Disordered Toll-like receptor 2 responses in the pathogenesis of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

In this study, we hypothesized that the granulomatous disorder sarcoidosis is not caused by a single pathogen, but rather results from abnormal responses of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to conserved bacterial elements. Unsorted bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from patients with suspected pulmonary sarcoidosis and healthy non-smoking control subjects were stimulated with representative ligands of TLR-2 (in both TLR-2/1 and TLR-2/6 heterodimers) and TLR-4. Responses were determined by assessing resulting production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. BAL cells from patients in whom sarcoidosis was confirmed displayed increased cytokine responses to the TLR-2/1 ligand 19-kDa lipoprotein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (LpqH) and decreased responses to the TLR-2/6 agonist fibroblast stimulating ligand-1 (FSL)-1. Subsequently, we evaluated the impact of TLR-2 gene deletion in a recently described murine model of T helper type 1 (Th1)-associated lung disease induced by heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes. As quantified by blinded scoring of lung pathology, P. acnes-induced granulomatous pulmonary inflammation was markedly attenuated in TLR-2(-/-) mice compared to wild-type C57BL/6 animals. The findings support a potential role for disordered TLR-2 responses in the pathogenesis of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

[The significance of detecting medium-weight molecules in the plasma of patients with viral and bacterial infectious]. / Znachenie opredeleniia srednikh molekul v plazme krovi pri infektsionnykh zabolevaniiakh virusnoi i bakterial'noi étiologii.

The content of medium-weight molecules (MWM) in the plasma was evaluated by the screening method in 280 patients with prevalent infectious diseases (viral hepatitides A, B, and C, influenza, acute dysentery, alimentary toxicoinfections, and tonsillitis). Control group consisted of 70 donors. The maximum levels of MWM were observed at the peak of disease. In viral infections the increase in the level of MWM was longer. The values of MWM depended on the disease severity and presence of the intoxication syndrome. Plasma concentration of MWM correlated with the presence of the leading clinical syndromes in infectious diseases. Measurement of MWM level in the plasma of infectious patients can be used as a criterion of recovery and a prognostic and additional diagnostic test.

[Plasma middle mass molecules in viral hepatitis]. / Molekuly srednei massy plazmy pri virusnykh gepatitakh.

AIM: The study of the level of middle mass molecules (MMM) in blood plasma of patients in different periods of viral hepatitis; their relation to some routine markers of viral hepatitides; appropriateness of MMM test in differential diagnosis with other jaundices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma MMM content was measured in 123 patients aged 17-65. 28 of them had mild form of viral hepatitis, 56 had moderately severe and severe hepatitis, 39 had jaundice of other etiology. Healthy donors with MMM levels 1.18 +/- 0.02 optic units served as control. Computer correlation analysis discovered a rise in blood levels of MMM in the phase of jaundice development, a fall in the phase of the disease peak, rise again in the phase of jaundice attenuation and normalization in convalescents. The changes were small in mild disease, great in moderate and grave disease. In the absence of intoxication MMM made up 1.27 +/- 0.0.02 OU, in dramatic intoxication MMM level rose to 1.47 +/- 0.04 OU (p < 0.05). Correlation was not noted between MMM content and conventional markers of viral hepatitides. There was no rise in concentration of MMM in non-viral jaundice. CONCLUSION: MMM concentrations in plasma in viral hepatitides can be used as a prognostic and differential-diagnostic sign.

[The heterogeneity of the antilysozyme activity in populations of opportunistic enterobacteria]. / Geterogennost' antilizotsimnoi aktivnosti v populiatsiiakh uslovno-patogennykh énterobakterii.

1,484 clones of 104 strains representing 11 genera of the family Enterobacteriaceae and having different levels of lysozyme activity were tested for the presence of this activity. In the populations of 53.9% of strains under study the heterogeneity of the levels of antilysozyme activity was noted. In 13.4% of strains under study clones having no antilysozyme activity were detected. Among Escherichia, Hafnia and Enterobacter strains without antilysozyme activity individual clones having such activity were detected; these clones constituted 3-17% of the total number of the studied clones.