[Alpha-fetoprotein immunotherapy as a stage of combined treatment of cancer patients].

The paper discusses the preliminary findings on alpha-feto-protein (AFP) treatment of 58 patients with stage III-IV malignancies of different localizations. No influence on neoplastic processes was registered in poorly differentiated cell tumors, nor were any immunological mechanisms of antitumor action triggered on. However, in moderately- and well-differentiated cell tumors, several foci of acute immune inflammation were induced. It is suggested that AFP is responsible for tumor cell apoptosis by freeing antigenic determinants from shielding antibodies via elimination of <> of tumor growth.

[The comparative biochemical and morphological characteristics of chondrosarcoma and giant-cell tumor of the bone]. / Sravnitel'naia biokhimicheskaia i morfologicheskaia kharakteristika khondrosarkomy i gigantokletochnoi opukholi kosti.

Spectrometry has been employed to assess the levels of collagenase, catepsin D, trypsin-like proteinases and their inhibitors as well as bone acid and alkaline phosphatase both in the center and along the periphery of giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and chondrosarcoma. The levels of collagenase, trypsin-like proteinases and their inhibitors in the center of chondrosarcoma were much higher while those of alkaline phosphatase--lower than along tumor periphery. The catepsin D and acid phosphatase concentrations of the center and periphery of chondrosarcoma were similar. It was suggested that an extremely low concentration of trypsin-like inhibitors may contribute to degradation of the matrix in tissues adjacent to chondrosarcoma and, consequently, to tumor invasion development.

[The results of a 5-year study of listeriosis in Ukraine]. / Itogi piatiletnego izucheniia listerioza na Ukraine.

Data on the isolation of Listeria spp. cultures on the territory of Ukraine, the frequency of Listeria contamination of alimentary raw materials and foodstuffs, the level of listeriosis morbidity, the clinical forms of the manifestation of this disease, as well as the occurrence of asymptomatic carriership among clinically healthy persons of epidemiologically significant professions, are given. The results of the study of the biological properties of 73 strains of Listeria spp., their sensitivity to antibiotics and Chlorophyllipt are presented.

[The role of immunological mechanisms in the development of the late sequelae of nuclear disasters]. / O roli immunologicheskikh mekhanizmov v razvitii otdalennykh posledstvii iadernykh katastrof.

Effects, both specific and non-specific, were analysed of ionizing radiation in a comparative evaluation of medical sequels of the Chernobyl disaster and of the Semipalatinsk Range nuclear test. A hypothesis is advanced assuming that development of all major bodily morbid conditions is directly related to the dysfunction of certain complex of organs, the thyroid gland in the first place, the thymus gland known to be a central organ of systemic immunogenesis. A breach in the thymus link triggers harmful cascade reactions of neuroimmunoendocrinological regulation, appeared to be responsible for the pathogenesis of practically all pathologies disclosed.

[The possible role of immunogenetic factors in the pathogenesis of HIV infection]. / O vozmozhnoi roli nekotorykh immunogeneticheskikh faktorov v patogeneze VICh-infektsii.

In this review the data on the presence of associations between immunogenetic markers and the development of HIV infection are presented. Special attention is given to spatial relationships of genetic determinants, responsible for the synthesis of the components of the complement system on one hand and the genes controlling resistance to the causative agents of opportunistic infections and malignant growth on the other hand. Suggestion is made on close relationship between the specific features of the course of HIV infection and the genetic control, responsible for the synthesis of complement components, in particular the genes making up the HLA system.

[Antigenemia and circulation of specific immune complexes in the asymptomatic course of tick-borne encephalitis]. / Antigenemiia i tsirkuliatsiia spetsifichekikh immunnykh kompleksov pri bessimptomnom techenii kleshchevogo entsefalita.

The frequency of the detection of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus antigens, carried out by the method of fluorescent antibodies with the use of erythrocytic immunosorbent, in the blood of persons bitten by virus-carrying ticks, but with no signs of the clinical manifestation of the infection changed from 5.7 +/- 2.4% to 13.8% of cases with different time elapsed after infection, constituting, on the average, 8.5 +/- 1.4%. The detection of the antigen in the examination of patients varied from 35.8 +/- 6.6% to 45.4 +/- 10.6%, the average figure being 39.8 +/- 3.9%. Antigenemia was more frequently detected after infection by virulent TBE virus than after infection by a low-virulent strain of the virus. The frequency of the detection of specific immune complexes in cases of the asymptomatic course of this infection (28.8 +/- 6.7%) was somewhat lower than in TBE patients (36.0 +/- 3.0%). But the difference between these figures was not significant (p > 0.1), which was probably indicative of the relatively weak formation of specific immune complexes in cases of clinical manifestations of TBE in spite of considerable antigenemia in TBE patients and their sufficiently active formation in the asymptomatic course of the disease.

[The clinical picture of internal diseases in the light of immunology]. / Klinika vnutrennikh boleznei v svete immunologii.

Clinical profiles of internal diseases are examined from the immunological standpoint together with the causes for creation by immunology of its own clinical base. It is shown that the approach common in immunology, based on the fundamental notions of the immunity system offers superior efficacy and should be recommended in dealing with internal diseases in a clinical setting.

[A model of the structure of the receptor apparatus of HIV target cells (1)]. / Model' struktury retseptornogo apparata kletok-mishenei VICh (soobshchenie 1).

