[Standard algorithm of molecular typing of Yersinia pestis strains].

AIM: Development of the standard algorithm of molecular typing of Yersinia pestis that ensures establishing of subspecies, biovar and focus membership of the studied isolate. Determination of the characteristic strain genotypes of plague infectious agent of main and nonmain subspecies from various natural foci of plague of the Russian Federation and the near abroad. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genotyping of 192 natural Y. pestis strains of main and nonmain subspecies was performed by using PCR methods, multilocus sequencing and multilocus analysis of variable tandem repeat number. RESULTS: A standard algorithm of molecular typing of plague infectious agent including several stages of Yersinia pestis differentiation by membership: in main and nonmain subspecies, various biovars of the main subspecies, specific subspecies; natural foci and geographic territories was developed. The algorithm is based on 3 typing methods--PCR, multilocus sequence typing and multilocus analysis of variable tandem repeat number using standard DNA targets--life support genes (terC, ilvN, inv, glpD, napA, rhaS and araC) and 7 loci of variable tandem repeats (ms01, ms04, ms06, ms07, ms46, ms62, ms70). The effectiveness of the developed algorithm is shown on the large number of natural Y. pestis strains. Characteristic sequence types of Y. pestis strains of various subspecies and biovars as well as MLVA7 genotypes of strains from natural foci of plague of the Russian Federation and the near abroad were established. CONCLUSION: The application of the developed algorithm will increase the effectiveness of epidemiologic monitoring of plague infectious agent, and analysis of epidemics and outbreaks of plague with establishing the source of origin of the strain and routes of introduction of the infection.

[Genetic bases of methionine dependence in Yersinia pestis strains of major and non-major subspecies].

Structural and functional organization of genes responsible for biosynthesis of amino acid methionine, which plays a leading role in cellular metabolism of bacteria, was studied in 24 natural Yersinia pestis strains of the major and minor subspecies from various natural plague foci located in the territory of Russian Federation and neighbouring foreign countries, and also in Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis strains recorded in the files of NCBI GenBank database. Conservatism of genes metA, metB, metC, metE, and metH as well as regulatory genes metR and metJ involved in biosynthesis of this amino acid was established. Sequencing of the variable locus of gene metB in natural Y. pestis strains of major and minor subspecies revealed that the reason for the methionine dependence of strains belonging to the major subspecies is a deletion of a single nucleotide (-G) in the 988 position from the beginning of the gene, whereas this dependence in strains belonging to subspecies hissarica results from the appearance of a single nucleotide (+G) insertion in the 989 position of gene metB. These mutations are absent in strains of the caucasica, altaica, and ulegeica subspecies of the plague agent and in strains of pseudotuberculosis microbe, which correlates with their capacity for methionine biosynthesis.

[Comparative analysis of distribution of pseudogenes in the genome of strains of basic and supplementary species of the plague infection agent].

Comparative analysis of distribution of pseudogenes (YPO1582, YPO1728, YPO1967, and YPO4008) of strains of basic and supplementary species of the plague infection agent and pseudotuberculosis infection agent was performed. The genome of basic subspecies of plague infection agent species strain contains 3 different variants: intact genes, genes with IS-element inserts, or individual fragments. The pseudogene profile can be used as genetic marker of the Y. Pestis strains of basic subspecies from natural foci of plague. Strains of supplementary subspecies of Y. Pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis contain these genes as the wild-type gene alleles. In addition to other factors, this fact can be regarded as evidence of ancient origin of plague infection agent supplementary subspecies and their similarity to pseudotuberculosis infection agent.

[Genotyping of Yersinia pestis strains on the basis of variation of ribosomal rRNA biosynthesis genes].

Analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism of rRNA genes of Yersinia pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis strains, circulating in Russian Federation and abroad revealed the effectiveness of ribotyping for differentiation between these microorganisms, as well as for differentiation between different Y. pestis biovars and main and nonmain subspecies of this agent. Use of this method was shown to be promising as a component for the complex molecular typing system of Y. pestis. Variant ribotypes of main and non-main subspecies of Y. pestis strains are presented.

[Effect of an acute pharmacological test and a course of treatment with nifedipine on cerebral hemodynamic indices and information processing efficiency in hypertension patients]. / Vliianie ostroi farmakologicheskoi proby i kursovogo lecheniia nifedipinom na pokazateli tserebral'noi gemodinamiki i éffektivnost' pererabotki informatsii u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

Acute nifedipine tests and courses of nifedipine treatment were conducted in 30 patients with essential hypertension. The response of arterial blood pressure and cerebral hemodynamics to the acute test coincided with the results of a treatment course. The hypotensive effect, associated with nifedipine treatment, is combined with favorable cerebral hemodynamic changes and an increase in mental performance of hypertensive patients. Nifedipine treatment as an independent therapy is primarily indicated to patients showing spastic rheoencephalographic changes.

