Dominant clones in immortalized T-cell lines from rheumatoid arthritis synovial membranes.

Transformation of human T cells by herpesvirus saimiri allows the production of an unlimited number of T cells which express a functional T-cell receptor. In this study we transformed four T-cell lines derived from rheumatoid arthritis synovial membranes. The transformed T cells were mainly CD4+ and expressed the phenotype of activated T cells. They were grown for more than 1 year in the absence of mitogen or feeder cells, and three of them could be maintained without exogenous IL-2. The presence of viral DNA in the transformed cells was shown by in situ hybridization with a probe from the H-DNA region of the virus. No infectious virus could be recovered from the transformed cells. The relative proportion of the 24 different Vbeta families between the four transformed lines showed variations that increased with time. In the two T-cell lines transformed at an early stage of culture, the Vbeta2 family was maintained at about 10%. The dominant Vbeta2 clones that previously have been characterized in the patient were found in all transformed T-cell lines. We have thus shown the feasibility of obtaining transformed T cells from synovial membranes. They contain the dominant clones that are considered of potential importance for the disease, permitting further functional studies.

[An analysis of the information system controlling the status of the normal skin microflora and in pathology]. / Analiz informatsionnoi sistemy, kontroliruiushchei sostoianie mikroflory kozhi v norme i pri patologii.

The skin microflora of healthy adults and patients with acute respiratory diseases has been studied. As revealed in this study, the optimum conditions for functioning the information system are observed in summer. After the action of unfavorable factors the activity of the system deteriorates due to the appearance of disturbances in the paths of the transmission of information. In response, the content of general information in the system increases, while the volume of useful information, necessary for the realization of the effector function, decreases. To stabilize its activity, the system spends its information reserves. These changes in the activity of the system, controlling the permanence of microflora and immunity, are slightly pronounced in winter and reach their maximum manifestation at the peak of acute respiratory disease.

Investigation of the causes facilitating formation of microflora in atomic reactor pool water.

In the course of investigations realized by us earlier it was found that there was no difference between radioresistance of microbes taken from various water sources. As a matter of fact quality of the microflora clearly reflects a unique phenomenon called selection which causes disappearance of all radiosensitive and survival of radioresistant types of microbes. There is indeed an increased number of radioresistant types of microbes with intensified activity of catalase and nuclease in pool water of atomic reactors.

Microflora of nuclear research reactor pool water.

In the course of research done it was concluded that circulation of pool water through the nuclear reactor core produces a bactericidal effect on microflora due to influence of radiation of various types. Contents of microbes returns to the initial level after 2-4 months after circulation was stopped. Microflora of pool water comprises big amount of coccus, G-positive rods and fungi and a lower content of G-negative rods if compared to water which had been used to fill reactor pool. There is an increased number of radioresistant forms with intensified production of catalase and nuclease. Supposedly, presence of these enzymes gives to the microbes certain advances to survive in high-radiation zones.