[Comparative evaluation of effectiveness of traditional serologic and modified methods of herpes zoster laboratory diagnostics].

AIM: Comparative evaluation of effectiveness of traditional serologic and modified diagnostic methods of disease arising due to varicella and herpes zoster virus (VZV) reactivation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2 groups of patients were examined. The main group consisted of 39 patients with manifest form of herpes zoster (HZ), control--20 healthy donors. Sex composition of the groups did not differ. Traditional method of serologic diagnostics included determination of anti-gE VZV IgG and anti-VZV IgG and anti-IgM in patient and donor blood sera by using EIA. Modified methods consisted of isolation in density gradient and cultivation for 48 hours of peripheral blood mononuclears (PBMC) in RPMI-1640 complete culture medium containing 10% of fetal bovine serum, 4 mM L-glutamin and gentamycin. Concentrations ofanti-VZV IgG and IgM were then determined in culture medium by using EIA. RESULTS: In all the examined HZ patients and healthy donors anti-VZV IgG were detected in blood. Only in 26 (67%) of 39 HZ patients anti-gE VZV IgG and anti-VZV IgM were determined in blood sera. Among donors false positive results for these markers were detected in 10% and 5% of cases, respectively. During simultaneous determination of anti-gE VZV IgG and anti-VZV IgM the specificity of the method increased to 100%, sensitivity of the diagnostic method based on simultaneous determination of anti-gE VZV IgG and anti-VZV IgM was 59%. During analysis of spontaneous production of anti-VZV antibodies by PBMC in 38 (97.4%) of 39 patients anti-VZV IgG were determined in PBMC culture, anti-VZV IgM production was observed only in 4 patients. In control group false positive results of anti-VZV IgG and IgM production by PBMC was not detected by the modified method (100% specificity). At equal specificity level sensitivity of the modified method based on determination of spontaneous anti-VZV IgG production by PBMC culture was significantly higher than effectiveness of the traditional serologic diagnostics (97.4% and 59%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The data obtained allow to recommend during diagnostics of manifest and atypical VZV infection forms arising due to endogenous virus reactivation the new modified method of laboratory diagnostics of the disease as having higher sensitivity compared with traditional serologic method.

[In vitro inhibition of the cytopathic action of herpes simplex virus, type 1, with a natural cytokine complex].

The antiviral action of a natural cytokine complex (NCC)--the preparation Superlymph and its peptide antimicrobial fraction (AMF)--in the culture of Vero cells infected with type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), strain VR-3, was studied. The NCC preparation did not alter the morphology of the cells for 6 days and was not toxic for the culture of Vero cells. The NCC and AMF produced a protective antiviral effect, which was manifested by the inhibition of the cytopathic action (CPA) of the virus. In the presence of the preparation, the CPA of HSV-1 was equal to 10(-4.67) ICPD50, while in the control CPA was equal to 10(-5.60). The fraction containing antimicrobial peptides (protegrins) and isolated from NCC, characterized by the method of mass spectrometry, produced the maximum antiviral effect on the cell strain Vero (10(-4.58) ICPD50). Thus Superlymph, an immunomodulator with antiviral activity, could be regarded as an effective preparation for the treatment of HSV infection. The action of such preparation was aimed at the inhibition of the CPA of the virus and the stimulation of the antiviral protective mechanisms of the cell.

[Enzyme immunoassay system for the detection of low-avid lgG antibodies to human cytomegalovirus ("CMV-diagnost")].

The new Russian enzyme immunoassay system "CMV-Diagnost" based on the detection of low-avid IgG antibodies has been developed for the rapid diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection. The system was found not only to determine the strained immunity in response to cytomegalovirus, but also to judge the current infection from the avidity index of detectable IgG antibodies with a high degree of validity. The antibody avidity index of less than 30% suggests an acute stage of primary cytomegalovirus infection. The minimum antibody threshold bodies (deltaOD has been established for the correct interpretation of data on low-avid antibodies. deltaOD of > or =0.6 optic units was for the developed test system "CMV-Diagnost. A correlation was found between the serum levels of low-avid antibodies and IgM antibodies to cytomegalovirus at the acute stage of the disease.

