As shown in the provocative tests in eighteen 24-42 year old chronics with renal insufficiency, corinfar pretreatment (20 mg sublingually) can protect against acetylcholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity. This ability of the drug can be useful to reduce hyperreactivity of the bronchi of patients with chronic renal insufficiency.

Data are reported of a study of the effect of atrovent, salbutamol and acetylcholine on bronchial patency and reactivity of the bronchi in 89 patients with glomerulonephritis (age: 17-49 years) with normal renal function and at the stage of chronic renal failure. The tests proved highly informative. Latent bronchospasm was found in 12.1% of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. In 76.3% of patients at the stage of chronic renal failure hyperreactivity of the bronchi was found. The revealed changes require early diagnosis and treatment.

The examination of 630 miners aged 18-64 working in the mines of the Lugansk region revealed urinary and renal diseases in 15.7 % of them. They were affected with chronic prostatitis (34.3 %), urolithiasis (27.2 %), chronic pyelonephritis (14.2 %), 162 miners (33 %) out of 490 had urinary shifts (hematuria in 91, proteinuria in 52, both hematuria and proteinuria in 19 examinees) when examined upon ascending from the mine. 61 miners had urinary syndrome only after working shifts. It was unrelated to relevant diseases. The authors point out the necessity of active screening of renal and urinary diseases during routine medical check-ups in miners.

The authors' findings have lead them to a conclusion that urinary prostacyclin may be measured directly without preliminary extraction. Double freezing-defrosting of the samples did not change urinary thromboxane A2 level. Prolonged (up to 8 months) storage did not tell on urinary thromboxane A2 and blood plasma aldosterone levels.

Clinical, morphological and immunological examination was carried out in 146 patients with mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis. The differences in the clinical manifestations of the disease were not significant. The lobular variant was more frequently distinguished by microhematuria, increased level of creatine and reduction of the blood serum complement. Morphological examination showed a significant increase of the mesangial matrix in the center of glomerular lobules.

Proceeding from clinical examination of 430 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (GN) and morphological, histochemical and biochemical studies on kidney biopsy specimens the author has proposed and substantiated a hypothesis, according to which prolonged raised protein reabsorption in cells of the proximal tubules (PT) of the kidney can cause breakage and distortion of the activity of transport systems responsible for the absorption and catabolism of macromolecules. These changes can result in PT cell breakage, escape of lysosomal enzymes into the lumen and basal membrane of PT cells and pericanalicular interstice with further development of cortical interstitial sclerosis. The combination of the above mentioned disturbances would lead to GN progression and development of renal insufficiency.

The authors provide the clinico-morphological data obtained in 189 patients with primary glomerulonephritis (GN). The disease was manifested clinically by the nephrotic syndrome (NS). The NS was most commonly induced by membranous-proliferative GN (MPGN), membranous GN (MGN), diffuse mesangio-proliferative GN and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), accounting for 31, 25, 22.8 and 8.7% of cases, respectively. Hypertension together with edema was among the most common symptoms of the NS in adult patients. Functional disorders of the kidneys recorded in FSGS, MPGN and MGN patients were more significant as compared to those in other patients. The morphological findings alone, obtained with the aid of light, immunofluorescent and electron microscopy, play the key role in the diagnosis of different patterns of GN.

Localization of acid phosphatase (AcPase) in proximal convoluted tubule (PT) cells obtained from human kidney biopsies of 25 patients with glomerulonephritis was studied by electron microscopy. AcPase activity was detected in the Golgi apparatus, GERL, microvesicles and cytosomes. Evidence suggestive of the fusion between AcPase-positive bodies and large apical vacuoles was seen, and release of AcPase into the lumen and basal membrane of PT cells sometimes encountered. The possible significance of this phenomenon is discussed.

The amount of forming pinocytic (coated) microvesicles on the apical plasma membrane of kidney proximal tubule cells was assessed in kidney biopsies of 10 patients suffering from chronic glomerulonephritis. A significant correlation was found between the amount of these vesicles and diurnal proteinuria levels (r = 0.889; p less than 0.01). The possible mechanisms of protein reabsorption via pinocytosis in both normal and pathological conditions are considered.