Immunochemical structure of the carboxy-terminal part of hepatitis B e antigen: identification of internal and surface-exposed sequences.

The C-terminal region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) e antigen (HBeAg), amino acids (aa) 121 to 147, was characterized for reactivity with 15 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and sera from 16 chronic carriers on the HB surface antigen with anti-HBe. Recombinant proteins exposing fragments of the HBc/e polypeptide (aa 29 to 176, 60 to 176, 101 to 176, 121 to 176, 134 to 176, 138 to 176, 139 to 176, 140 to 176, 146 to 176 and 156 to 176) fused to the N terminus of the coat protein of RNA phage fr were constructed, as were two sets of synthetic peptides covering residues 121 to 136 and 130 to 147, where each residue was sequentially substituted by alanine. The MAbs were found to recognize overlapping epitopes in the fusion proteins within residues 121 to 176; however, none of the MAbs reacted with proteins covering residues 146 to 176 and 156 to 176.

Epitopes recognized by antibodies to denatured core protein of hepatitis B virus.

Particulate and denatured core protein as well as e-antigen (HBe) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) differ in part immunologically but this has not been studied in sufficient detail. Therefore, in this study the B-cell immune response to native and denatured HBV core protein which both can exhibit HBe-specific epitopes was examined using a panel of mouse MABs and rabbit polyclonal antibodies to native and denatured core protein and polyclonal anti-HBe/anti-HBc antibodies from sera of infected patients. Epitope mapping was performed using a set of partially overlapping synthetic HBc peptides, carboxy-terminally truncated HBc proteins and various HBc fusion proteins.

[Little known forms of compression neuropathies of the lower extremities].

Neuropathies of the sural nerve, deep peroneal nerve and tibial nerve at the level of the tendinous arch of the musculus soleus pertain to the little-known forms of compression neuropathies. Examinations of 36 patients with 57 cases of such compression neuropathies have demonstrated that the main etiological moments of the disease are orthopedic diseases, illnesses of the joints and veins of the lower limbs and loading factor. The major clinical symptoms of the disease are spontaneous pains at the site of nerve compression, paresthesias, disorders of sensitivity in the area of innervation of the damaged nerve as well as pains on palpation at the level of nerve compression.

[Occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome among workers engaged in manual labor].

Examinations of 835 manual workers were performed, as a result of which high prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) was revealed (36.6%). Neurological studies proved a predominant (90.

[The procedure in the surgical treatment of compression neuropathies of the upper extremity].

The article deals with the treatment of 435 patients with compression of the nerve trunks of the upper extremities of 531 localizations. Operations were conducted on 351 patients for compression mononeuropathies, in 84 patients nerve trunks of the hand were compressed at several sites. A total of 160 operations were undertaken on these patients for decompression of the nerve trunks of different localizations and their combinations.

[The results of the adjuvant chemotherapy of patients with small-cell lung cancer].

The effectiveness of treatment (surgery; surgery + chemotherapy) was compared in a group of 122 patients with small-cell lung cancer. Median survival after postoperative chemotherapy rose from 40.9 to 81.

[Tunnel lesion of the median nerve in the ulnar area].

Difficulties in the diagnosis of tunnel impairment of the median nerve in the ulnar area are explained by the presence of marked pain and other mild symptoms of its damage. Examination of 30 patients showed that the main symptoms include paresthesia and spontaneous pain, as well as other types of pain provoked by palpation of the nerve at the tunnel level with pain irradiation into the zone of the median nerve innervation. The diagnosis is confirmed by positive pain- or paresthesia-inducing tests and a slower rate of impulse conduction along the median nerve at the tunnel level.

[In vitro determination of the sensitivity of lung tumors to different drugs].

The in vitro sensitivity of 193 lung tumour specimens to anticancer agents was investigated using the short-term culture method. It is shown that there are many anticancer drugs with correlative effectiveness. It often concerns preparations with different mechanism of action.

[In vitro sensitivity of epidermoid lung cancer to cytostatics depending upon the degree of tumor differentiation].

In vitro sensitivity of epidermoid lung carcinoma to chemotherapeutic agents in short-term cultures versus degree of tumor differentiation was evaluated for the following drugs: 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, olivomycin, bleomycin, carminomycin, adriablastin, prospidium chloride, vincristine, thiophosphamide, novembichine and photrine. The results of the investigation using resected material from 77 cases of histologically confirmed epidermoid lung carcinoma failed to establish any relationship between the parameters under study for all above drugs except vincristine. However, tumors showing similar levels of differentiation demonstrated different sensitivity to certain drugs.

[Tunnel neuropathy of the radial nerve in the elbow region].

Symptoms of tunnel pathologies of the radial nerve in the ulnar region were analyzed in 39 patients (48 arms). Of importance in the tunnel neuropathy development is an overstrain of the short radial extensor of the wrist and the supinator which are in a close anatomical contact with the radial nerve branches. The affection of the radial nerve manifests in a sharp painfulness on the lateral surface of the ulnar region.