of paracoagulation. The development of ChSI is closely associated with programmed hemodialysis in ESRD, as well as with the systemic autoimmune process. Consideration of ESRD pathogenesis from the standpoint of the theory of general pathological processes opens up the scope not only for particular but also for universal approaches to conducting pathogenetic therapies and diagnosing and predicting systemic complications in severe nephropathies.

Conjunctival biomicroscopy in the diagnosis of microcirculatory disorders in systemic sclerosis: A new look at the “old” method

Microcirculatory (MC) disorders in systemic sclerosis (SS) are an important part of pathogenesis, morphogenesis, determine the clinical picture of the disease, the severity of the patient’s condition and prognosis. The authors draw attention to a direct method for studying microcirculatory disorders – conjunctival biomicroscopy (CBM). The use of improved equipment for conducting CBM and the survey algorithm allows at the present stage to improve the quality of the data obtained, to simplify and standardize the CBM procedure, to record and analyze new MC predictors.The study of the correlations between MC changes identified in CBM in patients with SS, with the data of the clinical picture, will make it possible to determine a limited set of the most significant MC parameters, simplify the analysis of primary CBM data and take a fresh look at the CBM method, rethinking its diagnostic capabilities SS, which determined the aim of this study.Materials and methods. In 48 patients suffering from SS (mean age 51±1.7 years), MC was studied by the direct method – conjunctival biomicroscopy. Quantitative parameters of MC are compared with the clinical manifestations of SS by the methods of linear Pearson correlation and Spearman non-linear correlation. The critical value of the level of statistical significance in testing null hypotheses was taken to be 0.05.Results. The main clinical manifestations of SS: the duration of the disease (months), skin count (points), the activity of the disease (points), the duration of skin syndrome (months) and the duration of vascular syndrome (months) showed statistically significant linear and non-linear correlation with seven MC parameters: the value of the arteriolo- to-venule ratio (AVR), five parameters characterizing the density of capillaries on the bulbar conjunctiva and the average diameter of capillaries.Conclusion. A limited set of the most informative MC signs in the form of AVR and the number of capillaries in various areas of the temporal section of the bulbar conjunctiva greatly simplify the interpretation of CBM data and allow a new look at the diagnostic capabilities of the “old” method in SS. A promising direction, in our opinion, is the further study of the indicated MC parameters and the identification of possible correlations with the data of laboratory, instrumental methods of research and assessment of the dynamics of the indicated MC parameters in case of SS.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography as a Noninvasive Assessment of Cerebral Microcirculatory Disorders Caused by Carotid Artery Stenosis

Purpose. Using retinal optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), we aimed to investigate the changes in important indicators of cerebral microcirculatory disorders, such as the properties of the radial peripapillary capillaries, vascular complexes, and the retinal nerve fiber layer, caused by carotid stenosis and postoperative reperfusion. Methods. In this prospective longitudinal cohort study, we recruited 40 carotid stenosis patients and 89 healthy volunteers in the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (Harbin, China). Eyes with ipsilateral carotid stenosis constituted the experimental group, while the fellow eyes constituted the contralateral eye group. Digital subtraction angiography, CT perfusion imaging (CTP), and OCTA examinations were performed in all subjects. The vessel density of the radial peripapillary capillaries (RPC), superficial retinal vascular complexes (SVC), deep vascular complexes (DVC), choriocapillaris (CC), and the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were assessed. Propensity-matched analysis was undertaken to adjust for covariate imbalances. Intergroup comparative analysis was conducted, and the paired sample t -test was used to evaluate the preoperative and postoperative changes in OCTA variables. Results. The ocular vessel density in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (RPC: 55.95 vs. 57.24, P = 0.0161 ; SVC: 48.65 vs. 52.22, P = 0.0006 ; DVC: 49.65 vs. 57.50, P < 0.0001 ). Participants with severe carotid stenosis have reduced contralateral ocular vessel density (RPC 54.30; SVC 48.50; DVC 50.80). Unilateral stenosis removal resulted in an increase in vessel density on both sides, which was detected by OCTA on the 4th day (RPC, P < 0.0001 ; SVC, P = 0.0104 ; DVC, P = 0.0104 ). Moreover, the ocular perfusion was consistent with that established by CTP. Conclusion. OCTA can be used for sensitive detection and accurate evaluation of decreased ocular perfusion caused by carotid stenosis and may thus have the potential for application in noninvasive detection of cerebral microcirculation disorders. This trial is registered with NCT04326842.

Study of the effect of removing dental plaque using low-frequency ultrasound and ozonized contact medium on the clinical course of chronic generalized catarrhal gingivitis of young people

The dental status of 148 patients aged 18 to 22 years. All students who were diagnosed with generalized catarrhal gingivitis (46) were carried out removal of dental plaque with ozonation of the environment. The results of clinical studies indicate the high efficiency of the use of the removal of dental plaque using low-frequency ultrasound using an ozonized contact medium in the treatment of chronic generalized catarrhal gingivitis. The treatment carried out using this method contributed to the elimination of inflammation, the normalization of blood circulation in the gums. 3 months after the treatment, the achieved effect was preserved, which was confirmed by the data of clinical and functional research methods. Despite a slight increase in inflammation in the gums and a deterioration in microcirculation indicators, even a year after treatment, the indicators characterizing the degree of inflammatory and microcirculatory disorders in the gums retained significant differences compared to the values obtained before the treatment.