Aim To evaluate frequency of administration of anticoagulant therapy (ACT) for atrial fibrillation and to study the effect of chronic antithrombotic therapy (ATT) on kidney function.Material and methods Due to a high medical and social significance of AF, much attention is presently paid to appropriate administration of ACT for AF in clinical practice. The study retrospectively analyzed 776 case reports of hospitalized patients with AF. The effect of chronic ATT on kidney function was studied in 70 patients who were rehospitalized, including 25 patients treated with warfarin, 25 patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), and 20 patients treated with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).Results In January 2014, at the prehospital stage, 74.3 % of patients did not receive ATT, 14.7 % of patients received antiplatelet therapy, and only 11 % received anticoagulants. In the hospital in January 2014, ACTs were administered to 74.3 % of patients (warfarin, 58.6 %; DOAC, 15.7 %), 20.6 % of patients received antiplatelet drugs, and 5.1 % of patients were discharged without ATT. In January 2019, the number of patients receiving ACT at the prehospital stage increased to 58.1 % (warfarin, 13.8 %; DOAC, 44.3 %); 12 % of patients received antiplatelet drugs; and 29.9 % of patients did not receive ATT. The number of patients treated with warfarin and DOAC in the hospital increased to 14.8 % and 70.6 % (rivaroxaban, 33.4 %; apixaban, 25.5 %, and dabigatran, 11.7 %), respectively. The number of patients taking antiplatelet drugs decreased to 3.7 %, and the number of patients without ATT decreased to 10.9 %. There were no statistically significant differences in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between these three groups at baseline. Only in the warfarin treatment group, GFR was significantly decreased from baseline during the follow-up period. Comparison of GFR in three study groups at the finale stage of the study showed significant differences between mean GFRs in the warfarin treatment group and the DOAC treatment group and between the warfarin treatment group and the ASA treatment group.Conclusion Among the prescribed and taken anticoagulants, DOACs are presently in the first place. Among DOACs, the most frequently prescribed drug is rivaroxaban. GFR decreases with the DOAC treatment slower than with the warfarin treatment. Despite the slower decrease in GFR with the ASA treatment compared to warfarin, ASA is not indicated for prevention of stroke in AF due to its low efficacy.

The complexity of the adipogenesis mechanism results from the impact of multiple cues, among which an important place is held by the components of the Wnt signaling pathway. The search for potential markers of the development of diseases related to obesity aroused an interest in the study of GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase), β-catenin. GSK-3β is an intracellular serine / threonine kinase found in the cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, synthesized in all body tissues and involved in regulating metabolic processes, cell proliferation, apoptosis etc. The first of the discovered functions of GSK-3β was the regulation of glycogen synthesis. Active GSK-3β phosphorylates and thereby inhibits glycogen synthase. As a result of the insulin binding to the cell receptor via inositol-3-phosphate, protein kinase B (Akt1) is activated, which, in turn, phosphorylates and inhibits GSK-3β. In addition, GSK-3β is involved in the regulating glucose metabolism. The most important function of GSK-3β is the inhibition of the β-catenin protein. In a resting cell, GSK-3β in complex with the APC and Axin proteins binds and phosphorylates the β-catenin transcription factor, which leads to its ubiquitination and degradation. When Wnt proteins act on the cell, the Dvl protein is activated, which, by binding to GSK-3β, releases β-catenin, preventing its degradation, however, the role of GSK3α/β in the adipocyte inflammatory response has not yet been fully investigated, therefore it seems promising to study the role of GSK-3 in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in obesityThe aim of the study was to assess the activity of the components of the Wnt signaling pathway in obese patients by measuring the serum level of GSK-3 and β-catenin. There were enrolled 32 patients with progressive forms of I-III degree obesity in the absence of diabetes mellitus. The concentration of serum GSK-3α, GSK-3β, and β-catenin was measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Data are presented as absolute and relative (%) number of patients; arithmetic mean; medians, 1 and 3 quartiles – Ме (Q0.25-Q0.75). Obese patients contained a 7.5-fold increased serum level of GSK-3α (785 (371-1317.5) pg/ml) compared to healthy individuals 105 (102.5-110) pg/ml, (p < 0.001), paralleled with increased amount of GSK-3β, which level in obese patients was 295 (190-695) pg/ml, which is by 18.3% higher than those in healthy individuals 241 (218.75-287.5) pg/ml, p = 0.111. Amount of GSK-3 depending on the degree of obesity tended to increase, most often coupled to decreased β-catenin level which is consistent with the literature data and can be considered as a prognostic criterion for the course of pathological processes in obesity.

