This study was aimed to indexing assessment of operating properties of ventilation parameters which were proposed to be used instead of the widespread method of comparison of the means in bronchial asthma (BA) patients. All the patients examined were divided to 2 groups based on the referent analysis data: 284 BA patients and 101 healthy persons which were the control group.
An objective decision of the current problem was provided by a division of all the patients to 4 groups according to severity of their functional disorders. This approach allowed to evaluate a correlation between the diagnostic value of the ventilation parameters and the ventilation disorders severity in the BA patients. The typical cut-points (80, 100, and 120%) were used in all the groups.
A ranging of the ventilation parameters according to their diagnostic validity was performed based on the study results.
The study showed that the assessment of the diagnostic value of the ventilation parameters in BA patients using the evidence-based medicine methods comes over the typical evaluation of the means as soon as it permits to determine the informative values of all the parameters, to distinguish adequately the health and the pathology, to decrease a number of functional diagnostic mistakes for bronchoobstructive disorders.

While performing a complex comparative clinical, allergological, immunological and functional investigation in 120 children with atopic bronchial asthma combined with allergic rhinosinusitis the following scientific facts have been found: 1) allergic rhinitis and sinusitis provide development and severity of clinical course of bronchial asthma; 2) etiology of atopic bronchial asthma combined with allergic rhinosinusitis depends on regional allergens such as home dust, pollen (wormwood, goose-foot, ailanthus, etc.), insect (D.pteronissinus, D.farinae), epidermis (cats, dogs), food (cow milk, white of egg) and others.

Clinical, functional and immunological examination was performed in 280 bronchial asthma (BA) patients. They were divided into 2 groups: 168 patients with the disease onset later than 40 years old age (the 1^st group) and 112 patients with BA onset earlier than 40 years old age (the 2^nd group). The immunological examination of the patients revealed a significant decrease in the serum T-lymphocyte general population due to reduction in the T-helpers and prevalently T-suppressors numbers, increased levels of IgE, IL-4, TNF-a and drop in the serum IFN-y level; a tendency to reduction in C3 and C4 and a considerable failure of the bronchopulmonary local defense (IgA, IgG and IFN-y deficiency) tested in bronchoalveolar lavag changes were mainly provided by immunosuppressive effects of co-existing and previous respiratory diseases. Our research established that the strongest blockage of the suppression mechanisms was observed under intricate combinations of BA pathogenic features and respiratory infections. A correlation was shown between the immune disorders and clinical, functional, endoscopic parameters.

Markers of eosinophilic inflammation were studied in bronchial asthma patients and their relatives (bronchial hyperreactivity, eosinophils of nasal smear, total serum immunoglobulin E, interleukin-5). An association of C-703T interleukin-5 gene polymorphism and the disease was analysed. Results of our study showed a close relationship between eosinophils in nasal smear, total serum immunoglobulin E and bronchial hyperreactivity in mechanisms involved in asthma and atopy development. The statistically significant association of C-703T interleukin-5 gene polymorphism with asthma was shown.

Ten children aged 7 to 14 have been observed for 4 years in Cheboksary city: 4 children had bronchial asthma (BA) and 6 ones had bronchial asthma combined with allergic rhinitis (AR). The bronchial asthma occurred early in all the patients (before 5-year age). Clinical course of the disease was characterized by polyorgan injury and its exacerbation did not contemporize to periods of existence of the Pyroglyphidus mites. Skin tests results and allergen-specific IgE-antibody levels revealed the prevalent sensitizing role of Ch.arcuatus. This fact provided more detailed research of acarofauna of home dust in these children. Monthly monitoring of the mite account inside the flats for 2 yrs found dynamics of its number. The Ch.arcuatus persists at the region roundthe-year and its account grows from March to September. The mite number at the flats correlated to the level of allergen-specific lgG4-antibodies. So, severe torpid course of the allergic diseases with frequent exacerbations is thought to be relevant to permanently high account of the mites and its exposure to the children.

