UDC 616–07–08–036.8].001.36(063)

The 10th McMaster International Review Course in Internal Medicine (MIRCIM 2025), held in Kraków, Poland, confirmed its status as a high-impact scientific forum promoting evidence-based medical practice. With over 100 speakers from more than 40 countries, MIRCIM fostered multidisciplinary discussions on pressing topics in cardiology, rheumatology, pulmonology, and digital health.
The cardiology section focused on current evidence regarding angina and ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries, tailored oxygen therapy strategies in non-hypoxemic patients, the role of complete revascularization post-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, the impact of iron deficiency in heart failure, and perioperative cardiovascular risk management in non-cardiac surgical patients.
The rheumatology track emphasized stratified, biomarker-guided treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, (аnti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, fibromyalgia, and adult-onset J. F. Still’s disease. These strategies involve integration of phenotypic, immunologic, and serologic data, as well as imaging findings and reduction of long-term
corticosteroid exposure.
Pulmonology sessions addressed the fundamental lung physiology, updated Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2025) guidelines, especially in children under six years old, early detection of lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography, and strategies for perioperative pulmonary complication prevention.
The gastroenterology section focused on several key topics of contemporary clinical relevance. The management of diverticular disease was discussed with particular emphasis on current therapeutic approaches. The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was addressed in detail, with a symptom-based and comorbidity-oriented management
strategy highlighted. The section also explored the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers, analyzing various cancer prevention strategies and emphasizing the implementation of evidence-based methods into clinical practice.
Additionally, the current management of metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) was reviewed in accordance with the latest 2024 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) - European Associationm for the Study of Diabetes) (EASD) - European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) guidelines, with a focus on therapeutic interventions targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
The session on artificial intelligence in medicine explored the current applications and limitations of generative language models such as Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) in medical decision-making, telemedicine, education, and public health awareness. Benefits such as enhanced access to knowledge and reduced clinical burnout were noted, along with necessary precautions in clinical implementation.
MIRCIM 2025 once again affirmed its position as a key platform for advancing interdisciplinary medical knowledge, fostering international cooperation, and enhancing evidence-based healthcare delivery in both global and local contexts.

UDC: 616.24-002.5:615.015.8]-085.281-078.73-092-036

Immunological methods are important for diagnosing tuberculosis, evaluating the process activity, and forecasting the course of the disease and recovery. 
Materials and methods. 47 patients with first diagnosed destructive sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis underwent a complex immunoassay. The patients were divided into two groups based on the sensitivity/resistance of mycobacterium tuberculosis to antimycobacterial agents. The first group consisted of 22 patients with first-diagnosed chemosensitive tuberculosis with preserved sensitivity to antimycobacterial agents. The second group consisted of 25 patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-TBP). 
The research was conducted during the 2018-2021 years. Results Specific cell response disorders in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis are associated with the multistructural T-cell protection misbalance caused by the quantitative changes of its components, the increase/decrease in the quantity of certain lymphocyte pools specifying the immune response vector. In cases of tuberculosis, phagocytosis plays an important role. Phagocytosis might release cells from the tuberculosis pathogen. To achieve this, the activation of cells should reach a certain level. However, the initial protective nature of cell activation might become aggressive. The T-cell immunity disorders were more evident in patients with MDR-TBP versus donors and patients with chemosensitive tuberculosis. The apparent decrease in СD3+СD56+, СD3+СD4+ pools and the increase in СD3+СD8+ were revealed in cases of MDR-TBP tuberculosis versus chemosensitive tuberculosis. The difference in СD3+СD4+, СD3+СD8+, СD3+СD4+/СD3+СD8+, CD3+СD8+HLA-DR+, СD16/56+8+ between the study and observational groups was statistically confirmed. The evident specific cell immunity disorders in patients with MDR-TBP aggravate the clinical course of the disease, causing destructive changes and acute and extensive processes. Conclusions Changes in different components of the immune system might occur during pulmonary tuberculosis (in T- and B-cells, phagocytic cells), specific and enzymatic processes are activated, and autoimmunization is evident. The intensity of the changes varies at different stages of the disease. Most immune disorders caused by the specific inflammation process require immune correction
Keywords: immune responsiveness, phagocytosis, T- and B-cell immunity, multi-drug resistant and chemosensitive tuberculosis 

Nowadays, newborns that required prolonged respiratory maintenance for different reasons are more often surviving. Increase in the number of complications is observed on the background of positive clinical effects of certain component of intensive therapy. Search for the factors, which provoke appearance of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome, is an important component and basis of prophylaxis.

