Репозиторий Университета

© 2018, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Phospholipase D (PLD; EC 3.1.4.4) is one of the key enzymes catalyzing hydrolysis of cell membrane phospholipids. This review considers and summaries current knowledge about six human PLD isoforms, their structure and a role in physiological and pathological processes. Comparative analysis of PLD isoforms structure is presented. The review considers the mechanism of hydrolysis and transphosphatidylation performed by PLD, the role of PLD1 and PLD2 in the pathogenesis of some types of cancer, infectious, thrombotic, and neurodegenerative diseases is analyzed. The prospects of development of PLD isoformselective inhibitors are considered in the context of their clinical use and inclusion into various therapeutic schemes; the latter is especially important in the case of already developed PLD inhibitors. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) formed in the human body during phospholipid transphosphatidylation catalyzed by PLD is considered as an alcohol abuse biomarker.

© 2018 Denisenko et al. Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are metabolized by cytochrome P450. CYP2C19 is the main isoenzyme for the majority of PPI, whereas CYP3A family is a secondary enzyme for PPI biotransformation. Purpose: The aim of the study was to find if CYP3A4*22, CYP3A5*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, and CYP2C19*17 genotypes are connected with CYP3A and CYP2C19 activities in Russian peptic ulcer patients taking omeprazole. Patients and methods: Forty-eight gastric or duodenal ulcer patients (15 men, 33 women; mean age 55.0±15.3 years, age range 18–91 years) from Moscow region of Russia were enrolled. Peripheral venous blood was collected for DNA extraction, and real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for CYP3A5*3A6986G (rs776746), CYP3A4*22 C>T in intron 6 (rs35599367), CYP2C19*2G681A (rs4244285), CYP2C19*3G636A (rs4986893), and CYP2C19*17C-806T (rs12248560) polymorphism analyses. Urine samples of patients were collected in the morning between 6 and 9 am before food or drug intake. Urine cortisol and 6β-hydroxycortisol concentrations (for CYP3A activity) and omeprazole and 5-hydroxyomeprazole concentrations (for CYP2C19 activity) were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Results: We found a connection between CYP2C19 genotypes and CYP3A activity. Median metabolic ratios 6β-hydroxycortisol/cortisol (25%–75% percentiles) were 2.84 (1.99–4.39) for CYP2C19 extensive metabolizers (EMs), 2.51 (1.86–4.73) for CYP2C19 ultra-rapid metabolizers (UMs), and 1.45 (1.12–2.16) for CYP2C19 intermediate metabolizers (IMs) + poor metabolizers (PMs). A statistically significant difference in CYP3A activity (Mann–Whitney test) was found between CYP2C19 EMs vs CYP2C19 IMs+PMs (p=0.006), between CYP2C19 UMs vs CYP2C19 IMs+PMs (p=0.018), and in multiple comparison Kruskal–Wallis test (p=0.014). Conclusion: In CYP2C19 IMs+PMs, CYP3A activity was significantly lower than in CYP2C19 EMs and UMs.

© 2018 Bentham Science Publishers. Background: Anti-tumor effect of hydroxamic acid derivatives is largely connected with its properties as efficient inhibitors of histone deacetylases, and other metalloenzymes involved in carcinogenesis. Objective: The work was aimed to (i) determine the anti-tumor and chemosensitizing activity of the novel racemic spirocyclic hydroxamic acids using experimental drug sensitive leukemia P388 of mice, and (ii) determine the structure-activity relationships as metal chelating and HDAC inhibitory agents. Method: Outbreed male rat of 200-220 g weights were used in biochemical experiments. In vivo experiments were performed using the BDF1 hybrid male mice of 22-24 g weight. Lipid peroxidation, Fe (II) -chelating activity, HDAC fluorescent activity, anti-tumor and anti-metastatic activity, acute toxicity techniques were used in this study. Results: Chemosensitizing properties of water soluble cyclic hydroxamic acids (CHA) are evaluated using in vitro activities and in vivo methods and found significant results. These compounds possess iron (II) chelating properties, and slightly inhibit lipid peroxidation. CHA prepared from triacetonamine (1a-e) are more effective Fe (II) ions cheaters, as compared to CHA prepared from 1- methylpiperidone (2a-e). The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitory activity, lipophilicity and acute toxicity were influenced by the length amino acids (size) (Glycine<Alanine<Valine<Leucine <Phenylalanine). All compounds bearing spiro-N-methylpiperidine ring (2a-e) are non-toxic up to 1250 mg/kg dose, while compounds bearing spiro-tetramethylpiperidine ring (1a-e) exhibit moderate toxicity which increases with increasing lipophility, but not excite at 400 mg/kg. Conclusion: It was shown that the use of combination of non-toxic doses of cisplatin (cPt) or cyclophosphamide with CHA in most cases result in the appearance of a considerable anti-tumor effect of cytostatics. The highest chemosensitizing activity with respect to leukemia Р388 is demonstrated by the CHA derivatives of Valine 1c or 2c.

