Population genetic study of differential fertility in man (illustrated by habitual abortion). IV. Distribution of blood groups and frequency of incompatible marriages

Hereditary variation of 5 immunological systems coded by 8 loci was compared in 148 couples and 100 women with repeated spontaneous abortions in anamnesis (experimental group) and 141 couples and 100 women with normal fertility (control group). Marked differences in distributions of genotypes and frequencies of 3 systems (MNSs, Rhesus, Duffy) and frequency of AB0-incompatible couples were found between control and experimental groups. An average value of observed heterozygosity in experimental group was lower, as compared to the expected value. Possible influence of immunological factors on recurrent fetal wastage is discussed.     

Population genetics approach to the problem of the nonspecific biological resistance of the human body. I. Statement of the problem and basis for the approach. Distribution parameters of anthropometric markers of normal and ill newborn infants and nurslings

Distributions of two metrical characters-the weight and the body length at birth are considered in several groups of healthy, diseased and dead newborns and infants. Significant differences in statistical parameters of these distributions (mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis) are demonstrated for normal and malformated children. The increased number of children with minimal deviations from the mean values of characters (adaptive norm) is observed among healthy newborns, while in groups of diseased and dead children the frequency of individuals with extreme (especially low) values is increased. The principle of classification of individuals based simultaneously on two characteris is suggested and the problem of "average phenotype" classification by the number of characters is discussed.     

Protease activity of Klebsiella pneumoniae of different virulence

The study of substrate specificity and activity of proteolytic enzymes secreted by K. pneumoniae strains with different virulence was carried out. The strains were cultivated in a liquid semi-synthetic medium. The biomass was inactivated, and the supernatant fluid was separated from microbial cells by centrifuging. In the supernatant thus obtained and in the fractions isolated by gel filtration with the subsequent purification on DEAE Sepharose elastase-like, trypsin-like and chemotrypsin-like proteolytic activity was determined. In K. pneumoniae strains with different virulence only a single proteolytic enzyme--elastase with a mol. wt. of 21 kD--was detected. The protease activity of the supernatant culture fluid did not depend on the virulence of the strain and was equal to 5,416-7,476 I.U./ml. The activity of the purified enzyme was 100% of the elastase-like activity of the supernatant culture fluid. The most virulent K. pneumoniae strain K2, whose LD50 for white mice was less than 10 microbial cells, was characterized by lower elastase-like activity. The absence of correlation between protease activity and K. pneumoniae virulence may be explained by the fact that surface glycoproteins of eukaryotic cells are glycosilated and thus slightly accessible for proteases.     

Naso-subcutaneous application of the polycomponent vaccine VP-4 for the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive bronchitis

Bacterial polycomponent vaccine (VP-4) earlier developed at the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera on the basis of antigenic complexes of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus was used within the program of clinical trials, for the treatment of 30 patients aged 16-59 years with the atopic and mixed form of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive bronchitis by the combined naso-subcutaneous application. A good therapeutic effect produced by the vaccine was registered in 83.3% of the patients. It was manifested by a lower frequency of acute respiratory diseases and bronchopulmonary diseases as well as decreased need in antibiotic therapy. In the group of comparison a good effect was noted in 40% of the patients during 6 months of observation (statistically significant difference). Side effects caused by the administration of the vaccine were transitory, had mainly local character and disappeared without any treatment. In 1 patient the development of anaphylactic shock was observed. The positive effect of vaccine VP-4 could be attributed to the improved indices of cell-mediated immunity, an increased synthesis of alpha- and gamma-interferon, a droped level of IgE and specific IgG antibodies to Staphylococcus sp., Klebsiella sp., Proteus sp., Escherichia coli.     

Comparative study of immunobiological properties of Klebsiella planticola and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains

The present investigation was based on information on the frequent isolation of K. planticola, inhabiting soil and water ecosystems, from respiratory tract secretions, urine, wound surface and other clinical material in infectious pathology of humans. The comparative study of the main immunobiological properties of K. planticola strain TCXA 91 and K. pneumoniae strain 204 was carried out. The strains were equally virulent for white mice, the infective dose being about 100x10(6) when introduced intraperitoneally in 0.4% agar. These strains exhibited protective cross activity in the animals challenged with K. pneumoniae virulent strain K16. The survival rates of mice for K. planticola TCXA 91 and K. pneumoniae 204 were, respectively, 60% and 70%, the death rate of the control animals being 100%. For the first time K. pneumoniae 204 was found capable of stimulating the growth of lawn grasses in the presence of sodium chloride. The results were evaluated by the germination of seeds, the length of the plantlet and the root. The data obtained in this study are indicative of the similarity of the immunobiological properties of K. planticola TCXA 91 and K. pneumoniae 204.     

Immunological characteristics in the therapy of atopic dermatitis in children with polycomponent vaccine Immunovac BN-4

IgE-mediated reactions linked with the polarization of the immune process towards, mainly, the activation of Th2 lymphocytes which synthesized interleukins, responsible for switching over B lymphocytes to the production of IgE, were found to be the most important mechanism of the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). The use of immunomodulating preparations, capable of changing unbalance in the system of Th1/Th2 cells, is one of promising approaches to the complex therapy of AD. Poly-component vaccine Immunovac BN-4 was included into the complex therapy of AD in children, The dynamics of immunological characteristics was studied for the period of 6 months after the end of the course of therapy. A considerable increase in the absolute and relative amount of lymphocytes with markers CD3, CD4, CD16, CD21, CD25, a rise in the levels of IgA, IgG and a decrease in the level of total IgE in the blood serum were established. The inclusion of the polycomponent vaccine into the complex therapy of AD may be recommended.     

Zooplankton in Monospecies and Mixed Phytocenoses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stratiotes aloides</Emphasis> L. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sagittaria sagittifolia</Emphasis> L. under Experimental Conditions

Aquatic plants differing in morphology and metabolic products make unequal changes in the habitat of hydrobionts. The development of zooplankton in monospecies and mixed phytocenoses of the water soldier Stratiotes aloides L. and arrowhead Sagittaria sagittifolia L. has been studied in microcosms. In monospecies phytocenoses of different plants, the preferential development of one or another species of littoral Cladocera is found. The number of predators and species diversity increase in zooplankton as the spatial organization becomes more complex. Zooplankton in the phytocenosis, formed simultaneously by two species of plants, has features characteristic of monospecies phytocenoses, as well as its own peculiarities, primarily related to the development of euplankton species. It is assumed that aquatic plants indirectly affect zooplankton via changes in the quantitative ratio of different groups of food organisms.     

Structure and regulation of the anthranilate synthase genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: II. Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli

The genes for the large and small subunits of anthranilate synthase (trpE and trpG, respectively) have been cloned from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAC174 into E. coli by R-prime formation with the broad-host- range plasmid R68.44. Sequential subcloning into plasmid vectors reduced the active Pseudomonas DNA fragment to a length of 3.1 kb. We obtained evidence that this region contains the promoter for its own expression and retains a vestigial regulatory response to tryptophan scarcity or excess.      

Population-genetical study of differential fertility in humans (based on an example of habitual abortion). I. Approach to the problem and analysis of morpho-physiological and demographic traits

It was shown that women from the studied group of married couples, suffering from repeated spontaneous abortions (the main group), have earlier menarche and their husbands are taller, as compared with the control group of couples with normal reproductive performance. The degree of similarity between mates in age and stature appeared to be lower in the main group than in the control group. The variation of the characters under study is supposed to provide an auxiliary criterion in selecting couples at high risk of repeated spontaneous abortions.