Increased incidence of pertussis and parapertussis in HIV-1-positive adolescents vaccinated previously with whole-cell pertussis vaccine

We investigated 296 adolescents (11–18 years), who had been immunized previously with the three doses of DPT vaccines. 48 were diagnosed positive for HIV-1. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 296 adolescents who presented with persistent cough and nasopharyngeal secretions. Nasopharyngeal swabs (calcium alginate) specimens were collected by passing the swabs through the nares into the posterior nasopharynx and rotating the swabs for a few seconds. The swabs were plated for culture of Bordetella organisms in charcoal cephalexin blood agar (CCBA). The CCBA plates were incubated for 2–6 days at 35 °C in a humid aerobic atmosphere. The suspected, shiny (mercury-like) colonies were tested by slide agglutination with antisera to B. pertussis and B. parapertussis, and urease, oxidase activities were performed. Results indicate that out of 48 HIV-1-positive adolescents, 18 had positive cultures for Bordetella organisms (14, Bordetella pertussis, and 4, Bordetella parapertussis). Of 248 HIV-1-negative subjects, 3 had Bordetella organisms (2, Bordetella pertussis, 1, Bordetella bronchiseptica). One of the subjects, a boy, aged 14 years, with Bordetella bronchiseptica had a dog as pet, which was found to be infected. The results indicate that adolescents with HIV-1 infection, despite being vaccinated against pertussis have a higher rate of infection when exposed to pertussis bacteria than HIV-1-negative adolescents. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparative study of the safety, reactogenicity and antigenic activity of chemical and live brucellosis vaccines in a controlled epidemiological trial

The complex evaluation of the reactogenicity characteristics revealed that after immunization with chemical brucellosis vaccine systemic reactions observed in most of the vaccinees were mildly pronounced and local reactions, mildly and moderately pronounced, their duration not exceeding 48-72 hours. During 4 months after immunization the antigenic and immunogenic potency of chemical brucellosis vaccine was no different from that of live brucellosis vaccine; seropositive persons immunized with chemical and live brucellosis vaccines showed no statistically significant differences in the geometric mean of their antibody titers, as determined in a number of serological tests, for a year after immunization. The examination of the vaccinees 4 and 12 months after immunization revealed that the sensitizing activity of chemical brucellosis vaccine was, respectively, 12.2 and 2.5 times lower than the allergenic action of live brucellosis vaccine.     

Immunomodulation activity of new vaccines for pertussis prophylaxis--acellular pertussis vaccine and adsorbed DPT vaccine with acellular component

The immunomodulating activity of acellular pertussis vaccine (APV) and adsorbed DPT vaccine with acellular pertussis component (DPTA vaccine) was studied. The study revealed that only large doses of APV, 10 immunizing doses (ID), suppressed humoral and cell-mediated response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). 1 ID produced no influence on the formation of antibody producing cells, but increased the development of delayed hypersensitivity (DH) to SRBC. The modulation of cell-mediated immune response, induced by APV, returned to normal after the injection of purified staphylococcal toxoid, used as immunomodulator, in doses of 0.15 BU per mouse and 1.5 BU per mouse. DPTA vaccine containing 1 ID, as well as 10 ID, produced no immunomodulating effect. This was established by the evaluation of humoral response to SRBC in CBA mice and the study of the formation of DH to SRBC in BALB/c mice. As indicated by the total of the presented data, the inclusion of APV into DPTA vaccine enhanced the immunological safety of its pertussis component.     

Comparative evaluation of the reactogenicity and antigenic activity of Soviet inactivated influenza vaccines

The reactogenicity and antigenic potency of existing inactivated influenza vaccines were tested on 750 practically healthy adults. In all the preparations under test the levels of reactogenicity were found to correspond to the Technical Specifications TY--KBC, but the subunit type vaccine, "Gripovac", proved to possess the lowest reactogenicity and was, therefore, recommended for further trials in young children. Taking into account the characteristics of antigenic potency, the work gives grounds for the necessity of increasing the content of hemagglutinin in the vaccine prepared by the centrifugal method and for the practical use of the same volumetric dose (0.2 ml) for both virion vaccines (prepared by the centrifugal and chromatographic methods).     

Comparative pathomorphologic study of the toxic properties of a corpuscular pertussis vaccine and of a cell-free pertussis preparation

The comparative study of morphological changes in the body of outbred mice under the action of corpuscular pertussis vaccine and acellular pertussis preparation has been made. The corpuscular vaccine has been shown to produce a pronounced, dynamically increasing toxic effect, thus causing the damage of lymphoid thymic and spleen cells, prolonged interstitial reaction in the lungs, destructive inflammatory process at the site of injection. The acellular pertussis preparation is less toxic, induces less pronounced changes in these organs at the early period of the experiment, stimulates the proliferation of lymphoid cells and lymphoblast transformation. As noted in this study, the damaging action of pertussis vaccine is mainly indicated by pathological phenomena appearing in the organs of the immune system, pulmonary parenchyma and muscular tissue (in the inoculation zone).     

Comparative immunochemical and immunoallergologic characteristics of staphylococci varying in pathogenicity. I. Immunochemical characteristics of the antigenic composition of S. aureus and S. epidermidis

Chemical extracts and fractions prepared from pathogenic and nonpathogenic staphylococcal strains were studied with immunodiffusion. Antigens were detected reacting with both homologous and heterologous antisera against the intact coccal cells. The allergens obtained by acidic and alkaline extraction were highly active antigens. The preparation of S. epidermidis obtained by the method of Ando-Verzhikovsky had the lowest antigen level.     

Interaction of liposomes with a varying lipid composition with hepatocytes in vitro

Interaction of liposomes from egg lecithin, phospholipids and gangliosides of rat liver with rat hepatocyte monolayers was investigated. It was shown that liposomes from phospho- and glycolipids of the liver were bound by rat hepatocytes to a far greater degree than lecithin liposomes. Liver gangliosides increased active endocytosis of liposomes by hepatocytes. Preincubation of hepatocytes with gangliosides reduced the binding of phosphoglycolipid liposomes by those cells.     

Phospholipid composition of myocardium in children with normoxemic and hypoxemic congenital heart diseases

Samples of myocardial tissue were obtained during cardiac surgery from children operated for different types of normoxemic and hypoxemic congenital heart diseases. The phospholipid composition was analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The concentration of total phospholipids (PL), phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was found lower in atrial tissue of both normoxemic and hypoxemic groups in comparison with the ventricles. When comparing the difference between hypoxemic and normoxemic defects, hypoxemia was found to increase the concentration of total PL, PE and phosphatidylserine in ventricles and total PL and PE in the atria. The increased level of particular phospholipid species may represent adaptive mechanisms to hypoxemia in children with congenital heart diseases.