[Cytokine profile of chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps]. / Tsitokinovyi profil' khronicheskogo rinosinusita bez polipov.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is the most common immunological ENT disease, which has several phenotypes. The heterogeneity of CRS is due to the peculiarities of their pathogenetic mechanisms - the system of cytokines plays the crucial significance. They are biologically active substances and present regulatory peptides that demonstrate an immunomodulatory and regulatory effects not only in the local level but the system level as well. OBJECTIVE: To determine specific features of the cytokine profile in blood serum among patients with CRS without polyps (CRSwP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1RA, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IFN-α2, IFN-γ, GM-CSF) were defined in 75 patients: 32 patients with CRSwP were operated (main group) - 17 with cyst of maxillary sinus, 15 with edema of the maxillary sinuses. The control group - 43 patients were under surgery for a deviated nasal septum (septoplasty). The groups were comparable to gender and age. RESULTS: The cytokines detection rate was different in all groups. IL-4 (detection rate 93.3-95.3%) and IFN-γ (79.1-86.7%) were measured nearly the all groups. IL-8 (73.3-76.5%) and IL-17 (76.5-80.0%) were often measured in the group with CRSwP; in contrast to the control group - these indicators were lower: 60.5% and 65.5%, respectively. IL-1α (82.4%) and IFN-α2 (76.5%) were often detected in CRS with cystic formations. IL-1ß, IL-5, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 were measured in all groups in less than 30% of patients; IL-2 and IL-6 - in the group of CRS with cystic formation; IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-13 in the group with edema of maxillary sinuses. In a quantitative comparison of the concentration of cytokines. Significant differences in concentration of cytokines between the groups were not obtained (p>0.05) in terms of quantity. CONCLUSION: CRSwP with cystic formation is characterized by the development of T2 type immune response and a higher inflammation-related tissue damage.

[The influence of the vitamin D3 level in the blood serum of lactase gene polymorphism on the development of chronic polypous rhinosinusitis]. / Vliianie urovnia vitamina D3 v syvorotke krovi i polimorfizma gena laktazy na razvitie khronicheskogo rinosinusita s polipami.

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the possible correlations between the vitamin D3 level in the blood serum and lactase gene polymorphism (LCT-13910 T>C) in the patients presenting with chronic polypous rhinosinusitis (CPRS). The study included 50 patients with this condition and 14 subjects comprising the control group. The variants of lactase gene polymorphism (LCT-13910 T>C) were identified with the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in real time. The total level of serum vitamin D3 (VD3) was determined by means of the immunochemical analysis (the electrochemiluminescence technique). In the group of patients presenting with chronic polypous rhinosinusitis, the level of VD3 in the blood serum ranged from 48 nm/l to 85 nm/l (mean 60 nm/l) compared with that in the patients of the control group (from 78 nm/l to 112 nm/l; mean 97 nm/l) . The level of vitamin D3 'below the normal values' was documented in 71% of the patients with CPRS in comparison with 7% in the control subjects. Lactase gene polymorphism (LCT-13910 CC, CT) suggesting pronounced and latent hypolactasia was identified in 94% of the patients with CPRS compared with 78.6% in the control group. The occurrence of the CC genotype in the patients of both study groups was virtually identical: 52% in the patients presenting with chronic polypous rhinosinusitis and 57% in the control group. CT polymorphism was identified in 42% of the patients with CPRS and in 21% of the control subjects. The significant difference between the patients of the two groups was documented for the occurrence of TT polymorphism: 6% among the patients with CPRS and 21% in the controls (i.e. much higher in the healthy subjects). There was no significant difference between the serum levels of vitamin D3 either among the patients with CPRS having LCT-13910 gene polymorphisms (CC, CT, TT) or among the control subjects. It is concluded that the study revealed the higher levels of vitamin D3 in the blood sera from the control subjects in comparison with that in the patients with chronic polypous rhinosinusitis. Moreover, the patients of the latter group more frequently exhibited the variant of the LCT CT-13910 gene polymorphism suggesting latent hypolactasia whereas the subjects comprising the control group more frequently had the variant of the LCT CT-13910 gene polymorphism indicative of the normal tolerance of lactose.

Deep and wide digging for binding motifs in ChIP-Seq data.

SUMMARY: ChIP-Seq data are a new challenge for motif discovery. Such a data typically consists of thousands of DNA segments with base-specific coverage values. We present a new version of our DNA motif discovery software ChIPMunk adapted for ChIP-Seq data. ChIPMunk is an iterative algorithm that combines greedy optimization with bootstrapping and uses coverage profiles as motif positional preferences. ChIPMunk does not require truncation of long DNA segments and it is practical for processing up to tens of thousands of data sequences. Comparison with traditional (MEME) or ChIP-Seq-oriented (HMS) motif discovery tools shows that ChIPMunk identifies the correct motifs with the same or better quality but works dramatically faster. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: ChIPMunk is freely available within the ru_genetika Java package: http://line.imb.ac.ru/ChIPMunk. Web-based version is also available. CONTACT: ivan.kulakovskiy@gmail.com SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

[Relationship between micro- and minisatellites in the human genome].

