The aim of this study was to evaluate a Russian version of short and simple AQ20 Quality of Life Questionnaire. The AQ20 Russian version was compared with the general questionnaire SF-36, the specific E.Juniper’s Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and FEVi and PEFR measurements. Fifty nine asthmatic patients (including 38 females) of average age 37.5 years (from 16 to 66 years) were studied; among them 20 patients were studied before and after 3-month treatment with nedocromil sodium 8 mg daily. Their mean FEV₁ was 73.3±27.6 (SD) (% pred.). Spirometry and questionnaire data were collected in a single session by a single researcher. All the patients were divided into three groups: with mild (n=20), moderate (n=28) and severe (n=11) bronchial asthma. The mean data of all the measurements in these groups and correlation (r) with AQ20 questionnaire data were calculated. The AQ20 questionnaire correlated closely with the AQLQ and total score components. Inspection of the correlation showed that AQ20 scores correlated quite closely with all the points of the AQLQ questionnaire (r=-0.52—0.64, p<0.001) and with six scales of the SF-36 questionnaire: PF (r=0.62), RF (r=-0.38), GH (r=-0.44), VT (r=-0.38), RE (r=-0.45), MH (r=0.40). The truthful moderate correlation of the AQ20 questionnaire and FEV₁ (r=-0.35) and PEFR (r=-0.42) was found out. The AQ20 questionnaire also revealed clearly the improvement in quality of life under the treatment condition.
Thus, AQ20 questionnaire correlates well with the known SF-36 and AQLQ questionnaires, gives a chance to reveal treatment effects and is applicable for assessing quality of life in asthmatic patients. We suppose that the Russian version of AQ20 questionnaire is a reliable tool for evaluation quality of life in asthma.

A long-term follow-up (over 12 months) of 90 chronic bronchitis (CB) patients-residents of the Far North regions was carried out after their rehabilitation in climatic conditions of the Crimean South coast. The rehabilitation proved to be effective in 70% of cases. The maximum reduction in disability days number was obtained in patients with chronic non-obstructive bronchitis (in 4.3 times) and the minimum one — in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis (in 1.36 times). It was found that the CB course was influenced by the degree of clinical and functional disorders and immune system status at the end of the rehabilitation period.

According to official medical statistic data pulmonary diseases are the most frequent pathology in a polyclinic practice. The morbidity level for pulmonary diseases is 23 832 per 100 thousand of adult population in Kostroma region. The hospital admissions number for COPD patients is 800.9; the mortality of COPD is 58.3 per 100 thousand of adults. Eighteen per cent of fatal outcomes took place in COPD patients in hospitals and 82% were registered at home. Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) using oxygen concentrators was organized at home for 12 patients with COPD and severe respiratory failure. An average LTOT duration was 6.1 months, mean daily time was 15.25 hours, oxygen flow rate was 2 liters per minute. All the patients demonstrated the improvement in exercise capacity, the reduction of inhaled beta-agonists and oral glucocorticoids doses and hospitalizations numbers.

The methods of variation statistics (discriminant, cluster, factor, correlation and regression analyses) were used to determine: 1) the optimal gradation of apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) in order to detect the severity of obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB) and 2) the most representative OSDB clinical markers. Clinical features of OSDB and parameters of nocturnal cardiorespiratory monitoring were analysed in 115 patients of cardiological inpatient department (80 men, 35 women aged 54.6±10.8 years). During nocturnal cardiorespiratory monitoring OSDB with average AHI 23.0±19.4/h was revealed in 105 (91.3%) patients.
The results show that the optimal determination of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome severity includes the following gradation of AHI: mild - from 5 to 20/hr. moderate — from 20 to 40/hr, severe — >40/hr. To avoid clinical errors it is also necessary in some cases to take into account the duration of apnea/hypopnea events, index of arousal and desaturation degree. The most significant OSDB clinical markers with AHI>5/hr include snore (sensitivity 88%, specificity 100%), BMI>30kg/m² (80% and 90% respectively) and rates higher than 5 according to the Epworth sleepiness scale (65% and 77% respectively). Risk for OSDB increases rapidly at BMI>25kg/m² and sleepiness rate >5 according to Epworth scale. BMI>37kg/m² and sleeping rate >10 according to Epworth scale were often associated with severe (AHI>40/hr) sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.

