[The incidence of detecting influenza virus antigens in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of donors in relation to the epidemic activity of influenza viruses A and B]. / Chastota vyiavleniia antigenov virusov grippa v limfotsitakh perifericheskoi krovi donorov v zavisimosti ot épidemicheskoi aktivnosti virusov grippa A i B.

Antigens of influenza A and B viruses in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of normal human subjects are found regularly both in epidemic and interepidemic periods. The level of detection of viral proteins in lymphocytes varies widely and correlates with the epidemic activity of the viruses. Influenza virus antigens were found several months before a rise in the incidence of the disease, the per cent ratio of the identified antigens correlating with the pattern of antigen detection in nasopharyngeal washings during an epidemic outbreak. Most frequently, the antigen found in lymphocytes was that of the main etiological agent of a definite epidemic; less frequently the hemagglutinin of the virus accompanying the one dominant in a given epidemic was found.

[The antigenic characteristics of the influenza virus subpopulations isolated from a single patient]. / Antigennaia kharakteristika subpopuliatsii virusa grippa, izolirovannykh ot odnogo bol'nogo.

Examinations by HI and EIA of influenza A (H3N2) virus isolates of 1985-1990 showed the strains derived from nasopharyngeal washings from patients to present very frequently as phenotypic mixtures of stable virus variants. Immunological analysis with monospecific antibody to hemagglutinin antigenic sites revealed a wide spectrum of antigenic activity based on the degree of relationship with viruses of previous years. By means of the immune pressing with antibody of different specificity the isolated strains could be divided into 2 subpopulations each characterized by the presence of only three antigenic sites. The subpopulations homogeneous by the antigenic composition of hemagglutinin represented the strains with antigenic markers of hemagglutinins of previous variants with drift variants of epidemic nature.

[New sites in the hemagglutinin composition of epidemic variants of the influenza virus A (H3N2) from 1989-1990]. / Novye saity v sostave gemaggliutininov épidemicheskikh variantov virusa grippa A (H3N2) 1989--1990 gg.

Immunological analysis of the antigenic structure of hemagglutinin of newly isolated variants of influenza (H3N2) virus carried out using monoclonal and monospecific antibodies to individual antigenic sites of hemagglutinin showed the 1989-1990 isolates to be markedly different in their antigenic properties from the variants isolated in previous years. Sites with new antigenic properties were determined in hemagglutinin of the isolates. Wide variability was found in the region of three immunodominant sites. The fact of circulation in the human population of influenza viruses of one subtype with different antigenic structures within the limits of one epidemic season was established.

[The use of immunoenzyme analysis in studying the etiologic structure of influenza morbidity in 1985-1988]. / Primenenie immunofermentnogo analiza dlia izucheniia étiologicheskoi struktury zabolevaemosti grippom v 1985--1988 gg.

In the periods of epidemic increases in the incidence of influenza in 1985-1988, approximately 600 patients with clinical diagnoses of ARVI and influenza were examined for the presence of viral antigen in nasopharyngeal washings by solid-phase enzyme-immunoassay and for antibody rises in paired blood sera. The use of modified SPEIA and original test sera for influenza type A and B viruses in rapid diagnosis of influenza made it possible to decode the etiology of the epidemic situations in 1985-1988. Influenza A and B virus antigens were detected in a high portion of the examined nasopharyngeal washings. The analysis of the distribution of positive results in the detection of viral antigen in the clinical specimens and in influenza serodiagnosis demonstrated a high correlation of the results (93.9%). The etiological pattern of influenza in recent years is characterized by simultaneous circulation in the human population of influenza A (H1N1, H3N2) and B viruses, as reflected by detection of mixed infections in 1-3% of the cases.

[Immunoglobulins in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood in acute neuroinfections]. / Immunoglobuliny spinnomozgovoi zhidkosti i krovi pri ostrykh neiroinfektsiiakh.

The authors have examined 42 patients with viral encephalitides and other central nervous system lesions using a complex of clinical and viroimmunological methods of examination. The main emphasis has been laid on measuring immunoglobulins A, M, and G in the blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The results have shown marked changes in humoral immunity. The degree of these changes is directly correlated with severity of encephalitis. Investigation into humoral immunity in patients with neuroinfections and other nervous system diseases contributes to the development of differential diagnostic criteria and better understanding of the relationship between severity and outcome of diseases.

[Virological studies in fatal outcomes in influenza and its complications in adults during the period of influenza A (H3N2) virus circulation from 1969 to 1983]. / Virusologicheskie issledovaniia pri letal'nykh iskhodakh ot grippa i ego oslozhnenii u vzroslykh v period tsirkuliatsii virusa grippa A (H3N2) s 1969 po 1983 g.

In the period of circulation of influenza A (H3N2) virus, 1969-1983, we examined virologically the autopsy specimens from 69 adults who died of influenza and its complications. Immunofluorescence examinations of organ impressions and infected cultures as well as virus isolations were used for postmortem laboratory diagnosis. Influenza viruses were isolated postmortem in all age groups, predominantly in older subjects (over 60), both in cases of early and late (after 7 days) deaths. The viruses were isolated more frequently from respiratory organs, less so from the blood, parenchymatous organs, cerebral tissue. A decrease in the number of lethal outcomes in adults and in the number of positive virus isolations postmortem was noted with the emergence of an antigenic drift-variant Victoria/75. Simultaneous employment of several laboratory tests verified virologically the diagnosis of influenza in adults postmortem in 85% of the cases.

