[The intensity of immune response to T. native antigen in the residents of coastal settlements in the Chukotka district, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug].

Sixty-three (24.3%) out of 259 residents of coastal settlements were found to have a positive immune response to Trichinella antigen. All the seropositive cases were represented by people belonging to three ethnic groups: Chukchi (97.8%), Eskimos (1.2%), and Yakuts (1.0%). The antibody titers varied from 1:100 (32.8%) to 1:1600 (8.7%). The highest titer reactivity was observed in marine mammal hunters, retired persons, and non-manual employees. There was a direct relationship between the antibody titer values and the dietary habits of the respondents preferring traditional foods prepared from marine mammal meat.

[The possibility of antibiotic therapy in leishmaniasis].

The authors describe cases of leishmaniasis for which claforan (cefotaxime) has been used, showing an obvious improvement in visceral leishmaniasis in children and a full recovery in cutaneous leishmaniasis in adults.

[Formation of the synanthropic foci of dirofilariasis in Russia].

Investigation of the formation of urban synanthropic foci of dirofilatiasis in an area of large accumulations of dogs is of scientific and practical interest due to the increased number of infested inhabitants of large towns.

[Approaches to the combined therapy of helminthiases with leukinferon and etiotropic preparations]. / Podkhody k kombinirovannoi terapii gel'mintozov leikinferonom i étiotropnymi preparatami.

The results of therapy with anthelmintics in combination with leukinferon show either higher efficiency of anthelmintics (medamin) or their same efficiency (albendazole). The outcomes of combined treatment of infected animals with anthelmintics and leukinferon are different and associated with the time of leukinferon administration as to the tissue stages of parasitic development, with the host's sensitivity and susceptibility to helminth.

[The effect of leukinferon on the invasive process in experimental helminthiases]. / Vliianie leikinferona na invazionnyi protsess pri éksperimental'nykh gel'mintozakh.

Two models of helminthiases (nippostrongyliasis and trichocephaliasis) were used to reveal the therapeutical activity of leukinferon (LF). In experimental nippostrongyliasis, the efficacy of LF was similar to that in infected young rats and mice whose sensitivity and resistance to infections were different. In the model of trichocephaliasis, the therapeutical effect of leukinferon was noticeably higher in C57BL/6 mice resistant to T. muris than in sensitive mice strains. In intact animals, LF brought about similar lymphocytic prestimulation depending on their sensitivity to infection. The infection itself also caused increased LF levels comparable to those observed during LF administration to intact animals. LF-induced differences in cell prestimulation were especially great as infection progressed in animals whose sensitivity to host helminths was opposite. The levels of splenocytic LF was higher in resistant hosts (non-inbred mice with nippostrongyliasis and C57BL/6 mice with trichocephaliasis) that under the similar experimental conditions in animals (rats with nippostrongyliasis and DBA/2j mice with trichocephaliasis sensitive to host helminths).

[The generation of active forms of oxygen by mouse macrophages: the effect of the genotype, immunocytokines and infection]. / Generatsiia aktivnykh form kisloroda makrofagami myshei: vliianie genotipa, immunotsitokinov i infitsirovaniia.

In this work the effect of the natural complex of cytokines on the generation of active forms of oxygen (AFO) by mouse peritoneal macrophage in different in vivo and in vitro systems were studied. Intact mice of various strains were found to have differences in the AFO production of their macrophages: BALB/c (H-2d) > CBA (H-2k) > C57BL/6 (H-2b), as well as in the degree of the prestimulation of the macrophage oxygen metabolism with the complex of cytokines BALB/c > CBA. The in vivo and in vitro infection of macrophages of mice, oppositely reacting to Leishmania donovani, led to the gradual suppression of the capacity of macrophages for AFO generation. The preliminary introduction of the complex of immunocytokines into mice before their infection led to a decrease in AFO generation by macrophages of resistant strains CBA and C57BL/6 and its enhancement by macrophages of the sensitive strain BALB/c.

[The use of leukinferon in treating zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. 1. Research on an experimental model in mice]. / Primenenie leikinferona v lechenii zoonoznogo kozhnogo leishmanioza. 1. Issledovanie na éksperimental'noi modeli u myshei.

Leukinferon, a drug made in this country, represents a complex of cytokines of the immune response first phase with the predominating activities of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, macrophage- and leukocyte-inhibiting factors and alpha-interferon; its effects on the murine immune system and on peritoneal macrophagal culture are diverse. Leukinferon activates phagocytosis and killing of L. major promastigotes with peritoneal macrophages. In vivo leukinferon in combination with monomycin had a marked effect on L. major infection in CBA mice, particularly at the tubercle stage. The cure is attained sooner than with monomycin therapy alone. Combined therapy of the ulcers was found less effective in BALB/c mice highly sensitive to the infection. In Swiss mice infected with L. major a prolongation of the incubation period and a more benign course of the infection were observed after a course of leukinferon injections.

