[Colonization properties of opportunistic bacteria isolated from children with pneumonia].

AIM: Evaluation of phenotypes and pathogenicity factors of 476 opportunistic bacteria isolated from respiratory samples of 973 children with community-acquired pneumonia and 36 children without respiratory infection symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative method of tracheal aspirate and nasopharyngeal swab seeding into certified nutrient media was used, identification was carried out according to standard techniques. RESULTS: Adhesive, "anti-interferon", anti-lysozyme and inherent bactericidal activity of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. were established to ensure in combination with known aggression factors their colonization advantage compared with other pneumopathogens. Adhesion indexes of Gram-negative bacteria lower than 2.5 are shown as markers of invasive strains. Anti-lysozyme activity level lower than 2.14 microg/ml and lack of "anti-interferon" activity characterize non-invasive opportunistic bacteria strains. CONCLUSION: The detected phenotypic features of opportunistic bacteria may be used in clinical practice for evaluatio of etiologic importance of microorganisms isolated from tracheal aspirate in pneumonia patients.

[Rate of identification and characteristic of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from carriers and ill children in Khabarovsk region].

AIM: To assess the role of nasopharyngeal and clinical strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae in respiratory disease of children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-eight children attending and not-attending daycare as well as 1292 children with respiratory diseases admitted to clinic of Research Institute of Maternity and Childcare during 2001-2009 were studied. Materials for study were pharyngeal swabs and sputum. Identification was performed using optochin disks (bioMerieux), latex-agglutination (Slidex meningo-kit, bioMerieux) and agglutination on the glass. Fragment of S. pneumoniae genome was determined by PCR using diagnostic kits GenePac Spn (IsoGen Ltd., Moscow). RESULTS: Level of nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci is increased in children with recurrent respiratory illnesses as well as in children closed communities of children. Strains isolated from nasopharynx were typical on morphological and tinctorial characteristics and have increased level of resistance to macrolides and decreased level of resistance to penicillin compared to clinical strains of which 15-20% were optochin-resistant. CONCLUSION: Local serological spectrum of pneumococci circulating in Khabarovsk region was determined, which includes 13 serovariants with predominance of serotypes K1, K19, K6.

[Etiology of acute and chronic pyelonephritis in children in Khabarovsk region].

Microflora of urinary tract was studied in 419 children aged 1 - 17 years and hospitalized due to acute or chronic pyelonephritis. Etiology of inflammatory process was established in 57.8% of cases. According to our study, etiologic structure of causative agents of pyelonephritis did not differ from all-Russian data. The leading positions belonged to Gram-negative microorganisms from Enterobacteriaceae family: Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella spp. Results of the study point to high susceptibility of main causative agents of pyelonephritis to cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. High resistance to aminopenicillines was noted. In several isolates from Enterobacteriaceae family significant resistance to nalidixic acid and furazidin was observed.

[Etiology of pulmonary diseases in children in Khabarovsk Region].

Microflora of upper respiratory tract in 658 children aged 1 month - 17 years hospitalized with acute pneumonia (AP), acute bronchitis (AB), recurrent obstructive bronchitis (ROB), malformation of lungs (ML) and broncho-alveolar dysplasia (BALD) were studied. Carriage rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (up to 95%) and Haemophilus influenzae (up to 89%) in 240 children attending daycare centers and schools were determined. Etiology of infectious process was ascertained in 40% of cases. S. pneumoniae was isolated in 45% of acute cases (AP and AB) and in 25% of chronic cases (BALD). H. influenzae was isolated in 8 - 12% of acute cases and in 32% of chronic cases. In 23 - 29% of all cases of pulmonary pathology in children persistence of Enterococcus faecium was determined. There were 13 different serotypes among isolated pneumococci. In patients with pneumonia the rate of detection of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae DNA fragments by PCR was significantly higher compared with rate of their isolation from sputum.

[Acute phase blood proteins: role in the homeostasis and their synthesis induction in the liver]. / Ostrofaznye belki krovi: rol v podderzhanii gomeostaza organizma i mekhanizmy induktsii ikh sinteza v pecheni.

