[Interferon status and the activity of dsRNA-dependent enzymes in volunteers and influenza patients receiving human recombinant alpha 2-interferon (reaferon)]. / Interferonovyi status i aktivnost' dsRNK-zavisimykh fermentov u dobrovol'tsev i bol'nykh grippom liudei, poluchavshikh chelovecheskii rekombinantnyi al'fa 2-interferon (reaferon).

The national recombinant preparation of alpha 2-interferon (reaferon) after intramuscular inoculation in a daily dose of 3 X 10(6) units/ml to human volunteers was found in the blood serum within 1-2 hours. In 85% of the subjects given the preparation, a 2-8-fold rise in interferon titers in the blood serum and in 64% an increase in interferon leukocyte reaction (ILR) by the 5th day after the beginning of the treatment were observed. In the examined influenza patients given the preparation, interferon circulation in the blood serum, increased ILR and 2-5A synthetase enzyme levels were demonstrated. Tests for interferon of the blood sera of patients given reaferon by inhalation revealed no significant rise in its level, in contrast to cases with reaferon intramuscular injections. It is assumed that the immunomodulating effect of the preparation given by inhalation is mediated through the hypothalamus. Thus, parameters of the interferon system may be corrected by administration of reaferon.

[Natural killer activity in influenza patients]. / Aktivnost' estestvennykh killerov u bol'nykh grippom.

The activity of natural killers (NK) for K-562 target cells (human myeloleukemia cells) was determined in 20 patients with influenza complicated with pneumonia and in 11 patients with uncomplicated influenza. The influence of the autologous blood serum and recombinant alpha 2-interferon (reaferon) on NK activity was studied in vitro. In uncomplicated influenza, the activity of natural killers in the acute period of the disease was higher, and in patients with influenza complicated by pneumonia lower than in normal subjects. In the convalescent period, the activity of natural killers increased or approached the norm in complicated cases, and the average values showed no significant difference from those in normal subjects. The stimulating effect of the autologous blood serum and reaferon on the activity of natural killers in patients with complicated influenza was demonstrated in vitro.

[Virological studies in fatal outcomes in influenza and its complications in adults during the period of influenza A (H3N2) virus circulation from 1969 to 1983]. / Virusologicheskie issledovaniia pri letal'nykh iskhodakh ot grippa i ego oslozhnenii u vzroslykh v period tsirkuliatsii virusa grippa A (H3N2) s 1969 po 1983 g.

In the period of circulation of influenza A (H3N2) virus, 1969-1983, we examined virologically the autopsy specimens from 69 adults who died of influenza and its complications. Immunofluorescence examinations of organ impressions and infected cultures as well as virus isolations were used for postmortem laboratory diagnosis. Influenza viruses were isolated postmortem in all age groups, predominantly in older subjects (over 60), both in cases of early and late (after 7 days) deaths. The viruses were isolated more frequently from respiratory organs, less so from the blood, parenchymatous organs, cerebral tissue. A decrease in the number of lethal outcomes in adults and in the number of positive virus isolations postmortem was noted with the emergence of an antigenic drift-variant Victoria/75. Simultaneous employment of several laboratory tests verified virologically the diagnosis of influenza in adults postmortem in 85% of the cases.

[Interferon and other immunological indices of influenza patients undergoing different methods of treatment]. / Interferon i drugie immunologicheskie pokazateli u bol'nykh grippom pri raznykh metodakh lecheniia.

The authors review the results of immunological examinations of patients with influenza given adapromine and virazole drugs as well as reflex therapy aimed at increasing general host resistance. Patients with influenza administered reflex therapy among other therapeutic measures developed more intensive increase of serum interferon activity in the acute period of the disease, with its more rapid decline; they had a high level of IgM and more intensive rise of specific antibody (in the HI test) as compared with the control group. In the group of patients treated with adapromine and virazole there was also a more significant increase of IgM level, early and significantly high level of IgG as compared with the patients given symptomatic drugs. No differences in the number of T-lymphocytes were found by the method of spontaneous rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes. Both in treatment with antiviral drugs and using reflex therapy, a more rapid disappearance of influenza antigen from nasal smears was observed than in patients of the control groups.

[Respiratory syncytial virus infection in chronic bronchitis patients]. / Respiratorno-sintsitial'naia virusnaia infektsiia u bol'nykh khronicheskim bronkhitom.

