[An evaluation of the effectiveness of laboratory diagnostic methods for brucellosis]. / Otsenka éffektivnosti metodov laboratornoi diagnostiki brutselleza.

The diagnostic value of bacteriological and serological methods for the laboratory diagnosis of brucellosis was studied. In the analysis of milk and cheese specimens Brucella cultures were isolated and differentiated as B.melitensis, biovar I, and B.abortus, biovar 4. In 25.6% of cases B.melitensis culture, biovar 1, was isolated from the blood of persons suspected for brucellosis. The isolation of B.melitensis culture from milk showed that this infective agent migrated from small animals to cattle, which was indicative of a high risk of human infection in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. The comparative evaluation of serological diagnostic methods (the agglutination test in test tubes, Huddleson's slide test, the acidic rose bengal test and the 2-mercaptoethanol test) showed high sensitivity of rapid tests (Huddleson's test and the rose bengal test in 93.7% and 87.9% of cases respectively). The 2-mercaptoethanol test which gave positive results in 63.8% of cases provided additional information characterizing the course of infections process.

[Specific IgE antibodies in brucellosis]. / Spetsificheskie IgE-antitela pri brutsellëze.

Specific IgE antibodies and sensitization were assessed in patients with brucellosis in various forms. IgE antibodies were determined with enzyme immunoassay which demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity with conjugate against IgE antibodies in 509 serum samples. Specific IgE antibodies were present in most patients with acute, subacute or chronic brucellosis. Their synthesis seems to be a normal component of humoral immunity in response to brucellosis agent invasion. Allergy in brucellosis seems to arise without participation of the IgE antibodies as there is no correlation between the antibodies levels, the response to Burnet's allergic test and specific leukocytolysis activity.

[Specific immunoglobulins of different classes in brucellosis in human beings]. / Spetsificheskie immunoglobuliny raznykh klassov pri brutselleze u liudei.

The paper is concerned with the results of studying the level of specific IgG, IgA and IgM in people with different forms of brucellosis. Immunoglobulins belonging to different classes were identified by means of IEA. Examination of 514 patients with different forms of brucellosis and 122 controls demonstrated the high specificity and sensitivity of IEA for detecting antibodies of different physiochemical nature. The use of IEA made it possible to establish definite regularities of the synthesis of specific IgG, IgA, IgM in people with brucellosis, which can be used for assessing the activity of the infectious process.

[Determination of specific hemolysins in brucellosis patients in the indirect hemolysis reaction]. / Opredelenie spetsificheskikh gemolizinov u bol'nykh brutsellezom v nepriamoi reaktsii gemoliza.

A total of 400 persons, 136 of them normal or with non-brucellar infection and 264 with chronic brucellosis, have been examined. Specific antibodies (hemolysins) have been detected by the indirect hemolysis test only in the brucellosis patients. High specificity and sensitivity of this test make it possible to recommend it for the diagnosis of brucellosis in humans.

[Use of an in vitro allergy test for the differential diagnosis of human brucellosis and yersiniosis]. / Ispol'zovanie allergotesta in vitro dlia differentsial'noi diagnostiki brutselleza i iersinioza u liudei.

The degree of the allergic reorganization in the body of brucellosis and yersiniosis patients was determined by the study of their blood and serum samples in the in vitro allergy test (the direct and indirect leukocytolysis test). The allergy test is highly specific and recommended as a differential diagnostic method in brucellosis and yersiniosis infections.

[Determination of immunoglobulin E concentrations in the sera of patients with chronic brucellosis]. / Opredelenie kontsentratsii immunoglobulina E v syvorotkakh bol'nykh khronicheskim brutsellezom.

The data on the level of IgE in the sera of 41 patients with chronic brucellosis are presented. The IgE content in the sera was determined by the radioimmunoassay. A 3- to 17-fold increase in the concentration of total IgE was revealed. The increased concentration of IgE correlated with the results of Burnet' allergic test and the indirect leukocytolysis test.

[IgG subclasses in chronic brucellosis patients]. / Izuchenie subklassov IgG u bol'nykh kronicheskim brutsellezom.

The data on the levels of immunoglobulins belonging to the main classes (IgA, IgM, IgG) and IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) in the sera of 52 patients with chronic brucellosis lasting 1-10 years are presented; in 10 of these patients immunoglobulin levels before and after vaccinal therapy are given. The blood sera of chronic brucellosis patients were found to contain IgG of 4 subclasses, the concentration of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4 being, on the average, normal and the concentration of IgG3, elevated. A certain correlation between the increase of the IgG level and the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol-resistant specific antibodies was observed. After brucellosis patients received the injections of therapeutic vaccine, their levels of IgG and IgG1 increased, while the concentration of IgG3 decreased and that of IgG2 and IgG4 remained unchanged.

[Comparative study of immunoglobulins and specific antibodies in the sera of chronic brucellosis patients]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie immunoglobulinov i spetsificheskikh antitel v syvorotkakh bol'nykh khronicheskim brutsellezom.

The data on the IgA, IgM and IgG levels in the sera of 89 patients with chronic brucellosis lasting for 1-10 years and longer are presented. The chronic form of brucellosis is characterized by the normal or low level of immunoglobulins. No correlation between the levels of IgG, IgM and the titer of specific antibodies has been established.

[Use of acidic rose bengal antigen in the plate agglutination test for brucellosis in humans]. / Isopol'zovanie kislogo antigen roz-bengal v plastinchatoi reakstii aggliutinatsii pri brutselleze u liudei.

The results obtained in the study of the activity of an antigen stained with rose bengale in the plate agglutination test are presented. The analysis of 1309 serum samples from healthy persons and brucellosis patients has shown the high specificity and diagnostic sensitivity of the rose bengale test. The evaluation of the positive result of the rose bengale test should be differentiated in accordance with the degree of agglutination observed in the test. The correlation between the degree of agglutination with the rose bengale antigen and the titer value in Wright's test has been established. The new accelerated test is recommended for large-scale approbation in clinical conditions, epidemiological practice and in the examination of donors at blood donor centers.

[Effect of brucellosis protective antigen on the phagocytic activity of the cells]. / Vliianie brutselleznogo protektivnogo antigena na fagotsitarnuiu funktsiiu kletok.

The authors present the results of study of the protective function of cells of the local inflammatory focus caused by the administration of live brucella culture to guinea pigs immunized with a protective antigen in the optimal (0.6) and increased (2 mg) doses. Macrophages of guinea pigs vaccinated with the optimal immunized dose of the protective antigen phagocytized brucellae actively; an increased dose of the antigen suppressed the ingestive and the digestive functions of macrophages, this apparently being caused by the manifestation of the immunodepressive activity of the residual amount of lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) in the protective antigen.

[Antibody neutralization test in brucellosis]. / Reaktsiia neitralizatsii antitel pri brutselleze

The authors present the results of study of the antibody neutralization test in brucellosis with the use of erythrocytes sensitized with lipopolysaccharide. This test was shown to be highly specific and sensitive in detection of brucellae and brucellosis antigen in pathological material, food and objects of external environment.