[The effect of cellex on regenerative processes in cerebral parenchymal hemorrhage under experimental condition]. / Izuchenie vliianiia preparata tselleks na regeneratornye protsessy v tkani golovnogo mozga pri modelirovanii parenkhimatoznogo krovoizliianiia u zhivotnykh.

AIM: To study an effect of the protein-peptide preparation cellex on the cerebral tissue processes in case of parenchymal hemorrhage breed under experimental conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research involved the morphological examination of fragments of cerebral tissues of 57 rabbits of Chinchilla breed in artificially-provoked hemorrhagic stroke. Animals were divided into 2 groups: the first group received cellex once a day during 10 days, the second group received physiological solution in the same doses. The cerebral tissue was examined macroscopically and with histological, immunocytochemical and morphometric methods with subsequent data analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A much more pronounced regression of the neurological deficit was observed in the group of animals which were administered cellex. There was a significant increase in volume of active movements in the limbs. No connective tissue changes were observed macroscopically in rabbits of the first group. Besides, the area of destruction decreased in size in comparison with initially diagnosed one. A decline in the rate of the formation of connective tissue was observed in damaged parts of the brain. The microscopic study of the first group showed that the degree of inflammatory and hemodynamic disturbances was much lower and necrosis foci were not detected, however small foci of neoangiogenesis were found.

[Immunomodulators and specific inactivated vaccines in urgent prophylaxis under experimental arboviral infection].

A reliable protective activity of the home-manufactured immunomodulators (ridostin, polyribonate glucosemuramyl-dipeptide, Mylife, and peptidoglycane-160) was detected in mice. The mice were infected with the equine eastern encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV, an alphavirus), or with the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), or the yellow fever (YF) virus (both flaviviruses). The effect of the urgent vaccination reliably increases when the vaccination is combined with the immunomodulators listed above. Under the alphavirus infection, the combined effects of the vaccine and ridostin were accompanied with increased specific humoral and cellular immune response (virus-specific antibodies and adoptive transfer of immune lymphocytes). The combined application of the specific vaccine and ridostin can be recommended for clinical trials of TBE in the foci of Infection.

[Efficiency of coadministration of immunomodulators and vaccine in an experiment on tick-borne encephalitis].

Experiments on a tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) model in CBA and BALB/c mice demonstrated that immunomodulators (ridostin, polyribonate, and peptidoglycan-160) and a specific vaccine against TBE were significantly effective in increasing the level of a protective effect and life expectancy in the experimental group as compared to the control group. The findings allow one to recommend the immunomodulator ridostin in combination with the inactivated vaccine for the emergency prophylaxis of TBE in its virus-infected subjects in the foci of infection.

[Combined effects of immunomodulators and specific inactivated vaccines against alpha- and flavivirus infections].

The combined effects of immunomodulators, such as ridostin, polyribonate, glucose muramyl dipeptide, and peptidoglycan-160, and specific vaccines on survival of mice with alpha- (eastern equine encephalitis) and flavivirus (tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) infections were found to be significant. In alphavirus infection, the combined effects of the specific vaccine and ridostin were accompanied by increases in specific humoral immunity (specific antibodies) and cellular immunity (adoptive transfer of immune lymphocytes). The concurrent use of the specific vaccine and the immunomodulator ridostin is recommended in clinical trials of TBE in the foci of infection.

[HIV infection in Saint Petersburg: the changing face of the epidemic]. / VICh-infektsiia v Sankt-Peterburge: meniaiushcheesia litso épidemii.

The specific features of the epidemiological situation in St. Petersburg at the first stage (1987-1995) and the second stage (1986-1999) of the development of HIV infection are described. During this period morbidity in HIV infection, starting from the insignificant rate of growth, sharply increased. For the first time injecting drug users were noted to come out to the foreground in the structure of the contingent of persons affected by HIV infection (57.5% and 72.6% in 1998 and 1999 respectively). Such change on the epidemic situation requires corrections in the strategy and tactics of preventive measures and medical assistance. To control HIV infection among drug users, only the combination of medical assistance given by narcologists with the realization of all elements of the program "Harm Reduction" can be effective.

