[Study of prevalence of rare and difficult to cultivate causative agents of inflammatory diseases of respiratory organs].

AIM: Study the prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Legionella pneumophila, Moraxella catarrhalis, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex I/II virus (HSV I/II) in individuals of various age groups with varying inflammatory broncho-pulmonary diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 384 adults and 1001 children with clinically confirmed diagnoses were examined by PCR method: community-acquired pneumonia, acute bronchitis, bronchial asthma, ARD/ARVD, as well as 127 healthy children and 52 healthy adults. Sputum, smears from posterior fornix of pharynx, blood, saliva from children of the first year of life were used as material for the study. RESULTS: Wide prevalence of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae among adults and M. pneumoniae among children older than 1 year with inflammatory diseases of respiratory organs was established. C. psittaci, L. pneumophila, M. catarrhalis occurred in isolated cases in both adults and children. Active replication of herpes group viruses was detected in patients of all age groups with inflammatory broncho-pulmonary diseases, and in children Cytomegalovirus replication predominated, in adults--HSV I/II. CONCLUSION: High frequency of prevalence of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae in inflammatory diseases of respiratory tract was established, giving evidence of reasonability and necessity of examination of patients with various nosologic forms of diseases for these species of microorganisms with the aim of effective etiotropic therapy.

[Molecular genetic echovirus 9 variants identified in patients with aseptic meningitis in Russia in 2007-2009].

In 2009 echovirus 9 caused a higher seasonal incidence of enterovirus infection (EVI) and its several outbreaks in a number of regions of Russia. Analysis of the partial VP1 coding region differentiated 4 phylogenetic lineages of echoviruses 9 variants identified in patients with aseptic meningitis and EVI in 2007-2009. One variant of echovirus 9 was most commonly encountered in 2009. Echoviruses 9 identified in different areas, which had a high (98.2-100%) homology of nucleotide sequences of the partial VP1 coding region, varied in the amino acid sequences within the B-C loop.

Hospital-based surveillance of rotavirus and other viral agents of diarrhea in children and adults in Russia, 2005-2007.

During a 2-year period in 2005-2007, we conducted surveillance of group A rotaviruses and other enteric agents among patients hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in 8 different cities of the Russian Federation. Fecal specimens were gathered from 3208 children (including 2848 children aged <5 years) and 1354 adults who were admitted to hospitals in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Nizhnii Novgorod, Tyumen, Khabarovsk, Makhachkala, and Yakutsk. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect rotaviruses of groups A and C, noroviruses of genogroups I and II, astrovirus, sapovirus, and enteric adenoviruses (group F). Group A rotavirus was the most common viral pathogen detected among children aged <5 years (43.6%), followed by norovirus (12.5%), whereas norovirus was the pathogen most commonly detected in adults (11.9%). P and G genotypes were determined for 515 rotavirus specimens, and the most prevalent genotypes were G1P[8] (44.9%), G4P[8] (40.0%), G2P[4] (8.5%), and G3P[8] (6.6%). This study is the first multicenter study of rotaviruses in the Russian Federation and documents the important burden of disease caused by this pathogen, which soon may be preventable by vaccination.

[Epidemic strains of different plasmidovars of bacteria from Shigella genus].

Plasmid analysis of 46 strains of Shigella species confirmed the view about heterogeneity and variability of plasmids composition in these microorganisms. On the other hand,the presence of low-molecular, multiplicated extrachromosomal replicons, which were stable, was shown. Using them, it was possible to divide the Shigella isolates into two major plasmidovars, characterize them according to repertoire of the most stable plasmids and determine epidemically significant variants during sporadic and outbreak incidence of shigellosis in towns Nizhny Novgorod and Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod region).

[Season and age related structure of acute intestinal infections morbidity in the Russian Federation].

AIM: To study seasonal and age features of etiological structure of acute intestinal infections (AII) in the territory of the RF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 7388 AII inpatients aged from 1 day to 90 years from 7 cities (Moscow, St-Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Makhachkala and Khabarovsk) of the RF participated in a trial conducted from December 2001 to September 2006 The patients were examined with diagnostic tests based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of rotaviruses of group A (RVA), noroviruses, astroviruses, adenoviruses, salmonella, termophilic campilobacteria, shigella and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC). RESULTS: The above agents were detected in 72% children and 52% adults. In children RVA and noroviruses occurred most frequently (29.5% and 11%, respectively). The adults carried most often salmonella (9.3%), noroviruses (8.4%), RVA (7.8%) and Schigella in combination with EIEC (7.0%). CONCLUSION: Viral agents are essential or prevailing causative agents of AII at different ages. Seasonal and age-related trends of AII morbidity are characterized.

[Isolation and analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO mutants resistant to nonlysogenic bacteriophages]. / Vydelenie i analiz mutantov Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO, ustoichivykh k nelizogeniziruiushchim bakteriofagam.

Nonlysogenizing Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO bacteriophages were studied. According to morphology of the plaques, they were distributed into three groups: phi k, phi m and phi mn. The mutants of P. aeruginosa PAO resistant to these bacteriophages were selected. On the basis of cris-cross resistance analysis of the mutants, a formal scheme of the receptor sites on the P. aeruginosa PAO bacterial cell surface is drawn. It is shown that bacteriophages phi k and phi m use different receptors for their adsorption. The receptors of phi m and phi mn phages are specifically interconnected. Thus, the receptor for phi k phages is connected with the receptor for phage phi 11. It appears that the receptor for bacteriophage E79 is identical to those of phi m phages. The phi m receptor is of a composite structure: it includes two different receptors used by phi mn phages.

