[Evaluation of influenza vaccine Vaxigrip in the combined immunization of conscripts during influenza seasons of 2002-2003]. / Opyt primeneniia grippoznoi vaktsiny Vaksigrip pri sochetannoi immunizatsii prizyvnikov srochnoi sluzhby v épidemicheskom sezone 2002-2003 gg.

The immunization properties of the influenza vaccine Vaxigrip, used in combination with vaccines against pneunococcal infection and hepatitis A (respectively, Pneumo 23 and Avaxim), were evaluated. In Central Russia in one of the units of the internal forces of the RF Ministry of Internal Affairs 3 groups totaling 755 servicemen were formed, depending on the complex of the introduced vaccines. Active medical observation and the registration of the complaints of the vaccinees at the postvaccinal period did not reveal unusual reactions and complications in none of the groups under observation. In the evaluation of the level of specific antibodies to the circulating influenza viruses prior to vaccination the low level of collective protection to influenza B virus was determined: protective antibody levels were registered only in 14-18% of the servicemen, while the corresponding data with respect of influenza viruses A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) were 45-50% and 56-63% respectively. At the same time, in seronegative persons the vaccine Vaxigrip exhibited high immunogenic activity with respect of all 3 influenza strains; seroconversion to them was determined in 84-92% of the vaccines, and the level of protective antibody titers before the beginning of the epidemic season was 86-99% in the whole of the group. The characteristics of the prophylactic effectiveness of the vaccine Vaxigrip in relation to the influenza virus infection level 1 were 4.7 (index) and 79% (coefficient). In addition, the frequency of influenza cases, clinically pronounced and confirmed by laboratory methods, in patients who had been immunized with 3 vaccines was 6.7%, which was 10.3 times less frequent than number of cases in the groups of comparison (68.2% on the average). The coefficient of epidemiological effectiveness of the prophylaxis of influenza was 90.2%. The complex use of 3 preparations did not affect the immunization properties of the vaccine Vaxigrip.

[Evaluation of the usefulness of three collections of bacteriophages for typing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, isolated in Moscow hospitals]. / Sravnitel'naia éffektivnost' tipirovaniia tremia kollektsiiami bakteriofagov shtammov metitsillinrezistentnykh Staphylococcus aureus, vydelennykh v statsionarakh g. Moskvy.

The typing of S. aureus methicillin-resistant strains, isolated in different hospitals of Moscow; was carried out with the use of three collections of phages: the International Set of Phages; the set of phages of the International Center of S. aureus phage typing in London (L); and the experimental collection of phages of the Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow (M). In this study made with the use of both the phages of the International Diagnostic Set and phages L in the standard typing dose of 1 TP about 6% of the cultures under study proved to be sensitive. When the typing dose was increased to 100 TP the phages of the international diagnostic set lyzed 75.5% of the cultures. The typed strains were found to belong to phage types 77 (71.7%), 77/84/85 (19.6%) and 94/96 (6.5%). At a concentration of 100 TP phages L lyzed 83.7% of the cultures, but the dominating phage types could not be determined due to a great variety of phage markers. In contrast to the two preceding collections, the third phage collection M was composed in such a way that in the study of the investigated culture the specificity of its restriction modification was primarily evaluated and only then the presence of antiphage immunity was determined. This latter collection was used in the evaluation of 93.1% of the cultures. By the specificity of their restriction specification system the majority of them were classified with two new groups, heretofore not described. Only this collection M made it possible to differentiate epidemic and sporadic strains and to evaluate the epidemic situation in all 6 hospitals.

[Anticardiac antibodies, cross reacting with the membranes of streptococcus, in protracted rheumatic fever]. / Protivokardial'nye antitela, perekrestno reagiruiushchie s membranami streptokokka, pri zatiazhnom revmatizme

The anti-cardiac antibodies cross-reacting with the Streptococcal membranes were studied by the method of Zabriskie and co-authors in 162 patients with rheumatism in its active phase and in 181 control individuals. The anti-cardiac antibodies were found in over half of the rheumatic patients and far less frequently in the controls. At the same time in the majority of cases only those anti-cardiac antibodies that were found in the rheumatics possessed distinct cross-activity towards the A-streptococcal membranes. Most consistently were they found in those with a protracted course of the disease.