The tendency to anxiety is a characteristic feature of alcohol abusers, and anxiety can be a symptom of alcohol withdrawal as well as comorbid disorder. The frequent comorbidity of alcohol use disorders and anxiety is due to a number of reasons including general hereditary predisposition, mutual conditioning and similar pathogenesis. Pharmacological therapy of anxiety disorders in alcohol-dependent patients is carried out on the basis of general principles of anxiety treatment and involves the use of benzodiazepines, antidepressants and, in some cases, antipsychotics as second-line medicines.

© 2018, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed drugs due to their effectivenes in treating depression and anxiety disorders. One of the reasons for early discontinuation of taking antidepressants are side-effects. Agomelatine is a relatively novel antidepressant with high efficacy and good tolerance. Clinical effects of agomelatine include a reduction in symptoms of depression, anti-anxiety and hypnotic effects, as well as the rapid elimination of anhedonia, which determines high adherence to therapy, restoration of normal social functioning, and complete remission of disease.

© 2018 Ima-Press Publishing House. All Rights Reserved. Based on the data available in the literature, the author has first systematized in detail the main stages of the design and clinical introduction of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants. Theoretical prerequisites for their emergence are described. The evaluation of the efficiency of depression therapy with drugs of this group in clinical trials and post-marketing studies is analyzed in the historical context. The reasons for temporary restrictions on their wide use are considered. There are data on the design of novel representatives of SNRI antidepressants.

© 2018 Ima-Press Publishing House. All Rights Reserved. Objective: to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive and motor training as an additional method to basic therapy in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Patients and methods: The investigation enrolled 41 patients (15 women and 26 men; mean age. 73.59±6.3 years), including 32 patients with AD (mean age 74.94±5.15 years) and 9 patients with VCI (mean age, 72.31±4.98 years). Cognitive impairment (CI) corresponded to mild dementia in 15 patients (5 women and 10 men; mean age 74.6±2.8 years) and to moderate dementia in 29 (10 women and 19 men; mean age 72.1±3.2 years). The patients were randomly assigned to individual, group, and mixed (individual and then group) cognitive training groups. Quantitative scales were used to assess changes in CI and emotional and behavioral disorders after 1.5, 3, and 6 months of therapy. Results and discussion: During cognitive and motor training, all the groups showed a significant decrease in the severity of CI (p < 0.05), depression, anxiety, and apathy. The effectiveness of the training was further influenced by the severity of concomitant cardiovascular disease, the degree of apathy, adherence to the training, and the early initiation of basic symptomatic therapy. The greatest positive changes in anxiety and depressive disorders were noted in the patients receiving group cognitive and motor training. Conclusion: The results of the investigation allow group cognitive and motor training to be recommended as a mainstay in the therapy of patients with CI concurrent with emotional disorders.

© 2018 Russian Transplant Society. All rights reserved. Heart transplantation is the «gold standard» of treatment severe heart failure. Patient survival after heart transplantation has improved dramatically since the availability of calcineurin inhibitor (CNIs). However, nephrotoxicity of CNIs has been largely responsible for the progressive development of renal dysfunction and reduces long-term patient survival. Use mTOR inhibitor in immunosuppressive therapy may improve renal function when everolimus is administered associated with a progressive reduction of CNIs. The purpose of our report is to demonstrate the successful case of conversion of the recipient after heart transplantation to everolimus and to evaluate the effectiveness of this drug during the observation year after heart transplantation.

© 2018 Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. The review analyzes the main etiological and pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of NSAID-enteropathy. Particular attention is paid to the role of intestinal microbiota in the manifestation and progression of NSAID-enteropathy. The special role of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of NSAIDs enteropathy is considered.