[Detection of low avidity IgG as a promising approach to diagnosis of primary herpetic infection]. / Vyiavleniie nizkoavidnykh IgG-antitel--perspektivnyi podkhod v diagnostike pervichnoi gerpeticheskoi infektsii.

A Russian immune-enzyme test-system ("HERPES-DIAGNOST") was designed on the basis of detection of low-avidity IgG antibodies in order to promote the laboratory value of serological examinations of patients with different clinical manifestations of the herpetic infection. The key test parameters were tuned; the immunosorbent production based on antigens (herpes simplex virus--HSV), types 1 and 2, was optimized; and the concentration was chosen for the main reagent that removes the low-avidity antibodies (8 M urea solution) and, finally, the temporal and temperature regimes were selected for testing. A system was elaborated for registering and interpreting the results. The avidity index of antibodies lower than 35% was found to be a reliable criterion confirming the presence of acute primary infection triggered both by HSV-1 and by HSV-2. If there is a relapse of herpetic infection, the avidity index of antibodies can range from 30 to 45%.

[The significance of a mixed congenital viral infection in human antenatal and perinatal pathology]. / Znachenie smeshannoi vrozhdennoi virusnoi infektsii v antenatal'noi i perinatal'noi patologii cheloveka.

Examinations of 202 newborn babies for a representative group of viral infections by detection of viral antigens in cells of urine sediment and in the autopsy materials by indirect immunofluorescence permitted diagnosis of a congenital viral infection in 92% of patients with intrauterine and perinatal pathology; in 72.5% it was a mixed infection. In the patients the virus-virus associations were, as a rule, represented by enteroviruses of Coxsackie group and/or influenza A, B, and C viruses. Most frequently (83.3-100%) mixed virus infection was detected in newborn babies with the severest pathology (meningoencephalitis, encephalitis, sepsis, intrauterine pneumonia), as well as in fatal cases.

[The diagnosis of brain lesions in newborns with an intrauterine herpetic infection]. / O diagnostike porazhenii mozga u novorozhdennykh pri vnutriutrobnoi gerpeticheskoi infektsii.

Enzyme immunoassay and DNA hybridization technique were used to diagnose herpetic infection. Blood and liquor antiherpetic antibodies were detected, with anticytomegalovirus antibodies used as reference ones. Intrauterine herpetic infection was detected in 61.5% of 91 risk group newborns. We should like to emphasize that two laboratory tests should be used to diagnose an intrauterine herpetic infection in newborns. Detection of antiviral antibodies in the CSF is a valuable method for the diagnosis and differentiation of brain involvement in intrauterine herpetic infection.

[Detection of herpes simplex virus by DNA-DNA hybridization method]. / Vyiavlenie virusa gerpesa prostogo metodom DNK-DNK-gibridizatsii.

Eight recombinant clones were obtained by insertion of BamHI fragments of herpes simplex type I viral DNA into a vector plasmid pUC19o. Of the obtained clones 5 were found to hybridize with herpes simplex type I and 2 viral DNA while 3 clones revealed a positive reaction with the Vero cells DNA. A constructed DNA-probe possessing the highest level of activity was selected for further studies. The probe is a BamHI fragment of herpes simplex type I viral DNA labelled with 32P dTTP. Probe sensitivity in blot hybridization is 10 pg for identification of type I viral DNA and 50 pg for type 2 viral DNA. The DNAs of cytomegalovirus and herpes zoster virus do not show positive signals with the probe. The increased sensitivity of the used dot hybridization as compared with biological or IEA antigen identification of the virus was confirmed with the clinical material from 59 patients with the different clinical manifestations of the herpes viral infection.

[The immunotherapy of herpetic stomatitis in children]. / Immunoterapiia gerpeticheskogo stomatita u detei.

Immunoglobulin with a high titer of antiherpetic antibodies (1:640 to 1:1280) was used for the treatment of children with acute and recurrent herpetic stomatitis. The agent was injected intramuscularly, 2 to 4 injections, depending on the disease severity. The results evidence a favorable effect of the drug on the clinical and immunologic parameters of patients suffering from the acute condition and permit a conclusion that this immunoglobulin prevented the development of recurrent forms in the children with the acute disease.

[The evaluation of a commercial EIA test system for determining the specific activity of antiherpetic preparations]. / Otsenka kommercheskoi test-sistemy IFA dlia opredeleniia spetsificheskoi aktivnosti protivogerpeticheskikh preparatov.

