The aim: To detect the ultrasonographic signs of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) suitable for its early diagnosis. Materials and methods: Eigty two patients with soft tissue infection, including 14 with necrotizing faciitis, were examined by ultrasonography at the admission. Ultrasonografic features were compared to intraoperative findings by the same surgeon.

Results: The thickening of subcutaneous tissue had high sensitivity (100%), but low specificity (5.8%). The hypoechoic and hyperechoic zones had the shape of “cobblestone” with sensitivity – 78.5%, specificity – 33.8%. Higher specificity (69.1%) had sign of “cobblestone separation” on two layers. The presence of fluid above the fascia (sensitivity – 71.4%; specificity – 69.1%), thickening of the fascia (sensitivity – 85.7%; specificity – 58.8%), indistinctness of the fascia edges (sensitivity – 85.7%; specificity – 66.1%) and loss of fascial homogeneity (sensitivity – 71.4%, specificity – 66.1%) were noted in early stages of NF. Advanced cases of NF were accompanied by the dissection of thickened fascia with a strip of fluid (sensitivity – 57.1%, specificity – 92.6%) and accumulation of a fluid under the fascia (sensitivity – 28.5%, specificity – 95.5%). The muscles thickening (sensitivity – 28.5%; specificity – 67.6%), skin thickening (sensitivity – 57.1%; specificity – 58.8%), and loss of the skin’s lower edge clarity (sensitivity – 57.1%; specificity – 63.2%) don’t have diagnostic value without other signs of NF.

Conclusions: Point-of-care ultrasonography allows visualization of soft tissue changes that may be hidden in the initial stages of necrotizing fasciitis and should be recommended for implementation as mandatory method of examination in patients with suspected surgical soft tissue infection.

The article raises a question about the possible and effective kidney transplantation in elderly patients with various severe comorbidities. The analysis is based on an example of successful kidney transplantation from a deceased donor when a 67-year-old patient had severe concomitant background: obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disturbances. Despite unfavorable prognosis and further unpredictable illnesses such as COVID-19, candidal esophagitis, coronary attack, and pneumonia, the patient has not develop graft injury or rejection and kept sufficient kidney function. The research was mainly focused on coexisting illnesses and their influence on kidney transplantation consequences. Following disease groups were discussed regarding their impact on transplantation outcomes and prognosis: arterial hypertension, cardiac disorders, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Patient’s age, previous interventions, and  comorbidities were observed for association with outcomes and risk of graft rejection. A review of available publications compared approaches for recipient selection in different clinical centers as well.

UDC  616.12.331.1+616.379-008.65):616-008.9:616.36-003.826]-006-002.64-092.19

Abstract. Background. Lack of information about proinflammatory interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) levels in case of metabolic-associated liver steatosis (MALS) and their roles in its progression to steatohepatitis are key reasons for the relevance and actuality of our study. The purpose: to evaluate proinflammatory interleukins 2, 6, and TNFα levels in concomitant liver steatosis. Materials and methods. Thirty- five patients with hypertension stage II–III, type 2 diabetes mellitus were examined. All of them were treated on an outpatient basis according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were divided into the main group with MALS (n = 24, males 45.8 %, females 54.2 %; average age 55.83 ± 0.89 years) and the control group without steatosis (n = 11, males 54.5 %, females 45.5 %; average age 53.00 ± 1.55 years). In addition to standard parameters, levels of IL6, IL2, TNFα, selectin, resistin, insulin, C-peptide, glycated hemoglobin, non-esterified fatty acids were evaluated, and some indexes were calculated, including triglyceride-glucose index and Castelli indexes I and II. Results were processed statistically, with significance level of р < 0.05. Results. Although MALS is not followed by qualitative differences in proinflammatory IL2, IL6 and TNFα compared to no steatosis, the risk of TNFα elevation was 5 times higher in patients with MALS (odds ratio 5.08; 95% confidence interval 1.02–25.17). An increase in IL2 and TNFα is unfavorable for patients with MALS, it can be considered as a marker of steatosis progression to steatohepatitis, as it is associated with transaminase activation, endogenous intoxication, lipid distress and glucose intolerance. IL6 was rather lower in patients with MALS compared to those without steatosis, but its growth was exponential and proceeded simultaneously to IL2 and TNFα. Conclusions. MALS was not associated with significant changes in IL2, IL6 and TNFα compared to no steatosis, but their elevation can be criteria for transformation into steatohepatitis due to the activation of transaminases, inflammation, endogenous intoxication, lipid distress, glucose intolerance.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus; interleukin-2; interleukin-6; tumor necrosis factor alpha; metabolic-associated liver steatosis

УДК: 618.193-006-076.4

Aim. Establishing the surface characteristics of ductal breast cancer of different degree of differentiation and different histological structure of the invasive component in scanning electron microscopy.
Material and Methods. The results of the study of invasive ductal breast cancer using light and scanning electron microscopy were analyzed. The degree of malignancy was determined according to a modified scheme of P. Scarff, H. Bloom and W. Richardson. Electron microscopic features of the cell surface of invasive ductal breast cancer during this study were compared in each case with its histological structure and degree of malignancy G.
Results and Discussion. Histologically, tubular, trabecular, solid, alveolar structures and discrete (single) groups of tumor cells were diagnosed in the infiltrative component of invasive ductal breast carcinoma. In terms of the surface configuration of tumor cells, we have identified three cell variants. The first variant was characterized by the presence in most tumor cells numerous asymmetric microvilli with diffuse or focal distribution on the cell surface and was prevailed in the tubular structures of the infiltrative component of ductal breast carcinoma of G1 grade (p<0,05). The second variant of the surface configuration was characterized by a small number of asymmetric microvilli scattered throughout the cell surface and was diagnosed in a solid
and trabecular invasive component of malignancies G2 and G3 grades. The third variant was characterized by the absence of microvilli on the surface in most tumor cells and was prevailed in the alveolar structures of the invasive component of G2 and G3 grades. It was found that the decrease in the grade of histological differentiation of invasive ductal breast cancer is associated with a decrease or absence of asymmetric microvilli on the cell
surface. Tumors classified as G2 showed a wide range of surface configurations of cancer cells; in 75% [27,96-99,89] of cases G3 carcinoma was characterized by the absence of microvilli on the surface in most tumor cells, i.e., there was a III variant surface configuration of cells.
Conclusions. Scanning electron microscopy makes it possible to provide information in a nanometer scale about the surface features of tumor cells, and the identification of phenotype features between tumor cells can be prognostically important in the course of breast cancer.

Obesity can cause respiratory disorders inflicted by adipose tissue accumulation and the numerous cytokines adipocytes produce. Smoking is, first of all, associated with a wide range of lung diseases characterized by diffuse changes in the lung tissue and a decrease in the respiratory volume of the lungs. The study aimed to investigate the ultrastructural changes in the lungs of sexually mature male rats under conditions of experimental obesity and smoking. The total sample of experimental animals consisted of 120 rats, divided into four groups: the control group (n=30) – conditionally healthy rats fed on a standard diet; a group of rats subjected to isolated exposure to tobacco smoke (n=30); a group of experimentally obese rats (n=30) and a group of experimentally obese rats simultaneously exposed to tobacco smoke (n=30) – feeding using a high-fat diet with exposure to a chamber with tobacco smoke. The revealed ultrastructural features of the lungs in the group of rats with experimental obesity and the group of rats with experimental obesity that were simultaneously exposed to tobacco smoke did not differ qualitatively, which indicates that pathological changes in the ultrastructure of the lung tissue developed regardless of the presence or absence of a direct damaging effect on the lung tissue of passive smoking.