CHARACTERISTICS OF GLYCOCALIX IN ERYTHROCYTES MEMBRANES IN CHILDREN OF EARLY AGE WITH COMPLICATED PNEUMONIA

Introduction. The complicated pneumonia in children of early age remains serious problem for pediatrics, despite significant achievement in treatment and rehabilitation. Considerable progress was made recently in clinical and experimental membranology to understand pathogenesis of many diseases in children of early age, including pneumonia. Additional medical and rehabilitation measures were proposed. The cellular membranes contain glycocalyx. It is the external surface of erythrocytes’ membranes functioning as antigenic complex of ABO blood system. Our aim was to study the condition and structure of erythrocyte’s glycocalyx in children with complicated pneumonia regarding their blood group using the ABO system. Materials and methods. The children were divided into groups regarding their blood group. We analyzed the levels of hexoses and sialic acids in erythrocytes’ membranes of peripheral blood in children of early age with complicated pneumonia. Diagnosis of complicated out-of-hospital pneumonia was based on data of the anamnesis, objective examination, laboratory analyses and chest X-ray. The blood samples were collected from the peripheral vein on empty stomach in the morning during acute phase of disease. We used heparin (at dose 300 IU per 1 ml of blood) as anticoagulant. Glycoproteins were released from erythrocyte membranes by hyposmotic hemolysis. Quantitative determination of sialic acids was made by the Svennerholm's method; hexoses were detected by the antronic method. Measurement was made regarding to the blood group and clinical signs of extra pulmonary complications of pneumonia (1?2 day of hospitalization and the discharge day from the hospital). Statistical analyses were carried out using Microsoft Excel. Study results were processed using variation statistics methods and the Student’s-test. Discussion. The obtained results showed that certain therapeutic measures should be taken to stabilize glyxocalix of the erythrocytes’ membranes during complicated pneumonia in children of early age.