Two groups of patients with acute respiratory disease (ARD) were examined: 57 (the 1st group) had chronic bronchitis, 265 patients (the 2nd group) had no previous history of chronic bronchitis. The investigation was performed using serological and immunofluorescent methods and was repeated in the course of 12-18 months. Respiratory syncytial (RS) viral infection was diagnosed significantly more frequently in the 1st group whereas the frequency of influenza, parainfluenza and adenoviral infection in both groups was the same. Mixed RS-viral infection in these patients was more common. In 3 patients RS-viral infection was diagnosed each time in new ARD in parallel with influenza and other viral infections which was indicative of RS-virus persistence in the body.

[Clinical aspects of acute and chronic respiratory syncytial virus infection in adult polyclinic patients]. / Klinika ostroi i khronicheskoi respiratorno-sintsitial'noi virusnoi infektsii u vzroslykh poliklinicheskikh bol'nykh.

A total of 224 workers and employees engaged at the Smolensk flax spinning plant, suffering from acute respiratory diseases, were examined on an outpatient basis. Virus etiology of the diseases was established in 84 patients (37.7%) with the aid of the serological tests (HI and CF) and immunofluorescent techniques. Respiratory syncytial virus infection was diagnosed in 19 patients (8.5%). As regards the clinical picture the symptoms of intoxication were unmarked. Half the patients demonstrated moderate involvement of the upper respiratory tract which persisted for 7 days. Obstructive bronchitis was recognized in 8 out of the 19 patients. Subsequent dispensary follow up of the patients who suffered respiratory syncytial virus infection, including repeated serological and immunofluorescent studies, made it possible to reveal 2 cases with a chronic course of respiratory syncytial virus infection running in the form of bronchitis.

[Cytomegalovirus isolation in chronic salivary gland diseases of adults]. / Vydelenie tsitomegalovirusa pri khronicheskikh zabolevaniiakh u vzroslykh.

The results of virological investigation of a rare clinical instance of familial disease with a localized form of cytomegalovirus infection which, as a rule, is not diagnosed in life are presented. The infection localized in the salivary glands was the source of generalization of the process with a high fever, eruptions, lymphadenopathy, inflammatory changes in the excretory ducts of the salivary glands. Exacerbation of the chronic process was accompanied with high antibody titres (1:256--1:1024) with inhibition of the cellular immunity reactions in the mother. The latent form of infection in the father and two daughters ran without clinical manifestations, with low antibody titres and moderate inhibition of cellular reactions. The isolated strains of cytomegalovirus were identical in all the subjects under study and antigenically close to the Ad-169 strain.

[Immunologic memory in influenza patients according to the blast transformation reaction to specific antigen]. / Immunologicheskaia pamiat' u bol'nykh grippom po dannym reaktsii blasttransformatsii na spetsificheskii antigen.

One hundred-sixty patients with the laboratorily confirmed diagnosis of influenza were examined in the study on the capacity of T-and B-lymphocytes to retain immunological memory for influenza infection by the method of lymphocyte blast-cell transformation (LBT). The studies were carried out in the epidemic periods of influenza A2, A1, and B at various stages of the disease and convalescence. The LBT test was positive in 21--70% of tests depending on the time after the onset. Memory cells were detectable as early as by the end of the 1st week of the disease. The optimal results were found within 2--4 months after the disease. Early in the disease LBT was detected mostly in influenza A2, less frequently in influenza A1 and was practically absent in influenza B. The specificity of reaction in response to the stimulation with influenza A2 and B viruses was demonstrated. The accompanying bacterial pneumonia, a severe course of the disease, concurrent other viral infections did not prevent immunological memory formation.

[Use of peroxidase and FITC labeled antibodies for express-diagnosis of influenza]. / Ispol'zovanie antitel, mechennykh peroksidazoi i FITs, dlia ékspress-diagnostiki grippa.

The evaluation of influenza antigen detection was done in comparative experiments on the same material during an epidemic of influenza due to A2/Victoria (H3N2) influenza virus. Cells of the nasal mucosa from 65 patients were tested at the same intervals by two methods showing no difference in the principle of the reaction: peroxidase-labeled (IP) and FITC-labeled (IF) antibody. By the latter method influenza could be diagnosed in 36% of cases, by IP in 38%, by the combination of the two in 56%. There is sufficient evidence of the specificity of IP method. This method of influenza antigen detection is as sensitive as IF (47 and 44%, respectively), however, with IP the evaluation of the results is much easier.