Elena P. Timofeeva

Obesity is one of the most acute issues of medicine at the present stage due to the steady increase in morbidity, high risk of complications and comorbid conditions that entail significant financial costs. At the same time, many different etiopathogenetic factors are involved in the formation of obesity. The article presents a literature review concerning the main risk factors and etiologic aspects of the development of overweight and obesity in adults and children. The most relevant pathogenetic mechanisms are considered, including imbalance of adipokines (decrease in adiponectin level and increase in leptin content), formation of low activity chronic inflammation as a result of proinflammatory cytokines, changes in the features of neuroimmune-endocrine interactions, the impact of chronic stress on the human body, vitamin D deficiency, disorders of the “gut – brain” axis, quantitative and qualitative changes in the composition of intestinal microbiota. The main therapeutic approaches and surgical methods in the treatment of obesity are presented. The data available in the literature at the present stage on methods of rehabilitation of patients with obesity, as well as persons with excess body weight, indicating the need for a comprehensive approach and combination of lifestyle modification, physiotherapeutic methods, psychological counseling to achieve positive results are summarized.

BACKGROUND: The problem of the pathogenesis of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), associated with SARS-CoV-2, remains relevant, but is still far from being resolved. In this regard. AIM: The aim our research was to study and evaluate the levels of autoantibodies to native and denatured DNA in the blood serum of children who underwent MIS-C, associated with SARS-CoV-2, in comparison with the initial period of the pathological process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 101 children aged 2 to 17 years old were examined, 77 of them was with a confirmed diagnosis of MIS-C associated with SARS-CoV-2. We have formed 3 groups: group 1 — children with MIS-C upon admission to the hospital; group 2 — children who underwent MIS-C after a course of rehabilitation; group 3 — comparison group. All children underwent determination of the concentrations of IgG-autoantibodies to native and denatured DNA in blood serum, which was performed by EIA ELISA using commercial test systems of Vector-Best LLC (Russia) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out using the Statistica v. 10.0 application package. Statistical processing used the Newman–Keuls multiple comparison test. RESULTS: It was noted that both in the initial period of MIS-C and after rehabilitation, an increased content of autoantibodies to nDNA and dDNA was determined compared to the control group. At the same time, there was a significant excess of the levels of indicators in the post-rehabilitation period compared with the initial period of MIS-C. During a clinical examination of children who underwent MIS-C, most of them noted the appearance of pain in the joints. The results obtained indicate the persistence of inflammatory reactions with the development of an autoreactive component. This requires both the search for risk markers for the development of MIS-C and further monitoring of children who have undergone MIS-C to prevent autoimmune complications, including arthritis, damage to the vascular endothelium with the possible formation of thrombotic complications. CONCLUSIONS: In the acute period of MIS-C and after rehabilitation, increased levels of the average content of autoantibodies to nDNA and dDNA were noted compared to the control. Individual values of autoantibodies to nDNA and dDNA exceeded normative levels of the indicator were found in a significantly larger number of children in the post-rehabilitation period after MIS-C, and this excess was more pronounced compared to the acute period of the process. When assessing the clinical condition of children after MIS-C, most of them showed pain in the joints during exercise, abdominal and neurological disorders, and decreased tolerance to physical activity, which indicates persistent inflammatory reactions.

The relevance of research on a novel coronavirus infection is associated with an increase in the incidence among children since 2021, which may be due to the accumulation of mutations in the virus genome and its evolution towards increased contagiousness, replicative ability, and evasion of immune protection. While there are many studies in adults, data analyzing the clinical course of the disease in pediatric patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are limited, particularly regarding adolescents. Objective. To study the clinical and laboratory features of the course of a novel coronavirus infection in hospitalized adolescents in Novosibirsk during the first, second and third waves of the pandemic. Мaterials and methods. A retrospective analysis of case histories of 125 children treated at Novosibirsk Children's Clinical Hospital No 6 with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus infection during three pandemic waves was carried out (June–August 2020, October–December 2020, June–August 2021). Based on these time intervals, three groups of adolescents admitted to the hospital during the first, second, and third waves of coronavirus infection were formed. SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal scrapings was determined using the PCR-RT method. Biochemical and general clinical studies were performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Statistical processing was carried out using the Satistika 7.0 software package (StatSoft, USA). Differences between the groups were assessed using the Z-test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Differences between the compared series were considered statistically significant with a probability level of 95%. Results. It was shown that during three pandemic waves (June 2020 – August 2021), more than half of the hospitalized children were adolescents. At the same time, regardless of the pandemic wave, intoxication, catarrhal and intestinal syndromes predominated in hospitalized adolescents. CNS injury symptoms were significantly less frequent in the first wave, as were skin rashes. Cough in the third wave was observed in 100% of hospitalized adolescents. The average values of the parameters of complete blood count, as well as CRP, D-dimer and ferritin had no statistically significant differences in different pandemic waves, but there was a significant variation in individual values within the groups in each wave. Key words: adolescents, coronavirus infection, COVID-19, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters

The aim of the study was to study the characteristics of the content of certain cytokines in serum as indicators of the immune response in viral infections accompanied by diarrhea syndrome in children. Materials and research methods. A survey was conducted of 92 children aged 3 months to 15 years with acute respiratory viral infections hospitalized in hospital No. 6 in Novosibirsk in the first 2 days from the onset of the disease. Two groups were formed — group 1 — patients with diarrheal syndrome and signs of respiratory system damage. Group 2 — children with isolated lesions of the respiratory tract. In all children, the genetic material of viruses was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the nose and throat washes. Also, in all children, the determination of serum levels of IL-8, IL-17, IFN-ã by ELISA was performed. Results and discussion. When studying the levels of cytokines (IFN-ã, IL-8, IL-17) in patients with signs of gastrointestinal tract lesions in comparison with isolated respiratory manifestations, no statistically significant differences were found. However, when analyzing the levels of the studied parameters in patients with diarrheal syndrome in different age groups, significant differences in the levels of IFN-ã and IL-8 were revealed.