Role of acute phase proteins (APP) and mechanisms that regulate their synthesis in the liver are considered. It is known that acute infection, trauma and neoplastic growth cause the acute phase response characterized by a complex of local and systemic reactions of the organism. Production of some acute phase plasma proteins increases (positive APP) while concentration of the others decreases (negative APP). In this review the role of the most important positive APP, such as C-reactive protein, the third component of the complement, alpha 1-antitrypsin, serum amyloid haptoglobin, hemopexin and some others and of negative APP such as albumin, transferrin, apoliprotein A-1 is discussed. Synthesis of APP in hepatocytes is regulated by three main inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF, produced mainly by immunocompetent cells, and by glucocorticoids. Peculiarities of each cytokine effect, their interaction during APP synthesis as well as their regulation by receptors-antagonists and by autoantibodies are discussed. The data described provide evidence for the close relation which exists between the immune system and the liver and is required to maintain homeostasis.

[The effect of chenophalk on the liver function of intact animals and in experimental hepatitis]. / Vliianie khenofal'ka na sostoianie pecheni u intaktnykh zhivotnykh i pri éksperimental'nom gepatite.

Chenophalk (chenodeoxycholeic acid) was given to Wistar rats, including intact animals and those with chronic toxic hepatitis, in daily oral dose of 15 mg/kg body weight during 11 days. Chronic toxic hepatitis was induced by 7 subcutaneous injections of carbon tetrachloride (0.3 ml of 50% oil solution per kg body weight) each three days. Chenophalk was shown to impair bile crystallization. It enhanced demethylase activity, elevated the levels of cytochromes P-450 and b5 in the liver microsomal fraction, and decreased lipid peroxidation just after injection. The agent normalized oxygen tension in the liver tissue, which had been reduced by carbon tetrachloride. Chenophalk caused disturbances in the structure of the liver and in microcirculation early after injection, showing a tendency to normalize the histostructure of the liver.

[Oxygen-dependent processes in the liver and immunologic reactivity of rats in chronic liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride]. / Kislorodzavisimye protsessy v pecheni i immunologicheskaia reaktivnost organizma krys pri khronicheskom porazhenii pecheni chetyrkhkhloristymuglerodom.

The chronic hepatitis in Wistar rats was induced by seven subcutaneous injections of carbon tetrachloride (0.3 ml of 50% oil solution per 1 kg of body mass) made each third day. It was shown that cytochromes P-450 and b5 content, demethylase activity in the liver microsomal fraction as well as the oxygen tension in the liver tissue were decreased, while lipid peroxidation was intensified. The PHA-induced blood lymphocyte blastogenesis was inhibited and concentration of circulating immune complexes in the blood was higher than that in intact animals.

[Analysis of hepatocyte cell membrane antigens in regenerating rat liver]. / Analiz antigenov plazmaticheskikh membran gepatotsitov regeneriruiushchei pecheni krys.

Antigens of plasma membranes in hepatocytes from regenerating rat liver were studied. Immunochemical investigation with polyvalent rabbits antiserum against plasma membrane proteins in hepatocytes from regenerating and normal rat liver have shown that liver regeneration processes are accompanied by the increase of proteins number with molecular weight of--80 kDa, 62 kDa, 40 kDa and 27 kDa. It is not excluded that protein with molecular weight of 27 kDa is the tissue-specific peripheral protein. The influence of antibodies against proteins of hepatocytes plasmatic membranes on histostructure of pathologically changed liver tissue has been studied. The data obtained testify to a possibility of participation of the above mentioned proteins in the regulation of rat liver regeneration processes.

[Possibility of directed changes in the surface activity of rat pulmonary surfactants by means of exposure to antibodies specific to them]. / Vozmozhnost' napravlennykh izmenenii poverkhnostnoi aktivnosti surfaktantov legkogo krys putem vozdeistviia spetsificheskimi k nim antitelami.

The experiments were performed on Wistar rats with weight of 150-200 g. Antibodies were prepared by immunization of rabbits with pure surfactants of rat lungs and were intravenously injected into rats three times within 3 days intervals. These antibodies were shown to influence the superficial activity of lung surfactants and the alveolar lung cells activity. The low doses of antibodies (0.06 micrograms of protein per 100 g of body mass) stimulated the superficial activity of lung surfactants, while higher doses (3 mg of protein per 100 g of body mass) inhibited it.