[Diagnostic significance of detecting respiratory virus antigens in cerebrospinal fluid and brain cells]. / Diagnosticheskoe znachenie obnaruzheniia antigenov respiratornykh virusov v likvore i kletkakh mozga.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 202 patients (114 children and 88 adults) was studied by immunofluorescent techniques. Antigens of respiratory viruses in the CSF were most frequently encountered (22%) in patients with the involvement of the central nervous system (usually meningoencephalitis) in the presence of acute respiratory disease. In lethal outcomes in the same group viral antigens in brain cells were also identified. Clinical and morphological findings suggest that these lesions are infectious-allergic in nature. In rare cases (4%) viral antigens in the CSF and brain cells may also be found in patients with acute respiratory diseases without central nervous system involvement which happens when patients' blood-brain barrier is especially permeable.

[Significance of various respiratory viruses in the development of chronic nonspecific bronchopulmonary processes]. / Znachenie razlichnykh respiratornykh virusov v razvitii khronicheskikh nespetsificheskikh bronkholegochnykh protsessov.

Combined virological and bacteriological studies were carried out in 83 patients with chronic bronchopulmonary diseases. Viral antigens, predominantly respiratory syncytial virus antigen, were detected in 72% of the patients in bronchial material obtained by bronchoscopy. Examinations for antibody of IgM and IgG classes specific for different viruses revealed acute infection in 79% of the patients which coincided with exacerbation of the process due to concomitant ARVD. The other patients had chronic virus infection. The over-time studies confirmed long-term persistence of viruses in bronchial epithelium in 15 patients (in 9 respiratory syncytial, in 5 adenovirus, in 1 parainfluenza virus). Thus, the above results showed respiratory viruses not only to play a role in exacerbation of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases, but in a number of cases apparently to be the main cause of their development.

[Virological and immunological research on patients with influenza and acute respiratory diseases with central nervous system involvement]. / Virusologicheskie i immunologicheskie issledovaniia u bol'nykh grippom i ostrymi respiratornymi zabolevaniiami s porazheniem tsentral'noi nervnoi sistemy.

Virological examinations of the cerebrospinal fluid and nasopharyngeal washings from 96 patients with influenza and other acute respiratory viral diseases and of the autopsy material from 14 patients who had had symptoms of the involvement of the central nervous system permitted isolation of respiratory viruses and detection of viral antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue. The level of immunoglobulins in the cerebrospinal fluid was found to be increased, however, their concentration did not exceed that in the blood serum which only indicates the possibility of their penetration through the hematoencephalic barrier. This factor, as well as the pattern of pathomorphological changes in the brain tissues indicate the toxicoallergic genesis of meningoencephalitis in acute respiratory diseases.

[Detection and identification of the influenza virus in nasopharyngeal washings by solid-phase radioimmunological analysis]. / Obnaruzhenie i identifikatsiia virusa grippa v nosoglotochnykh smyvakh metodom tverdofazovogo radioimmunologicheskogo analiza.

In the period of epidemic rise of the morbidity level in 1983-1984, 207 specimens of nasopharyngeal washings from patients with influenza were analysed by solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Test sera containing a wide range of antihemagglutinating antibodies to different drift variants of influenza type A and type B viruses were used as diagnostic ones. The results indicate the predominance of influenza B infection (18.4%). Influenza A accounted for 14.5%, 9.2% of it being subtype H1N1. Noteworthy is a considerable portion (23.2%) of mixed influenza A and B infection. The results of this study are compared with analysis of paired sera from the same patients by the HI test.

[Comparative evaluation of the therapeutic effectiveness of virazole and remantadine in patients with influenza caused by A(H3N2) and B viruses]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka terapevticheskoi éffektivnosti virazola i remantadina u bol'nykh grippom, vyzvannym virusami A(H3N2) i B.

Therapeutic effectiveness of virazole in treatment of patients with influenza caused by A (H3N2) and B viruses (1980-1984) was demonstrated in 432 patients with the laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of influenza. Provided the treatment started on the 1st day of the disease, the experimental group showed normalization of fever and regression of toxicity symptoms within shorter periods than the controls. However in treatment of patients with influenza caused by A (H3N2) virus virazole showed a less marked therapeutic effect than the Soviet antiinfluenza drug, remantadine.

[Detection of influenza virus A antigens by radioimmunological methods in patients' nasopharyngeal washings]. / Vyiavlenie antigenov virusov grippa A radioimmunologicheskimi metodami v nosoglotochnykh smyvakh bol'nykh.

9olid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA) was used for the detection of influenza A (H3N2,H1N1) and B viruses in nasopharyngeal washings of patients admitted in January-March, 1983, to the 1st Clinical Hospital of Moscow City with acute respiratory diseases. The solid phase consisted of nitrocellulose filters and plastic plates which were coated with nasopharyngeal washings of the patients. Rabbit or horse antiviral immunoglobulins were used as antibodies. 125I-labeled protein A was the indicator system. In 61 out of 211 patients examined influenza A (H3N2) virus was detected; from 20 of the influenza A (H3N2), from 7 influenza A (H1N1) virus was isolated, but no influenza B virus was ever found. Comparisons of the results of SPRIA and IF techniques yielded similar but not identical data. Diagnostic rises of antibodies were demonstrated in 48 out of 61 patients. The lack of complete correlation between antibody rises and detection of influenza A virus antigen appears to be due to early discharge of the patients when humoral immunity had not reached its peak. The SPRIA is a highly sensitive and specific technique for influenza A virus detection in nasopharyngeal washings of the patients and may be recommended for use in properly equipped laboratories where highly specific hyperimmune sera are available. It gives an objective information on the proportion of influenza in the period of epidemic rise of ARD incidence.