Introduction: Information about calcium-phosphorus metabolism (CPM) and bone turnover in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), as well as clarifying their diagnostic value for assessing bone structure disorder, will help doctors to detect their lesions in timely manner and, based on the information received, to choose well-founded comprehensive treatment strategy.

Aim: To characterize the indicators of calcium-phosphorus metabolism and bone turnover in patients with liver cirrhosis, and to find out their diagnostic value for detecting bone structure disorder.

Materials and methods: In randomized manner 90 patients with LC (27 women and 63 men of age from 18 to 66), who were treated at the Lviv Regional Hepatological Center (Communal Non-Commercial Enterprise of Lviv Regional Council “Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital”) between 2016 and 2020, were included in the research. The research was carried out in two stages. The purpose of the first stage was to obtain information that would allow characterizing indicators of CPM (total calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus, total vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), and parathyroid hormone) and bone turnover (osteocalcin, P1NP, alkaline phosphatase (bone formation markers), and β-Cross Laps (bone resorption marker)) in patients with LC, and the purpose of the second stage was to find out their diagnostic value for assessing bone structure disorder of them. To perform research, an experimental group (EG) (72 patients with impaired bone mineral density (BMD)), which was divided into EG A (46 patients with osteopenia) and EG B (26 patients with osteoporosis), and a comparison group (18 patients with normal BMD) were formed. The control group consisted of 20 relatively healthy people.

Results: At the first stage, it was established that the frequency of cases of increased alkaline phosphatase content was statistically significantly different in LC patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis (p = 0.002), as well as with osteoporosis and normal BMD (p = 0.049). Impaired BMD in general had significant direct stochastic relationship with vitamin D deficiency, decrease in osteocalcin content and increase in P1NP content in serum (Yule's Coefficient of Association (YCA)) >0.50); osteopenia – with decrease in phosphorus content, vitamin D deficiency and increase in P1NP content (YCA >0.50); and osteoporosis – with vitamin D deficiency, decrease in osteocalcin content, increase in P1NP content, and increase in alkaline phosphatase content in serum (YCA >0.50). Significant inverse stochastic relationship was recorded between vitamin D insufficiency and each of the impaired BMD manifestations (YCA <-0.50), which most likely indicates that it is characteristic of normal BMD. At the second stage, it was found that among indicators of CPM and bone turnover, only increase in alkaline phosphatase content in serum can be diagnostically valuable marker of osteoporosis in patients with LC (р <0.050; YCA >0.50; coefficient contingency = 0.32), which has medium sensitive (80.77 %) and positive predictive value (70.00 %) for it. Although other indicators of CPM and bone turover did not confirm their diagnostic value in our research, they may be useful for monitoring pathogenetic changes in bone structure disorder and evaluating the effectiveness of their treatment in patients with LC.

Conclusion: Indicators of calcium-phosphorus metabolism and bone turnover, which are characteristic of bone structure disorder and its absence in patients with liver cirrhosis, were revealed. Among them, an increase in alkaline phosphatase content in serum, which is a moderately sensitive marker of osteoporosis, is diagnostically valuable.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with a chronic inflammatory process that affects bone metabolism and leading to impaired bone mineral density (BMD). Therefore, the determination of laboratory markers of bone metabolism contributes to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of metabolic bone diseases.

The aim of the study: To characterize the bone metabolism parameters in rheumatoid arthritis patients with impaired bone mineral density, to find out their features and diagnostic value.

Materials and methods: The study included 76 patients randomly stratified by RA status who were treated in the Rheumatology Department of Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital, a municipal non-profit enterprise of Lviv Regional Council, from 2013 to 2019. The goal was achieved by performing three consecutive stages of the study. At the first stage, markers of bone formation and bone resorption were characterized. At the second stage, the peculiarities of these indicators were determined. The third stage was to determine the diagnostic value of the content of the markers of formation оsteocalcin (OCN) and procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and resorption marker isomerized C-terminal telopeptide specific for the degradation of type I collagen in the bone tissue (β-CrossLaps).

