Euthyroid Sick Syndrome as a Prognostic Indicator of COVID-19 Pulmonary Involvement,Associated With Poorer Disease Prognosis and Increased Mortality

ObjectiveThe prevalence of euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) and its association with the prognosis of COVID-19 and mortality in patients with lung involvement in COVID-19 have not yet been elucidated.MethodsClinical and laboratory data of patients with COVID-19 with or without ESS were collected retrospectively and analyzed on admission. All subjects were admitted to the Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology at Bieganski Hospital between December 2020 and April 2021.ResultsIn total, 310 medical records of patients with COVID-19 were analyzed retrospectively. Among 215 enrolled patients, 82 cases of ESS were diagnosed. The patients with ESS had higher pro-inflammatory factor levels, longer hospitalizations, and a higher risk of requiring high-flow nasal oxygen therapy or intubation than the patients without ESS. The Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that the patients with ESS had a lower probability of survival when computed tomography showed ≤50% parenchymal involvement compared with that in patients without ESS. However, no differences in mortality were noted in those with more than 50% parenchymal involvement. The survival curve showed that ESS was associated with a higher risk of mortality during hospitalization.ConclusionESS is closely associated with a poor prognosis, including longer hospitalizations, more frequent intubation, transfer to the intensive care unit, and a higher mortality rate in patients with COVID-19. ESS is a potential prognostic predictor of survival, regardless of lung involvement in COVID-19.     

ESR investigations at low temperatures of oxygen radical interaction with rat chromochelatin and metallothioneins

Radiolysis of aqueous solutions of renal and liver low molecular weight metal binding copper proteins was studied by the ESR method at low temperatures. Renal bismuth-copper chromochelatin and liver cadmium-zinc metallothionein like zinc-copper superoxide dismutase dismutate the superoxide radicals. Renal mercury-copper metallothionein traps effectively the hydroxyl radical.     

Mechanical Strength of 17 134 Model Proteins and Cysteine Slipknots

A new theoretical survey of proteins'' resistance to constant speed stretching is performed for a set of 17 134 proteins as described by a structure-based model. The proteins selected have no gaps in their structure determination and consist of no more than 250 amino acids. Our previous studies have dealt with 7510 proteins of no more than 150 amino acids. The proteins are ranked according to the strength of the resistance. Most of the predicted top-strength proteins have not yet been studied experimentally. Architectures and folds which are likely to yield large forces are identified. New types of potent force clamps are discovered. They involve disulphide bridges and, in particular, cysteine slipknots. An effective energy parameter of the model is estimated by comparing the theoretical data on characteristic forces to the corresponding experimental values combined with an extrapolation of the theoretical data to the experimental pulling speeds. These studies provide guidance for future experiments on single molecule manipulation and should lead to selection of proteins for applications. A new class of proteins, involving cystein slipknots, is identified as one that is expected to lead to the strongest force clamps known. This class is characterized through molecular dynamics simulations.     

Level of specific IgE and IgG in blood serum of patients with hay fever after several cycles of desensitization with pollinex vaccine]

Blood serum specific IgE and IgG levels have been assayed in a group of 54 patients allergic to grass pollen during the long-lasting desensitization with Pollinex Depot vaccine. Specific IgE and IgG levels were determined with RAST and IgG-RAST technique whereas a titre of the blocking antibodies with RAST inhibition test. It was found that cyclic administration of Pollinex vaccine, repeated every 3-4 years, significantly influences patients' immunologic system manifested by a decrease in specific IgE, and an increase in both IgG level and the titre of the blocking antibodies.