Alopecia is a common pathology among the active population, which leads not only to cosmetic defects, but also to the development of somatic diseases against the background of traumatic effects and chronic stress. The pathogenetic mechanisms of hair follicle formation are complex and diverse, since numerous factors, including the components of the Wnt signaling pathway, have an effect on its morphogenesis, the study of which is the subject of this study. The search for possible early markers of the development of alopecia led to interest in the study of the main morphogenic proteins of WNT - the signaling pathway (one of the intracellular signaling pathways, which control the development of blood vessels, as well as the growth and division of hair follicle cells) sclerostin and β-catenin among patients with androgenic and alopecia areata. The article presents data on the quantitative content of β-catenin and sclerostin in the blood serum in patients with androgenic and alopecia areata. Their possible pathways of complex interaction and influence on the morphogenesis of the hair follicle and the activity of the Wnt-signaling pathway have been analyzed, and the relationship between changes in the level of morphogenic proteins of the WNT-signaling pathway with sex and the course of the disease has been described. Establishment of the prognostic role of morphogenic proteins of the WNT signaling pathway in androgenic and alopecia areata will allow not only identify the personal risk of disease progression and to determine approaches to targeted therapy, but to develop and introduce updated diagnostic screening into dermatological practice.

Coronary heart disease poses one of the most serious threats to human health resulting in enormous physical and economic losses worldwide. WNT signaling pathways play an important role in cardiogenesis both in embryogenesis and cardiac repair after previous ischemic attacks that motivated to conduct this study. The aim of the study was to examine features of WIF-1 production in patients with coronary heart disease. There were enrolled 60 patients with a clinically verified and diagnosed coronary artery disease. WIF-1 serum concentration was measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay presenting data as absolute numbers (n, %) or medians, 1 and 3 quartiles – Me (Q0.25-Q0.75). Analyzing study data showed that WIF-1 serum concentration in patients with myocardial infarction was 2890 (1700-3337.5) pg/ml being by 7.97-fold higher than that one in healthy individuals (p 0.001), in agreement with previous studies. Moreover, in patients with angina pectoris WIF-1 serum level comprised 2170 (1493-2650) pg/ml, exceeding that one in healthy individuals by 6.14-fold (p 0.001). Thus, the data obtained regarding changes in serum WNT-inhibiting factor-1 concentration in patients with coronary heart disease expand our understanding about an impact from affected WNT-signaling pathway components in pathogenesis of inflammatory process during hypoxic injuries.

Adipogenesis relies on complex and multi-faceted mechanism, as it is influenced by multiple cues, including the components from the WNT signaling pathway. The search for possible markers of developing metabolic diseases associated with obesity accounted for an interest to study the morphogenic proteins sclerostin and β-catenin. The aim of the study was to evaluate activity of the WNT signaling pathway in obese patients by measuring level of serum sclerostin and β-catenin proteins. Materials and Methods. There were enrolled 32 patients with metabolic syndrome featured with progressive forms of obesity (class I-III) lacking diabetes mellitus. Concentration of serum sclerostin and β-catenin was measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were presented as absolute and relative (%) number of patients; arithmetic mean; medians, 1 and 3 quartiles – Ме (Q0.25-Q0.75). In obese patients, serum sclerostin level (260 (230-308.75) pg/ml) was increased by 13.5% compared with healthy individuals (225 (220-230) pg/ml, (p 0.001)); concentration of serum sclerostin tended to increase depending on obesity class, most in parallel with decreased β-catenin level, being in agreement with previous studies that might be considered as a prognostic criterion for assessing course of pathological process in obesity.