[Serological heterogeneity of the immune response to the administration of a multicomponent meningococcal vaccine]. / Serologicheskaia geterogennost' immunogo otveta na vvedenie meningokokkovoi polikomponentnoi vaktsiny.

The characteristic feature of meningococcal polycomponent vaccine is the serological heterogeneity of immune response to the injection of this vaccine, which is due to the fact that the vaccine contains antigens to antibodies detected in meningococcal antisera of all known serogroups: A, B, C, D, X, Y, Z, 29-E and W-135. The hyperimmunization of rabbits with meningococcal polycomponent vaccine results in the formation of antibodies to more than 20 different meningococcal cell-wall antigens occurring in different combinations in 23 strains isolated from patients and in museum strains of every known meningococcal serogroup, as well as antibodies to serogroup A meningococcal lipopolysaccharide. The above-mentioned heterogeneity of immune response to the injection of meningococcal vaccine is observed in the hyperimmunization of rabbits, in the vaccination of humans in a single injection and can be detected in immune sera by the precipitation test, by counter and two-dimensional electrophoresis and by the passive hemagglutination test with erythrocytes sensitized with group-specific polysaccharides.

[Relation between the results of gel filtration and electrophoresis of serotype A and G meningococcal polysaccharides]. / Sootnoshenie pokazatelei gel'-filtratsii i élektroforeza meningokokkovykh polisakharidov serogrupp A i C.

Meningococcal polysaccharides, serogroups A and C, produced for the vaccinal prophylaxis of meningococcal infection, were found to have pronounced electrophoretic homogeneity in their movement towards the anode in the process of immunoelectrophoresis in agarose gel with pH 8.6. In gel filtration through Sepharose 4B the serologically active substance of meningococcal polysaccharides, groups A and C, was eluted in a wide range of Kd values from 0 to 0.9. The immunoelectrophoresis of the samples isolated in gel filtration and having definite Kd values indicated that the regular increase of electrophoretic mobility towards anode occurred as the size or weight of molecules decreased.

[Classification of precipitates formed by meningococcal group antigens during counterimmunoelectrophoresis]. / Klassifikatsiia pretsipitatov, obrazuemykh gruppovymi antigenami meningokokkov pri vstrechnom immunoélektroforeze.

In counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) of group meningococcal polysaccharides and meningococcal diagnostic group-specific antisera the manifestation of precipitate formation depended on the concentration of the antigen: with the increase of the group polysaccharide concentration the reaction became less pronounced up to complete disappearance of the precipitate, which could be the cause of pseudonegative reaction. Precipitates formed in the CIE of group polysaccharides differed in their form and appearance. To evaluate the CIE results, the classification of the precipitates has been proposed by dividing them into 3 categories differing in their appearance. The category of the precipitate indicates the specificity of the reaction. CIE has allowed one to reveal the immunological heterogeneity of meningococcal group polysaccharides.

[Immunochemical study of meningococcal proteins]. / Immunokhimicheskoe izuchenie belkov meningokokkov.

The peptide composition and the molecular weight of peptides were determined in meningococci of serogroup A (7 strains), serogroup B (7 strains; of these, 4 strains belonged to serotype 2), serogroup C (4 strains) and serogroups D, X. Y and Z (1 strain each) by means of electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel with sodium dodecyl sulfate. All serogroup A strains were found to contain 2 main peptides with molecular weights of 39,000 and 45,000 daltons; molecular weights of peptides in other serogroups varied in different strains. In group B and C meningococci, besides the reference strains of serotype 2, 4 more strains with peptide characteristics allowing to consider these strains belonging to serotype 2 were detected. The serotype-specific high-molecular protein preparation, purified to a considerable extent from lipopolysaccharide and hydrocarbons, was obtained from serogroup B strain, serotype 2. This preparation, when used for the immunization of rabbits, induced the formation of serotype-specific antibodies. The high-molecular protein preparation, serotype 2, was found to contain 5 individual antigenic components.

[Model of meningococcal sepsis in mice]. / Model' meningokokkovogo sepsisa na myshakh.