[Industrially produced eubiotics as materials for isolation and study of DNA]. / Eubiotiki promyshlennogo izgotovleniia kak material dlia vydeleniia i izucheniia DNK.

The optimum and available methods for the isolation of DNA from bacteria, used as the basis of the industrial manufacture of eubiotics (colibacterin, lactobacterin, biobactone) have been developed. The proposed approach makes it possible to isolate DNA, suitable for genosystematic studies under laboratory conditions, directly from producer strains.

[Sensitivity to virulent bacteriophages of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains of different serogroups]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' k virulentnym bakteriofagam shtammov Pseudomonas aeruginosa razlichnykh serogrupp.

The data on the sensitivity of P. aeruginosa clinical strains to pyocyaneum, a therapeutic and prophylactic bacteriophage preparation, and to individual groups of phages contained in this preparation are presented. Out of 549 P. aeruginosa strains, 16% have proved to be nonlysing cultures. The proportion of phage-sensitive strains prevailed in serogroups 01, 03, 06, 09, while phage-resistant strains prevailed in serogroups 04, 07, 011, as well as among O-nontyped cultures. The expediency of introducing P. aeruginosa strains of different serotypes into the collection of cultures used for the production of pyocyaneum has been shown.

[The use of a molecular hybridization method for studying the enterotoxigenic properties of Salmonella]. / Primenenie metoda molekuliarnoi gibridizatsii dlia izucheniia énterotoksigennykh svoistv sal'monell.

The occurrence of the tox gene among 320 Salmonella strains of 23 serovars, differing in their origin, sensitivity to antibiotics, the presence of R-plasmids and a number of biochemical properties, has been studied by the method of DNA-DNA hybridization in situ. Essential differences in the occurrence of the tox gene have been detected both among S. typhimurium hospital strains and strains isolated in sporadic diseases, from the environment, from animals and among salmonellae belonging to different serovars. The direct correlation between the presence of the enterotoxigenicity gene and plasmids controlling resistance to antibiotics in Salmonella strains has been established. The expediency of using the method of gene probing for the study of the enterotoxigenic properties of salmonellae has been substantiated.

[Distribution of phage-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains]. / Raspredelenie fagoustoichivykh shtammov Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The sensitivity of a number of P. aeruginosa clinical strains to virulent bacteriophages has been studied. Phage-resistant strains have been found to constitute a considerable proportion among the tested P. aeruginosa strains. The strains under study fall into 19 groups differing in their sensitivity to the bacteriophages used in this investigation. The strains belonging to some groups are phenotypically identical to experimentally obtained P. aeruginosa phage-resistant mutants PAO. The use of bacteriophage mutants has made it possible to demonstrate that in most cases the resistance of P. aeruginosa natural strains to type phi k phages is due to disturbances in their adsorption, whereas their resistance to type phi m and phi mn phages is, seemingly, not linked with disturbances in their capacity for adsorption on the cell membranes of the bacteria.

[Effect of plasmids from various incompatibility groups on the development of bacteriophages specific to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida]. / Vliianie plazmid razlichnykh grupp nesovmestimosti na razvitie bakteriofagov, spetsifichnykh k Pseudomonas aeruginosa i Pseudomonas putida.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of plasmids belonging to different incompatibility groups on the growth of bacteriophages in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida strains. The growth of bacteriophages was shown to be limited most often due to the presence in cells of plasmids belonging to the P-2 incompatibility group. Plasmids of the Inc P-2 group differed from one another in the spectrum of bacteriophages whose growth they limited. Phages whose growth was suppressed in strains containing plasmids of the P-5, P-9 or P-10 incompatibility groups were found. Some plasmids showed no specific interaction with bacteriophages. The plasmids investigated differed in the studied trait in P. aeruginosa and P. putida cells. In contrast to P. aeruginosa PAO, P. putida PpGI plasmid containing cells did not maintain the growth of donor-specific bacteriophages and, to a lesser degree, limited the growth of phages specific for P. putida PpGI.

[Isolation and characteristics of new nonlysogenic bacteriophages of Pseudomonas aeruginosa]. / Vydelenie i kharakteristika novykh nelizogeniziruiushchikh bakteriofagov Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

A large group of nonlysogenic bacteriophages specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied. According to their absorption characteristics and serological properties, the phages were subdivided into four groups: luminal diameter k, luminal diameter m, luminal diameter mnP78 and luminal diameter mnF82. Within each of the groups, the phages were similar in the morphology of their particles and certain physiological characteristics. The luminal diameter m phages were similar to the P. aeruginosa bacteriophage E79 in their adsorption properties and antigenic specificity. The phages of the other groups differed in the above characteristics from the known P. aeruginosa bacteriophages. The effect of some plasmids on the growth of bacteriophages luminal diameter k, luminal diameter m, luminal diameter mnP78 and luminal diameter mnF82 was studied. The growth of new bacteriophages on certain plasmid-containing strains was inhibited in some cases.

DNA homology and adsorption specificity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulent bacteriophages.

The DNA homology and adsorption specificity of newly isolated virulent bacteriophages of P. aeruginosa have been studied. On the basis of this analysis all phages were divided into four groups: phi k, phi m, phi mnP78-like and phi mnF82-like bacteriophages. DNA's of phi k as well as phi m phages were shown to possess different restriction patterns although they have an extensive homology. Unlike other groups, phi k phages were characterized by the presence of T4 DNA ligase--repaired, single-chain breaks.