Micro- and minisatellites constitute an essential part of DNA with a low sequence complexity and carry several important functions. A search for tandem repeats in the human genome with a length of a repeat unit of up to 70 bp, including repeats with a great number of nucleotide substitutions, has been performed using the TaadeaSWAN program. It was shown that, for a considerable number of minisatellites with the length of the repeating unit of less than 25 nt, a shorter repeating motif can be distinguished in the sequence of this repeat, which often is similar to the sequence of minisatellites widely occurring in the human genome. A model of hierarchic origination of minisatellites in the human genome is suggested.

[The achievements and outlook in the control of helminthiases in Bulgaria]. / Dostizheniia i perspektivy bor'by s gel'mintozami v Bolgarii.

The paper describes organization and achievements of the struggle against human helminthiases over a 30-year period in Bulgaria. Over this period, in Bulgaria Taenia solium was eradicated, while the incidence of taeniasis, ascariasis, trichocephaliasis, hymenolepiasis, enterobiasis and ascariasis, trichocephaliasis, hymenolepiasis, enterobiasis and echinococcosis was reduced several-fold. The authors suggest effective measures for the struggle against other helminthiases in the following 5-10 years.

Echinococcosis in children and adolescents in Bulgaria: a comparative study.

Between 1971 and 1995, 5874 patients underwent surgery in Bulgaria because of cystic echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Of these 5874, 10.6% were children aged < 15 years and 5.25% adolescents aged 15-19 years, giving annual incidences of 1.25 and 2.03/100,000 inhabitants, respectively. Although the annual incidence of surgery for echinococcosis among adults (3.12/100,000) was higher than the combined value for children and adolescents (1.48/100,000), the data indicate that most human infections with E. granulosus occur during childhood and adolescence. In evaluating the epidemiology of echinococcosis or the effectiveness of a control programme, therefore, reductions or increases in the incidence of clinical disease among children and adolescents indicate an improving or worsening situation, respectively. The incidence of surgical treatment for echinococcosis was higher in males than females in all but the youngest subjects (< 5 years) and adults (> 19 years). It was also higher in rural populations than in urban populations, particularly among children and adolescents. Whereas cysts were found more frequently in the lungs of children and adolescents than their livers (51.8% v. 38.3% of the patients), most cysts found in the adults were hepatic (73.5% of patients) and relatively few were in the lungs (14.4% of patients).

[Epidemiology of echinococcosis in domestic animals and man in Bulgaria]. / Zur Epidemiologie der Echinokokkose bei Haustieren und Menschen in der VR Bulgarien.

Echinococcosis is an important agricultural and public health problem in the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Organized and purposeful control since 1960 has proved to be effective. In the investigated period from 1975 to 1979 a decreased infestation with Echinococcus granulosus of man and farm animals could be observed. Infestation degree of sheep is below 20% in flat areas, whereas in mountainous regions it is well over 50%. The infestation of the population with echinococcosis is not equally distributed. It varies between 0.7 and 5.77 in 100,000 persons in different areas. The most common sources of infection are "domestic" dogs (57.76%), followed by hunting dogs (28.58%) and herding dogs (13.56%).

Human echinococcosis in Bulgaria: a comparative epidemiological analysis.

The present article describes the importance of human echinococcosis as a public health problem in Bulgaria, outlines the control measures carried out and evaluates comparatively the situation over three periods spanning 46 years (1950-1995). During the first period (1950-62), a total of 6469 new surgically confirmed cases of hydatid disease were recorded in Bulgaria, with an annual incidence of 6.5 per 100,000 population, and the infestation rate in domestic animals and dogs was high. Echinococcosis was endemic throughout the country. The organization of a control campaign, initiated in 1960, led to a considerable improvement in the situation during the second period (1971-82). Morbidity among humans gradually decreased, with an average incidence of 2.0 per 100,000, and the proportion of infected animals also fell. The distribution of echinococcosis was characterized as sporadic or of low endemicity. During the third period (1983-95), owing to administrative irregularities and economic changes, funds for supporting the campaign were reduced and control structures were dismantled. As a result, the incidence rose to 3.3 per 100,000. Echinococcosis again became endemic, in some regions hyperendemic. The findings provide convincing evidence that cessation of control measures or reduction of campaign activity can lead to intensification in the transmission of Echinococcus granulosus and to a resurgence in echinococcosis to previous levels.

PIP: Prevalent throughout the country, human cystic echinococcosis is a major health and economic problem in Bulgaria. The importance of this disease as a public health problem in Bulgaria is described, followed by a description of control measures conducted and a review of the situation over 3 periods spanning 1950-95. During 1950-62, 6469 new surgically confirmed cases of hydatid disease were recorded in the country, for an annual incidence of 6.5 cases per 100,000 population, and the infestation rate in domestic animals and dogs was high. While echinococcosis was endemic throughout the country during this period, the organization of a control campaign, initiated in 1960, led to a considerable improvement in the situation during 1971-82. Morbidity among humans gradually decreased, with an average incidence of 2.0/100,000, and the proportion of infected animals also fell. The distribution of echinococcosis at that time was characterized as sporadic or of low endemicity. However, during 1983-95, the reduction of program funds and the subsequent dismantling of control structures prompted the incidence of echinococcosis to rise to 3.3/100,000. The disease therefore again became endemic, and even hyperendemic in some regions.