[Mechanisms for the therapeutic effect of herpes polyvaccines in chronic ophthalmic herpes and genital herpes]. / Mekhanizm lechebnogo éffekta gerpeticheskoi polivaktsiny pri khronicheskom oftal'mogerpese i gerpes genitalii.

Commercial inactivated culture polyvaccine against herpes simplex viruses (types 1 and 2) developed at D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology promoted cessation of viremia. During the first vaccination viremia coincided with appearance of a focal allergic test on the retina, which is proposed for the diagnosis of herpetic involvement of the posterior compartment of the eye. T-cellular immunity normalized after a course of vaccination. Experimental immunization of rats and vaccination of patients with chronic ophthalmic and genital herpes demonstrated the therapeutic activity of inactivated herpetic polyvaccine in suppositoria.

[Effectiveness of the interferon inducers ridostin and camedon in prevention and treatment of experimental alpha- and flavivirus infections]. / Effektivnost' induktorov interferona ridostina i kamedona v profilaktike i lechenii éksperimental'nykh al'fa- i flavivirusnykh infektsii.

Antiviral activity of rybamidil (virasol) and interferon inducers ridostine and camedone developed in Russia and introduced in practical medicine has been studied in mice with experimentally induced arboviral infections, flavivirus (tick-borne encephalitis-TBE, and yellow fever-YF) and alphavirus ones (Western and Eastern equine encephalomyelitis-WEE and EEE). Rybamidil injected subcutaneously proved to be ineffective both for prevention and treatment of these infections. Early interferon inducers ridostine and camedone (larifan) with a peak of interferon production 4 hours after injection, when used in doses of 5 and 150 mg/ kg, respectively, had a clear-cut prophylactic antiviral effect if injected 24 or 4 hours before infection. Ridostine had a distinct antiviral effect, providing up to 40% protection from TBE, YF, and WEE.

[The migratory activity of HIV-infected people in the northwestern region and the routes of the possible spread of the infection]. / Migratsionnaia aktivnost' VICh-infitsirovannykh lits v severo-zapadnom regione i puti vozmozhnogo rasprostraneniia infektsii.

The epidemic situation in HIV infection in the northwestern region of this country has been analyzed. The ways of the spread of HIV infection among the infected persons, residents of the St. Petersburg region, Kaliningrad, Novgorod and Murmansk, have been studied. The infection is transmitted mainly through sexual contacts, both homosexual and heterosexual. High migration activity of HIV-infected persons, homo- and heterosexuals, has been established, and a great number of unknown (casual) sexual contacts among them was noted. The results of these observations may be useful in the prognostication of the epidemic situation in HIV infection not only in the northwestern region, but also beyond its boundaries, and later in the optimization of screening.

[Antiviral and immunostimulating effect of maleic anhydride copolymers in experimental neuroviral infections]. / Protivovirusnyi i immunostimuliruiushchii éffekt sopolimerov maleinovogo angidrida pri éksperimental'nykh neirovirusnykh infektsiiakh.

The virus-inhibiting and immunostimulating activity of Soviet preparations, maleic anhydride copolymers, was demonstrated in alpha-, flavi-, and bunyavirus infections. Positive results were obtained in subcutaneous and intraperitoneal inoculations of the preparations used in prophylactic and therapeutic-prophylactic schedules. Stimulation of vaccination immunity was observed after combined use of copolymers and the vaccine against Eastern equine encephalomyelitis.

[Comparative study of the antiviral activity of natural double-stranded RNAs in experimental tick-borne encephalitis]. / Sravnital'noe izuchenie protivovirusnoi aktivnosti prirodnykh dvuspiral'nykh RNK pri éksperimental'nom kleshchevom éntsefalite.

