[Comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of narlaprevir in the composition of interferon and interferon-free treatment regimens for patients with chronic hepatitis C].

AIM: Our aim was to give a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of using narlaprevir in combination with pegylated interferon-alpha-2a (Peg-IFN-alpha-2a) and interferon-free mode in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective cohort study included 187 patients infected with genotype 1b of hepatitis C virus. Of these, 107 (the 1st group of patients) received narlaprevir 200 mg once a day, ritonavir 100 mg once a day, Peg-IFN-alpha-2a 180 mkg subcutaneously once a week and ribavirin at a dose depending on body weight (10001200 mg per day) for 12 weeks, and then the standart "dual" therapy (Peg-IFN-alpha-2a + ribavirin) was continued until 24 weeks. Patients of the 2nd group (n=80) received antiviral therapy in an interferon-free mode. They received narlaprevir 200 mg once daily, ritonavir 100 mg once daily, and daclatasvir 60 mg once daily for 12 weeks. RESULTS: With the use of an interferon-containing treatment regimen, a sustained virological response was achieved in 92.4% of previousle untreated patients with CH and in 66.7% patients with "unsuccessful" experience of the previous course of treatment. In 5.6% of cases, there was an early termination of treatment due to the development of adverse events. 80 (100%) patients completed the course of treatment with narlaprevir in the interferon-free mode. Sustained virological response was reached by 75 (90%) patients. CONCLUSION: Real clinical practice indicates that the use of narlaprevir in the non-interferon mode is not inferior in efficiency to the interferon-containing treatment regimen and demonstrates a more favorable safety profile.

[The stimulation of the delayed hypersensitivity reaction by the venom of the blunt-nosed viper Vipera lebetina and by its liposomal form]. / Stimuliatsiia reaktsii giperchuvstvitel'nosti zamedlennogo tipa iadom sredneaziatskoi giurzy Vipera lebetina i ego liposomnoi formoi.

Native poison of middleasia viper Vipera lebetina has been included into liposomes in order to get an effective preparation for immunotherapy. The preparation reduces the risk of complications taking place during the use of traditional methods. The immunomodulating action of the liposomal form of viper poison has been investigated on the model of reaction of hypersensitivity of delayed type. Together with the stimulation of functional activity T-cells, the absence of suppressive and toxic actions while using the liposomal preparation of poison has been discovered. It is suggested that the observed stimulating effect in connection with immune reactions is due to synergism of action of components of poison liposomal form and activation of T-cells and macrophage, taking part in immune response to the antigenic stimulus.

[The effect of zootoxins on the formation of delayed hypersensitivity]. / Vliianie nekotorykh zootoksinov na formirovanie giperchuvstvitel'nosti zamedlennogo tipa.

The effect of bee venom (0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg) and the venom of Vipera lebetina (0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg) on the reaction of delayed hypersensitivity was studied in experiments on CBA mice. The character and trend of the effect was determined by the zootoxin species. The venom of Vipera lebetina completely suppressed the cell immune reaction in a dose of 0.5 mg/kg and produced an adjuvant effect in a dose of 0.05 mg/kg. Bee venom (0.5 mg/kg) failed to cause a suppressive effect and in a small dose (0.05 mg/kg) stimulated cellular immunity. The adjuvant properties of the venoms were comparable with the effect of Evans' blue dye.

[A new Soviet allergen made from bee venom for the specific diagnosis of allergic reactions to bee stings]. / Novyi otechestvennyi allergen iz iada pchel dlia spetsificheskoi diagnostiki allergicheskikh reaktsii na uzhaleniia pchelami.

Overall 46 patients with allergic reactions to bee stings were examined. As a result of making skin prick, scarification and intracutaneous tests with an allergen from bee venom, allergy to bee stings was revealed in all the 46 patients, whereas only 37 patients responded to an allergen from the bee body. Specific IgE-antibodies using RAST were detected in 29 out of 31 patients. All the 29 patients had positive skin tests with an allergen from bee venom and only 22 with an allergen from the bee body. Specific histamine release was detected in all 13 patients examined by means of the indicated test. 100% coincidence was recorded with the results of intracutaneous tests with an allergen from bee venom. Only 11 out of the 13 patients had positive intracutaneous tests with an allergen from the bee body. Thus, the new Soviet allergen obtained from bee venom is effective in the diagnosis of allergy in response to bee stings.

[Determination of haptoglobin phenotypes using electrophoresis in viral hepatitis B, HBsAg carriers and normal subjects]. / Opredelenie fenotipov gaptoglobina metodom élektroforeza pri virusnom gepatite B, nositel'stve HBsAg i u zdorovykh liudei.

Haptoglobin (Hp) phenotype distribution has been examined in 193 patients with an acute icteric form of hepatitis B (HBsAg+), in 36 chronic HBsAg carriers, and in 317 normal controls. The incidence rates of three Hp types have been virtually the same in the acute patients and in the controls. In chronic HBsAg carriers the Hp 1-1 type has been detected 3 times more frequently than in acute hepatitis B patients and 4 times more frequently than in normal subjects. The authors suppose that the presence of Hp 1-1 type is one of the genetic factors that determine (in case of a hepatitis B infection) the liability to the development of a chronic subclinical infectious process and not of an acute form of this infection.

[Rheological properties of the blood and erythrocyte suspension after exposure to zootoxins]. / Reologicheskie svoistva krovi i éritrotsitarnykh suspenzii v usloviiakh vozdeistviia zootoksinov.

The rheological properties of blood (viscosity, suspension stability and deformation of red blood cells) have been studied under the influence of zootoxins. It has been shown that the toxins Apis mellifera, Mesobuthus eupeus, Agkistrodon blomhoffii in vitro exert essential effect on haemorheological indexes.