The present study shows results of use of aminoglycoside antibiotic netylmycin (Netromycin — ScheringPlough, USA) со-administered with a complex therapy in 12 adult cystic fibrosis patients.
The antibacterial therapy efficacy was evaluated according to the following criteria: clinical state dynamics according to Schwachman score, chest radiography dynamics, lung function testing dynamics and sputum microbiological examination. The sensitivity of microorganisms for Netromycin was detected by disk-diffusion method.
Netromycin was administered in a daily dose of 10mg/kg of body weight intravenously twice a day for 14 days in a combination with cephalosporines of the 3-rd generation.
The positive clinical effect was reached in 11 patients. The clinical stabilisation was obtained in 1 case. The microorganisms colonies number was reduced to single ones in 11 patients and it was confirmed microbiologically.
The drug was well tolerated without any adverse events if used in the doses mentioned above.
Thus, the present study has demonstrated that Netromycin in a daily dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight combined with cephalosporines of the 3-rd generation is effective drug and it could be recommended for treatment of adult cystic fibrosis patients.

The functional activity of bulbar brain section has been examined in 67 bronchial asthma patients by brainstem auditory evoked potentials. It has been determined that patients with respiratory muscles failure have functional activity disturbances of ponto-medullary and mesencephalic structures of brainstem.

Bronchial asthma (BA) is one of the most crucial problems of the modern medicine. Today there is a number of patients who need systemic glucocorticosteroids (GCS) therapy. Inspite of the fact that systemic GCS have been used for bronchial asthmatic patients’ treatment for more than 40 years, a lot of these drugs actions to human organism have been vague.
The aim of this study was to investigate changes of thrombocytes functional activity and vascular wall anti-thrombogenious activity in bronchial asthmatic patients under systemic glucocorticosteroids therapy.
Sixty-two asthmatic patients were examined during three days (exacerbation period) and after 2—2.5 weeks (abating exacerbation period) of their inpatient treatment. All the patients were divided into three groups: who did not receive systemic GCS (the 1-st group), who first received systemic GCS (the 2-nd group) and who have been treated with systemic GCS for more than 1 year (the 3-rd group). Parameters of haemostasis and vascular wall anti-thrombogenious activity were studied, (cuff test).
The trial carried out revealed that the disorders of thrombocytes functional activity and vascular wall anti-thrombogenious activity were more intensive during bronchial asthma exacerbation under long-term therapy with systemic GCS.
The data obtained allow considering the problem of disaggrerants and drugs which improve vascular wall anti-thrombogenious activity to be involved in the treatment for bronchial asthmatics who receive systemic GCS.

An attempt was undertaken to evaluate peculiarities of biophysical phenotype of the basic cystic fibrosis (CF) defect in 21 cystic fibrosis patients from 5 to 41 years old. CF patients have demonstrated markedly more negative potential difference (NPD) across nasal epithelium than 15 patients of non-CF control group. The mean NPD of C F patients was 44.7±2.2 mV (range -32.5 to -68.9 mV), in the control group it was 17.2±1.8 mV. The method of the nasal PD measuring is acceptable and rapidly performed and may provide an additional tool for CF diagnosing.

With spectacular progress of cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment, a majority of patients come of age and reach adulthood, so the problem has arisen of their social and psychological adaptation to adult community life.
The present study monitors the quality of life (QL) of adult CF patients, compares the obtained results with respective indices of a control group and bronchial asthma (BA) patients, and evaluates the correlation between CF patients' QL and other clinical indices.
Involved in the study were 16 CF patients, five of which were receiving intravenous antibacterial treatment on an outpatient arrangement; 31 BA patients and 31 respondents of the control group. QL was evaluated on a Russian-language version of the questionnaire SF36.
The study revealed a significant QL reduction in the CF group on the following entries: physical activity (PA) (p<0.05), general health (GH) (p<0.001), vitality (V) (p<0.05), and mental health (p<0.001). Female patients’ QL was graphically below male in V (p<0.05). Social activity (SA) and mental health were notably higher (p<0.05) with CF outpatients receiving intravenous antibacterial therapy. The intellectual QL of CF patients’ labour was directly related to SA (r=0.56, p<0.05). A similar direct correlation was observed between GH and FEV₁(% predicted) (r=0.51, p < 0.05). QL proved to have no correlation to the length of disease and body mass index. All QL indices except pain and PA were notably higher in CF than BA. The results show an adverse impact of CF on adult patients' QL, more pronounced in women than men. Home antibacterial therapy has beneficial social and mental effects. CF has a smaller impact on QL than BA.

Sarcoidosis coruse was analyzed in 103 patients with long-term loss of sarcoidosis activity and 25 recovered ones. Favourable factors included well-timed diagnosing of the disease, initial moderate inhibition of immune system, an absence of pronounced bronchial obstruction. An acute course with fever, accelerated erythrocytes settling rate and lymphocytosis of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid are not considered to be signs of poor outcome.