© 2018 Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. Phospholipase D (PLD) is one of the key enzymes that catalyzes the hydrolysis of cell membrane phospholipids. In this review current knowledge about six human PLD isoforms, their structure and role in physiological and pathological processes is summarized. Comparative analysis of PLD isoforms structure is presented. The mechanism of the hydrolysis and transphosphatidylation performed by PLD is described. The PLD1 and PLD2 role in the pathogenesis of some cancer, infectious, thrombotic and neurodegenerative diseases is analyzed. The prospects of PLD isoform-selective inhibitors development are shown in the context of the clinical usage and the already-existing inhibitors are characterized. Moreover, the formation of phosphatidylethanol (PEth), the alcohol abuse biomarker, as the result of PLD-catalyzed phospholipid transphosphatidylation is considered.

© 2018 Ima-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved.  The clinical efficacy and safety of interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blockade have been well studied, but the data on the impact of therapeutic inhibition of IL-6 on B cells are scarce and contradictory. Preliminary reports have shown that B cell function and a humoral immune response may be modulated by an IL-6 receptor inhibitor. Objective: to assess the effect of 12-month tocilizumab (TCZ) therapy on B-cell phenotype and gene expression in RA and to analyze the association between B-cell subsets and RA activity. Subjects and methods. Examinations were made in 24 active RA patients (20 women and 4 men) (median age, 55 [49; 64] years; disease duration, 72 [24; 108] months; DAS28 5.8 [5.3; 6.3]; the patients were seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF) (100%) and for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (87.3%). The patients received TCZ 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks. After 12 months of therapy, 54% of patients were categorized as good responders, 46% as moderate responders according to the EULAR response criteria. A control group consisted of 29 volunteers (21 women and 8 men; median age, 58.5 [53.0; 62.0] years). Peripheral blood lymphocytes were immunophenotyped at the time of enrollment and after 12 months. The absolute and relative counts of CD19+B lymphocytes, memory B cells (CD19+CD27+), non-switched memory B cells (CD19+IgD+CD27+), switched memory B cells (CD19+IgDCD27+), naive (CD19+IgD+CD27-), double-negative (CD19+IgD-CD27-), transitional (CD19+IgD+CD10+CD38++CD27) B cells, plasma cells (CD19+CD38+), and plasmablasts (CD19+CD38+++IgD-CD27+CD20-) were estimated using multicolor flow cytometry. Results and discussion. The relative and absolute counts of memory B cells (CD19+CD27+) (1.3 [0.9; 1.7]%, 0015 [0.001; 0.003]•10 9 /l), switched memory B cells (CD19+IgD-CD27+) (6.8 [3.6; 11.6]%, 0.01 [0.005; 0.02]•10 9 /l), and the absolute number of transitional B cells (CD19+CD38++CD10+IgD+CD27-) (0.00009 [0; 0.00028]•10 9 /l) were found to be lower in RA patients than in donors: 2.2 [1.1; 3.0]%, 0.003 [0.001; 0.007]•10 9 /l; 12.8 [9.3; 17.0]%, 0.02 [0.01; 0.04]•10 9 /l; 0.0001 [0; 0.0003]•10 9 /l, respectively (p<0.05 for all cases). After 12 months of TCZ therapy initiation, there were decreases in the relative and absolute counts of plasmablasts (CD19+CD38+++CD27+IgD-CD20-) from 0.15 [0.1; 0.3] to 0.1 [0.01; 0.1]% and from 0.0003 [0.00007; 0.004]•10 9 /l to 0.0001 [0; 0.0003]•10 9 /l, respectively (p<0.05). At the same time, the relative and absolute counts of memory B cells (CD19+CD27+) and switched memory B cells (CD19+CD27+IgD-) remained lower in RA patients than in donors: 1.0 [0.7; 1.2] and 2.2 [1.1; 3.0]%; 0.001 [0.006; 0.003]•10 9 /l and 0.003 [0.001; 0.007]•10 9 /l; 3.1 [1.1; 4.2] and 12.8 [9.3; 17.0]%; 0.003 [0.002; 0.006]•10 9 /l and 0.02 [0.01; 0.04]•10 9 /l, respectively (p<0.05 for all cases). Following 12 months of TCZ therapy, the numbers of other B-cell subpopulations were not considerably altered. When included in the study, the patients with RA showed correlations between the absolute count of memory B cells (CD19+CD27+) and the level of C-reactive protein (r=0.50; p<0.05); between the absolute count of plasmablasts (CD19+CD38+++CD27+IgD-CD20-) and the level of RF (r=0.41 and r=0.52; p<0.05). There were no correlations of B cell subsets with clinical and laboratory findings after 12 months of TCZ initiation. Conclusion. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood B lymphocyte subsets showed the lower relative and absolute counts of memory B cells (CD19+CD27+) and switched memory B cells (CD19+CD27+IgD-) in RA patients than in healthy donors. The found correlations between the counts of memory B cells and plasmablasts and the values of laboratory parameters in patients with high RA activity may suggest that B lymphocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of RA. There was a decline in plasmablast levels after 12 months of TCZ therapy.

