[Carcinosarcomas of the uterus: molecular-genetic and morphological features].

13 cases of uterine carcinosarcomas have been studied by molecular-genetic method. The impairment of some genes (K-RAS gene in the first exon, TP53 in the 5th-9th exons, PTEN in the 5th and 8th exons) has been found out. The loss of heterozygosity of TP53 gene in epithelium and mesenchyme of the uterus has been detected. According to the estimation of impairment the studied tumors was divided into monoclonal and biclonal ones. This stratification could be use as prognostic criteria of uterine carcinosarcomas clinical presentation.

[Molecular, genetic and immunohistochemical investigation of carcinosarcoma of the female reproductive tract].

Tissue precursors and genesis of female reproductive tract carcinoma vis-a-vis its carcinomatous and sarcomatous patterns remain unknown. To determine the clonal origin of 17 female reproductive tract carcinomas, such molecular, genetic and immunohistochemical techniques as PCR-SSCP and/or denaturing gel electrophoresis for K-ras, p53 and PTEN genes; D17S786, CHRNB1, TP53, BAT26 and BAT40 microsatellites and immunostaining for p53 protein were used. Carcinomatous and sarcomatous components were studied separately. Eight tumors were assumed to be monoclonal (combination or conversion tumors), while one--of an obscure origin. Our results suggest that carcinosarcomas were characterized by chromosomal instability. Moreover, it was shown that it is necessary to combine immunohistochemical techniques with a battery of methods including genetic ones to determine clonal origin of immunologically--stained carcinosarcomas.

[Use of polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in children with diseases of the bronchopulmonary system]. / Ispol'zovanie polimeraznoi tsepnoi reaktsii dlia diagnostiki tuberkuleza u detei s patologiei bronkholegochnoi sistemy.

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the activity of tuberculous infection in 115 patients who formed 3 groups: 1) patients with primary forms of tuberculosis; 2) those who were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT); and 3) those who were infected with bronchopulmonary diseases. The detection of MBT DNA in the blood by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a highly sensitive four-primed diagnostic kit established that 80 patients with tuberculosis had positive results and their decrease as the patient had a course of tuberculostatic therapy. The fact that a third of patients from Groups 2 and 3 had highly positive results of PCR required that a preventive course of double therapy be used for 3 to 6 months.

[Damage to the transforming growth factor TGF-beta type II receptor gene and microsatellite instability in carcinoma cells of the gastrointestinal tract]. / Povrezhdeniia gena retseptora tipa II transformiruiushchego faktora rosta TGF-beta i mikrosatellitnaia nestabil'nost' genoma v kletkakh kartsinom zheludochno-kishechnogo trakta.

In order to compare the frequency of damage to the transforming growth factor TGF-beta receptor type II gene (RII gene) and microsatellite instability (MIN) in oncogenesis of sporadic and hereditary cancer of gastrointestinal tract (GIT), 4 groups of carcinomas were analyzed. They included sporadic gastric (GC), family gastric (FGC), sporadic colorectal (CC) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal (HNPCC) carcinomas having appropriate clinical and pathological characteristics. Each group consisted of two types of carcinomas, one of them showing MIN. The RII gene damage occurred in 89% of GC (8 cases out of 9), 86% of CC (6 out of 7), 71% of FGC (5 out of 7), 50% of HNPCC (3 out of 6) for carcinomas coupled with MIN, whereas only in 6% (1 out of 18) of GC and 5% (1 out of 22) of CC for carcinomas without MIN. No damage to RII gene was found in the cases of hereditary carcinomas which did not show MIN though the number of cases analyzed was not sufficient for final conclusions (3 cases of FGC and 3 HNPCC). The data revealed a correlation between the MIN phenotype and mutations in RII gene both for sporadic (p < 0.001) and for hereditary (p < 0.02) cases. For all 4 groups the frequency of RII gene damage was found for early and advanced carcinomas. This suggests that the deficiency of TGF-beta receptor complex in both sporadic and hereditary carcinomas of GIT is revealed at early stages of tumor development and consequently may be responsible for tumor progression. The correlation between RII gene damages and MIN in GIT carcinoma cells suggests that genetic change predetermined the neoplasia of colorectal and gastric epithelium and partially overlapped for both sporadic and hereditary cases.

[Microsatellite instability of genome in cells of sporadic and hereditary carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract]. / Mikrosatellitnaia nestabil'nost' genoma v kletkakh sporadicheskikh i nasledstvennykh kartsinom zheludochno-kishechnogo trakta.

Microsatellite instability (MIN) of human genome, i.e. instability of very short (1-5 nt) DNA tandem repeats, points to a deficiency in the mismatch repair system (MMR). To investigate the role of MMR in sporadic and hereditary carcinogenesis in the gastrointestinal tract, four types of carcinomas were compared: sporadic (GC), familial (FGC) gastric carcinoma, sporadic colorectal (CC) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal (HNPCC) carcinoma. No significant difference in MIN frequency was found between GC (9 out of 27) (33%) and CC (7 out of 29) (24%). In hereditary carcinoma group, MIN occurrence appeared 2-3 times as high: FGC in 7 out of 10 (70%) and HNPCC in 6 out of 8 patients (75%). No significant differences were recorded in MIN occurrence at early and later stages of the disease in all groups. Therefore, it can be suggested that disorders in the MMR develop at earlier stages of carcinogenesis and may be responsible for tumor progression.

[Influenza C: the immunological aspects of the problem]. / Gripp C: immunologicheskie aspekty problemy.

The use of the complex of methods for the characterization of cell-mediated and humoral immunity to influenza C virus has made it possible to establish that with the increase of the age of children and, simultaneously, with the increase of the number of persons found to be seropositive to influenza C the asymptomatic forms of this infection occur more frequently. Practically all examined adults selected by random choice have proved to be immune to this infective agent. The results of this investigation indicate that influenza C virus constantly circulates among the population.

[Biochemical indices of the allantoic fluid of chick embryos infected with the influenza virus]. / Biokhimicheskie pokazateli allantoisnoi zhidkosti kurinykh émbrionov, zarazhennykh virusom grippa.

Virus-containing allantoic fluid (VCAF) serves as raw material for influenza virus manufacture in the USSR. VCAF composition varies greatly from batch to batch. The causes of instability of its composition were studied. The main high molecular admixtures determining VCAF instability were found to include proteins and lipids getting into VCAF with amniotic fluid, blood, and yolk of the embryo when VCAF is collected. Physicochemical characteristics (pH, protein and lipid concentrations, protein composition) for VCAF control at pooling are proposed.