[Prognostication of tuberculosis morbidity among children in Udmurtiia based on results of correlation and regression analysis].

Correlation and regression analysis of tuberculosis morbidity among children in Udmurtiya covered the period from 1991 to 2007. It was shown that linear functions can be used to prognosticate the morbidity rate. It is expected to increase in the near future. The morbidity rate is influenced by such factors as the lack of adequate disinfection in the foci of tuberculous infection, unfavourable living conditions, irregular treatment of infection sources, concomitant chronic pathology, incomplete family, and poorly controlled preventive chemotherapy.

[Prediction of the major tuberculosis epidemiological parameters among the children of the Udmurt Republic].

The tuberculosis epidemiological situation was studied among the children of the Udmurt Republic and the tuberculosis morbidity rates in children, the risk of primary infection, and the infection rates were predicted by the Bayes procedure. To study the impact of chemoprophylaxis on the incidence of tuberculosis in children, the risk of its primary infection, and the infection rates, the authors used the multivariate statistical method--hypotheses theorem (the Bayes formula). The application of the hypotheses theorem has shown that if the cohort of children who had chemoprophylaxis in 2007, they should receive it at the same rate as in 2002, which is 30% greater, the morbidity rates in children should show a 1.1-fold reduction.

Kinetic effects on signal normalization in oligonucleotide microchips with labeled immobilized probes.

Among various factors affecting operation of oligonucleotide microchips, the variations in concentration and in homogeneous distribution of immobilized probes over the cells are one of the most important. The labeling of immobilized probes ensures the complete current monitoring on the probe distribution and is reliable and convenient. Using hydrogel-based oligonucleotide microchips, the applicability of Cy3-labeled immobilized probes for quality control and signal normalization after hybridization with Cy5-labeled target DNA was investigated. This study showed that proper signal normalization should be different in thermodynamic conditions and in transient regime with hybridization far from saturation. This kinetic effect holds for both hydrogel-based and surface oligonucleotide microchips. Besides proving basic features, the technique was assessed on a sampling batch of 50 microchips developed for identifying mutations responsible for rifampicin and isoniazid resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Comparison of surface and hydrogel-based protein microchips.

Protein microchips are designed for high-throughput evaluation of the concentrations and activities of various proteins. The rapid advance in microchip technology and a wide variety of existing techniques pose the problem of unified approach to the assessment and comparison of different platforms. Here we compare the characteristics of protein microchips developed for quantitative immunoassay with those of antibodies immobilized on glass surfaces and in hemispherical gel pads. Spotting concentrations of antibodies used for manufacturing of microchips of both types and concentrations of antigen in analyte solution were identical. We compared the efficiency of antibody immobilization, the intensity of fluorescence signals for both direct and sandwich-type immunoassays, and the reaction-diffusion kinetics of the formation of antibody-antigen complexes for surface and gel-based microchips. Our results demonstrate higher capacity and sensitivity for the hydrogel-based protein microchips, while fluorescence saturation kinetics for the two types of microarrays was comparable.

[Disturbance of endothelium-dependent vasodilation and morphological changes of the radial artery in patients with coronary heart disease].

AIM: To elucidate whether endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDVD) is a method of early diagnosis of endothelial dysfunction or is a sign of established morphological changes in the vascular wall. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Endothelialfunction was studied in 44 males with essential hypertension (EH) (mean age 46.9 +/- 0.9 years), in 52 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) (mean age 50.0 +/- 0.9 years) after mammary-coronary and aortocoronary bypass operation with use of radial artery (RA), and in 28 healthy males (mean age 44.2 +/- 1.2 years). Intraoperative RA biopsy results for patients with ischemic heart disease after coronary artery bypass grafting with RA as an arterial graft were analysed. RESULTS: Patients with CHD showed thicker complex intima-media (TIM) of the common carotid arteries compared to control and hypertensive patients free of CHD clinical symptoms. This is associated with lowering of EDVD in RA and, therefore, suggests systemic occurrence of endothelial dysfunction. The histological study of RA has found hyperplasia of the internal vascular intima of 1.1 +/- 0.2 degree in 97% of CHD patients. Combination of CHD with hypertension showed thicker intima, higher index of intima thickness and RA narrowing percentage vs such parameters in CHD free of hypertension. CONCLUSION: Impaired EDVD in the test with reactive hyperemia is due to morphological changes in the radial artery, its intima. The degree of changes in endothelial vascular reactions in RA is closely related to severity of systemic atherosclerosis. In CHD, RA has a marked intimal hyperplasia which leads to vasospasticity and may result in development of stenosis in its use as a graft for myocardial revascularization. One of the basic factors influencing the degree of intimal hyperplasia of the radial artery is severity of arterial hypertension.

