Epidemiological dynamics of nephropathia epidemica in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, during the period of 1997-2013.

This report summarizes epidemiological data on nephropathia epidemica (NE) in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. NE cases identified in the period 1997-2013 were investigated in parallel with the hantavirus antigen prevalence in small rodents in the study area. A total of 13 930 NE cases were documented in all but one district of Tatarstan, with most cases located in the central and southeastern districts. The NE annual incidence rate exhibited a cyclical pattern, with the highest numbers of cases being registered once in every 3-5 years. The numbers of NE cases rose gradually from July to November, with the highest morbidity in adult males. The highest annual disease incidence rate, 64·4 cases/100 000 population, was observed in 1997, with a total of 2431 NE cases registered. NE cases were mostly associated with visiting forests and agricultural activities. The analysis revealed that the bank vole Myodes glareolus not only comprises the majority of the small rodent communities in the region, but also consistently displays the highest hantavirus prevalence compared to other small rodent species.

[The diagnostic value of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique in detection of anti-tuberculosis antibodies in groups of patients with HIV-positive and HIV-negative reaction].

The article analyzes the results of evaluation of diagnostic value of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antituberculosis antibodies with purpose to diagnose tuberculosis of lungs separately in groups of both HIV-positive and HIV-negative persons. A moderate diagnostic value of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is established under screening for tuberculosis of lungs in HIV-negative patients. The evidence of reliability of results depended mainly of actual form of tuberculosis of lungs. In view of many positive results in detection of anti-tuberculosis antibodies in control group of patients with HIV-infection the data testified the low diagnostic significance of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in group of patients with HIV-infection. The drawbacks of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique of diagnostic of tuberculosis of lungs in common group of HIV-infected patients partially compensated by possibility of its application at late stages of development of HIV-infection.

[The specific features of formation of a humoral immune response in patients with tuberculosis].

The paper presents the results of studying the time course of changes in tuberculosis antibodies by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and immune blotting (IB) in 34 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. In 76.5% of cases, EIA were established to reveal tuberculosis antibodies whose concentration is most pronounced in lung tissue destruction. The detection rate of specific antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) structural components by IB was 100%, which was 23.6% greater than that by EIA. The MBT structural components with a molecular weight of 11-20, 21-30, and 101-160 kDa were found to have high immunogenic properties, as suggested by the maximum levels of antibodies and by the marked antigenic proteins of proteins with a molecular weight of 11-20, 21-30, and 41-50 kDa, which showed itself as the generation of the maximum levels of circulating immune complexes with antigens of this specificity.

[The isolation of nucleases Sm1 and Sm2 in preparative amounts and a study of their antigenicity]. / Vydelenie nukleaz Sm1 i Sm2 v preparativnykh kolichestvakh i izuchenie ikh antigennosti.

Two enzyme forms of endonuclease (Sm 1 and Sm 2) strain B10M1 in 60 and 100 mg respectively have been isolated from the culture fluid Serratia marcescens. The chromatographic and electrophoretic properties and N-terminal amino acid residues are different for both enzymes. The purification procedure consists of dialysis and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE- and phosphocellulose. The yield of nucleases Sm1 and Sm2 are 14% and 28% respectively. The antigenic differences of nucleases Sm1 and Sm2 have been found by cross immunoenzyme analysis.