Cellular and humoral immunity factors in salmonellosis and food toxinfections

The present work deals with the state of cell-mediated and humoral immunity in 129 patients with salmonellosis and 185 patients with alimentary toxicoinfections, determined from the data obtained in the leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) test and the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test with cysteine, at different stages of the disease and depending on the severity of the infectious process. The results of these investigations showed that in adult salmonellosis patients the specific reaction of T- and B-lymphocytes developed as secondary immune response. The results of the LMI test proved to be unrelated to the severity of the infectious process, while antibody formation was found to be most intensive in the acute course of the disease. The investigations also revealed that the activity of reaction in the LMI est did not depend on the presence of humoral antibodies. In the patients with alimentary toxicoinfections changes in the results of the LMI test and the PHA test with cysteine showed the same regularities as in the salmonellosis patients. This permitted the authors to suggest that diseases of Salmonella etiology prevailed in the former group.     

Results of treatment of dysentery patients with streptomycin-dependent vaccine in comparison with other methods of treatment]

Comparative study of various methods of treatment was carried out on 777 patients suffering from acute dysentery with a bacteriologically confirmed diagnosis. To assess the therapeutic efficacy, along with consideration of clinical signs of the disease, immunoglobulin level was examined in the blood and coprofiltrates; also the state of reparative processes in the mucosa was appreciated by the histological examination of the biopsy material. Results of the work carried out indicated the inexpediency of the treatment of this disease with a combination of levomycetin and phthalazol. The use of live streptomycin-dependent dysentery vaccine was indicated in protracted torpid dysentery and was of no avail in acute form of the disease. A good therapeutic effect was observed with the application of pathogenetic therapy alone.     

Improvement of the serological diagnosis of food poisoning]

A possibility was shown of improvement of serological diagnosis of salmonelloses with the aid of polyvalent (complex) and group salmonellosis stable formalinized erythrocytic diagnostic agents. The use of the mentioned preparations for titration of antibodies of different immunochemical nature in the sera of patients suffering from food toxicoinfections permitted to confirm the clinical diagnosis of salmonellosis in about 30% of cases.     

Provision of nestboxes raises the breeding density of Great Tits Parus major equally in coniferous and deciduous woodland

Nestbox provision is a technique used to increase nest-site availability for secondary cavity-nesting birds. However, little is known about the demographic consequences of nestbox provision in different habitat types. To assess how nestbox provision affects the density of hole-nesting birds simultaneously in two contrasting habitats, we compared the breeding density of Great Tits along transects without nestboxes with that in transects where nestboxes were provided. Although the initial density of breeders was considerably higher in the deciduous habitat than in the coniferous habitat, provision of nestboxes increased density by a similar number of additional pairs in each habitat type. Thus, the provision of nestboxes in managed coniferous forests may be as effective in increasing the breeding opportunities of cavity nesters as in deciduous stands. Moreover, previous research showed that pairs in deciduous habitat with nestboxes have consistently lower breeding success than those in coniferous habitat with nestboxes. It is possible that the addition of nestboxes in the preferred habitat increased density to such an extent that density-dependent effects became apparent.     

Course and outcomes of infectious endocarditis in HIV-infected patients

39 patients with acute infectious endocarditis were observed; of these, 28 patients had HIV infection at different stages of the disease. The specific features of the course of acute infectious endocarditis in HIV-infected patients were established. The severe course of acute septic endocarditis was observed in those patients whose parameters of the cell-mediated immune system (cells CD4+) were in the state of compensation or subcompensation. At different stages of HIV infection different clinical syndromes of infectious endocarditis prevailed. In patients with HIV infection the combined lesions of the heart valve apparatus were observed and mixed microflora was isolated from the blood more frequently. The development of acute septic endocarditis negatively affected the course of HIV infection and was manifested by a rapid decrease in the amount of CD4 lymphocytes.     

Clinical and morphological aspects of shigellosis flexneri in patients with an aggravated premorbid state

The analysis of 10 fatal outcomes in patients with acute shigellosis during the period of 1999-2000 made it possible to find out that most of deceased shigellosis patients belonged to the group inclined to alcohol abuse and having initial alimentary disturbances. In 6 cases of acute shigellosis with fatal outcome the causative agent was S. flexneri 2a, in 2 cases--S. flexneri 3a, in 1--S. flexneri 4b. The main cause of fatal outcomes was accompanying double pneumonia. Lesions of the intestinal tract in deceased shigellosis patients were of destructive character, resulting, in a number of cases, in serous and perforative peritonitis.