The present work shows results of investigation of spontaneous and induced apoptosis in blood lymphocytes (L) in healthy donors and atopic asthma (AA) patients. Apoptosis was assessed by several parameters: changes of the mitochondrial potential (MP) and of phosphatidylserine (PS) expression level on the outer leaflet plasma membrane, forward and side scatter parameters and DNA fragmentation using the flow cytometry. We obtained that the DNA fragmentation in the AA patients’ L incubated in a culture became later and less than in the donors. The delayed DNA fragmentation did not depend on the Mn²⁺-DNAase activity. Spontaneous and induced reduction in the MP and increase in the PS expression were the earliest apoptosis markers which inversely interrelated and were observed even in optically intact cells. Changes of these parameters preceded the DNA fragmentation. There were no differences in the spontaneous changes of the MP and the PS levels between two study groups. Thus, the recognition of the apoptotic L in AA was not injured and a necessary factor for the apoptotic L elimination was their DNA fragmentation. The incubation of the donors’ and AA patients’ L with Ca²⁺ ionophore A23187 induced the similar changes of the MP and the PS expression and the DNA fragmentation. So, the spontaneous and induced types of apoptosis have common mechanisms and are initiated with mitochondria involvement. The lymphocyte mitochondria are thought to be a universal integrator of apoptotic stimuli and the réduction in the MP is the earliest characteristic of the apoptosis inducing the following apoptotic features.

We observed 302 patients with polypous polysinusitis combined with bronchial asthma and/or aspirin intolerability. They underwent endoscopic polysinusotomia. To prevent exacerbations of the pulmonary pathology and polyposis relapses all the patients were divided into 3 groups. The 1^st group (146 patients) received corticosteroids before and after the operation. The 2^nd group (133 patients) was given the same therapy before and after the operation and they were treated with topic corticosteroids in postoperative period not less than 6 months. The 3^rd group (23 patients) received 3 plasmapheresis procedures each before the operation and topic corticosteroids for long time. As a result, there were no exacerbations of the lower airway pathology at the early postoperative period and all the patients came through the operation well. The polyposis relapses in the 1^st group became quite early: for 3 yrs they have been diagnosed in 96.9% of the patients. In the 2_nd group the polyposis relapses have been become for 3 yrs in 30.1% of the patients. The 3^rd group patients have not had the polyposis relapses during this period.

Activity levels of NAD(P)-dependent dehydrogenases in blood lymphocytes of 56 atopic asthma children at exacerbation and stable conditions were studied using a bioluminescent method.
A correlation between a character and a degree of the enzyme shifts and, on the other hand, a length and acuity of the disease were found. The changes were more severe and consistent in elderly group (7 to 11 yrs) and during exacerbation of the disease. The parameters of the oxidoreductase activity did not come to normal levels during the stable period. This fact is thought to be one of the reasons of exacerbation occurrence and showed the need of metabolic therapy to correct the intracellular metabolic processes in immunocompetent cells.
The dynamics in the NAD(P)-dependent dehydrogenases activity in blood lymphocytes was shown to reflect a course of the allergic inflammation in the atopic asthma patients and can facilitate the control of its metabolic course, to predict the exacerbation development and to assess a therapy efficacy.

One hundred and fifty bronchial asthma patients aged 6 to 14 yrs were complexly examined for haemodynamic parameters in correlation with the lung function and the diaphragm activity in different stages of the disease. The respiratory dysfunction based on the bronchial obstruction, irregular lung ventilation and reduction in the diaphragm functional activity was shown to be accompanied by changes in the regional and central blood circulation. A consistency of these disorders depended on the basic therapy

The article summarizes a 4-year experience of nurse-guided asthma-schools at the Arkhangelsk region. This topic is of great interest in Russia as far as a doctor typically plays the main role at the education of an asthma patient. Sixteen asthma-schools have been working at the region now. The article discusses organizing problems of this activity, peculiarities due to a kind of a medical institution, a level of the nurses’ originality. The most important problem is an absence of vacancy for a training specialist on the staff of medical institutions. The results of the work show the effectiveness of nurse-guided education of asthma patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate an efficacy of short-acting β₂-agonists used via a dosing inhaler and a spacer in therapy of severe asthma exacerbation (SAE).
Efficacy and safety of high-dose therapy with short-acting β₂-agonists v'a a dosing inhaler and a spacer was analyzed in 15 SAE patients, the average age was 0.7±1.2 yrs. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated with several clinical and functional parameters. Using a 3-ball scale a doctor assessed wheeze and cough intensities, accessory muscle use, pulsus paradoxus. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), heart beat rate (HBR), respiratory frequency (RF), and arterial blood pressure were also measured. A patient also assessed his dyspnoe with the 3-ball scale.
The therapy with short-acting β₂-agonists via a dosing inhaler and a spacer is an effective and safe method for treatment of SAE patients.