The data on the use of a commercial EIA test system for detection of antibodies in control of preparations against herpes simplex and cytomegaloviruses are presented. The enzyme immunoassay test system for antibody determinations to herpes simplex virus produced by the Odessa bacterial preparations enterprise was shown to be suitable for determination of the specific potency (antigenicity) of herpes simplex vaccine. The advantages of this method over the currently used neutralization test were established. Titration of commercial immunoglobulins detects lots with high litres of antibody to herpes simplex virus. For the same purpose, lots of commercial immunoglobulins were tested for antibodies to cytomegalovirus using a West Germany test-system (Behring). It is concluded that enzyme immunoassay test systems for antibody determinations may be used for screening of lots of immunoglobulins of special effects (against herpes simplex and cytomegalovirus infections) both at the stage of serum and final preparation screening.

[Herpetic encephalitis: the clinico-virological aspect of its diagnosis]. / Gerpeticheskii éntsefalit: kliniko-virusologicheskii aspekt diagnostiki.

Eight patients with herpetic encephalitis (HE) and one patient with herpetic meningitis were investigated. The clinical and laboratory investigations (CR, EEG, and others) are described. In all the cases the diagnosis was corroborated with serological and virological tests unraveling the herpes simplex virus. A high-sensitive diagnose the atypical HE cases with subacute and chronic course that is important for correct treatment.

[A simple and rapid method of determining the titer of herpes simplex virus antibodies in a study by immunoenzyme analysis of a single serum dilution]. / Prostoi i bystryi metod opredeleniia titra antitel k virusu gerpesa prostogo pri issledovanii v immunofermentnom analize odnogo razvedeniia syvorotki.

The result obtained in the study of the possibility of using the method for the determination of the titer of antibodies to herpes simplex virus by EIA techniques in a single dilution of the serum under test are presented. This method is based on the determination of the optical density of the serum titer (rcut) in different groups of sera with the use of the assay system, permitting the evaluation of the positive results obtained in the determination of their final dilution. The results obtained with the use of this method showed that error was 50% for high-titer sera, 60% for medium-titer sera and 30% for low-titer sera.

[Dynamics of the formation of antibodies to surface and internal proteins of the herpes simplex virus in a model experiment on rabbits]. / Dinamika obrazovaniia antitel k poverkhnosti i vnutrennim belkam viru sa gerpesa prostogo v model'nom ékpserimente na krolikakh.

It has been shown by immunoblotting that antibodies to HSV-1 nucleocapsid proteins (39-45K) predominate at the early stages of infection (up to day 21 after infection) in rabbits. At later stages (up to day 75) the intensity of bands corresponding to virus-specific glycoproteins (presumably gD, gE, gC) increases. At the same time the level of antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins diminishes. In ELISA the same pattern was obtained using envelope and nucleo-capsid proteins denatured by SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol. The possibility of using individual HSV antigens for the development of highly specific diagnostic ELISA test-systems is discussed.

[Phase-specific protein synthesis in human fibroblasts after synchronization by a double thymidine block]. / Fazospetsificheskii sintez belkov v fibroblastakh cheloveka posle sinkhronizatsii dvoinym timidinovym blokom.

Kinetics of acid-insoluble non-histone protein synthesis during S and G2 cell cycle phases of diploid human fibroblasts and heteroploid transformed cells was investigated. Two distinct groups of protein with different kinetic pattern depending on the cell culture type were revealed. Export of one group of protein and turnover of the other group of acid-insoluble non-histone protein is arrested in heteroploid transformed cells.

Preparation and evaluation of anti-species and antiviral peroxidase conjugates.

Several antispecies peroxidase conjugates from human and rabbit immunoglobulins G (IgG) and a conjugate from IgG fraction of hyperimmune rabbit serum against the membranes of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infected cells have been prepared and characterized. The conjugates when tested in enzyme immunoassay for detection of antiherpetic antibodies in human and hyperimmune rabbit sera, as well as for detection of HSV-1 antigen in infected Vero cells appeared active and highly specific. Comparison with the peroxidase conjugates from antiherpetic IgGs prepared by means of ion- exchange and affinity chromatography has shown similar activities.