Results: According to the results of the study at the first stage, it was found that, in RA patients with osteoporosis (OP), the serum content of markers of osteoblastic bone function OCN (p=0.000) and P1NP (p=0.035) was significantly lower compared to the healthy individuals of CG, while the content of the marker of bone resorption β-CrossLaps was significantly higher (p=0. 021); in RA patients with OP, the serum content of both markers of osteoblastic bone function OCN (p=0.000) and P1NP (p=0.001) is significantly lower, while β-CrossLaps (p>0.050) is only slightly higher compared to healthy CG subjects. According to the results obtained at the second stage of the study, it can be stated that the content of OCN and P1NP in the blood serum is significantly lower in RA patients both with osteopenia and OP compared to RA patients without BMD disorders.

At the third stage of the study, it was found a significant relationship between the content of P1NP and belonging to a group with osteopenia (AC -0.52). A confirmed relationship was found between the content of OCN and belonging to the group with OP (direct direction of AC 0.57; p=0.017).

Conclusions: Bone structure disorders in rheumatoid arthritis patients with osteopenia are characterized by a weakening of bone formation and increased resorption processes; in rheumatoid arthritis patients with osteoporosis, the weakening of osteoblastic bone function is more pronounced compared to rheumatoid arthritis patients with osteopenia. For rheumatoid arthritis patients with unimpaired bone mineral density, the highest diagnostic value is provided by procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide. For rheumatoid arthritis patients with osteoporosis, osteocalcin is a diagnostically valuable marker.

УДК 616.72-002.77-06:[616.71-018.4:612.015.7]-073.48-73.75

Вступ. Ревматоїдний артрит (РА) – хронічна системна хвороба сполучної тканини нез’ясованої етіології складного автоімунного патогенезу, яка часто ускладнюється вторинним остеопорозом (ОП), що погіршує перебіг і прогноз основної хвороби.
Мета. Дослідити частоту й характер уражень кісток у хворих на ревматоїдний артрит, виявлених за допомогою ультразвукової та рентгеностеоденситометрії, з’ясувати їх діагностичну цінність для оцінки мінеральної щільности кісткової тканини. 
Матеріали й методи. У дослідження в рандомізований спосіб із попередньою стратифікацією за наявністю РА, діагностованого згідно з критеріями Американської колегії ревматологів та Європейської ліги проти ревматизму (2010) у жінок пременопаузального періоду та чоловіків зрілого віку, включено 74 хворих (62 жінки (84,93 %) і 12 чоловіків (15,07 %) віком від 38 до 60 років (середній вік на час обстеження жінок – 48,67 ± 2,34 року, чоловіків – 45,42 ± 2,78 року)), що лікувалися, вживаючи метилпреднізолон (4,0–24,0 мг/добу) та не отримуючи лікарські засоби для лікування ОП, у ревматологічному відділі Комунального некомерційного підприємства Львівської обласної ради «Львівська обласна клінічна лікарня» з 2013 по 2019 рік (дослідна група – ДГ). Контрольну групу (КГ) створено з 29 здорових осіб (22 жінки (75,86 %) та 7 чоловіків (24,14 %), середній вік жінок на час обстеження 44,95 ± 2,12 року, чоловіків – 40,71 ± 2,75 року) аналогічних статі й віку. Усім хворим проведено оцінку МЩКТ за допомогою ультразвукової кісткової денситометрії п’яткової кістки та рентгеностеоденситометрії кисти.
Результати. Виявлено міцний кореляційний зв’язок між результатами ультразвукової денситометрії п’яткової кістки та рентгеностеоденситометрії кисти, що дає підстави рекомендувати діагностувати зміни МЩКТ обома методами, причому, чутливішим виявився метод рентгеностеоденситометрії. 
Висновки. Застосування обох методів діагностики ОП, а саме – ультразвукової денситометрії п’яткової кістки та рентгеностеоденситометрії кисти у хворих на ревматоїдний артрит є науково обґрунтованим. 