Pneumoconioses (silicosis and pneuconioses caused by mixt dust) are the most frequent occupational diseases of respiratory system in Leningrad (Sankt-Peterburg). Chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and lung tuberculosis are more rare. The most of pneumoconiosis and chronic bronchitis cases are registered among mechanical engineering workers. The specific gravity of these diseases in the whole occupational morbidity is quite low. This situation is due not only to relatively satisfactiry labour conditions but also to insufficiently effective revealing of these diseases at workers medical examinations.

The open study has been carried out in 35 mild to moderate atopic bronchial asthma (ABA) patients in order to investigate efficacy, safety and anti-inflammatory activity of the long-acting beta-2-agonist salmeterol (S), the inhaled glucocorticosteroid fluticazone propionate (FP) and their combination.
The efficacy of the drugs was evaluated based on the results of the patients’ clinical and functional examination including peak flow rate measurement, lung function testing, dynamics of asthmatic symptoms and frequency of beta-2-agonists usage after 12-week treatment.
The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed according to the dynamics of the inflammatory biomarkers which Э are the eosinophylic cationic protein (ECP) blood plasma level and metacholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity (BH).
We observed a reduction in asthma symptoms (score number was diminished by 73%, p < 0.05), an increase in lung function parameters (FEVi was increased by 9.7%, p<0.05; PEF was increased by 13.3%), a reduction in beta-2-agonists need by 82% (p<0.05), a slackening of metacholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity (metacholine concentration caused FEV₁ drop by 20% (MC20) was increased in 1.8 times, p>0.05); and a decrease in ECP level by 4.5 mcg/l (p>0.05) after 12-week therapy of the mild atopic asthmatic patients with measured aerosol inhaler Serevent in a dose of 50 meg twice a day.
Fluxotide measured aerosol inhaler course treatment in a dose of 250 meg twice a day in the atopic moderate t asthmatic patients led to the asthma symptoms reduction by 98% (p<0.05), the increase in lung function parameters (by 20.6% for FEV₁ and 28% for PEF, p<0.05), the reduction in beta-2-agonists need by 94% (p<0.05), the metacholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity slackening (MC20 was increased in 3.5 times, p<0.05) and the ECP level decreasing by 19% (p<0.05).
The combined therapy with 250 meg of FP and 50 meg of Serevent twice a day during 12 weeks influenced more intensively in moderate atopic asthmatic patients that was expressed in the asthma symptoms reduction by 99% (p<0.05), the increase in lung function parameters (by 27% for FEV₁ and 27.4% for PEF, p<0.05), the reduction in beta-2-agonists need by 99.7% (p<0.05) and a stronger effect to allergic inflammation which was shown in the metacholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity slackening in 4 times (p<0.05) and the ECP level lowering by 54% (p<0.05).

Th problem of rational therapy tactics in lung sarcoidosis (LS) has not yet been solved notwithstanding the long-term study of this pathology; there is not a single point of view to the complex evaluation of organs and systems function in different stages of LS as well. It has been demonstrated that the use of inhaled corticosteroids as a single-therapy is suitable in the initial stage of LS. A combination of inhaled and oral corticosteroids is appropriate in later stages of the disease taking into account the systemic character of the pathologic manifestations. This way diminishes the risk of corticosteroids therapy complications. The Echo-DOG method is also useful and enables to detect not only the degree of respiratory and cardiac disorders but to control the efficacy of the treatment carried out including the patients with the initial manifestations of the disease.

The study was aimed to evaluate dose-dependent effects of fluticazone propionate in severe bronchial asthma children and to substantiate its dosage regimen.
It was a simple blind randomised study in parallel groups. It involved 40 children aged from 6 to 14 years with severe bronchial asthma. The patients were divided into 4 equal groups. They received 100, 200, 400 and 500 meg of fluticazone propionate daily. The study protocol included the evaluation of the main clinical asthmatic symptoms, lung function parameters, the seventy of post-loading bronchoconstriction and metacholine-induced hyperreactivity.
It was revealed that the increase of fluticazone propionate daily dose from 100 to 500 meg leads to dose-dependent improvement of dynamic expiratory parameters, reduction of severity of both post-loading bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyperreactivity. The dose-dependent improvement of fluticazone propionate pharmacodynamic effects is shown most distinctly in a dose range of 100—200 meg daily and it decreases with the drug dose growth from 200 to 500 meg per a day.
We recommend starting to treat severe asthma children of 6-14 years old with the administration of fluticazone propionate in a daily dose of 200 meg. Such approach provides a sufficient control of asthma symptoms, the dynamic expiratory parameters standardisation, post-loading bronchoconstriction elimination and metacholine-induced hyperreactivity reduction in most patients. Higher fluticazone propionate doses (300—500 meg daily) could be acceptable in cases of primary therapy efficacy failure.