Enzyme immunoassay for detection of antibodies against herpes simplex virus with the use of different viral antigens.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) have been performed by using different immunosorbents prepared by passive adsorption of four HSV-1 antigen preparations to the wells of polystyrene microtitre plates in order to compare the the sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of the tests. The following antigen preparations have been used: virus-infected native Vero cells and their lysates, membrane glycoproteins and virus nucleocapsid proteins. The optimal conditions have been established for each assay system: the concentrations of adsorbed antigen and the "threshold" values of the optical density. For each antigen tested except of the nucleocapsid (NC) proteins, comparable antibody titres were found in the sera of 6 patients with different forms of herpes infections and in 86 healthy subjects. In the sera of 6 herpetic patients the antibody titres were higher against NC antigen than against other antigen preparations.

[Glucose metabolism and template synthesis in the mitotic cycle of human diploid fibroblasts]. / Metabolizm gliukozy i matrichnye sintezy v mitoticheskom tsikle diploidnykh fibroblastov cheloveka.

The correlation between the rates of protein and nucleic acid synthesis and the activity of the key enzymes of glycolysis (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase) and pentose phosphate cycle (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) in the mitotic cycle of human diploid fibroblasts synchronized by double thymidine block was studied. It was found that the removal of the thymidine block is followed by short-term (presumably, non-specific) simultaneous stimulation of matrix syntheses, as well as by glycolytic and pentose phosphate cycle enzyme syntheses. By the beginning of the S-phase, all the processes appear to be inhibited, followed by gradual activation of glycolysis and pentose phosphate cycle reactions. The implementation of the cell cycle is concomitant with stepwise transitions of protein and hexokinase synthesis rates and ATP content to one of the following levels--basal, intermediate or maximal. Changes in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the course of the cell cycle appear as oscillations, those in phosphofructokinase as alternative states. At stage M, the oscillatory processes are temporarily quenched, whereas the ATP content occupies an intermediate level. In contrast with diploid fibroblasts, in transformed T9 cells the enzyme activity is much higher, and the fluctuations in activity throughout the cell cycle are less noticeable. Presumably, in transformed cells the enzyme activity is at the maximum level and is not prone to effector regulation.

[Sequence of activation of template biosynthesis in normal and transformed human cells after synchronization by a double thymidine block]. / Posledovatel'nost' aktivatsii matrichnykh biosintezov v normal'nykh i transformirovannykh kletkakh cheloveka posle sinkhronizatsii dvoinym timidinovym blokom.

The sequence of matrix biosyntheses of DNA, RNA and various proteins in normal and transformed human fibroblasts in the first mitotic cycle after synchronization of cells by double thymidine block was studied. Two important regularities of synthesis of acid-soluble histone-like and acid-insoluble proteins in normal and transformed cells were established. In normal fibroblasts, the synthesis of both acid-soluble and acid-insoluble proteins is minimal before DNA replication and maximal in the G2-phase; that in transformed cells is maximal after removal of the thymidine block and decreased in the G2-phase. In normal fibroblasts, the synthesis of acid-insoluble proteins is maximal before, while that of acid-soluble ones--after the maximum of DNA synthesis. In transformed cells the situation is opposite. RNA synthesis in normal and transformed cells is stimulated at the end of the G2-phase. In normal cells, protein synthesis is coupled with the activation of RNA synthesis, whereas in transformed fibroblasts protein synthesis occurs, in all probability, in the next mitotic cycle. These differences are especially well-pronounced in the expression of some LMG proteins. It is concluded that in transformed cells the regulatory control over the coupling of matrix biosyntheses is impaired.

[Histone synthesis at S- and G2-phases of the mitotic cycle of human diploid fibroblasts]. / Sintez gistonov v S- i G2-fazakh mitoticheskogo tsikla diploidnykh fibroblastov cheloveka.

The phase-specific synthesis of the total protein, histones, RNA and DNA in human embryonic fibroblasts synchronized by double thymidine blockade was investigated. It was shown that activation of histone synthesis occurs in three steps, i.e. i) immediately before replication, ii) after DNA synthesis maximum, and, iii) at the G2-phase of the mitotic cycle. During maximal replication of DNA histone synthesis is suppressed. It was assumed that at the pre-replication phase histone synthesis controls decondensation, while and the G2-phase--condensation of chromatin.