[The use of leukinferon in treating zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. 2. Patient treatment]. / Primenenie leikinferona v lechenii zoonoznogo kozhnogo leishmanioza. 2. Lechenie bol'nykh.

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis was treated by a combination of monomycin and an immunotherapeutic agent, leukinferon, representing a complex of cytokines of the first phase of in vitro immune response of human leukocytes with the predominance of the activities of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, macrophage- and leukocyte-inhibiting factors, and alpha-interferon. A total of 182 patients were treated in endemic foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Uzbekistan, 115 patients were followed up. Ointment applications (1000 U) or i.m. injections of leukinferon every 3-4 days were used in the treatment of 50 patients. Monomycin was administered only locally--as an ointment or collagen sponge ("leishmacol"). The best results were attained with combined therapy including i.m. leukinferon and local monomycin. The treatment duration was 3 weeks in grave complicated cases and 2 weeks in cases with a benign course of the disease. Local therapy with any of the drugs alone or combined was less effective, and lasted for about 1.5 months. The combined method is convenient for outpatient therapy, for it helps do without numerous daily injections that are necessary in parenteral monomycin therapy. Another advantage of combined therapy of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is an essential reduction of the total dose of monomycin, a highly toxic drug.

[The comparative characteristics of the clinico-immunological indices in different contingents of opisthorchiasis patients in a hyperendemic focus. 4. The transplacental transmission of Opisthorchis felineus antigens]. / Sravnitel'naia kharakteristika kliniko-immunologicheskikh pokazatelei raznykh kontingentov bol'nykh opistorkhozom v giperéndemichnom ochage. Soobshchenie 4. Transplatsentarnaia peredacha antigenov Opisthorchis felineus.

25 women in labour with chronic opisthorchiasis have been examined. They were representatives of native (7), local (8) and migrated population of the focus. Control group comprised 10 women from the local population free of invasion. Their immune status was assessed by the level of IgA, IgG, IgM, circulating immune complexes (CIC) and specific antibodies in the serum obtained from peripheral and funic veins, as determined by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). To detect opisthorchis antigens in the serum modified radial immunodiffusion test was used. Antibody titres in ELISA, IgG and CIC levels were the highest in migrated women. Antibody titres in ELISA and IgG level in the newborn of migrated women were also considerably higher than in other newborn. Serum IgM level in all groups of newborn was considerably lower than in their mothers and IgA was altogether undetectable. In 3 native and 2 local women the results of immunodiffusion test were positive. It is suggested that transplacental migration of opisthorchis throughout the neonatal period may lead to tolerance formation.

Priming of phagocytes by cytokines and water-soluble products of lipid peroxidation.

It is well known that during certain pathological processes phagocytes acquire the ability to generate activated oxygen species during phagocytosis. The priming of phagocytes by cytokines and water-soluble products of lipid peroxidation (LPO) is described. Preincubation of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) with the water-soluble products of LPO or oxidised liposomes for 15-20 min at 37 degrees C enhanced their functional activity when they were stimulated by opsonised zymosan or latex particles. There was a 2-3-fold increase in luminol-dependent chemiluminescence response of cells stimulated in this way, and an increase in Fc-receptor expression on the PMNL surface. An endogenous cytokine alone did not activate the phagocytes for an oxidative burst response, but preincubation of murine peritoneal macrophages (MP) and human PMNL with cytokines (molecular mass 20-30 kDa) for 3-48 h at 37 degrees C enhanced the cell chemiluminescence response to opsonised zymosan by a factor of 5-9 for MP and a factor of 2-3 for PMNL. Treatment of phagocytes with the cytokine complex also increased other effector functions of the phagocytes such as tumouricidal activity, phagocytosis, secretion of interleukin-1, and antiparasitic activity. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide abolished cytokine-induced priming of MP (but not of PMNL). The mechanisms of short-term and prolonged priming of the two types of phagocytes (MP and PMNL) are discussed.

[Clinical and epidemiologic immunology aspects of parasitic diseases]. / Aspekty klinicheskoi i épidemiologicheskoi immunologii pri parazitarnykh bolezniakh.

Principal trends in clinical immunological studies applied to the clinical picture and epidemiology of parasitic diseases are outlined. The author presents definitions of clinical and epidemiological immunology, describes their interrelation, gives reasons for false positive results from immunoepidemiological, mainly, serological observations.