The study demonstrates results of detailed clinical, functional and allergological examination of two occupational categories contacting to latex: 124 workers of rubber industry proceeding latex raw material and making rubber products and 150 medical workers of multi-profile clinical hospital used rubber gloves. A syndrome of airway hypersensitivity to latex allergen (LA) was revealed in 15.3% of the industry workers and 11.3% of medical staff. It was called as "respiratory syndrome" and its characteristic is given in the article.
The study results on NO monitoring in the exhaled air (NO_exh) confirm allergic inflammation under the occupational contact to LA. The clinical, functional and allergological findings demonstrate aerogenic LA delivery to the airways followed by respiratory allergy and latex-induced bronchial asthma (BA) development which were diagnosed in 12.9% of the rubber industry workers and 8.7% of the medical personnel daily used latex gloves and other rubber medical products.

The randomized placebo-controlled single-hospital centre study assessed the efficacy and safety of nebulized budesonide suspension (BUD; Pulmicort Respules^®) in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD. Inclusion criteria were acute exacerbation of COPD (Anthonisen et al., 1987), age elder than 50 yrs, smoking history more than 20 pack yrs, FEV₁<50%, no use of systemic steroids in previous 30 days, no need for respiratory support. Forty-two patients with severe COPD (M:F 35:7, mean age 67±7 yrs; FEV₁ 0.82±0.22 L, p_a0₂ 66±9 mm Hg) were randomized to BUD 2 mg bid (n=21) or nebulized placebo (n=21) for 10 days. All patients also received bronchodilators, antibiotics and oxygen if necessary. Treatment with BUD rather than placebo resulted in more rapid improvement in spirometry (AFEV₁ after 2, 7, 10 days: 115, 171 and 257 ml in BUD group vs 53, 112 and 139 ml in placebo group respectively) and oxygenation (Δp_a0₂ after 2, 7, 10 days: 1.8, 2.3 and 5.1 mm Hg in BUD group vs 1.2, 2.4 and 2.6 mm Hg in placebo group respectively). Dyspnea score also improved more rapidly in patients received BUD (the 2nd day: p<0.05). The incidence of adverse events was similar between the groups. Hospital readmission rate during 8 weeks after the study therapy was significantly lower in the BUD group (22% vs 50%, p<0.05). Nebulized budesonide suspension is an effective and safe adjunct to the usual treatment of acute exacerbation of COPD.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life in Russian men (population-based study) and in bronchial asthma patients. This project involved 3,500 people aged 18 to 74 yrs from 22 regions of Russia. The following groups were formed: 1,500 randomized inhabitants from 22 cities, 1,050 well-controlled asthma patients (according to the Baterman's criteria) and 1,050 poor-controlled asthma patients. The Russian version of MOS SF-36 questionnaire was used.
The population-based standards of the quality of life were established. Most parameters of the quality of life in mild asthma patients were increased compared to the standards. The moderate asthma patients showed decreased physical health status and social activity. The severe asthma patients demonstrated significantly altered physical and psychosocial health status.

The aim of this study was to search efficacy and safety of new Russian combined basic antiasthmatic drug Biasten containing 100 meg of budesonid and 200 meg of salbutamol hemisuccinate. The study involved 20 patients with stable asthma. Ten of them were treated with Biasten 2 inhaled doses twice a day and 10 patients received equal doses of Benacort (budesonid) and Salben (salbutamol). The results showed high clinical efficacy and safety of Biasten in the basic therapy of bronchial asthma patients.

Beclojet is a dosed freon-free aerosol inhaler containing beclomethazone dipropionate and a jet delivery system. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical efficacy and safety of Beclojet in moderate to severe bronchial asthma patients who had been treated before with inhaled and/or systemic glucocorticodteroids (GCS).
Forty patients aged 18 to 65 years have received Beclojet for 2 months in doses equal to those of previously given inhaled GCS or in combination with previously given systemic GCS without growing of their doses. The efficacy was evaluated before and after the therapy with Beclojet on the background of BA drug stability according to the need of β-agonists, daytime and nighttime BA symptoms, lung function parameters. The effectiveness of Beclojet was compared with the previous therapy with inhaled GCS.
The Beclojet application in moderate to severe BA patients was quite effective at various clinical situations. There was not adverse events for the 2-month follow-up period. The drug was easy to use, economically reasonable (it was cheaper than other inhaled GCS). The results allow to recommend Beclojet for widespread application as the basic BA therapy.