COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WHOLE CARTILAGE TISSUE THERMOSTABILITY IN DISEASED PATIENTS VERSUS INJURED PATIENTS.

We conducted comparative thermodynamic analysis of femoral cartilages tissue of injured (healthy) patients and patients with congenital hip dislocation. It is shown, that temperature which corresponds to maximum of heat absorption peak of femoral cartilages tissue of diseased patient is on 6.4oC lower than heat absorption peak of femoral cartilages tissue of healthy patient. Heat absorbed during denaturation process in all these cases are close to each other with experimental error accuracy and corresponds to 52±2.6, 51±2.6 and 50±2.5 J/g of dried biomass accordingly. Analysis of the published data makes it possible to assert that the dominant heat absorption stage on DSC curves of tested fresh tissues samples is associated with melting of collagen fibers, hence the thermal stability of the collagen fibers in the patient's tissue is reduced relative to norm.

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR TYPING OF BRUCELLA STRAINS CIRCULATING IN GEORGIA.

In 2009-2013, 851 cases of brucellosis were registered in Georgia. Most cases of brucellosis were found in eastern Georgia (91.3% of cases). Mainly men were infected with brucellosis (81.0%).The age group with the most frequent cases of brucellosis is 30-59 years (48.5%). Brucellosis is rarely found among children(0-4 years - 2.0%, 5-14 years - 8.0%). Brucellosis cases were linked to professional activity; mainly by farmers (33.0% of those infected) and shepherds (27.0%). Biotyping Brucella by microbiological methods alone has limitations, so molecular typing was implemented in this study to confirm species. Isolates from human blood and ruminant milk or blood were identified by a bacteriological algorithm and confirmed by real-time PCR (Brucella T1, Idaho Technology). Species identity was confirmed using the AMOS conventional PCR assay, which differentiates four human pathogenic species but cannot recognize certain biovars within them. This gap was addressed by using more universal species-specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) assays. Real-time PCR was used to confirm 86 Brucella strains (48 human, 38 animal isolates) obtained 2009-2011. AMOS PCR supported the biochemical test results for 53 B. melitensis and four B. abortus strains, but not for 29 suspected B. abortus human and animal isolates. SNP typing of all 86 isolates supported the AMOS PCR results but also confirmed the species of the 29 strains not amplified by AMOS PCR. In 2009-2013 years the prevalence of brucellosis was still high. Nowadays cases of brucellosis are higher in the western part of Georgia than in the 1991-2005 period by a factor of 2.62. Brucellosis continues to be mainly an infection in males, because men are mostly engaged in sheep and cattle care. Combined AMOS PCR and SNP typing in this study provided the first genetic confirmation that both B. abortus and B. melitensis are actively circulating in humans and animals in Georgia.

Risk factors associated with human brucellosis in the country of Georgia: a case-control study.

Human brucellosis occurs when humans ingest or contact Brucella spp. from shedding animals or contaminated environments and food. In Georgia animal and human brucellosis is endemic, but the epidemiology has not been fully characterized. A case-control study was conducted in 2010 to identify risk factors for human brucellosis. Using multivariable logistic regression, the following risk factors were identified: animal-related work [odds ratio (OR) 77·8, 90% confidence interval (CI) 4·7-1278], non-animal-related work (OR 12·7, 90% CI 1·1-149), being unemployed or a pensioner (OR 13·1, 90% CI 1·7, 101), sheep ownership (OR 19·3, 90% CI 5·1-72·6), making dairy products (OR 12·4, 90% CI 1·4-113), living in eastern Georgia (Kakheti) (OR 278·1, 90% CI 9·5-8100), and being aged >44 years (OR 9·3, 90% CI 1·02-84·4). Education of at-risk groups about risk factors and control of disease in sheep may reduce the human disease risk. This is the first study of its kind in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Extracellular matrix thermostability of breast gland carcinoma.

Thermostability of epithelial cell matrix in composition of normal and breast ductal carcinoma tissues at various stages of the disease has been studied in the temperature range 40-90°C with help of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). It has been shown that the denaturation process has three stages of transition in both cases. The temperatures corresponding to maxima of these structural transitions (Td) in case of normal and ductal carcinoma tissues equals to 55 , 66,78 C and 48, 55, 60, 85°C, respectively. Denaturation enthalpy (∆Hd) reflects contribution of hydrogen bonds, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in stability of native structures of biomacromolecules; in case of normal tissues, it equals 68,5±6.0 J/g dry biomass and decreases up to 52.5±6.0 J/g dry biomass in stage III of the disease. On the basis of presented and published experimental data, it is affirmed that the dominant transitions with Td around 66 and 60°C in case of norm and carcinoma, accordingly, correspond to denaturation of collagen IV fibers--the main component of microenvironment of duct epithelial cells (ECM)--and weakly expressed transition stages at 55, 78, 85°C correspond to denaturation of cytoplasmatic proteins. It is supposed that the observed significant differences in thermostability, in particular, 6° decrease of the ECM main component collagen, 7° increase of cytoplasmic proteins, and a significant decrease of total ∆Hd in case of ductal carcinoma compared to norm may be used as a new express test together with other existed tests for diagnosis of breast cancer at early stage of disease using some mg quantities of biopsy tissue.

[Ultrastructural study of TNT effect on the callus cells and the cells of intact plants of Yucca gloriosa L].

Intracellular distribution of assimilated 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in callus cells, flower buds and leaves of intact Yucca gloriosa L. plants using electron microscope radioautography. The radiotracer was detected in vacuoles, plastids, mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasm. It was found that in dedifferentiated callus cells TNT was incorporated in the vacuoles in greater quantities in comparison with the cells of intact plant. Correspondingly the ultrastructural integrity of the dedifferentiated cells is less damaged.

[Morphological changes in brain and heart after the temporary liver exclusion from the bloodstream during the cholestasis].

The aim of the study was the detection of the peculiarities of the changes in brain and heart, developed by the cholestasis after ischemia (due to the temporary liver exclusion from the bloodstream) and post-ischemic restoration of bloodstream. The experimental study was carried out on 12 mature rats (weight 150-200 g). After the creation of 5 day cholestasis pattern, the exploration and clamping of the hepato-duodenal ligament was done for 10 minutes. After the 15 minutes, 24 hours and 48 hours of the clamp withdrawal from the portal complex, the pieces of the heart and the brain were investigated. The aether narcosis was applied for the anaesthesia purpose. The changes peculiar to the brain damage (perivascular and pericellular swelling, proliferation of glia and neurophagia) were observed shortly after the removal of the ischemia. The mentioned changes were dramatic after 24-48 hours of experimentation. The study suggests that the dramatic changes were developed in the brain and cardiac tissues after 15 min. of the experimentation. Mentioned changes are dismetabolic processes and they continuing in the later terms, including the 48 hours later of the experimentation.