[Coxiella burnetii antigens--inducers of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1].

The cultivation of mouse peritoneal macrophages in the presence of antigenic preparations obtained from C.burnetii was accompanied by the appearance of phagocytes and considerable amounts of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1 in the culture medium. The production of cytokines depended on the doses of preparations used as inducers.

[Immunoenzyme method of determining trace amounts of proinsulin in recombinant human insulin].

An enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for the detection of human proinsulin has been developed based on the interaction of the absorbed proinsulin with the antiserum against the synthetic proinsulin C-peptide. In the presence of high concentrations of insulin, the sensitivity of the assay slightly decreases due to the competitive adsorption of insulin onto the polystyrene carrier with the binding constant 800-1000 times less than that of proinsulin. A method is proposed for the interpretation of ELISA data based on analysis of a weighed dry insulin sample, which enables the detection of a 0.

[The level of the tumor necrosis factor in the blood serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis].

The contents of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) was measured by enzyme immunoassay in the serum from 43 healthy donors against 49 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In all the donors the cytokine did not reach 50 pg/ml, in SLE and RA running actively TNF alpha levels got elevated in the absence of previous long-term immunocorrection. Under the treatment effect blood levels of the cytokine fell in inhibition of the autoimmune process.

[The role of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 in forming resistance in experimental Q fever].

Preliminary injections of human recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 1 (IL-1 beta) increases the resistance of guinea pigs to Coxiella burnetii. The increase of this resistance depends on the dose of cytokines and the time of their inoculation.