Background. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common human cancer worldwide. In the progression of prostate cancer, the total number of macrophages in the tumor tissue is associated with poor prognosis and increased risk of metastasis. However, the heterogeneity of intratumoral macrophages at various stages of PCa development, and the role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been insuffciently investigated.The aim of the study was to analyze the morphological features, size and number of TAMs in PCa tissue samples, and to reveal their correlation with clinical data of patients.Material and Methods. Immunohistochemical analysis of 36 paraffn blocks of patients with PCa (pT2a–3bN0–1M0) was performed using antibodies to the scavenger receptor CD68.Results. Foamy CD68+ macrophages were found in the tumor tissue. The indicator “number of macrophages per total number of felds of view with macrophages” was the lowest in patients with a Gleason score of 6 (5.8) (11.0 – in patients with a Gleason score ≥ 8). Macrophages formed larger clusters in patients with severe PCa. Small but not large macrophages were signifcantly more common in patients with lymph node metastases (48 vs 24 in the N0 group; p=0.14). The number of small macrophages (smaller than 100 µm2) increased in a series of patients with Gleason scores of 6, 7 and ≥ 8 (24, 47.5, 72, respectively, p=0.052).Conclusion. As the tumor process progressed and the risk of biochemical recurrence increased, there was a trend towards an increase in the total area of large, foamy TAMs, presumably rich in lipids, as well as wider distribution of small macrophages with a tendency to form clusters. We hypothesize that foamy macrophages are involved in the further recruitment of small TAMs, subsequently leading to metastasis and tumor progression.

261,435,768 COVID-19 infections were detected worldwide, of them 5,207,634 deaths were registered. Identifying markers of the patient severity early in the course of the disease can facilitate the assessment of the risk of adverse outcome.The objective: To compare values of laboratory parameters and their changes during treatment of patients with a complicated course of COVID-19 infection.Subjects and Methods. 56 patients were included in the study, all of them were hospitalized to COVID Hospital of the Clinic of Bashkir State Medical University, Russian Ministry of Health, from September 30, 2021 to November 15, 2021, and their complicated course of the disease necessitated transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU). The laboratory evaluation included the following: a general blood and urine counts, blood chemistry including urea and creatinine, liver transaminases, and blood coagulogram (prothrombin time (PTT), prothrombin index (PTI), thrombin time, fibrinogen, and blood clotting time).Results. In the group of patients with a fatal outcome on the day of transfer to ICU, lymphocytopenia, eosinopenia, elevated values of creatinine, total bilirubin, transaminases, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and ferritin were noted. Also on this day, microscopic hematuria, proteinuria and cylindruria were detected in the urine tests of most patients in this group during treatment.Conclusion. Critical deviations in the results of hematological and biochemical tests were revealed. Particular attention should be paid to such parameters as the level of erythrocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, glucose, urea, creatinine, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and ferritin.

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This study shows that a combined treatment regimen consisting of a NSAID group drug and a slow-acting chondroprotective agent has a positive effect in the therapy of subcompensated osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Diacerein has an anti-inflammatory effect and inhibits the activity of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha, as well as collagenase and elastase, which destroy the hyaline cartilage. However, the effect of the drug does not occur immediately, which justifies its combination with NSAIDs.