Vol 31, No 5 (2025)

BACKGROUND: Scabies is a highly contagious parasitic disease, and early diagnosis and timely treatment prevent further spread within affected populations. Severe cases of scabies observed by dermatovenereologists indicate late medical consultation, which is often due to insufficient health literacy among the population. Assessing the awareness of different population groups regarding the clinical manifestations of scabies and preventive measures can help develop a program for in-depth group preventive counseling within the “Healthy Skin” school, aimed at improving health knowledge among the public and healthcare personnel to reduce scabies incidence.

AIM: The work aimed to analyze the awareness of various population groups regarding scabies and its preventive measures.

METHODS: It was a cross-sectional observational study. An online questionnaire developed by the authors from the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov was used. The study was performed from 2024 to 2025. A total of 517 respondents participated, including 182 schoolchildren (mean age 15 years), 113 students from non-medical universities (mean age 19 years), and 222 adults not employed in healthcare (mean age 40 years). The study was carried out at the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, the Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency, and Children’s City Polyclinic No. 118 (Moscow, Russia).

Standard statistical analyses were performed using Statistica 10.0 (StatSoft, USA) and MS Excel 2016.

RESULTS: Most respondents were aware that itching is a symptom of scabies; however, only 32.4% of schoolchildren, 37.2% of students, and 32% of the working population were aware of other disease manifestations, such as rash and burrows. Twenty percent of respondents were insufficiently informed about scabies prevention and skin care. The majority of respondents (79.1% of schoolchildren, 82.3% of students, 82.9% of working adults) reported that healthcare professionals were their main source of health information. The second most common source was the Internet, cited by 65.9% of schoolchildren, 58.4% of students, and 61.3% of working adults.

CONCLUSION: The survey revealed insufficient awareness of the clinical manifestations of scabies and preventive measures among different population groups. Healthcare professionals and the Internet were considered the most reliable sources of information on skin diseases.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma (asthma) is a complex, heterogeneous, multifactorial chronic disease. The pathophysiological mechanisms of the interaction between asthma and obesity have attracted considerable attention.

AIM: The work aimed to assess the characteristics of the cytokine profile in patients with asthma and obesity depending on the time of asthma onset.

METHODS: A total of 180 individuals were examined: 150 patients with asthma of varying severity were stratified by body mass index and divided into two study groups: those with a body mass index of 18.5–25 kg/m² (n = 52, Asthma group) and those with a body mass index of 30–35 kg/m² (n = 98). The control group consisted of 30 individuals. Patients with asthma and obesity (body mass index > 30 kg/m²) were further subdivided into two groups according to the time of asthma onset: Obesity + Asthma and Asthma + Obesity (with asthma duration of approximately 10 years). Asthma severity was assessed using the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5). Spirometry with bronchodilator testing was performed, and venous blood was collected to determine cytokine profile parameters (tumor necrosis factor-alpha; interleukins IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17; interferon-gamma) and markers of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen).

RESULTS: The asthma–obesity phenotype was characterized by a more severe course and poorer disease control, with the Obesity + Asthma group showing the most pronounced bronchial obstruction. Analysis of the cytokine profile revealed a significant imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, most pronounced in the Obesity + Asthma group. The findings underscore the importance of determining cytokine ratio indices with opposing activities (IL-2/IL-4, IL-2/IL-10, IL-8/IL-10, IL-6/IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha/IL-10) to assess the severity of the inflammatory process and guide treatment strategies.

CONCLUSION: Obesity contributes to the development and maintenance of systemic inflammation, aggravating the course and progression of asthma.

Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by abdominal obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome is observed among older adults. A decline in estrogen levels in postmenopausal women increases the risk of both metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis, especially if associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Osteoporosis is one of the most important medical and social problems. Its pathogenesis may be related not only to hormonal changes but also to alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota. Gut microbial dysbiosis in metabolic syndrome is exacerbated by chronic inflammation, inappropriate pharmacotherapy, and comorbid conditions (such as consequences of gastrectomy, bariatric surgery, malabsorption syndrome, atrophic gastritis, and other diseases). These factors can alter microbial metabolites and mineral metabolism, thereby contributing to decreased bone mineral density.

Thus, modulation of the microbiota and its metabolites in patients with metabolic syndrome may be considered a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in older adults.

One of the most pressing issues today is the somatic and mental health of older adults due to increasing life expectancy and expanding diagnostic capabilities for various diseases.

Alzheimer disease has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients and their families and results in substantial economic and social consequences for society. Patients with Alzheimer disease require continuous care and support, which demands considerable resources from health care and social service systems. Moreover, Alzheimer disease leads to reduced work productivity and increased health care expenditures.

This review analyzes foreign and Russian articles published in the past 5 years in Scopus, PubMed Central, the Cochrane Library, and BMJ Case Reports regarding targeted therapy for Alzheimer disease, one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders that reduce quality of life. This review considers the main principles of targeted therapy used in older adults with Alzheimer disease are considered, along with its advantages, limitations, and future perspectives for this therapeutic approach.

The therapeutic effect of mini-gastric bypass (one-anastomosis gastric bypass) is primarily mediated by malabsorption. The length of the small intestine section excluded from nutrient and micronutrient absorption has a direct impact on both the efficacy of surgery and the risk of postoperative complications; however, the optimal length is still debated.

This review examines the anatomic and functional changes in the gastrointestinal tract following one-anastomosis gastric bypass, as well as the pathogenesis and association between postoperative nutritional deficiencies and biliopancreatic limb length. In current bariatric surgery, 150–175 cm biliopancreatic limbs are preferred over 200 cm biliopancreatic limbs in routine practice. However, given the variability in total small intestine length in patients with morbid obesity (250–1300 cm), this approach cannot be considered totally safe or effective. Experimental and clinical studies have shown comparable rates of comorbidity remission with different biliopancreatic limb lengths, regardless of overall weight loss. The feasibility of determining biliopancreatic limb length individually, based on a patient’s total small intestine length, has yet to be established, as evidenced by national and international consensus reports. In patients with obesity, small intestine length correlates with height, male sex, and neck, chest, and waist circumference. The proposed minimal functional length of the small intestine (common channel) for mini-gastric bypass is either 300 or 400 cm; however, even the latter does not completely prevent postoperative nutritional complications. Preoperative personalized markers that correlate with total small intestine length, as well as other pathogenic factors of morbid obesity and associated complications, are being investigated in order to optimize the degree of malabsorption during one-anastomosis gastric bypass.