Adsorption of viral particles from the blood plasma of patients with viral hepatitis on nanodiamonds

Adsorption of viral particles from the blood plasma of patients with viral hepatitis B and C on modified nanodiamonds (MNDs) was shown in the in vitro experiments. PCR method showed the treatment of plasma with MNDs leads to a decrease in the viral load by 2–3 orders of magnitude or more in both cases studied. These results make it possible to predict the applicability of MNDs for the development of new technologies of hemodialysis and plasmapheresis for binding and removal of viral particles from the blood of infected patients.     

Caused of intensified lipid peroxidation in the blood of patients with viral hepatitis B

The tissue oxygen concentration, the serum antioxidant system state and the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were studied in patients with hepatitis B. The good correlations were studied in patients with hepatitis B. The good correlations between MDA concentration in patients serum and the oxygen concentration in tissues (R-0.79), and the cytoplasmic enzymes activity (R-0.75 for lactate dehydrogenase; R-0.75 for alanine transferase) were found. On the other hand, it was shown an antioxidant activity decrease of ceruloplasmin-transferrin system in patients serum. It is proposed, that the tissue hypoxia and the decrease of the serum antioxidant activity are the general factors leading to the MDA accumulation in the serum of patients with hepatitis B.     

Detection of Epstein-Barr viral antibodies in patients with acute viral hepatitis

Serum samples obtained from 44 patients with virus A hepatitis, 23 patients with virus B hepatitis, 65 patients with virus non A, non B hepatitis and 100 healthy adults were studied for the presence of Epstein-Barr (EB) virus in the indirect immunofluorescence test. In this work lymphoblastoid cell lines PH3-J-1 and CN37 were used. Among patients with different forms of hepatitis, the statistically significant elevation of the titers of antibodies to EB virus was detected only in the group of patients with virus non A, non B hepatitis, and in 6 cases the etiological role of EB virus was confirmed by serological and hematological methods.     

Clinical evaluation of the structural characteristics of peripheral blood leukocyte DNA in patients with viral hepatitis B

The DNA structure of peripheral blood leukocytes in healthy donors and in viral hepatitis B patients was studied by the rate of the alkaline denaturation of DNA in cell lysates. An increased rate of the DNA alkaline denaturation of cell lysates was established, which was indicative of the damages in their DNA. The most pronounced damages of DNA were found in granulocytes of patients with highly active chronic hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis, especially in cases of simultaneous delta-virus infection. The damage of leukocyte DNA reflected probably the accumulation of cells, committed to apoptosis, in peripheral blood. Apoptosis may be induced by cytotoxic lymphocytes recognizing HBV-infected cells.     

Synthesis of nitric oxide in patients with viral hepatitis]

The end products of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism in human organism, i.e. anions, nitrites (NO2) and nitrates (NO3), are excreted predominantly (95%) via urine. The quantity of these products in urine is an adequate index of NO synthesis in human organism. We measured the quantities of of NO2 and NO3 excreted during of monoviral hepatitis A, B, C, D and in the course of mixed viral hepatic infections, which were caused by the above mentioned viruses. The hyperexcretion of NO2 and NO3 was higher and longer during hepatitis C and D versus hepatitis B, and during the latter versus hepatitis A. The inability of NO to stop the infection may be caused by low sensitivity of the viruses to NO and/or by local low concentration of NO in the site of inflammation.     

Trans-encapsidation of hepatitis C virus subgenomic replicon RNA with viral structure proteins

A trans-packaging system for hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic replicon RNAs was developed. HCV subgenomic replicon was efficiently encapsidated by the HCV structural proteins that were stably expressed in trans under the control of a mammalian promoter. Infectious HCV-like particles (HCV-LPs), established a single-round infection, were produced and released into culture medium in titers of up to 10³ focus forming units/ml. Expression of NS2 protein with structural proteins (core, E1, E2, and p7) was shown to be critical for the infectivity of HCV-LPs. Anti-CD81 treatment decreased the number of infected cells, suggesting that HCV-LPs infected cells in a CD81-dependent manner. The packaging cell line should be useful both for the production of single-round infectious HCV-LPs to elucidate the mechanisms of HCV assembly, particle formation and infection to host cells, and for the development of HCV replicon-based vaccines.     

Subpopulation composition of human blood lymphocytes/monocytes in patients with acute viral hepatitis B and C

The number of lymphocytes/monocytes in peripheral blood was determined in 105 patients with viral hepatitis B, viral hepatitis C and mixed hepatitis, as well as in 44 clinically healthy donors. The diagnosis of viral hepatitis was verified using the standard set of viral, biochemical, including PCR, and instrumental tests. Acute viral hepatitis B and C infections were shown to be accompanied by a considerable decrease in the number of lymphocytes CD22+ in comparison with that in healthy donors. In mixed hepatitis changes in the subpopulation composition also affected cells CD16+. In load tests with biogenic amines changes in the capacity of lymphocytes to express CD8, CD16 and HLA-DR markers were established.