[Genetic diagnostic technique for opisthorchiasis].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a test system for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis of Opisthorchis felineus in human feces. Based on the Internet databases, the authors have developed oligonucleotide primers, as well as TaqMan tests (fluorescence label probes) specific to O. felineus genome to perform PCR with the real-time detection of a result. Conditions for PCR, including temperatures, the number of components of amplification, etc., were selected. Test systems on fecal samples from 254 subjects randomly selected and on those from 100 patients with verified opisthorchiasis, and on those from 100 healthy individuals were studies. The significance of the test systems was ascertained to be about 98%. Their sensitivity in determining O. felineus is about 10(3) copies of target DNA per ml. The efficiency of various techniques (coproovoscopy, enzyme immunoassay, PCR) was compared to detect Opisthorchis invasion.

A pilot screening of prevalence of atopic states and opisthorchosis and their relationship in people of Tomsk Oblast.

The study was aimed to estimate the relationship between the prevalence of allergic disease and helminth invasion by the trematode Opisthorchis felineus in rural and urban populations of Tomsk Oblast (West Siberia, Russia). Two hundred and one people from Kargasok village of Tomsk Oblast and 196 from the city of Tomsk were screened for the presence of atopy and O. felineus invasion. Opisthorchosis was found in 66 participants (32.8%) from Kargasok and in 22 people (11.2%) from Tomsk. Atopic diseases were more common in the urban population than in the rural: 52.8 and 31.4%, respectively. Positive skin-prick tests were significantly higher in the urban population than in rural people: 83.2 vs 24.4%, respectively. It was found that in the city, the presence of antibodies to O. felineus negatively correlates with the atopic sensitization by skin-prick tests. However, in the village, opisthorchosis was positively associated with atopic diseases. The data obtained confirm the negative association of rural lifestyle and atopic diseases prevalence and indicate that O. felineus invasion might be a modifying factor of this relationship in Tomsk Oblast.

[Effect of anticonvulsant agents, inducers of microsomal oxidation, on the B-link of immunity and on the natural cytotoxicity of lymphoid organ cells in rats]. / Vliianie protivosudorozhnykh sredstv--induktorov mikrosomal'nogo okisleniia na B-zveno immuniteta i estestvennuiu tsitotoksichnost' kletok limfoidnykh organov krys.

Administration of phenobarbital, benzonal and benzobamil in a dose of 1/20 of LD50 to rats was shown to be followed by phase changes in the system of microsomal oxidation of the liver--activation in the first days after administration with the subsequent (in 1-3 months) decrease of the activity. The drugs activate the specific link of immunity directed at detoxication of the administered substances: increase the level of specific antibody-forming cells in the spleen and antibodies in the peripheral blood. Benzonal and bezobamil enhance the killing activity of cells of the thymus, phenobarbital and benzonal suppress the natural cytotoxicity of cells of the spleen and peritoneal exudate.