A model is proposed and well based of structure of the receptor apparatus of interacting HIV target cells: Langerhans cells (LC) and helper cells (HC)--designed to explain feasibility of realizing a double activation signal, together with some features of immune pathogenesis of HIV-infection (morphofunctional abnormalities in certain subpopulations of the immune system such as HC, suppressor cells, killer cells, natural killers, lymph cells, macrophages, LC), as well as immunogenetic predisposition to AIDS.

[The immune system indices of patients with pseudotuberculosis and concomitant chronic opisthorchiasis]. / Nekotorye pokazateli immunnoi sistemy u bol'nykh psevdotuberkulezom s soputstvuiushchim khronicheskim opistorkhozom.

The quantitative characteristics of T and B-lymphocytes and their subpopulations (theophylline-resistant and theophylline-sensitive lymphocytes), the reaction of lymphocyte blast transformation (RLBT) after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and the level of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in pseudotuberculosis patients with and without concomitant opisthorchiasis were studied and compared. For control opisthorchiasis patients undergoing dehelminthization and healthy persons were examined. The following results were obtained: in most pseudotuberculosis patients Opisthorchis invasion contributed to the formation of stable and prolonged T lymphopenia, an increase in the content of theophylline-sensitive lymphocytes and CIC, hyporeactivity of T lymphocytes in RLBT. Immunodeficiency developing in chronic opisthorchiasis is reversible, i.e. successful dehelminthization leads to the normalization of immunological characteristics.

[Role of migration processes in oncologic epidemiology of Siberia and Far East]. / Rol' migratsionnykh protsessov v onkoépidemiologii Sibiri i Dal'nego Vostoka.

The paper presents the analysis of the cancer death rates among the population of a Norilsk industrial area and compares the rate and structure among newcomers and natives. The persons who long live in this area more frequently die of cancer diseases than migrants. They have high mortality rates for most sites (the stomach, esophagus, bowel, liver, pancreas). The migrants die younger and chiefly of tumors of respiratory organs, the skin, brain, and female genitals. The lower mortality rates in the newcomers are attributable to their departure to their former residence places.

[The interleukin-1 content of the blood in patients with a pseudotuberculosis infection and opisthorchiasis]. / Soderzhanie interleikina-1 v krovi bol'nykh psevdotuberkuleznoi infektsiei i opistorkhozom.

Interleukin-1 levels were measured according to S. B. Mizel in 25 patients with pseudotuberculosis and concomitant chronic opisthorchiasis and in 25 ones with pseudotuberculosis alone over the course of the disease and in 3 months after it. The controls were patients with chronic opisthorchiasis and normal subjects. Hyperproduction of interleukin-1 by peripheral blood monocytes was found in chronic opisthorchiasis patients and in pseudotuberculosis patients with concomitant opisthorchiasis over the entire follow-up period. In patients with pseudotuberculosis alone interleukin-1 production was found elevated only at the peak of the disease and during early convalescence, that was followed by a stable normalization of this characteristic.

[Functional morphology of the thyroid gland in primary immunodeficiency]. / Funktsional'naia morfologiia shchitovidnoi zhelezy v usloviiakh pervichnogo immunodefitsita.

Morphological changes of the thyroid in non-inbred albino rats were analysed using a complex of histochemical methods. These data show the depression of functional activity against a background of primary immunodeficiency induced by neonatala thymectomy.

[Indicators of general and local immunity in chronic and neoplastic processes in the head and neck areas]. / Pokazateli obshchego i mestnogo immuniteta pri khronicheskikh i neoplasticheskikh protsessakh v oblasti golovy i shei.

Total and secretory immunity was investigated in healthy people, patients with chronic ENT pathologies, and patients with tumors of the oral cavity, larynx and laryngopharynx. It was found that chronic inflammation was followed by a decline of topical defence and a decrease of total immunity. In cancer patients these changes were aggravated. Topical immunity disorders included mainly secretory immunoglobulin A and were most pronounced in patients with tumors localized in the oral cavity.

[Secretory and immunocompetent functions of the parotid and submaxillary salivary glands after thymectomy]. / Sekretornaia i immunokompetentnaia funktsii okoloushnoi i podcheliustnoi sliunnykh zhelez posle timéktomii.

The dynamics of morphological, enzymatic and immunologic salivary glands indices in pubertal rates was investigated after thymectomy. The data obtained analysis demonstrated the functional salivary glands reconstruction, having immunologic and secretory characteristics: stimulation of the humoral and cellular immunity factors; reduction of the albuminous and rise of the mucous salivary glands component represented the remote effect of thymectomy /3 months]. Activation of the salivary glands immune characteristics may be explained by their belonging to the thymic-peripharyngeal complex.

[The morphological characteristics of the parotid and submandibular salivary glands following neonatal thymectomy]. / Morfologicheskie osobennosti okoloushnoi i podcheliustnoi sliunnykh zhelez posle neonatal'noi timéktomii.

The time course of structural and functional changes in the parotid and submaxillary salivary glands after neonatal thymectomy was considered. A combination of various methods including histological, histochemical, cytophotometric ones and transmission electron microscopy, was employed. They showed that neonatal thymectomy resulted in an increase in secretory activity of the salivary glands and was followed by hemolymphodynamic disorders and lymphoplasmocytic infiltration.