Enzymes of a new modified ortho-pathway utilizing 2-chlorophenol in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP.

Chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (CC 1,2-DO), chloromuconate cycloisomerase (CMCI), chloromuconolactone isomerase (CMLI), and dienolactone hydrolase (DELH), the key enzymes of a new modified ortho-pathway in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP cells utilizing 2-chlorophenol via a 3-chlorocatechol branch of a modified ortho-pathway, were isolated and characterized. CC 1,2-DO showed the maximum activity with 3-chlorocatechol; its activity with catechol and 4-chlorocatechol was 93 and 50%, respectively. The enzyme of the studied pathway had physicochemical properties intermediate between the pyrocatechase of ordinary and chlorocatechase of modified pathways described earlier for this strain. In contrast to the enzymes investigated earlier, CMCI of the new pathway exhibited high substrate specificity. The enzyme had Km for 2-chloromuconate of 142.86 microM, Vmax = 71.43 U/mg, pH optimum around 6.0, and temperature optimum at 65 degrees C. CMCI converted 2-chloromuconate into 5-chloromuconolactone. CMLI converted 5-chloromuconolactone into cis-dienolactone used as a substrate by DELH; this enzyme did not convert trans-dienolactone. DELH had Km for cis-dienolactone of 200 microM, Vmax = 167 U/mg, pH optimum of 8.6, and temperature optimum of 40 degrees C. These results confirm the existence of a new modified ortho-pathway for utilization of 2-chlorophenol by R. opacus 1CP.

[Dependence of transformation of chlorophenols by Rhodococci on position and number of chlorine atoms in the aromatic ring]. / Zavisimost' prevrashcheniia khlorfenolov rodokokkami ot polozheniia i chisla atomov khlora v aromaticheskom kol'tse.

Study of the conversion of chlorophenols by Rhodococcus opacus 1G, R. rhodnii 135, R. rhodochrous 89, and R. opacus 1cp disclosed the dependence of the conversion rate and pathway on the number and position of chlorine atoms in the aromatic ring. The most active chlorophenol converter, strain R. opacus 1cp, grew on each of the three isomeric monochlorophenols and on 2,4-dichlorophenol; the rate of growth decreased from 4-chlorophenol to 3-chlorophenol and then to 2-chlorophenol. The parameters of growth on 2,4-dichlorophenol were the same as on 3-chlorophenol. None of the strains studied utilized trichlorophenols. A detailed study of the pathway of chlorophenol transformation showed that 3-chloro-, 4-chloro-, and 2,4-dichlorophenol were utilized by the strains via a modified ortho-pathway. 2-Chlorophenol and 2,3-dichlorophenol were transformed by strains R. opacus 1cp and R. rhodochrous 89 via corresponding 3-chloro- and 3,4-dichloropyrocatechols, which were then hydroxylated with the formation of 4-chloropyrogallol and 4,5-dichloropyrogallol; this route had not previously been described in bacteria. Phenol hydroxylase of R. opacus 1G exhibited a previously undescribed catalytic pattern, catalyzing oxidative dehalogenation of 2,3,5-trichlorophenol with the formation of 3,5-dichloropyrocatechol but not hydroxylation of the nonsubstituted position 6.