[Diagnostic value of different laboratory methods in the diagnosis of pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B]. / Diagnosticheskaia tsennost' razlichnykh metodov laboratornoi diagnostiki pnevmonii, obuslovlennoi Haemophilus influenzae tipa B.

Comparative analysis of the diagnostic value of different laboratory methods in the diagnosis of H. influenzae b (Hib) pneumonia in children (bacteriological method, latex agglutination, counter immunoelectrophoresis, the passive hemagglutination test and the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was carried out. EIA proved to be the most informative method for the diagnosing Hib pneumonia. EIA makes it possible to detect specific Hib antigens in different clinical materials in 48.8% of cases, as well as high titers of antibodies to mis infective agent in 61.7% of cases. The authors propose the unified criteria of the laboratory diagnosis of Hib infection in children.

[A radioimmunological method for determining IgA-class antimeningococcal secretory antibodies in human saliva]. / Radioimmunologicheskii metod opredeleniia antimeningokokkovykh sekretornykh antitel IgA-klassa v sliune cheloveka.

The data on the content of secretory IgA antibodies to group A Neisseria meningitidis protein antigen in the saliva of persons, both having had contact with N. meningitidis culture and having had no such contact, are presented. The results were obtained by the method of radioimmunoassay, developed specially for the determination of N. meningitidis protein antigen.

[Immunological factors in the evolution of the epidemic process in meningococcal infection]. / Immunologicheskii faktor v évoliutsii épidemicheskogo protsessa pri meningokokkovoi infektsii.

The results obtained in 1987 in the study of the immunostructure of the population of Yaroslavl with respect to meningococcal polysaccharides, groups, A, B, C, and lipopolysaccharide are presented in comparison with earlier results obtained in 1976. The regulating role of the immunological factor in the evolution of the epidemic process of meningococcal infection has been confirmed. The level of antibodies to meningococcal polysaccharides, groups A and B, has been found to reflect the intensity of the circulation of the infective agent among the population. The comparison of the results of investigations carried out in 1976 and 1987 has revealed the essential role of the lipopolysaccharide antigen in the formation of the postinfection immunity of the population to meningococcal infection, irrespective of the group of the infective agent.

[Antibodies to meningococcal lipopolysaccharide in different forms of meningococcal infection]. / Antitela k lipopolisakharidu meningokokka pri raznykh formakh meningokokkovoi infektsii.

The results of the determination of antibodies to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in 270 patients with different forms of meningococcal infection and in 816 healthy persons by means of the passive hemagglutination test are presented. The role of antibodies to LPS in the formation of humoral immunity to meningococci in sick children and adults is shown. Different forms of meningococcal infection have been found to have their specific features of the accumulation of antibodies to LPS. As revealed, the time of the sanation of liquor and the level of antibodies to LPS are unrelated, which indicates that antibodies to LPS may play some role in the pathogenesis of meningococcal infection.

[Dynamics of the level of antibodies to protein antigens of the Meningococcus serogroup A in the serum of patients with meningococcal infection]. / Dinamika urovnia antitel k belkovym antigenam meningokokka serogruppy A v syvorotke bol'nykh meningokokkovoi infektsiei.

Two characteristics were determined in the sera of patients by means of radioimmunoassay (RIA) techniques: the RIA titer and the characteristic indicating the presence of highly avid antibodies in the serum. This investigation revealed that in the sera of patients with meningococcal infection of moderate severity the values of the RIA titer of IgM, IgG and IgA, as well as the values indicating the levels of highly avid IgM, IgG and IgA, increased as the infection progressed. In patients with the severe form of meningococcal infection the values of the RIA titer of IgA and IgA increased, while the RIA titer of IgG remained practically unchanged. No dynamic changes in the characteristics indicating the presence of highly avid antibodies in the serum were observed.

[Cross-reacting intraspecies antigens of Neisseria meningitidis. II. The dynamics of antimeningococcal antibodies to cross-reacting antigens in different forms of meningococcal infection]. / Perekrestno reagiruiushchie vnutrividovye antigeny Neisseria meningitidis. Soobshchenie II. Dinamika protivomeningokokkovykh antitel k perekrestno reagiruiushchim antigenam pri razlichnykh formakh meningokokkovoi infektsii.

