Objective: To identify susceptibility genes in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine whether the corresponding human genes are associated with RA.Methods: Genes influencing oil‐induced arthritis (OIA) were position mapped by comparing the susceptibility of inbred DA rats with that of DA rats carrying alleles derived from the arthritis‐resistant PVG strain in chromosomal fragments overlapping the quantitative trait locus Oia2. Sequencing of gene complementary DNA (cDNA) and analysis of gene messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were performed to attempt to clone a causal gene. Associations with human RA were evaluated by genotyping single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the corresponding human genes and by analyzing frequencies of alleles and haplotypes in RA patients and age‐, sex‐, and area‐matched healthy control subjects.Results: Congenic DA rats were resistant to OIA when they carried PVG alleles for the antigen‐presenting lectin‐like receptor gene complex (APLEC), which encodes immunoregulatory C‐type lectin–like receptors. Multiple differences in cDNA sequence and mRNA expression precluded cloning of a single causal gene. Five corresponding human APLEC genes were identified and targeted. The SNP rs1133104 in the dendritic cell immunoreceptor gene (DCIR), and a haplotype including that marker and 4 other SNPs in DCIR and its vicinity showed an indication of allelic association with susceptibility to RA in patients who were negative for antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti‐CCP), with respective odds ratios of 1.27 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.06–1.52; uncorrected P = 0.0073) and 1.37 (95% CI 1.12–1.67; uncorrected P = 0.0019). Results of permutation testing supported this association of the haplotype with RA.Conclusion: Rat APLEC is associated with susceptibility to polyarthritis, and human APLEC and DCIR may be associated with susceptibility to anti‐CCP–negative RA.

This study aims to establish a link between disturbances in the night sleep habitus, quality of sleep, and daytime sleepiness in adolescents with Internet addiction and different types of content consumed. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study of a school sample in three large cities in Central Siberia. 4615 schoolchildren of 12–18 years old were examined. The Russian-language versions of the Chen Internet Addiction Scale, the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and the Social Media Disorder Scale were used to identify Internet addiction. Questions from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire were used to assess nighttime sleep. Daytime sleepiness was assessed using the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale questionnaire. Results: Adolescents with Internet addiction go to bed and wake up late; they are characterized by a decrease in the duration of nighttime sleep, an increase in sleep onset latency, and frequent nighttime awakenings, as well as more pronounced daytime sleepiness. Among the sleep parameters studied, the indicators of daytime sleepiness and night awakening scales have the highest effect size in Internet-addicted adolescents, regardless of the media consumed. Conclusion: Internet-addicted adolescents are characterized by significant disturbances in the quality of nighttime sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness, which requires appropriate psychological correction.

—Digital PCR (dPCR) is a nucleic acid quantification method that is widely used in genetic analysis. One of the most significant advantages of dPCR over other methods is the possibility of absolute quantitative determination of genetic material without construction of calibration curves, which allows one to detect even single molecules of nucleic acids, and, hence, provides early diagnosis of diseases. One specific characteristic of dPCR is the detection of the analyzed biological object in each microreaction, followed by the presentation of the analysis results in a binary system, thereby giving the method its name. The key aspects of developing the dPCR method, i.e., from the first devices based on microfluidic chip technology to modern systems capable of measuring a target at a concentration of up to 1 in 100 000 copies are shown in the current work. We analyzed the data on the detection of various pathogens using dPCR, as well as summarizing various study results demonstrating the innovativeness of this method. Both the possibilities of multiplex dPCR analysis and its potential in clinical practice are presented. This review also addresses the issue of the role of dPCR in the development of noninvasive methods for analysis of oncological diseases. Possible ways of developing dPCR technology were emphasized, including its use as a “point-of-care” system.

Immunological parameters and gene polymorphisms (C-590T IL4, C-597A IL10) in severe bronchial asthma in children from the Krasnoyarsk region, West Siberia

Objectives. The review summarizes the currently available data on neurobiological risk factors for the formation of Internet addiction (IA) in adolescents, and also indicates the most promising areas of research in this area. Background. The rapid emergence and spread of IA in teenage populations, combined with the rapid change in consumed content due to the general availability of mobile access to the network and the emergence of new devices, poses new challenges for classical psychology and fundamental medicine that need to be addressed urgently. Like most other chronic psychopathological conditions, pathological heart failure belongs to the group of multifactorial polygenic diseases, where in each case there is a unique combined effect of congenital features of the functioning of higher nervous activity, some of which are genetically determined (structural features of the structure of the nervous tissue, spectrum of secretion, degradation and the reception of neurotransmitters) with the influence of many environmental factors (family, social, ethnocultural). Methodology. To date, a large number of studies have been conducted to study the pathogenesis of IA using various neuroimaging techniques. Using twin studies while taking into account ethnic differences, the genetic component of susceptibility to IA was established, in addition, a serious comorbidity of Internet addiction was revealed. Conclusions. One of the most important fundamental tasks of studying Internet addiction is the identification of specific genes and neurotransmitter associations that are respon¬sible for the predisposition to the formation of Internet addiction, which will allow searching for new therapeutic targets and ways for early prevention with an assessment of the degree of genetic risk.