[The verification possibilities of immunochips under low content of antibodies to Core-antigen of virus of hepatitis C].

The detection of antibodies to Core-antigen of virus of hepatitis C in test-systems for solid-phase immune-enzyme analysis with low optical density can be a result not only of true availability of antibodies but an effect of nonspecific reaction of blood serum. The diagnostic possibilities of immunochips to be used in immune-enzyme analysis for verification of availability of markers of viral hepatitis C were investigated in conditions of low positive reaction of blood serum to core-antigen. It is established that immunochips and immunoblots have similar specificity concerning detection of antibodies to Core-antigen. At that, in immunochips antibodies to nonstructural antigens of virus of hepatitis C were additionally detected in more than 90% of samples.

[Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels in pregnant women with indeterminate result of anti hepatitis C virus antibodies analysis].

AIM: Comparison of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in blood sera samples of women in the early stages of pregnancy with positive or indeterminate results of anti-HCV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood sera samples of women in the first trimester of pregnancy were analyzed by using microplate test systems for enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with complex and separate detection of antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigens. RESULTS: AFP levels were higher in women in the first trimester of pregnancy with anti-HCV than in women without anti-HCV. AFP levels in blood sera samples of pregnant women with indeterminate results of anti-HCV analysis were higher than in blood sera samples of pregnant women without anti-HCV. No differences in serum AFP levels were observed between anti-HCV positive samples and samples with indeterminate results of analysis. CONCLUSION: Increased AFP level in the first trimester of pregnancy was observed not only in women with HCV infection, but also in women with indeterminate results of anti-HCV analysis. The data suggest that these groups may have epidemiological similarity.

[Absence of hepatitis C virus RNA in ambiguous results of mass blood screening for hepatitis C virus antibodies].

The purpose of the study was to elucidate whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was present in the blood of patients from a Moscow therapeutic-and-prophylactic institution with uncertain results of a study of anti-HCV that were obtained using the algorithm developed for mass screening. The two-stage scheme of testing the serum for anti-HCV, which was obligatory in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, was supplemented by a study the samples having a low optical density samples and those with controversial results in the test systems with the expanded spectrum of detectable anti-HCV, the instructions of which comprises criteria for an uncertain result. Sera with uncertain results of anti-HCV tests were assessed by two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques for HCV RNA. The cDNA fragments complementary to HCV RNA were detected in the sera obtained from two elderly persons in PCR when a signal was recorded in agarose gel. The other real-time PCR failed to detect RNA in none sera with an uncertain result as to anti-HCV.

[Procedures for optimizing the intralaboratory quality control in mass screening for hepatitis C virus antibodies].

The paper presents data on the optimization of intralaboratory quality control of tests for hepatitis C virus antibodies by enzyme immunoassay in the mass screening scope of studies. It is concluded that the control material prepared without assistance is suitable only to assess the convergence of the results of a study. The problems in the monitoring of the reproducibility of study results and in the standardization of on-line quality control involving the construction and keeping of control charts are solved by using standardized commercial materials and a computer-based data processing system.

[Hypothalamo-pituitary system controls the development of humoral immune response during prenatal ontogenesis in rats]. / Gipotalamo-gipofizarnaia sistema kontroliruet razvitie gumoral'nogo immunnogo otveta u krys v prenatal'nom ontogeneze.

We studied the influence of the neuroendocrine system on the development of humoral immune response to sheep erythrocytes in rat fetuses. The removal of brain in utero by decapitation of 18-day fetuses induced a fourfold increase in the number of antibody-forming cells in the liver, as compared to the unoperated fetuses. After the removal of the forebrain, including hypothalamus (encephalectomy), the number of antibody-forming cells was comparable to that in unoperated fetuses. The observed increase in the number of antibody-forming cells in the liver was not due to a disturbed migration of precursors of B-lymphocytes in the spleen, since their content in the spleen was also four times that in the encephalectomized and unoperated fetuses. The increased number of antibody-forming cells in decapitated fetuses could be due to an enhanced proliferative activity of the lymphocytes in the liver of these fetuses. It has been proposed that humoral immunity is controlled by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system already during prenatal development; the adrenocorticotropic hormone and glucocorticoids appear to be involved in this regulation.

[Changes in Acholeplasma laidlawii plasma membrane functions during development of resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline]. / Izmenenie funktsional'nogo sostoianiia plazmaticheskoi membrany Acholeplasma laidlawii pri formirovanii rezistentnosti k tsiprofloksatsinu i tetratsiklinu.

The role of transport activity of Acholeplasma laidlawii plasmatic membrane in the development of resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was investigated. It was shown that one of the important steps of resistance development in acholeplasms is a complex of adaptation metabolic reactions providing limited antibiotic accumulation by the cells. In the case of ciprofloxacin resistance metabolism changes concerning transport systems took place before mutations in target genes. Development of tetracycline resistance of mollecutes after incubation in the medium with enhancing antibiotic concentrations and not connected with the presence of tet(M) determinant was demonstrated for the first time.

Hypothalamo-pituitary control of the cell-mediated immunity in rat embryos: role of LHRH in regulation of lymphocyte proliferation.

