Production of active oxygen species by blood phagocytes of pregnant women and their newborns with intrauterine infection.

We studied the relationship between changes in the maternal and newborn granulocyte functions under conditions of infection risk and realization. Women with normal gestation and their healthy newborns, pregnant women with a high risk of infection and their newborns, healthy or with intrauterine infection, were examined. Changes in the active oxygen species-dependent phagocytosis system were found in the blood of risk group patients. An inverse relationship between the parameters venous and umbilical cord blood was detected indicating a relationship between changes in functional activities of maternal and newborn granulocytes. The percentage of CD11b(+)cells in venous and umbilical cord blood strictly correlated with the percent of cells that phagocytosed FITC-labeled E. coli. Deviations in the generation of active oxygen species in phagocytosis seemed to be related to the expression of surface receptors in the risk groups.

Evaluation of the Role of FMLF chemotaxic peptide receptors in umbilical cord blood granulocytes from newborns at risk of infectious inflammatory diseases.

We studied the role of receptors with high and low affinity for fMLF chemotaxic peptide in the generation of active oxygen species by umbilical cord blood granulocytes from newborns with normal neonatal period, born after normal or complicated gestation, in children with manifestations of bacterial infection born after complicated pregnancy, and in granulocytes of non-pregnant women with normal reproductive function. Granulocytes of children born after complicated pregnancy exhibited high reactivity in induction of respiratory burst in a wide range of fMLF concentrations. The presentation of receptors with high and low affinity on granulocytes during initiation of the respiratory burst differs in children born after complicated pregnancy and in healthy babies born after normal gestation. Presumably, the detected differences result from high expression of receptors with low affinity for fMLF and disorders or immaturity of mechanisms responsible for receptor inactivation.

Generation of reactive oxygen species by umbilical blood cells and immune status of newborns at risk of infectious inflammatory diseases.

We carried out a comparative clinical and immunological examination of newborns whose mothers were at risk of infectious inflammatory diseases. Umbilical blood cell phenotype was evaluated by flow cytofluorometry. ROS level was evaluated by chemiluminescence intensity. Spontaneous production of ROS and phagocytic activity of cells in the whole umbilical blood was reduced in newborns born after complicated pregnancy. Low immunoregulatory index indicating changed CD4+/CD8+ ratio and low percentage of natural killer cells were observed in children with manifestations of bacterial infection. ROS production by isolated granulocytes and the effects of PI3K and p38 MAPK (kinases involved in the regulation of activity of NADPH oxidase responsible for the production of ROS) in the risk group infants differed from the corresponding parameters in the control group. The results indicate shifts in the phagocytosis system, immune status, and the receptor-conjugated regulatory systems of ROS generation by granulocytes in newborns at risk of infectious inflammatory diseases.

Regulation of reactive oxygen species production by peripheral blood neutrophils from women with postpartum endometritis.

Production of reactive oxygen species in unfractionated peripheral blood increased in parturient women without postpartum infectious complications and patients with postpartum endometritis. The control group included nonpregnant women with normal reproductive function. Intergroup differences were revealed in the degree of respiratory burst activation with opsonized zymosan and response of isolated granulocytes to chemotactic peptide N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phen (1 muM). Production of reactive oxygen species tended to normal after therapy. We studied the effects of a specific mitogen-activated protein kinase p38MAPK inhibitor and inhibitors of tyrosine protein phosphatases and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase. The role of p38MAPK in reactive oxygen species generation by cells changes significantly in parturient women.

Changes in regulation of oxidase activity of peripheral blood granulocytes in women with habitual abortions.

Generation of active oxygen forms by blood granulocytes was studied in women with a history of habitual abortions (2-3 spontaneous abortions in the first trimester, undeveloped pregnancies). The level of spontaneous luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of nonfractionated peripheral blood was increased in this patient population (study group) in comparison with women with normal reproductive function (reference group). The two groups differed by the level of activation of respiratory burst induced by opsonized zymosan and by activity of isolated granulocytes in response to chemotactic peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (1-50 microM). Differences in the effects of inhibitor of tyrosine protein kinases and protein phosphatases and inhibitor of mitogen-activated proteinkinase p38 MAPK were detected. The results attest to predisposition to oxidative stress and poor cytotoxic functions of granulocytes in women with habitual abortions, which can be due to specific features of regulation of oxidase activity by tyrosine protein kinases and protein phosphatases and by p38 MAPK.

[Immune system in pregnant women exposed to extreme climate conditions of the Aral coast line]. / Kharakteristika immunnoi sistemy u beremennykh zhenshchin, prozhivaiushchikh v ékstremalnykh usloviiakh Priaralía.

Fifty-eight women aged 18 to 38 with preserved reproductive function were examined, 42 of them with a normal course of gestation and 16 nonpregnant ones. Cellular and humoral immunity parameters were studied: absolute and relative counts of T-lymphocytes and levels of serum IgA, IgG, and IgM. The immunity status of women living near the Aral sea was changed: the absolute and relative counts of T-lymphocytes were reduced in both groups. Pregnant women had a trend to reduction of T-lymphocyte count in the first gestation trimester and a reliable increase of the levels of T-lymphocytes and theophyllin-sensitive cells in the third trimester (p < 0.001). The lowest counts of T-lymphocytes and theophyllin-sensitive cells were observed in primigravidas vs. multigravidas and multiparas.

