In honor of the 85th anniversary of Vladimir Vasilyevich Potemkin

Abstract

We are celebrating the 85 anniversary and 61 years of research, pedagogical and medical activities of one of the nation’s leading endocrinologists, the promoter of academic endocrinology, the founder and the first head of the department of endocrinology of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNIMU) Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Professor Vladimir Vasilyevich Potemkin. V.V. Potemkin was the first in our country who began to teach endocrinology at the department of internal diseases of the pediatric faculty of the 2nd Moscow State Medical Institute (now Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNIM). In 1972, after his transfer to the Department of General Medicine, V.V. Potemkin established a course of endocrinology at the chair of internal medicine. Soon, endocrinology became an independent course and on its basis a separate chair was set up. Heading first the course and then the chair for 40 years, V.V. Potemkin proved himself a talented teacher, scientist, and excellent clinicist. V.V. Potemkin is the author of 7 textbooks on various aspects of endocrinology, including the nation’s first fundamental manual Endocrinology, published, in addition to Russian, also in French, Spanish and twice in English. In his research work, V.V. Potemkin focuses on the problems of pathogenesis, clinical aspects, and treatment of diabetes and obesity. Research results obtained by V.V. Potemkin in studying the development of oxidative stress and impaired insulin-binding blood activity in patients with newly diagnosed T2D with normal body weight and suffering from obesity made it possible to find two different pathogenetic mechanisms underlying their hyperglycemia. V.V. Potemkin studied the role of cytokines in the development of diabetic foot syndrome, which led to the conclusion that the criteria for the effectiveness of treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes complicated by diabetic foot syndrome, along with normoglycemia are also decreased activity of lipid peroxidation, stabilization of antioxidant defence, normalization of the level of TNF-alpha proinflammatory cytokine. In troduction of V.V. Potemkin’s findings into clinical practice helps to improve the results of treatment of patients with diabetic foot syndrome, prevent gangrene, and reduce their direct and indirect financial costs. Professor V.V. Potemkin celebrates his anniversary at the heirght of his creative powers. We wish our dear colleague good health, inexhaustible energy, and new creative successes for many years!