Immunogenicity and safety of the adult tbe vaccine «tick-e-vac».

About 3,000 cases of TBE are registered annually in the Russian Federation. Vaccination is the main way to prevent the tick-borne encephalitis disease. Comparative study of the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a new vaccine «Tick-E-Vac» was held.

[Evaluation of acoustic effectiveness of personnel protectors from extra-aural exposure to aviation noise].

Purpose of the investigation was to validate testing acoustic effectiveness of a personnel vest-like protector (PP) from extra-aural exposure to aviation noise. Levels of aviation noise for PP testing were determined through calculation. Vest effectiveness in protecting from acoustic vibration generated by high-intensity aviation noise was evaluated both in laboratory and field tests.

[Multistage endovascular treatment of multifocal atherosclerosis].

We present a report of a clinical case of multistage endovascular treatment of multifocal atherosclerosis with involvement of coronary arteries, left renal artery, and arteries of lower extremities. A 54 year old patient with type 2 diabetes, impaired renal function, vasorenal hypertension, and lowered left ventricular contractility had history of stroke and myocardial infarction. Endovascular treatment was carried out in 6 stages with sequential angioplasty and stenting of coronary arteries, arteries of lower extremities, and left renal artery.

[The epizootological and virological characteristics of a natural hantavirus infection focus in the subtropic zone of the Krasnodarsk Territory].

A natural focus of hantavirus infection was detected and examined during the studies conducted in 2000-2002 around the Sochi (the western spurs of the Great Caucasus Ridge, which descended to the Black Sea (the Krasnodar Territory of Russia). At least 4 rodent species, such as Microtus majori, A. (S.

Outbreak of paralytic poliomyelitis in the Chechen Republic in 1995.

An outbreak of poliomyelitis with 146 cases among children of whom six died occurred in the Chechen Republic in 1995. Sporadic cases of poliomyelitis have been reported in the neighbouring Ingush Republic. The outbreak lasted for five months (from May to September) and the maximum number of cases was registered in July.

Poliomyelitis in Russia in 1998-1999.

After introducing surveillance for poliomyelitis and AFP cases in the Russian Federation in 1998, 740 AFP cases have been registered in 1998-1999, and 18 of that number were considered as vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP). Of 18 cases 11 were classified as VAPP of vaccine recipients and confirmed by virus isolation; from two of the vaccine recipients virus was not isolated, and five were poliomyelitis cases in contact non-vaccinated children. In all the cases the disease was characterised with the typical clinical picture with residual pareses and paralyses.

Evaluation of the new control methods for oral poliomyelitis vaccine.

In the draft recommendations for production and control of OPV the WHO proposed new control methods: (i) mutant analysis with PCR and restriction enzyme cleavage (MAPREC) assay that allows evaluation of poliovirus population heterogeneity at the molecular level; (ii) neurovirulence (NV) test using transgenic mice susceptible to polioviruses and (iii) control of the seed lots for the presence of the simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA sequence. This paper is focused on our experience in the practical implementation of the new methods at the Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (IPVE). Using methods based on PCR we have demonstrated that working seed viruses used by IPVE for OPV production are free from SV40 DNA sequences.

[Plastic filling of bleeding duodenal ulcers in the course of truncal vagotomy with pyloroplasty according Finney].

The procedure of plastic filling of bleeding ulcer of the duodenum during vagotomy procedure and pyloroplasty by Finney was developed and used in 26 patients. The study of early postoperative results showed steady hemostasis in all patients and no recurrences of bleeding. Follow-up results up to 3 years were studied in 22 patients.

[Geotyping of wild poliovirus strains on the territory of Russia and CIS countries in 1987-1995].

33 wild poliovirus strains isolated on the territory of the former USSR were subjected to the comparative sequence analysis of the 150 bp genome fragment VP1/2A on the junction of the genome regions coding basic capsid protein VP1 and viral protease 2A. The dendrograms characterizing the similarity of nucleotide sequences revealed the existence of 3 geographical genotypes (geotypes) of wild poliovirus strains of type 1 (A, G, T) and broad geotype (C) of wild poliovirus strains of type 3. The comparison of the analyzed strains with strains circulating in the neighboring countries at the same period provided information on their genetic relationship.

[Strain-specific antibodies to wild poliomyelitis viruses as an index of the circulation of these viruses in a surveyed territory].