The aim of our research was to conduct analysis of factors that provoke the development of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome.

To build mathematical model of bronchial obstruction development in young children with respiratory disorders in neonatal period,, the method of logistic regression was used

The results of conducted analysis enabled to detect that the presence of respiratory therapy significantly determines the risk of appearance of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome and suggest mathematical model of individual calculation of risk factors in this pathology. Data of conduction of mathematical analysis can be used for elaboration of a complex of rehabilitation measures concerning the development of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in children, who suffered respiratory disorders in neonatal period. The highest risk of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome development in children born before 29 gestational week with simultaneous combination of prolonged (over 700 hours) total period of respiratory therapy.

Elaborated method of individual calculation of the risk of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome development in young children, who experienced respiratory disorders in neonatal period, has practical significance and can be applied in everyday clinical practice. 

Respiratory pathology in the recent years remains an urgent problem in clinical pediatrics. The aim of the research was to improve primary prophylactic measures associated with the development and progression of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in young children, who had suffered respiratory disorders in neonatal period. Algorithm of primary prophylactic measures implied adequate balanced nutrition, sanation of living conditions, restriction of contact with infectious agents, sanation of chronic foci of infection, systematic training and general fitness. 

The investigation included 160 young children (1 day – 3 years of age). The basic group (n=80) involved children, who had experienced respiratory disorders in neonatal period and received appropriate respiratory therapy (artificial ventilation and / or spontaneous breathing with continuous positive airway pressure and supply of free oxygen), control group – children, who did not have respiratory disorders and respiratory therapy (n=80). 

Conducted investigation throughout 12-month monitoring enabled to record the development of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in 43 children (respectively, 30 – 37.50% patients of the basic group versus 13 – 16.25% of control group; p<0.05). However, the results, which would confirm the efficacy of suggested primary rehabilitation measures (р>0.05), could not be obtained. 

Conclusions: comparative analysis within groups did not show a reliable difference in the development of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in children (р>0.05), which can be explained by partial following of doctor’s recommendations. There is the need in further study of the issue involving more patients for a longer period of monitoring. 

The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 points to unrivaled mutational variation of the virus, contributing to a variety of post-COVID sequelae in immunocompromised subjects and high mortality. Numerous studies have reported the reactivation of "sluggish" herpes virus infections in COVID-19, which exaggerate the course of the disease and complicate with lasting post-COVID manifestations CMV, EBV, HHV6). This study aimed to describe clinical and laboratory features of post-COVID manifestations accompanied by the reactivation of herpes virus infections (CMV, EBV, HHV6). 88 patients were recruited for this study, including subjects with reactivation of herpes viruses, 68 (72.3%) (main group) and 20 (27.7%) subjects without detectable DNA of herpesviruses (control group): 46 (52.3%) female and 42 (47.7%) male; median age was 41.4 ± 6.7 years. Patients with post-COVID manifestations presented with reactivation of EBV in 42.6%, HHV6 in 25.0%, and EBV plus HHV6 in 32.4%. Compared with controls, patients with herpes virus infections presented with more frequent slight fever temperature, headache, psycho-neurological disorders, pulmonary abnormalities and myalgia (p < 0.01), activation of liver enzymes, elevated CRP and D-dimer, and suppressed cellular immune response (p ≤ 0.05). Preliminary results indicate a likely involvement of reactivated herpes virus infections, primarily EBV infections in severe COVID-19 and the formation of the post-COVID syndrome. Patients with the post-COVID syndrome and reactivation of EBV and HHV6 infections are at high risk of developing various pathologies, including rheumatologic diseases.