Immunological Criteria for Predicting Severe and Complicated Forms of Chickenpox.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the levels of mediators of the immune response, cellular immunity, and phagocytic activity in patients with chickenpox with various values of the clinical and laboratory parameters and propose criteria for predicting the severity and complications of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The blood levels of pro-inflammatory mediators were evaluated by ELISA using monoclonal antibodies (Protein Contour, Russia). RESULTS: The inflammatory mediators and neutrophil chemiluminescence were studied in patients with either presence or absence of Varicella zoster DNA. We found that in patients with positive viral DNA, the levels of IFN-α and IFN-γ were significantly lower compared to patients with negative DNA results. Thus, complications of chickenpox, in particular secondary viral-bacterial pneumonia, can be predicted based on low (less than double-normal) levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ, induced chemiluminescence, CD16, and CD20. This type of immune response indicates the state of immune deficiency with prevailing suppression of the T-effector and phagocytic mechanisms in these patients. CONCLUSION: Prognosis of the development of severe and complicated forms of chickenpox can be based on the insufficiently increased (less than two normal values) levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ, induced chemiluminescence, CD16, and CD20. These relatively low levels are indicative of reduced immune response to the infection, which may require additional immune correcting therapy.

[Acute retinal necrosis caused by varicella zoster virus]. / Ostryi nekroz setchatki, vyzvannyi virusom opoyasyvayushchego gerpesa.

Incidence of Herpes Zoster is relatively high. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus is one of the most common forms of the disease. Necrotising herpetic retinopathies (including acute retinal necrosis) are rare and usually these complications are presented in literature as individual cases. However, necrotising herpetic retinopathy can lead to complete loss of visual. The article reviews modern data on causation, diagnosis and treatment of acute retinal necrosis analyzing 40 open access articles from EBSCO published in 2011-2019, and describes the modern views on the prevalence and most important clinical features of herpetic acute retinal necrosis. Some contradictory opinions have been revealed concerning the diagnostic criteria and surgical treatment of acute retinal necrosis.

[A histological response to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C in patients who failed to achieve a sustained virological response].

The paper presents the results of combination antiviral therapy (AVT) in 2 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) unresponsive to AVT. Both patients are classified as difficult to treat (genotype 1b, a high viral load, overweight). 1.5 years after the termination of a course of AVT, histological examination of biopsy specimens revealed a histological response in one patient and significant histological worsening in the other. The specific features of the development of a histological response to AVT and possible reasons for its lack are discussed by the example of the described patients.