Vol 61, No 1 (2016)

An update on the development and trials of synthetic peptide vaccines is reviewed. The review considers the successful examples of specific protection as a result of immunization with synthetic peptides using various protocols. The importance of conformation for the immunogenicity of the peptide is pointed out. An alternative strategy of the protection of the organism against the infection using synthetic peptides is suggested.

The results of virologic testing of clinical materials and epidemiological analysis of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) cases obtained in 2006-2013 during AFP surveillance are presented. Among the 2976 cases of AFP 30 cases were vapp. 15 cases were observed in OPV recipients, whereas 15 cases were observed in non-vaccinated contacts. The age of the patients varied from 4 months to 5.5 years (13.6 ± 12.4 months old). Children younger than 1 year constituted 63.3% of the group; boys were dominant (73.3%); 53.3% of children were vaccinated with OPV; the time period between receipt of OPV and onset of palsy was from 2 to 32 days (18.7 ± 8.2). Lower paraparesis was documented in 48.3% of patients; lower monoparesis, in 37.9%; upper monoparesis, in 6.9%; tetraparesis with bulbar syndrome, in 6%. the majority of the patients (85.7%) had an unfavorable premorbid status. The violations of the humoral immunity were found in 73.9% cases: CVID (52.9%), hypogammaglobulinemia (41.2%), selective IgA deficiency (5.9%). In 70.6% cases damage to humoral immunity was combined with poor premorbid status. The most frequently observed (76%, p <0.05) represented the single type of poliovirus – type 2 (44%) and type 3 (32%). All strains were of the vaccine origin, the divergence from the homotypic Sabin strains fell within the region of the gene encoding VP1 protein, which did not exceed 0.5% of nucleotide substitutions except vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 – multiple recombinant (type 2 / type 3 / type 2 / type 1) with the degree of the divergence of 1.44% isolated from 6-month old unvaccinated child (RUS-08063034001). The frequency of the VAPP cases was a total of 1 case per 3.4 million doses of distributed OPV in 2006-2013; 2.2 cases per 1 million of newborns were observed. This frequency decreased after the introduction of the sequential scheme of vaccination (ipv, Opv) in 2008-2013 as compared with the period of exclusive use of OPV in 2006-2007: 1 case per 4.9 million doses, 1.4 cases per 1 million newborns and 1 case per 1.9 million doses, 4.9 cases per 1 million newborns, respectively.

The innate immune receptors TLR4, TLR7, TLR8, and RIG1 recognized the structures of the influenza viruses in human lymphocytes and were activated by the recombinant avian influenza virus A/Vietnam/1203/04 and its escape-mutant m13(13) during early period of interaction. The stimulated levels are not connected with viral reproduction. Donor cells with the low constitutive immune receptors gene expression levels showed higher stimulation. Inflammation virus effects resulted in increasing production of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma by lymphocytes. Signaling gene reactions of the parent and mutant viruses endosomal as well as cytoplasmic receptors are very similar. The mutant virus A/Vietnam/1203/04 (HA S145F) stimulated an increase in the transcription level of the membrane receptor gene TLR4 and a decrease in the level of activation of TNF-alpha gene. Further studies of natural influenza virus isolates are necessary to estimate the role of HA antigenic changes on immune reactions in humans.

Survival of viruses in the environment is a very important problem in epidemiology, especially for infections with indirect transmission. This work describes the results of the experimental study of adsorption and survival of the hantavirus on different environmental substrates (natural organic and inorganic sorbents). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution (5-10%) was effective in the hantavirus elution and phosphate-buffer saline (PBS) pH 7,2 was optimal for elution of specific RNA. Potential survival of the infectious hantavirus on environmental substrates was observed within up to 14 days at +4°С.

In this work the proinflammatory (IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) plasma cytokine levels were evaluated in HIV-infected patients with or without antiretroviral treatment (ART). IFN-γ was detected in 94% samples with and without art, TNF-α in 88% and il-2 in 38% samples without ART, as well as in 12% and 30% samples with ART, respectively. Positive correlation was detected between viral RNA and IFN-γ levels (rs = 0.13) and negative correlation (rs = –0.242) in the patients without or with ART. Cosecretion of three cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2) was detected in 31% samples and two cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α) in 35% samples of persons without ART. Cosecretion of three cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2) was detected in 20% samples with ART; cosecretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 was detected in 10% samples. The higher percentage of the proinflammatory cytokines with cosecretion was detected in plasma HIV-infected patients without ART in the course of 6 and more years, which suggests that their immune system is able to provide disease control.

The bacteriophage ΦAb-Sр7 was isolated from the cells of the azospirillum brasilense sp7. The morphology, size of the gram-negative colonies, and range of lytic activity against other strains and species of the genus Azospirillum was tested. The isolated phage DNA was examined using electrophoretic and restriction analysis, and the size of the genome were established. The electron microscopy results show that the phage (capsid) has a strand-like form. The electron microscopy study of the bacteriophage ΦAb-Sр7 adsorption on the A. brasilense Sp7 bacterial surface was performed.