[Psychophysiological factors and their role in assessing the work capacity of arterial hypertension patients]. / Psikhofiziologicheskie faktory i ikh rol' v otsenke rabotosposobnosti bol'nykh arterial'noi gipertoniei.

The homeostatic and information tests were used for the first time ever in addition to the MMPI method to evaluate the effects of psychophysiological factors on working capacity of 250 patients with arterial hypertensions and 127 normal subjects. Optimum performance in the solving of a homeostatic search problem was shown to be twice as rare in hypertensive patients, as compared to the normal subjects. A clear-cut relationship was established between the quality of information processing as evidenced by the information test, and the patients' psychological characteristics, BP values and the extent of cerebral hemodynamic changes. An index capable of quantitative characterization of the working capacity of hypertensive patients is proposed.

[Interrelations between work capacity and the indicators of central and cerebral hemodynamics in patients with hypertension during hypotensive treatment]. / Vzaimosviaz' rabotosposobnosti s pokazateliami tsentral'noi i mozgovoi gemodinamiki u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu v protsesse gipotenzivnogo lecheniia.

The information test can provide an objective assessment of the working capacity of essential-hypertension patients in the course of treatment, as well as an indirect assessment of their cerebral flow. A correlation was demonstrated between the physical state of health and working capacity of hypertensive patients, on the one hand, and their arterial BP levels and severity of cerebral hemodynamic disorders, on the other, a fact to be considered in the administration of hypotensive treatment.

[Evaluation of the early signs of left ventricular failure using bipolar chest rheography]. / Otsenka rannikh priznakov nedostatochnosti levogo zheludochka s pomoshch'iu bipoliarnoi grudnoi reografii.

The comparison of findings obtained with bipolar chest rheography with radiologic evidence of hypervolemia in the pulmonary circulation and left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure in 90 coronary patients has suggested that the basal impedance index (the ratio of estimated to actual basal impedance values) can be measured as it corresponds to the severity of pulmonary congestion. The basal impedance index values below 6.10(-2) signal congestive left-ventricular failure.

[Optimization of hypotensive therapy in hospitals]. / Optimizatsiia gipotenzivnoi terapii v usloviiakh statsionara.

The authors offer a scheme of optimizing hypotensive treatment, which combines subjective, objective (the hemodynamics) and social (ability to work) characteristics. It was shown that the criteria of the adequacy and efficacy of hypotensive treatment should include the intensity of the cerebral blood flow and the level of blood pressure in addition to the coefficient of information processing, and an increase in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The use of the offered scheme of optimization in 80 patients with essential hypertension made it possible to cut down the period of hospitalization and improve the efficacy of treatment.

[Interrelations between subjective and personal characteristics of patients with hypertension and the indicators of central and cerebral hemodynamics]. / Vzaimosviaz' sub'ektivnykh i lichnostnykh osobennostei bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu s pokazateliami tsentral'noi i mozgovoi gemodinamiki.

A study was made of the correlation between subjective sensations (headache), the degree of disorder of cerebral hemodynamics and personal peculiarities in 101 patients with hypertensive disease. A high degree (100%) of neurotization, a decrease in the level of the cerebral blood flow in the presence of acutely raised tension of the cerebral small vessels and disorders of the venous outflow were revealed. An insignificant elevation of tension of the cerebral small vessels with the preserved arterial blood flow and normal venous outflow was detected in the patients who did not suffer from headaches.

[A new psychophysiologic test, "The Information Test", and its possible use in cardiology]. / Novyi psikhofiziologicheskii test "informatsionnaia proba" i vozmozhnost' ego ispol'zovaniia v kardiologii.

The authors describe a new psychophysiological test based on the use of commercially available television apparatuses and aimed at determining the efficiency of information processing. The use of the test in 346 people has demonstrated its acceptability for building up psychoemotional tension and detecting the hypertensive hemodynamic response. The analysis of the results of the testing conducted in normal subjects and cardiovascular patients has permitted the selection of the most informative criteria of the test. These include the coefficient of information processing, and also the increment and time-course of the blood pressure. This standardized psychophysiological test may be employed in the diagnosis of the early stages of arterial hypertension and neurocirculatory dystonia.

[Changes in the circulatory indices of healthy persons under various levels of physical load in relation to the initial type of hemodynamics]. / Izmenenie pokazatelei krovoobrashcheniia u zdorovykh lits pri raznykh urovniakh fizicheskoi nagruzki v zavisimosti ot iskhodnogo tipa gemodinamiki.

The parameters of the central hemodynamics were studied in 78 normal subjects at rest and during bicycle ergometry of various intensity, using bipolar chest rheography. Three types of circulation were identified (eu-, hyper-, and hypokinetic) which represent normal variants ensuring (at exercise of various intensity) the constant level of energy required for the transportation of one litre of blood and the mean hemodynamic pressure. Various mechanisms of maintaining the adequate level of the mean hemodynamic pressure during exercise were identified.