© 2019, SPb RAACI. Inhibitory receptors CTLA-4 and PD-1 (immune checkpoints) play a key role in regulation of immune reactions. They suppress excessive immune response against pathogenic microbes and prevent autoimmune reactions. The immune checkpoints are targets of the modern effective therapy based on human and humanized monoclonal antibodies (ipilimumab and nivolumab, tremelimumab, pembrolizumab, etc). However, despite its high efficiency compared to standard chemotherapy, the therapy based on blocking immune check points is facing several problems, i.e., high therapy cost and severe negative autoimmune-related side effects. Unfortunately, this therapy helps to minority of the patients. Hence, further studies are required to improve its efficiency and safety, as well as to search for selection criteria of the patients who would benefit from the therapy. An appealing approach to reduce negative side effects from immune checkpoint inhibition is application of the blocking antibodies, aiming for ex vivo generation of patients’ activated immune cells for cancer therapy, thus avoiding systemic drug administration. Our aim was to elucidate influence of immune checkpoint blocking antibodies on the expression of CTLA-4 and PD-1 in such an in vitro model. First of all, we have determined quantities of lymphocyte receptors in peripheral blood of healthy volunteers, or cancer patients with disseminated melanoma. Moreover, we defined effect from the addition of antibodies against immune checkpoints on proportions of cells expressing CTLA-4 and PD-1 in the population of phytohemagglutinin-activated lymphocytes. Our study demonstrated that, in presence of antibodies to either of the two checkpoints during in vitro cell activation, the blockade of specific target receptor is accompanied by reduced number of cells positive for another checkpoint. Hence, the antibodies directed against PD-1 or CTLA-4 seem to suppress both negative signal cascades at once, if tested under such experimental conditions. Noteworthy, the response to blocking antibodies for different immune checkpoints varied for different donors. Our data may be used for development of effective combinations of lymphocyte activators and immune check-point inhibitors, for in vitro generation of activated lymphocytes applied for adoptive cancer therapy, as well as for prediction of possible responses to antibodies against CTLA-4 or PD-1, aiming to select the best personalized cancer immunotherapy.

© 2018 Vserossiiskoe Obshchestvo Kardiologov. All rights reserved. Aim. To evaluate the prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) in heart transplant recipients, and its influence on the risk of adverse events, as the efficacy and safety of antihypertension medications (AHM). Material and methods. To the study, were consequently included all heart transplant recipients operated in the Shumakov Centre during the years 2013 to 2016 and survived 90 days after orthotopic heart transplantation. Results. Totally, 353 recipients included, with AH or AHM intake in anamnesis in 62 (17,6%). Within 90 days post surgery, AH that demanded for medication therapy was found in 151 (42,8%) patients. In posttransplant AH patients there were the following specific parameters in preoperational period: higher body mass index - 25,7±4,1 vs 24,9±4,4 (р=0,026), blood creatinine concentration - 100,6±62,6 vs 68,8±4,8 (р<0,001), donor heart posterior wall thickness - 11,9±0,8 vs 11,3±0,7 (р=0,034), creatinine concentration in 3 month after operation - 131,7±101,6 vs 94,1±46,5 (p<0,001). There was relation revealed, of AH development risk with anamnesis of AH and renal failure, as a necessity for renal replacement therapy within 30 days post surgery and episodes of acute antibody-mediated reaction on transplant. In the recipients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB) before operation, the survival rate free from adverse events was better than in those taking calcium channel blockers (CCB) (plog-rank=0,042). Conclusion. The results of the study point on high prevalence of AH in heart recipients. Presence of AH in anamnesis, renal failure, episodes of humoral, but not cellular, reaction to the transplant, and donor heart hypertrophy do significantly increase the probability of AH development after transplantation. Comparison revealed significant benefit of ACEi/ ARB versus CCB as antihypertension medications in either monotherapy or in combination with diuretics.