The presence of antibodies to meningococci has been determined in the sera of 203 patients with meningococcal infection and 234 healthy persons by means of the indirect hemagglutination tests with the use of polyvalent erythrocyte diagnosticum. The tests have shown that antibodies to cross-reacting antigens can be detected both in patients with generalized forms of meningococcal infection and in healthy persons; the level and occurrence of these antibodies depend on the age of the subjects under examination and the form taken by the course of meningococcal infection. The study has revealed that the background level of antibodies to meningococci in healthy persons is mainly formed due to meningococcal carriership. Antibodies to cross-reacting meningococcal antigens have been shown to be capable of being transferred transplacentally.

[Cross-reacting intraspecific antigens of Neisseria meningitidis. I. The isolation, immunochemical and serological characteristics of the cross-reacting antigens of N. meningitidis serogroup A]. / Perekrestno reagiruiushchie vnutrividovye antigeny Neisseria meningitidis. Soobshchenie L. Vydelenie, immunokhimicheskaia i serologicheskaia kharakteristika perekrestno reagiruiushchikh antigenov N. meningitidis serogruppy A.

New data on the cross-reacting antigen of N. meningitidis, serogroup A, are presented. A complex of antigens has been isolated by treatment with tryptone X-100, ethanol precipitation and the subsequent treatment with trichloroacetic acid. The immunological analysis of the isolated preparation has shown that the proteinaceous part of the biopolymer contains 7 polypeptide fragments; of these, one fragment with a molecular weight of 31000 daltons has been found to constitute 49, 15% of all polypeptide fragments. The evaluation of the serological properties of this preparation in the precipitation test and the passive hemagglutination test has revealed that the preparation contains various cross-reactive antigenic determinants. Polyvalent erythrocyte diagnosticum obtained on the basis of this preparation permits the detection of antibodies to meningococci irrespective of their serogroup.

[Evaluation of the toxicity of meningococcal antigens by the development of paw edema in white mice]. / Otsenka toksichnosti meningokokkovykh antigenov po razvitiiu oteka lap belykh myshei.

The comparative evaluation of group A meningococcal antigens of different chemical nature (protein, polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide and complex fraction) was made by the method of paw edema. The preparations were introduced in a dose of 100 micrograms/0.05 ml. The dynamics of the development of edema was observed. The chemical nature of the injected antigen was found to be related to changes in the character of edema in time: edema reached its maximum 3 hours after the injection of protein and 48 hour after the injection of lipopolysaccharide. The animals showed practically no reaction to polysaccharide.

[Neuraminidase activity of N. meningitidis]. / Neiraminidaznaia aktivnost' N. meningitidis

The work was aimed at the study of the neuraminidase activity of meningococci. The optimal conditions for detection of this enzyme in meningococci were chosen preliminarily. In experiments carried out with the observance of these conditions it was shown that meningococci of the main serological groups possessed neuraminidase activity revealed in the exponential growth phase of the microorganisms and was apparently of great pathogenetic significance providing a possibility of overcoming the physiological barrier of the host organism by the microbes.

[Biological and immunochemical properties of a complex of soluble antigens from N. meningitidis, serogroups A, B and C]. / Biologicheskie i immunokhimicheskie svoistva kompleksa rastvorimykh antigenov N. meningitidis serogrupp A, B i C

Complexes of surface soluble antigens were obtained in grown meningococci of serological groups A, B and C in fluid nutrient media. In studying the chemical composition and biological properties of these complexes released of the nutrient medium components it was revealed that they consisted of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, possessed marked group-specific properties in the PHAT, were toxic (LD50 about 0.15 mg) and immunogenic.

Toxic and reactogenic properties of pertussis bacteria (experimental and clinical studies).

The results of the study revealed correlation between the reactogenicity of pertussis vaccines in epidemiological observations and the toxic properties of pertussis bacteria in experiment. Quantitative and qualitative differences were found between the toxic factors in pertussis bacteria depending on their type-specific serological activity. Serotype 1.0.3 microbes exhibit more pronounced toxicity which accounts for the greater reactogenicity of vaccines prepared from this serotype as compared with the preparation produced from the serotype 1.2.3. The obtained results suggest the necessity of considering the greater toxicity of the serotype 1.0.3 in the preparation of pertussis vaccines.