Vol 54, No 4 (2009)

Analysis of the data of annual (1980-2005) monitorings of influenza A viruses in the North Caspian Sea basin and the Volga river delta, as well as the primary hemagglutinin structure of isolates of different years revealed the circulation of A/H13 and A/H16 viruses among gulls since 1976. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 3 significantly different evolutionary lines: an American line, a European line, and a line comprising the isolates from America and Eurasia. The H13N6 and H16N3 viruses isolated in Russia replicated in the respiratory and intestinal tracts of ducks and induced the production of antibodies; the H16N3 viruses induced the antibodies neutralizing viruses of subtype H16 only. The use of glycoconjugate polymers showed that the receptor phenotype of the study H16 viruses differed from that of the H13 viruses in its capacity to bind to 3SL with a higher affinity than aNANA. The comparative phylogenetic analysis suggests the existence of the common precursor of H13 and H16 viruses and their further evolution in relation to environmental conditions, including their adaptation to a new host.

The purpose of the investigation was to study whether latent virus infection may activate in the murine brain using a model of hemorrhagic stroke. Acute intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke was induced in the internal capsule in accordance with the original technology. For experimental reproduction of virus meningoencephalitis, albino mice were infected with a sublethal dose of herpes simplex virus. The investigation ascertained persistent virus activation, as shown by the polymerase chain reaction technique that detected herpes simplex virus type 1 in the blood and brain of the animals, as well as the development of a cerebral inflammatory lesion associated with acute hemorrhagic stroke. The findings suggest that encephalitis may develop in acute stroke due to herpes simplex virus reactivation from the latent state, which will improve monitoring and treatment quality in acute stroke.

The paper presents the results of studying genital squamous epitheliocytes from human papillomavirus-infected female patients by cytology and atomic force microscopy. The squamous epitheliocytes with and without cytomorphological signs of papillomavirus infection (koilocytosis, dyskeratosis, parakeratosis, hyperkeratosis) have been compared. Examining the surface of the squamous epithelium has yielded quantitative characteristics of infection-induced surface changes.

Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) growing on different feeding substrates was shown to affect their susceptibility to nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV). The insects feeding on birch leaves had the lowest sensitivity to NPV than those on willow leaves, but the insects growing on pine needles showed the highest susceptibility. The sensitivity of the gypsy moths on willow leaves was higher than that of the gypsy moths on birch leaves and lower than that of those on pine needles. At the same time, it did not differ from that of the caterpillars on artificial feeding. The virus polyhedrons formed in the caterpillars on birch or willow leaves were more than those on another fodder.

A panel of hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to nucleocapsid protein (NP) of avian influenza A virus was obtained. On the basis of 2 MAbs, the authors designed an antigen-bound ELISA (sandwich ELISA), in which NP3 MAbs were used as antigen-bound antibodies and NP MAbs conjugated with horse radish peroxidase as antigen detection antibodies. The specificity of the test system to avian influenza virus was determined. The developed test system was ascertained to specifically detect influenza A virus of all study subtypes and to yield no cross reactions with other tested virus pathogens. The sensitivity of the sandwich ELISA was 30 ng/ml of NP in the urine-treated virus preparations. The assay was tested on experimental H5N1-infected mice. The findings positively correlated with the results of postmortem studies and with the virus isolation method in the chick embryos. The developed test system may be used to detect avian influenza A virus as an alternative or supplement to other diagnostic techniques.