A comparative study of the antiviral effect of interferon inducers from the group of natural double-stranded RNAs (yeast plasmid dsRNA, phage phi 6 and phage f2 dsRNAs was carried out on the model of experimental tick-borne encephalitis. The possibility of inducing up to 60% protection against 10 LD50 of TBE virus by prophylactic inoculation of interferon inducers alone was demonstrated. The therapeutic effect was observed only with yeast dsRNA (30% protection when the inducer was administered 4 hours after virus infection of mice). The prophylactic effect of inoculation of interferon inducers (yeast dsRNA and f2 dsRNA) to immune mice correlated with the protective effect of inducers alone. At the same time, the therapeutic effect of inoculation of yeast dsRNA to immune animals (4 hours after TBE virus, 40% protection) was more marked. In the therapeutic use of f2 dsRNA for pre-immunized animals a synergetic effect of the preparation was observed (56.7% protection in 4 hours and 26.7% protection 24 hours postinfection).

[Comparative study of the viremia in tick-borne encephalitis in immune and nonimmune animals]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie virusemii pri kleshchevom éntsefalite v immunnom i neimmunnom organizme zhivotnykh.

A long-term viremia (12 days postinoculation, the observation period) of both cellular and plasma type was detected in mice experimentally infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus, the Sophyin strain. Preliminary vaccination was found to prevent viremia in experimentally infected animals. Comparative studies of cellular and humoral immune responses in vaccinated mice showed the cellular immune responses to be most important in eliminating the virus upon subsequent experimental inoculation of mice with tick-borne encephalitis virus.

[Experimental study of viremia in immune host in tick-borne encephalitis]. / Eksperimental'noe izuchenie virusemii pri kleshchevom entsefalite v immunnom organizme.

Experimental studies of viremia in immune hosts with tick-borne encephalitis showed that triple vaccination alone, providing antibody accumulation in the blood sera of mice with a neutralization index up to 2.0 led to the survival of not more than 60% of the animals after subcutaneous inoculation of 100 LD50 of virus with the average survival time of 8.5 days. The use of vaccine in combination with exogenous mouse interferon or interferon inducer (RFf2) increased the survival rate to 75% and 80%, respectively, with an increase in the average survival time up to 9 and 9.5 days. The infected animals examined both 1--4 days after infection and at more remote intervals showed no viremia either in the blood serum or in formed elements examined by immunofluorescence. The use of interferon alone or interferon inducer alone without preliminary vaccination increased the survival rate to 55%--60% but did not result in complete elimination of the virus from the blood in the first day after inoculation.

[Comparative results from the use of the direct immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence methods to diagnose chronic herpetic infection]. / Sravnitel'nye dannye pri ispol'zovanii priamogo immunoperoksidaznogo i immunofliuorestsentnogo metodov issledovaniia v diagnostike khronicheskoi gerpeticheskoi infektsii.

Comparative data are presented on application of varying methods for viremia detection in hamsters with chronic herpesvirus infection (CHVI). The specificity of the immunofluorescent method was shown in a comparative diagnosis of CHVI when virologic and immunomorphologic methods was used. At the same time the immunoperoxidatic method proved more advantageous because it is specific, simple and realizable in common laboratory conditions, and the preparations can be preserved for a long time.

[Comparative experimental studies of the combined use of vaccines, interferon and interferon inducers in neurovirus infections]. / Sravnitel'nye issledovaniia po éksperimental'nomu izucheniiu sochetannogo primeneniia vaktsin, interferona i induktorov interferona pri nekotorykh neirovirusnykh infektsiiakh.

Comparative investigations of the combined use of vaccines and interferon in tick-borne encephalitis, herpes, and acute encephalomyelitis of man showed that up to 78% of animal protection against 10--50 LD50 of intraperitoneally inoculated viruses could be achieved. Vaccination alone provided up to 56% survival of the infected mice, while administration of interferon subcutaneously or intraperitoneally in a dose of 800 units (53,300 units per 1 kilo body weight) 18--20 hours before virus gave a survival rate of 36%. The use of vaccine in combination with an interferon inducer, phage of f2 RNA, in tick-borne encephalitis gave up to 75% survival of the infected mice. Four hours after administration, interferon could be detected in mouse sera in a concentration up to 640 units/ml which in immune mice accumulated more rapidly and remained at a higher level 18 hours after inoculation of the inducer.