Immune response of mice to non-adapted avian influenza A virus.

Human infections with avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) without or with clinical symptoms of disease were recently reported from several continents, mainly in high risk groups of people, who came into the contact with infected domestic birds or poultry. It was shown that avian IAVs are able to infect humans directly without previous adaptation, however, their ability to replicate and to cause a disease in this new host can differ. No spread of these avian IAVs among humans has been documented until now, except for one case described in Netherlands in the February of 2003 in people directly involved in handling IAV (H7N7)-infected poultry.

Heterosubtypic protective immunity against influenza A virus induced by fusion peptide of the hemagglutinin in comparison to ectodomain of M2 protein.

Several types of influenza vaccines are available, but due to the highly unpredictable variability of influenza virus surface antigens (hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase) current vaccines are not sufficiently effective against broad spectrum of the influenza viruses. An innovative approach to extend the vaccine efficacy is based on the selection of conserved influenza proteins with a potential to induce inter-subtype protection against the influenza A viruses. A promising new candidate for the preparation of broadly protective vaccine may be a highly conserved N-terminal part of HA2 glycopolypeptide (HA2 gp) called fusion peptide.

[Gastrointestinal Tonometry in Orthopaedics (Results of a Prospective Randomized Pilot Study GATOAN-1 in Patients with General and Regional Anaesthesia During Replacement of the Hip Joint).].

In the submited pilot study the authors present a recently introduced method of monitoring of the regional perfusion by gastric tonometry during implantation of an endoprosthesis of the hip joint. The objective of the investigation was in addition to introduction of a new method to assess the influence of the type of anaesthesia on markers of the gastrointestinal tract perfusion. The method was used in 10 patients aged 27 - 75 years where in four instances a cemented endoprosthesis was implanted and an uncemented one in six cases.