The authors studied a possibility of obtaining experimental meningococcus sepsis model on mice. The use of cyclophosphane, iron compounds, yolk medium produced no significant organism. When 4--5% mucine was injected intraperitoneally together with meningococcus culture mice died with sepsis phenomena. Differences were revealed in the sensitivity of linear and mongrel mice to meningococcus infection--AKR mice proved to be more sensitive. At the same time it was found that mongrel mice weighing from 10 to 12 g could be used to induce meningococcus sepsis.

[Study of molecular heterogeneity and chemical nature of polymeric components of the Meningococcus cell wall]. / Izuchenie molekuliarnoi geterogennosti i khimicheskoi prirody polymernykh komponentov kletochnoi stenki meningokokkov.

The high-molecular fraction of substances of the cell wall of meningococci, groups A and B, isolated in free volume in gel filtration through sepharose 4B and containing both group and intergroup antigens proved to be consisting of 2 subfractions in gel-filtration through Bio-Gel A-150m. Molecular weight of the first was within the range of 100--150 million dalton, and of the second--of 3 to 100 million dalton. In dissociation in sodium deoxycholate the high molecular fraction complex compound of the cell wall of meningococcus strain, group A, isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient suffering from meningitis broke down into 5 fragments differing in chemical nature and mol wt. There were revealed protein and protein-lipopolysaccharide components with a relatively high mol wt. polypeptide components and low molecular residues of the initial lipopolysaccharide.

[Makeup and properties of a polycomponent meningococcal vaccine]. / Sotav i svoistva meningokokkovoi polikomponentnoi vaktsiny.

The polycomponent meningococcae vaccine represented a preparation of the high-molecular fraction of meningococcus cell wall substances. Meningococcae strains for the vaccine preparation were chosen in such a way that the end preparation contained antigens of group specificity A, B, C and also other antigens detected in the cell wall of strains of epidemiological significance. Protein, group polysaccharides., lipopolysaccharides and nucleic acids were included into the vaccine composition. In doses used inhumans the vaccine was safe for mice causing no retardation in weight gain. In immunization of mice the vaccine produced formation of antigbodies to the antigens of group specificity A, B, and C, and protected them from infection with the srtrain isolated from the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. THE VACCINE PRODUCED NO HARMFUL ACTION IN ADMINISTRATION TO MAN. Antibodies to antigens of group specificity A, B, C and also to proteins and lipopolysaccharides of the meningococcus cell wall formed in the vaccinated persons. Sera of the vaccinated individuals lysed meningococci of groups A, B, and C.

[Isolation and study of the properties of the Meningococcus allergen]. / Poluchenie i izuchenie svoistv meningokokkovogo allergena

Meningococcus allergen was obtained from meningococcus cultures grown on serum-free media by the method of alkaline extraction and subsequent acid precipitation. In intradermal injection to guinea pigs this allergen indicated a specific sensitization with menigococci in 80% of cases. In the nonsensitized animals and also in guinea pigs sensitized with N. catarrhalis and N. gonorrhoeae positive skin reactions were seen in 7.6% of cases only. In detection of meningococcus sensitization there was found no relationship to their group specificity. The preparation was harmless in diagnostic dose, produced no sensitizing action, by chemical nature served as a glyconucleoproteid devoid of lipid, possessed molecular and electrophoretic heterogeneity. The allergen contained precipitating antigens not associated with its capacity to detect the state of sensitization in intradermal injection.

[Utilization of serological methods in the retrospective diagnosis of cholera and in detecting vibrion carriers]. / K voprosu ob ispol'zovanii serologicheskikh metodov v retrospektivnoi diagnostike kholery i pri vyiavlenii vibriononositelei

Sensitivity and specificity of the three serological methods were studied comparatively: the vibriocidal test, the reaction of bacterial agglutination and of indirect hemagglutination, with the use of erythrocytes sensitized with the vibrio lyzate, cholera species O-antigen and cholerogen. Investigations were conducted with the blood sera of cholera patients, vibrio carriers and contacts. Vibriocidal test proved to be the most sensitive; its data correlated with the results of bacterial agglutination and indirect hemagglutination with erythrocytes, sensitized with the lysate of the vibrios and the cholera O-antigen. None of the used serological methods provided a 100% coincidence with the results of bacteriological analysis. The frequency of detection of anticholera antibodies decreased in the following order: cholera patients, vibrio carriers, contacts.