[Variability of the HIV-1 nef regulatory gene and its association with different HIV stages]. / Variabel'nost' reguliatornogo gena nef VICH-1, sviazannaia s razlichnymi stadiiami VICH-infektsii.

Biological properties of HIV-1 laboratory strains and isolates were studies and compared with research results of the nef gene fragment obtained from their proviral DNA and RNA as well as from RNA and HIV-1 DNA isolated immediately from the blood of patients at early HIV stages. The electrophoresis pattern as well as the results of determination of nucleotide sequences showed that the HVI-1 RNA nef gene of rapid/high laboratory strains of HIV isolates and RNA obtained from patients at late infection stages had a 135-nucleotide inner deletion. The phenomenon can be regarded is proof of that nef gene structure, if violated, causes an enhanced virulence of and an intensified multiplication of the virus (according to laboratory markers) observed at late HIV stages, which triggers, at least in a number of cases, the infection aggravation.

[HIV-1 chemokine receptors and their role in the pathogenesis of AIDS]. / Khemokinovye retseptory VICH-1 i ikh rol' v patogeneze SPIDa.

Data on cellular receptors playing an important role in penetration of HIV into the cell and determining further development of HIV infection are reviewed. Special attention is paid to chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4. The resistance of some humans to HIV-1 infection, probably due to defective CCR5 gene allele, is discussed.

[Quantitative determination of the infective activity of the human immunodeficiency virus by plaque formation using monolayer cultures]. / Kolichestvennoe opredelenie infektsionnoi aktivnosti virusa immunodefitsita cheloveka metodom bliashkoobrazovaniia s ispol'zovaniem monosloinykh kul'tur.

A method for assessment of the infective activity of HIV using plaque formation method with human diploid cells (strains L-65, L-68, L-72) has been developed. This method is not inferior to plaque formation with poly-L-lysine in sensitivity, but superior to it in reproducibility of results and standardization of the test conditions. The method is fit for titration of HIV and virus-neutralizing antibodies, as well as for assessment of the activity of anti-HIV preparations.

[A nonisotopic method of quantitative PCR analysis in diagnosing HIV infection]. / Neizotopnyi metod kolichestvennogo PTsR-analiza v diagnostike VICh-infektsii.

A nonisotopic method for the detection of HIV DNA has been developed, based on the use of avidin-biotin complex to identify the products of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Biotin label integrated in deoxyuridine triphosphate (bio-11-dUTP) was incorporated in the structure of amplified fragments in the course of PCR. The resultant products were identified in hybridization reaction with specific HIV DNA adsorbed on polystyrene plates. The suggested method was not inferior to the traditional radioisotope method in sensitivity and specificity and helped quantitatively assess the results of experiments using an objective criterion--optic density value.

[Primers for the nef gene in the diagnosis of HIV infection using the polymerase chain reaction]. / Praimery k genu nef v diagnostike VICh-infektsii s pomoshch'iu polimeraznoi tsepnoi reaktsii.

A new system of primers and internal probe identifying the nef gene of HIV-1 was selected and tested for the laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection by means of PCR. The proposed primers and probe by their characteristics approached the optimal ones for PCR diagnosis. The diagnostic value of the above system was confirmed by the PCR analysis of blood samples from 29 patients including subjects with a doubtful diagnosis of HIV infection. The results of the PCR analysis using primers nef1/nef2 correlated with the results obtained by employing the widely used primers for the gag gene SK38/SK39 and attested to the high specificity and diagnostic efficiency of the proposed system.