[Immune system in women with genital inflammatory diseases caused by Chlamydia and virus infection]. / Osobennosti sostoianiia immunnoi sistemy u zhenshchin s vospalitelnymi zabolevaniiami genitalii Khlamidiinoi i virusnoi étiologii.

Immunologic studies were carried out in 29 women with clinical manifestations of chronic inflammations of the internal genitals. Dot-hybridization with biotin-labeled DNA probes revealed chlamydial DNA in the cervical cells of 14 women, Herpes simplex type 2 and/or cytomegaloviral DNA in 15 women. Cell-mediated immunity was assessed using monoclonal antibodies CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD19 and by Facscan flow cytofluorometer (Becton Dickinson). Immunoglobulins were measured by nephelometry with Abbott kits and TDx device. No appreciable changes in the mean values of the parameters characterizing T-cellular immunity were revealed in women with genital inflammations and chlamydial infection (p < 0.05). The counts of CD19+ lymphocytes varied to a certain degree, and IgM levels were increased in patients with chlamydial infection, this pointing to activation of B-lymphocytes with Chlamydia. A viral infection of the genitals was associated with a reduction of T-cellular immunity parameters and an imbalance in the ratio of immunoregulatory cells at the expense of reduction of the share of lymphocytes expressing CD4 antigen.

[Evaluation of the effects of methods of suppurative-inflammatory complications prevention after cesarean section on cellular and humoral components of the immune system]. / Otsenka vliianiia na kletochnyi i gumoral'nyi komponenty immunnoi sistemy zhenshchiny nekotorykh metodov profilaktiki gnoino-vospalitel'nykh oslozhnenii posle kesareva secheniia.

The immune status of 73 pregnant women and puerperae, administered proteolysis inhibitors or common antibacterial therapy to prevent pyoseptic complications, was assessed before cesarean section and 1 and 7 days after it. The results indicate certain shifts in the immunity status of puerperae of all groups, which were the most expressed 1 day after surgery (reduced content of CD3 lymphocytes, IgG and IgA, and a marked increase of the content of C-reactive protein) and normalized by day 7 postoperation. These changes are most likely to be caused by the surgical intervention but not the infectious inflammatory process, which is proved by the absence of pyoseptic complications after prophylactic measures taken. Hence, proteolysis inhibitors, along with the traditional methods, may be recommended for the prevention of pyoseptic complications after cesarean section.

[Correction with T-activin of secondary immunodeficiency in inflammatory diseases of female internal genital organs]. / Korrektsiia taktivinom vtorichnogo immunodefitsita pri vospalitel'- nykh zabolevaniiakh vnutrennikh genitalii zhenshchin.

A clinicoimmunological examination was performed in 70 patients with acute inflammatory disease of internal genitalia. All the patients received a multimodality anti-inflammatory therapy. They were divided into 2 groups: 1) 30 patients taking ++T-activin as an adjuvant and 2) 40 patients untreated with it. T and B lymphocytes were measured by current cytofluorometry+ by means of monoclonal antibodies and the rosette-forming method. A subpopulation analysis of the T-cell immune system revealed lower T-helper count and decreased immunoregulatory index. ++T-activin used in the multimodality therapy for acute inflammatory diseases of internal genitalia improved the qualitative parameters of regulatory T-cell subpopulations, returned T and B lymphocytes to normal levels and elevated IgG concentrations.

[Immunological studies of peripheral blood in patients with external genital endometriosis and infertility]. / Immunologicheskie issledovaniia perifericheskoi krovi bolnykh naruzhnym genital'nym éndometriozom, stradaiushchikh besplodiem.

Immunoregulatory lymphocytes of SD2-, SD4-, SD8- and SD2-phenotypes have been assayed using monoclonal antibodies in peripheral blood of infertile women with external genital endometriosis and tubal-peritoneal infertility. The tested cells did not markedly differ from those in control fertile patients. Serum concentrations of immunoglobulin M were increased in women with endometriosis. Immunoglobulin concentrations widely varied in the peritoneal fluid, with a statistically significant elevation of IgA and IgM in women with tubal-peritoneal infertility.

[The action of osmotic shock on blood cell populations]. / Deistvie osmoticheskogo shoka na populiatsii kletok krovi.

The effect of osmotic shock on human lymphocytes receptors is investigated. The patients are shown to be varied in terms of osmotic stability of lymphocytes, although under osmotic shock the decrease of cell share with definite immunological markers is observed in all cases. It is characteristic of all T-lymphocyte populations. The incubation of non-diluted blood with carnosin preserves largely the investigated receptors at osmotic shock. It is suggested that described modifications in lymphocyte receptor system connect with immunocorrective effect of the hypoosmotic blood.