УДК 616.72-002:611-018.4]-07

Introduction. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)are twice as likely to have osteoporosis (OP) compared to the general population. The strength of bones depends on mineral substances, mainly represented by calciumphos phatemicrocrystals. The chiefrole in the regulation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism is played by vitamin D and parathormone(PTH). 
The aim of the study. To investigate markers of calcium-phosphorus metabolism in patients with rheumatoid arthritis accompanied by bone mineral density (BMD) disorders and to find out their diagnostic value.
Materials and methods. 76 patients with RA (64 premenopausal women and 12 mature men) were included in the study. All patients with RA were subjected toultrasound bone densitometry and according to its results, patients were divided into three groups: patients with RA and osteopenia, patients with RA and OP; RA patients without BMDdisorders. The control group included 22 healthy individuals of both genderswithout BMD abnormalities. To evaluate calcium-phosphorus metabolism, ionized calcium, total calcium, phosphorus, PTH, and vitamin Din blood serum, and levels of calcium and phosphorusin urine were detected.
Results. It was revealedthat concentration of total calcium in blood serum of patients with RA is lower compared tohealthy individuals, while the same index in urine ofpatients with RA accompanied byosteopenia,OP or without BMD disorders is higher compared to healthy people. The concentration of vitamin D is significantly lower in patients with RA and OP compared to patients with RA with osteopenia, without BMD disorders,or healthy individuals. The concentration of PTH is higher inhealthy individuals compared to patients with RA without BMD abnormalities or with osteopenia.
Conclusions. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis with osteopenia orosteoporosis, significantly more often than in patients with rheumatoid arthritis without a violation of bone mineral density, ionized and total calcium, phosphorus in serum and urine, as well asvitamin D indices have deviations from the reference valuesand are of diagnostic significance.

УДК 616.5-002.525.2-031.81:616.1]-06

Introduction. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease with numerous clinical manifestations and an unpredictable course. It often lasts for several months or years, with alternating remissions and exacerbations. 

Multiple organs can be affected simultaneously with varying degrees of severity, resulting in treatment- and disease-related comorbidities, including circulatory system diseases, which are one of the leading causes of death of SLE patients.
The aim of the study.To find out the nature and frequency of the circulatory system organs comorbid lesions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, to characterizethemdepending on the gender, age and the disease duration.
Materials and methods. Prior to performing the study all patients signedthe voluntary consent to participate in accordance with the requirements of Helsinki Declaration of Human Rights, the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The cohort under investigation included 112 patients with diagnosed SLE of dif-ferent severity with preliminary stratification as follows: females 89.29 %, patients of working age (57.14 % – young and 39.29 % – middle aged), unemployed(58.04 %), III disability grouppatients(45.54 %), city residents (62.50 %).According to the results of the diseaseduration assessment, a significant numberof patients with SLE and circulatory system organs comorbid lesions have been ill for 1–5 years (36.61 %) and more than 10 years (38.39 %). All of them were patients of the rheumatology department of the Communal Non-Profit Enterprise of the Lviv Regional Council "Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital" from 2016 to 2021.The research was carried out in several stages, duringwhich the nature and frequency of the circulatory system comorbid lesions with respect to gender, age and disease duration were estimated.
Results. While completingthe study, almost half of patients with SLE were diagnosed with Raynaud’s syndrome, mitral valve insufficiency and atherosclerosis, about 1/3– with myocarditis, retinal angiopathy, symptomatic arterial hypertension and livedo reticularis. Thevaricose veins of the lower extremities, hypertensive disease, diffuse cardiosclerosis, tricuspid valve insufficiency, veinthrombosis, post-thrombophlebitis syndrome, aortic valve insufficiency, capillaritis, pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD) includingstable angina pectoris, cardiomyopathy and post-infarction cardiosclerosiswere found with the decreasing frequency. Raynaud’s syndrome was significantly more often diagnosedin femalesand young people;retinal angiopathy, livedo reticularisand symptomatic arterial hypertension – in femalesand those patients whose SLE lastedfor more than 10 years;myocarditis, varicose veins of the lower extremities – in males;capillaritis – in patients with the shortest duration of SLE;atherosclerosis and mitral valve insufficiency – in elderly patients and patients with SLE lastingfor6–10 years;veinthrombosis and stable angina – in elderly patients and those with SLElasting for more than 10 years; hypertensive disease, diffuse cardiosclerosis, aortic valve insufficiency, post-infarction cardiosclerosis werethe most characteristic for theelderly patients with SLE.
Conclusions. In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a number of circulatory system organs comorbid lesions were found. Having studied their nature and frequency, characterizing them depending on gender, age and the disease duration, we found out the certain features that should be taken into considerationduring the screening examination of circulatory systemdisorders inpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus and providing them the
integrated care to improve their lifequality. With this in mind, systemic lupus erythematosus requires further detailed study.