[Detection and antigenic characteristics of the recombinant nucleocapsid proteins of Lassa and Marburg viruses].

Two plasmid vectors, which allow the recombinant polypeptides of Lassa and Marburg viruses to be expressed in prokaryotic cells E. coli strain BL21 (DE3), were produced. The two recombinant polypeptides are able to bind specific antibodies. This provides an opportunity to use them as antigenic components of immunoassay diagnostic test kits.

[Dynamics of viral hepatitis A morbidity in Minsk].

The results of the analysis of hepatitis A morbidity during the period of 1996 - 2001, are presented. The cyclic character of this morbidity in its dynamics over the period of several years was noted with the maximum morbidity level reached in 2000. The monthly dynamics of hepatitis A morbidity reflected its seasonal character with the maximum increase in autumn and winter. The virological control of drinking water revealed its contamination in spring and summer, with no subsequent rise in morbidity. The control of sewage reflected the emergence of the virus in the city collector in accordance with the increased morbidity.

[Clinico-immunological aspects of using levamisole in psychiatric practice]. / Kliniko-immunologicheskie aspekty primeneniia levamizola v psikhiatricheskoi praktike.

A total of 164 patients with schizophrenia and exogenic-organic psychoses resistant to psychotropic therapy were subjected to clinico-immunological examination. The inclusion into the multiple-modality therapy of the immunomodulator levamisole, besides the general improvement, had a positive effect on the psychopathologic symptomatology and helped to reduce a number of productive syndromes, deficit abnormalities and attendant extrapyramidal manifestations. Changes in immunological parameters showed a favourable course; it was expressed in depressed levels of neurosensitization, normalization of the concentrations of serum immunoglobulins, share and absolute amounts of T- and B-lymphocytes and elevation of their functional activity. The corrective effect of levamisole on humoral immunity seems to be a significant factor of overcoming tolerance to psychopharmacotherapy. The conducted study makes it possible to recommend the use of levamisole in the treatment of resistant forms of schizophrenia running an unfavourable course, exogenic-organic and other psychoses.

[Clinico-immunological characteristics of schizophrenia patients based on neurocytotoxic test data]. / Kliniko-immunologicheskaia kharakteristika bol'nykh shizofreniei po dannym neirotsitotoksicheskogo testa.

A clinico-immunological examination involved 39 patients with a prolonged unfavourable course of schizophrenia at the stage of disease exacerbation. Cytotoxic cerebral antibodies determined in the subcomissural organ-glomerular zone of the adrenal cortex model were found in 94.8% of those studied which was significantly higher than the amount of complement binding antibodies (59.0%). The cytotoxic action of sera was paralleled by the neurosensitization of T lymphocytes in the presence of their functional activity decrease. Many seropositive patients exhibited an increase in one, two or three classes of immunoglobulins which appears to confirm indirectly the correlation between the above phenomena. A comprehensive clinico-immunological examination of schizophrenic patients should facilitate a more profound insight into the pathogenesis of the disease and the selection of the appropriate therapy.

[Dynamics of immunoglobulin levels and neuroimmune processes in intellectually deficient children]. / Dinamika urovnia immunoglobulinov i neiroimmunnykh protsessov u detei s intellektual'noi nedostatochnost'iu.

The study of immunoglobulin levels and neuroimmune processes in younger schoolchildren with slightly retarded intellectual development revealed the deficiency of immunoglobulin A (either alone or in combination with other types of immunoglobulins). The neuroimmune processes identified were characterized by the presence of brain antibodies predominantly against interspecific antigens. During psychostimulant and general somatic therapy, the concentration of immunoglobulins tended towards normal and the intensity of neuroimmune processes declined.

[Sate of immunopathologic principles in patients whose schizophrenia commenced after childbirth]. / Nekotorye dannye o sostoianii immunopatologicheskikh protsessov u bol'nykh shizofreniei, debiutrovavshee posle rodov.

On the basis of comprehensive immuno-biological studies of schizophrenia where the disease manifests itself after delivery, the authors come to the conclusion that a certain role is played in the development of the disease by immuno-allergic processes. Facts confirming this supposition are a detection of brain antigens and the expressiveness of sensitization even during the initial stage of the disease, a sufficiently high frequency of revealed automtibodies, their correlation with the quality to remissions. Besides these facts, the authors were able to distinguish individually different types of antibody formation in recurrent and attack-like-progressive forms of schizophrenia, a fall in the complement activity in the blood serum of patients as well as a certain connection between the indicis of organopecific immunity and the dynamics of the morbid process.

[Clinical features and problems in the differential diagnosis of schizophrenic psychoses developing after delivery]. / Klinicheskie osobennosti i voprosy differentsial'noi diagnostiki shizofrenicheskikh psikhozov, voznikaiushchikh posle rodov

The authors report of some results of a clinical follow-up study of 76 schizophrenic patients in psychosis observed during the puerperal period. Two types of the process were distinguished: a recurrent type and attack-like progressive. Some diffrential diagnostical criteria are given permitting to differ recurrent schizophrenia from somatogenic and infectious psychoses.

[Asymmetry of brain lesions and immunobiologic reactivity]. / Asimmetriia porazheniia golovnogo mozga i immunobiologicheskaia reaktivnost'

The authors compare some clinico-psychopathological traits in the development and frequency of detected antibrain antibodies and allergical states in epilepsy with a different lateralization in the hemispheres. In a sinistral localization of the lesion there is a significant increase of an unfavourable development of the disease and a more frequent detection of antibodies to the homologous brain. In a dextral localization there is a relatively favourable development of the basic disorder. The authors discuss the influence of the sex factor on the immunobiological indices and the lateralization of the hemisphere. A theory is suggested that the left and right hemispheres are involved in different ways in the different links of immunity, and their pathology may provoke different changes in the body reactivity.