[Persistence of the influenza virus in children with congenital CNS pathology]. / Persistentsiia virusa grippa u detei s vrozhdennoi patologiei TsNS.

Sick infants born to mothers who experienced influenza during pregnancy were examined. The cerebrospinal fluid, serum and blood cells were collected from such children with signs of congenital immune deficiency and progressive pathology of the central nervous system. None of the specimens yielded infectious influenza virus, but by means of molecular hybridization virus-specific genetic sequences were found in small amounts in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum and in high concentrations in blood cells. Persistence of genes NP, M and H1 of influenza A/H1N1 virus was observed in the blood cells of one infant for 83 days (the observation period). At the same time, the lack of antibodies to viral M protein in serum of this baby was demonstrated by the immune blotting method.

[Effect of maternal virus-specific T-lymphocytes on pregnancy and fetal pathogenesis in experimental congenital influenza infection]. / Vliianie materinskikh virusspetsificheskikh T-limfotsitov na formirovanie patologii beremennosti i plodov pri éksperimental'noi vrozhdennoi grippoznoi infektsii.

Inoculation of virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) to pregnant mice infected with influenza virus was shown to result in a decrease of infectious virus concentration in the lungs and blood of mice as well as in the placentas and fetuses. With an increase in the dose of inoculated CTL, however, premature deliveries with stillbirths were observed as well as deaths of the mice, the highest frequency of fetal deaths being observed after infection of pregnant mice in the first half of pregnancy. It is not excluded that maternal virus-specific CTL played a role in the formation of developmental abnormalities and immunodeficient states in newborns.

[The role of maternal virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in the immunopathology of congenital influenza infection in mice]. / Rol' materinskikh virusspetsificheskikh tsitotoksicheskikh T-limfotsitov v immunopatologii pri vrozhdennoi grippoznoi infektsii u myshei.

Using 51Cr isotope label it was demonstrated that a very low per cent of syngeneic lymphocytes derived from healthy donors and inoculated in the blood stream of uninfected or influenza virus-infected pregnant mice is found in fetuses before delivery. Similar results were obtained after inoculation of virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) into uninfected pregnant mice. After inoculation into the blood stream of infected pregnant mice of virus-specific CTL their migration into fetuses before delivery increases, being most marked in 25-30% of mice. Intravenous inoculation of excess CTL (10(6) cells) to infected pregnant mice resulted in rapid development of signs of slow influenza infection in the progeny with typical clinical picture and histopathological lesions in organs and tissues. Large doses (10(7)-10(8) cells) of CTL inoculated into the blood stream cause higher reduction and death of fetuses and increase the rate of stillbirths. The role of maternal virus-specific CTL in the pathogenesis of experimental congenital and especially slow influenza infection is discussed.