In response to vaccination or infection with wild poliovirus, some children can finely differentiate the virus structure and respond by forming strain-specific antibodies. The analysis of strain-specific antibodies indicates that in epidemically unfavorable regions strain-specific antibodies to wild poliovirus strains may prevail over those to vaccine poliovirus strains in children or occur with equal frequency. In epidemically favourable regions strain-specific antibodies to vaccine poliovirus strain significantly prevail in children or may be absent at all.

[Detection of poliomyelitis viral strains in natural isolates and identification of them by polymerase chain reaction].

One hundred and fifty nucleotide-long VP1/2A junction regions were sequenced in the RNAs of 19 strains isolated in 1990-1991 from patients with paralytic poliomyelitis in different regions of the former USSR. On the basis of the alignments of these sequenced RNAs, four pairs of 19-25 base-long oligodeoxynucleotide PCR primers were designed capable of detecting polio RNAs in isolated strains and of discriminating between polio genotypes. PCR with 520 polio virus strains isolated from patients, normal subjects, and environmental objects showed 428 of these strains to be related to Sabin's vaccine strains, whereas the rest were referred to A (30), T (24), and G (1) genotypes of serotype 1 and to C-genotype (37) of serotype 3.

Geographical genotypes (geotypes) of poliovirus case isolates from the former Soviet Union: relatedness to other known poliovirus genotypes.

A 150 nucleotide long region corresponding to adjoining segments of the genes encoding polypeptides VP1 and 2A of 84 poliovirus strains recently isolated from patients with paralytic poliomyelitis over the territory of the former Soviet Union (FSU) were characterized by sequencing and/or PCR amplification using specially designed primers. Eighteen isolates were found to be very closely related to one or another of the three Sabin vaccine strains. Three distinct classes of geographical genotypes (geotypes) were discerned among 42 wild-type (non-Sabin) strains of serotype 1.

Electropherotypes and serotypes of human rotavirus in Estonia in 1989-1992.

The electropherotypes and serotypes of human rotaviruses circulating in Tallinn (Estonia) in 1989-1992 have been studied. Rotaviruses were found in 372 (25.8%) of 1,442 faecal specimens of pediatric patients with acute diarrhea.

Russian contribution to OPV.

Field trials and the first mass immunization campaign using Oral Poliomyelitis Vaccine (OPV) from the strains derived by Albert Sabin were carried out in the former U.S.S.

Endothelialized myointimal thickening in the rat aorta as a result of extensive freeze injury.

The regeneration of rat aorta intima and medial layer was examined after extensive freeze injury that caused the death of both endothelial and smooth muscle cells. After 1 month complete re-endothelialization of the denuded area was observed. In parallel, myointimal thickening was formed by the smooth muscle cells (SMC) from the uninjured edges and its thickness increased with time.

Postinfection treatment with antiviral serum results in survival of neural cells productively infected with virulent poliovirus.

The death of human neuroblastoma cells undergoing productive infection with virulent poliovirus was prevented by addition of antiserum against the virus a few hours after the onset of infection; this treatment, however, did not prevent reproduction of the virus. Despite the presence of the viral antigen, the cells retained the ability to divide. Upon further cultivation in the absence of antiserum, the cells developed specific postinfection immunity or resistance to superinfection with poliovirus.

[The biochemical indices of the blood serum in experimental hepatitis A in tamarins].

Serum biochemical parameters were studied in 42 healthy wild-caught adult tamarins (S. mystax), males and females, to determine the normal values. Blood samples were drawn repeatedly, and the serum was tested for aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, isocitric dehydrogenase, serum glucose, serum urea, triglyceride, cholesterol, albumin, and total protein.

Frequent isolation of intertypic poliovirus recombinants with serotype 2 specificity from vaccine-associated polio cases.

Five representatives from a collection of 21 Sabin type 2-like poliovirus strains isolated from paralytic poliomyelitis cases in two regions of the USSR have been subjected to limited nucleotide sequencing. All proved to be intertypic recombinants having the genes encoding capsid proteins of Sabin 2 origin and a 3'-end portion of the genome derived from either type 1 (3 isolates) or type 3 (2 isolates) Sabin strains. The crossover points in all the 5 genomes have been mapped to different loci of the P3 region.

Immunogenicity trial of inactivated hepatitis A virus vaccine in human volunteers.

An inactivated hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine was tested on a group of human adult volunteers. The vaccine was administered subcutaneously, and a control group received a placebo (aluminium hydroxide). The vaccine was found to be relatively well tolerated and non-reactogenic, and levels of anti-HAV were comparable to those in other studies.