© 2018 Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Purpose of the review to present up-to-date data on the causes, methods of diagnosis and treatment of the refractory form of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Refractory GERD is the preservation of typical symptoms of the disease and/or incomplete healing of the esophageal mucosa against the background of taking a standard dose of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) once a day for 8 weeks. The reasons for the lack of response to the treatment are divided into related to the patient, related to therapy, and not related to GERD. Diagnostic approaches include x-ray examination of the esophagus and stomach, endoscopy with biopsy, 24-hour Impedance-pH monitoring, esophageal manometry. Depending on the reasons for the lack of response to the therapy, treatment may include lifestyle changes, doubling the dose of PPI, replacing PPI with another, adding H2-receptor antagonists, prokinetics, antacids, alginates and adsorbents. If conservative treatment is ineffective, it is possible to consider alternative methods, such as surgical treatment. Refractory GERD is a serious clinical problem. The absence of an answer to 8-week therapy with PPI requires a thorough differential diagnosis using additional examination methods. The identification of the causes of refractory to the therapy allows to optimize the approaches to its overcoming and to choose the optimal treatment.

© 2018 Russian Transplant Society. All Rights Reserved. Aim. To study the effect of ACE inhibitors (ACEI) in heart recipients on the prognosis and myocardial remodeling. Materials and methods. Three hundred and eighty-six patients who received orthotopic heart transplantation (HT) were consequently enrolled to the study from February 2009 to November 2016. Results. Thirty days after the HT, ACEIs were assigned to 141 recipients. Arterial hypertension was diagnosed in all cardiac recipients who received ACEI and among 48 patients (19.5%) from non-ACEI group. Patients receiving ACEI had significantly better event-free survival than control group (p = 0.045) during the follow-up for 1361,6 ± 36,9 days. Left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic dimension did not change over the time in both groups, whereas LV posterior wall thickness in non-ACEI group significantly increased from 1.35 ± 0.03 cm to 1,23 ± 0.05 cm (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Cardiac recipients who received ACE inhibitors had better survival and less transplant left ventricle progression, that could reflect beneficial effects of renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system inhibition after heart transplantation.

© 2018 Bentham Science Publishers. Atherothrombosis-related diseases are one of the world’s leading causes of mortality, and thus the search for new therapeutic approaches in this area remains a very urgent task. Modern pharmacogenomic technologies make it possible to obtain valuable data on disease pathogenesis and optimal therapeutic approaches. One promising research direction is the study of the thromboxane A2 - thromboxane A synthase - thromboxane A2 receptor axis. This review summarizes the recent evidence and suggests that systematic works in this area are creating new and promising opportunities in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

© 2018, Canadian Science Publishing. All rights reserved. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of atorvastatin and simvastatin on myocardial contractility during the different degrees of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in rats. Study was conducted on adult male Wistar albino rats (n = 90; 4 weeks old; 100 ± 15 g body mass) in which HHcy was achieved by dietary manipulation. Animals were exposed to pharmacology treatment with atorvastatin in dose of 3 mg/kg per day i.p. or simvastatin in dose of 5 mg/kg per day i.p. at the same time every day, according to equivalent therapeutic doses of these statins (10 mg atorvastatin = 20 mg simvastatin). After the dietary manipulation and pharmacological treatment and confirmation of HHcy, all animals were sacrificed, hearts were isolated, and cardiac function was tested according to the Langendorff technique. Size of recovery of maximum rate of left ventricular development (dp/dtmax), minimum rate of left ventricular development (dp/dtmin), systolic left ventricular development, diastolic left ventricular development, heart rate, and coronary flow at the 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 cmH2O coronary perfusion pressure were measured in state of physiological condition (homocysteine less than 15 μmol/L), mild HHcy, and moderate HHcy. Atorvastatin treatment significantly attenuated homocysteine-induced impairment of myocyte contractility and dominantly decreased dp/dtmax, dp/dtmin, and heart rate and induced greater changes in systolic left ventricular development compared with simvastatin. Treatment with atorvastatin seems able to revert systolic abnormalities and improve contractility during the different degrees of HHcy.