The role of the neuroendocrine system in the development of cell-mediated immunity has been studied in fetal rats. The spontaneous and mitogen-induced proliferation of liver lymphocytes and thymocytes was evaluated in vitro in rats at the 22nd prenatal day following surgical ablation of the forebrain (encephalectomy) or of the entire brain and pituitary (decapitation) in rat fetuses in utero at the 18th day. Non-operated and sham-operated fetuses served as controls. The ablation of the entire brain and pituitary in rat fetuses resulted in an increase (40-60%) of spontaneous proliferation of liver and thymic cells in comparison with sham-operated fetuses. The ablation of the forebrain including the hypothalamus caused a decrease in the mitogenic proliferative response of thymocytes and liver lymphocytes for 40 and 20%, respectively. The ablation of the entire brain including the hypothalamus and pituitary resulted in a 80% decrease of the proliferative response of thymocytes and in the full suppression of proliferation of liver lymphocytes. The immune proliferative response was restored by the LHRH administration either systemically to operated fetuses (0.2 microg/fetus) or to the cell culture (10(-9) and 10(-7) M). It was concluded that the central nervous system was important for maturation of the immune system in rats during the prenatal period. In particular, neuroendocrine system are likely to play a major role as LHRH treatment in vitro and in vivo appeared to contribute to this regulation.

[The cytochrome P-450-dependent mono-oxygenase system of the liver and interleukin-1 production by the macrophages in adjuvant arthritis in rats under the influence of beta-carotene]. / Tsitokhrom P-450-zavisimaia monooksigenaznaia sistema pecheni i produktsiia interleikina-1 makrofagami pri ad''iuvantnom artrite u krys pod vliianiem beta-karotina.

A relationship between the production of interleukin 1 (IL-1) by macrophages from adjuvant-induced arthritic rats and cytochrome P-450-dependent hepatic microsomal monooxygenase was studied. The synthesis of IL-1 by splenic and peritoneal macrophages on day 17 postadjuvant treatment was not altered, but the hepatic cytochrome P-450 levels and monooxygenase activity were significantly decreased. Beta-carotene treatment of arthritic rats reduced hind paw swelling and concurrently stimulated the ability of macrophages to secrete IL-1 and increased the cytochrome P-450 levels and the activity of hepatic monooxygenase. The findings did not establish a definite relationship between the production of IL-1 by systemic macrophages on the one hand, and the hepatic cytochrome P-450 levels a and monooxygenase activity on the other hand. It thus appears that IL1 is unable to play a role of a mediator between the immune system and the hepatic cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

[The effect of beta-carotene on the development of adjuvant arthritis and interleukin-1 production in rats]. / Vliianie beta-karotina na razvitie ad''iuvantnogo artrita i produktsiiu interleikina-1 u krys.

The production of interleukin 1 (IL1) by peritoneal and splenic macrophages from rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis on day 17 postadjuvant treatment was not altered compared with normal. Treatment of arthritic rats with beta-carotene reduced hind paw swelling and significantly increased ability of macrophages to secrete IL1 as well as stimulated spontaneous proliferation of splenic lymphocytes. No direct relationship between the release of IL1 from peritoneal and splenic macrophages and increase of hind paw swelling was revealed.

[The effect of beta-carotene on interleukin-2 production and mitogen-induced proliferation of T-lymphocytes]. / Vlianie beta-karotina na produktsiiu interleikina-2 i mitogenindutsirovannuiu proliferatsiiu T-limfotsitov.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production followed by with aftereffect of the immunosuppressive agent hydrocortisone and mitogen-induced proliferation of T lymphocytes were studied in the presence of artificial beta-carotene. Treatment of CBA mice with the drug was performed within various periods. beta-Carotene was found to elevate IL-2 secretion and the effect was both time- and dose-dependent. The drug removed immunosuppression developed after intraperitoneal administration of hydrocortisone. At the same time, beta-carotene stimulated mitogen-induced proliferation of T cells, which was dose-dependent.

[A comparative study of the functional activity of the peripheral blood lymphocytes in pregnant women with various forms of periodontal disease]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie funktsional'noi aktivnosti limfotsitov perifericheskoi krovi beremennykh zhenshchin s raznymi formami zabolevaniia parodonta.

Immunoregulatory cell activities were examined in 40 pregnant women suffering from various periodontitis forms. The results evidence that excessive activation of T-lymphocytes and T-helpers may contribute to the pathogenesis of this condition. The data permit using T-lymphocyte functional activity assessment in the diagnosis and prediction of the course of periodontitis.

[Suppressor hyperactivity in relation to allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation as a manifestation of T- T-cell interaction defects in systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Giperaktivnost' suppressorov v otnoshenii proliferatsii allogennykh limfitsitov kak proiavlenie defekta T- T-kletochnykh vzaimodeistvii pri sistemnoi krasnoi volchanke.

Phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation by con A-induced immunoregulatory cells has been estimated in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with prednisolone. Using the combination of normal immunoregulatory cells and proliferating target cells from normal donors with immunoregulatory cells and target cells from SLE patients, it was shown that the response to immunoregulatory cells in target cells of SLE patients was impaired. This is confirmed by a slight inhibition of SLE target cell proliferation and the activating effect of immunoregulatory cells on the proliferation of "sick" targets. The data give evidence of impaired T-T-cell interaction that may be a possible mechanism of immunoregulatory defects in SLE. These disturbances can, probably, cause hyperreactivity of suppressor cells affecting normal lymphocyte proliferation. It was shown that theophylline was useful for the correction of these disorders.