[Changes in the activities of antigen-nonspecific helper and suppressor cells in rabbits after carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage]. / Izmenenie aktivnosti antigennespetsificheskikh T-khelperov i T-supressorov u krolikov v usloviiakh porazheniia pecheni chetyrekhkhloristym uglerodom.

The peripheral blood helper and suppressor T cell activity in rabbits was studied by the method of concanavalin A-induced mitogenesis. Blood lymphocytes were stimulated in vitro with different concentrations of concanavalin A (8 micrograms/ml and 60 micrograms/ml, respectively). The effect of stimulated lymphocytes on proliferative response of allogenic lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin was investigated. The liver injury was induced by three-fold subcutaneous injections of carbon tetrachloride (1 ml of 50% oil solution per 1 kg of body mass) each third day. Histological analysis of the liver and T cell activity examinations was performed 2, 9, 16, 30 days after carbon tetrachloride administration. It was shown that the stages of the more pronounced liver injury and the less pronounced regeneration of the liver were accompanied by the increase of helper T cell activity. The stages of the intensive liver regeneration and the less pronounced liver injury were accompanied by the increase of suppressor T cell activity.

[Changes in the histostructure of functional activity of the immunocompetent organs in damaged portal blood supply of the liver]. / Izmenenie gistostruktury funktsional'noi aktivnosti immuno- kompetentnykh organov v usloviiakh narushennogo vorotnogo krovosnabzheniia pecheni.

In CBA mice calibrated stenosis of the portal vein was produced. Liver and immunocompetent organs were morphologically analyzed. The total number of hemopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow was estimated by the colony-forming cells and in the spleen after immunization with sheep red cells by the plaque forming method. It is established that stenosis of the portal vein (on the average by 45% and 58%) produced the histostructural changes in the liver and in the immunocompetent organs. Expression of morphological changes depended on the time elapsed after operation and the degree of the portal vein stenosis. These changes were the most pronounced on the 16-17th day when stenosis of the portal vein was 58%. The character of the changes in the number of the hemopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and in that of antibody-forming cells in the spleen depended on the degree of the liver damage. These changes increased with the degree of the liver histostructure damage. The maximal liver damage was accompanied by a decrease of these indices.

[Antigen-specific helper and suppressor activities of T-lymphocytes of the rabbit blood during the development of immunologic response to heterologous erythrocytes]. / Antigenspetsificheskaia khelpernaia i supressornaia aktivnos't T-limfotsitov krovi krolikov v dinamike razvitiia immunnogo otveta na geteroéritrotsity.

A titre of hemolysins in blood serum, helper and suppressor activity of blood T-lymphocytes in response of ++blast transformation to Con A in different doses (8 and 60 ml) and was determined in rabbits after single and two-fold (with an interval of 30 days) immunization of the ram erythrocytes. Examinations were conducted 2, 9, 16 and 30 days after antigen introduction. Peculiarities of changes in antigen-specific helper and suppressor activity of lymphocytes and their balance in dynamics of primary and secondary immune responses are determined.

[Characteristics of the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells of the bone marrow in experimental lesions of the liver]. / Osobennosti differentsirovki stvolovykh krovetvornykh kletok kostnogo mozga pri eksperimental'nykh porazheniiakh pecheni.

The liver lesion in the CBA mice has been induced by administration of one of three agents five times every day; gamma-globulin fraction of antihepatocytotoxic serum in doses of 4.8 and 7.7 mg of protein per 100 g of body mass; gamma-globulin fraction of normal rabbit serum and bovine serum albumin in a dose of 4.8 mg of protein; three- four- or five-fold introduction of carbon tetrachloride in a dose of 0.5 ml per 100 g of body mass with oil (1:1) each three days; calibrated stenosis of the portal vein was produced. The total number of hemopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow was estimated by the colony-forming unit/spleen assay. Histological analysis of the colony-forming units was applied. The liver lesion was accompanied by a decrease in the ratio of the erythroid/granulocytic colonies.