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. Objectives. Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is a PEGylated antigen-binding fragment-fragment of a humanized mAb neutralizing TNF. It lacks Fc-fragment and has a very low potential to cross the placenta. We aimed to report the efficacy and safety of CZP in a case series of patients with refractory Takayasu arteritis (TA). Methods. Ten females of reproductive age (1835 years) with TA were treated with CZP (at a dose of 400 mg at weeks 0, 2 and 4 and at 200 mg every 2 weeks thereafter) for a median of 10 months (range 328). Prior to CZP administration all patients received glucocorticoids and ± MTX, CYC, AZA, HCQ, LEF or MMF. Six patients were previously treated with other biological anti-cytokine drugs. The National Institutes of Health criteria and the Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score 2010 were used to define disease activity. Results. All patients rapidly responded to treatment with CZP and were able to taper prednisone and MTX doses. Treatment with CZP resulted in a significant decrease in median serum CRP levels and normalization of Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score 2010 score in 9 of 10 patients. Remission of systemic vasculitis was achieved in all patients. Seven patients maintained remission for at least 4 months, while one patient developed relapse after 2 years of CZP treatment. Side effects included mild infections (n = 5). Conclusion. Our case series suggests that CZP may be an effective and steroid-sparing treatment option in patients with active TA even if they did not previously respond to other TNF inhibitors or tocilizumab.

© 2018 Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. The article provides review of possible mechanisms of inhibitor coagulopathies, in particular of acquired hemophilia A. This pathology is an extremely rare disease occurring in 1-2 cases in 1 million per year. In the present study we provide data for two clinical cases of hemophilia A in women. These cases had different development mechanisms, although both women have a newly discovered missense mutation His2026Arg in the VIII factor gene. The matter of main interest is the description of the disease development in the patient with an acquired idiopathic hemophilia A with a possible disease occurrence due to an asymmetric X-chromosome inactivation (lyonization). In this particular case lyonization led to the late manifestation of the hemophilia A carrier's state and development of severe form of the inhibitor-associated acquired hemophilia A. We also discuss therapeutic approaches to these forms of the disease, considering there are no concise protocols for case management due to an extreme rarity of the pathology. Acquainting the clinical personnel working it the different areas of medicine with suchlike inhibitor coagulopathies has a major practical importance.

© 2018 Ima-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved. Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is the only pegylated biological agent (BA) that does not contain an Fc fragment, which minimizes its transplacental transfer. Takayasu arteritis mostly occurs in reproductive-aged women. Objective: to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CZP used to treat standard immunosuppressive therapy-resistant Takayasu arteritis. Subjects and methods. The retrospective study enrolled 6 female patients aged 18 to 35 years with Takayasu arteritis who received CZP. The median disease duration before BA usage was 66 months (24 to 204 months). The median duration of immunosuppressive therapy prior to CZP treatment was 92 months (14 to 132 months). All the female patients had taken glucocorticoids and methotrexate before and during CZP therapy. Only four patients had received two to five immunosuppressive drugs at different times prior to BA administration. Three patients had previously used other BAs. The disease activity was determined by the National Institute of Health (NIH) criteria. The Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score (ITAS2010) was used. The disease activity was recorded in all the patients prior to CZP therapy. Results and discussion. The median duration of CZP treatment was 17 months (6 to 24 months). The median erythrocyte sedimentation rate after CZP usage decreased from 22.5 to 10.5 mm/h; the median C-reactive protein level dropped from 7.8 to 0.39 mg/dl (p<0.05), the median daily dose of prednisolone was reduced from 20 to 8.75 mg (p<0.05). All the patients achieved complete remission an average of 4 months after starting CZP therapy. Three patients were still in remission after 12–24 months. One relapse of the disease was recorded following 24 months. ITAS2010 reduced from 1–4 to 0 in five patients and to 2 in one patient with recurrence. There was a good tolerance in five female patients. The adverse events were herpes labialis in two cases, community-acquired pneumonia in one case, and postoperative abscess in one case too. Conclusion. CZP in Takayasu arteritis was shown to be an effective drug for remission induction and maintenance. The presented results of the first experience in treating this disease with CZP are indicative of its promising further investigation as a steroid-sparing drug in patients with refractory vasculitis. One of the important advantages of CZP is its supposed high safety throughout pregnancy.