10th anniversary of the National Reference Laboratory on AIDS in the Czech Republic.

National Reference Laboratory on AIDS (NRL AIDS) was established in the National Institute of Public Health by the Ministry of Health in the late 1985. At that time the existence of HIV/AIDS and the potencial spread of this infection/disease even in a socialistic country has been officially recognized. The main tasks of NRL AIDS were and still are the laboratory diagnostic, epidemiology and research of HIV/AIDS.

[Cultivation of HIV-1 virus on mononuclear peripheral blood cells of HIV-1 seropositive individuals].

Using the method of co-cultivation with phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes from healthy donors, the author isolated the HIV-1 virus from peripheral mononuclear blood cells of three patients with the AIDS symptomatology and one patient with the ARC symptomatology. The presence of the virus in infected cells was proved by detection of the viral antigen p 24 in enzymatic immunoassays and in the immunofluorescence test. Three of the isolated strains were adapted to sensitive continual tissue cultures, where the isolates caused chronic infection of the cells associated with the development of a cytopathic effect.

[Detection of HIV infection using the immunofluorescence test].

The author examined, using the immunofluorescence test, 107 ant HIV positive sera and 114 sera with false reactions in the ELISA test. He proved a high sensitivity and specificity of the immunofluorescence test in the detection of anti-HIV antibodies, comparable with Western-blot's technique and he established the value of the immunofluorescence test for the identification of the virus antigen on isolation of the virus from HIV infected patients.

[Dynamics of the antibody response and p24 antigenemia in HIV-1 infected individuals in Czechoslovakia].

In a group of 83 anti HIV-1 positive subjects the antibody response against different structural viral proteins was investigated concurrently with assessment of p 24 antigenaemia. Disappearance of antibodies against the capsidal antigen p 24 was recorded in 12% of 42 patients with ARC and AIDS. On the other hand, these antibodies persisted in all 41 asymptomatic infections throughout the three-year investigation period.

[Microbiological diagnosis of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus].

The author describes and evaluates different approaches in laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection and AIDS. Serological detection of anti-HIV antibodies provides despite some limitations very good diagnostic opportunities. ELISA screening tests supplemented by confirming tests, in particular the Western blot, ensure maximum accuracy of the obtained results.

[Childhood AIDS].

The authors emphasize the present importance of AIDS in children and explain the causes of the rising trend of this syndrome in the child population. They summarize the most important epidemiological characteristics of AIDS in children, its pathogenetic differences and the ensuing clinical symptoms. Attention is drawn to the pitfalls of microbiological diagnosis of child infections caused by HIV, and the authors discuss principles, possibilities and perspectives of causal treatment of this syndrome in children.

Immunogenicity of a chromatographically concentrated influenza vaccine.

The immunogenicity of the Czechoslovak-made commercial vaccine Adinvira as well as that of the chromatographically concentrated vaccine Leningrad of Soviet origin was evaluated in an immunization project. The both vaccines were well tolerated after administration, the Soviet-made Leningrad brand featuring greater efficiency in eliciting an antibody response against influenza virus haemagglutinin.

Epidemiological analysis of acute respiratory diseases (ARD) of viral etiology in the Czech Socialist Republic (CSR)) and German Democratic Republic (GDR) over the period 1979 to 1984.

An analysis is made of the ARD reported in CSR and the GDR over the period July 1st, 1979 to June 30th, 1984. During that time, there were 27,810,000 cases reported in CSR in the framework of ARD epidemiological surveillance, representing 2.67 cases per one inhabitant, whereas in the GDR, the total number of reported ARD was 28,900,000 yielding 1.

Occurrence and aetiology of acute respiratory diseases: results of a longterm surveillance programme.

Totals of 58,661,000 acute respiratory disease (ARD) cases, 1,376,651 bronchitis and pneumonia complications, and 93,042 deaths from influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia or chronic pulmonary affection were notified during 11 years of ARD surveillance from 1975 to 1986. All ARD seasons started with the first phase in September-December; this increase in morbidity was caused chiefly by adenoviruses, parainfluenza viruses, rhinoviruses and M. pneumoniae.

Influenza activity in Czechoslovakia and the USSR, 1980-1985.

Between 1980 and 1985, Czechoslovakia had experienced 4 and the USSR 3 major influenza outbreaks. Of the 3 epidemic outbreaks in the USSR, 2 were associated with influenza B virus (in the 1980/81 and 1983/84 seasons) and 1 with influenza A virus of the H3N2 subtype. In the USSR, influenza A (H1N1) virus never predominated as a cause of epidemic during the 5 years period.

Antibody to parainfluenza virus types 1, 2 and 3 in sera and nasal secretions of persons of different age.

Serum and secretory antibody levels against 3 types of parainfluenza virus were determined in persons ranging in age from 1 month to 74 years. With a slight decline in the group of 7 months to 2 years of children, the number of positive findings increased with age, reaching maximum in the groups of 16-24 years [types 1 and 2] and 25-74 years [type 3] old persons. Nasal secretory antibodies against parainfluenza type 3 virus were detected in all age categories, the highest number of positive findings occurred in the group of 16-24 years old persons.