West Nile Fever in the Rostov Region: Ecological and Epidemiological Peculiarities of the Outbreak in 2010

This paper describes the outbreak of West Nile fever in the Rostov Region in 2010 and evaluates its ecological and epidemiological peculiarities. From 15th of July till 22nd of September 2010, detected were the 64 cases (1, 4800/0000) of the disease, which were characterized by vector-born mechanism of transmission. Peak of morbidity coincided with mass breeding of Culicidae, increase in the number of Culex mosquitoes, and reoccurring growth of Aedes mosquito population. Diffuse type of the epidemiological process, higher rates of the cases among urbanites, infected in the country-side area, were the characteristic features of that outbreak. West Nile virus antigen was detected by means of IFA in samples taken from An. maculipennis and Cx. pipiens mosquitoes, wild and synanthropic birds, Rh. rossicus ticks, house and wood mice, which facilitates identification of the core factors for the agent circulation and West Nile fever natural focus formation

ECOLOGICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF WEST NILE FEVER IN THE ROSTOV REGION

RETRACTEDPurpose: Th e study of the West Nile Fever (WNF) with the estimation of results of ecological/epizootological monitoring and epidemic manifestations of infection.Materials and methods: investigations for the presence of antigen of WN virus were carried out on 5754 specimen (4187 samples of brain suspensions) of birds belonging to 90 species, 15 orders; 4153 specimen (1038 samples of brain suspensions) of 17 species of mammals; 46113 specimen (2081) of 18 species of mosquitoes; 13883 specimen (1588) of imago ticks of six species, and others (2001-2013). Methods used: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, epidemiological analysis.Results: the territories of risk for WNF were defi ned with regard to bird ecology, fauna of mosquitoes of Culicidae family was characterized, the ecological linkages of WN virus with birds, mosquitoes and mammals were defi ned. Th e area of habitation of West Nile (WN) virus was determined. Epizootological/epidemiological zoning of the Rostov Region was carried out with identifi cation of territories, diff ering by the degree of risk of population infection with WN virus.Summary: Th e results obtained can serve the evidence of formation of natural and anthropurgic foci of WNF

High Abundance Proteins Depletion vs Low Abundance Proteins Enrichment: Comparison of Methods to Reduce the Plasma Proteome Complexity

BACKGROUND: To date, the complexity of the plasma proteome exceeds the analytical capacity of conventional approaches to isolate lower abundance proteins that may prove to be informative biomarkers. Only complex multistep separation strategies have been able to detect a substantial number of low abundance proteins (<100 ng/ml). The first step of these protocols is generally the depletion of high abundance proteins by the use of immunoaffinity columns or, alternatively, the enrichment of by the use of solid phase hexapeptides ligand libraries. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present a direct comparison of these two approaches. Following either approach, the plasma sample was further fractionated by SCX chromatography and analyzed by RP-LC-MS/MS with a Q-TOF mass spectrometer. The depletion of the 20 most abundant plasma proteins allowed the identification of about 25% more proteins than those detectable following low abundance proteins enrichment. The two datasets are partially overlapping and the identified proteins belong to the same order of magnitude in terms of plasma concentration. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that the two approaches give complementary results. However, the enrichment of low abundance proteins has the great advantage of obtaining much larger amount of material that can be used for further fractionations and analyses and emerges also as a cheaper and technically simpler approach. Collectively, these data indicate that the enrichment approach seems more suitable as the first stage of a complex multi-step fractionation protocol

Molecular Markers of Hemorrhagic Stroke

Инсульт является второй по частоте причиной смерти в мире после ишемической болезни сердца (ИБС) и третьей по частоте развития инвалидности.Цель: выявление закономерностей содержания кандидатных молекулярных маркеров в сыворотке крови пациентов в различные стадии геморрагического инсульта.Материал и методы. Число пациентов с геморрагическим инсультом составило 33, из них мужчин 15, женщин 18. Возраст пациентов — 31-65 лет. Молекулярные маркеры ЦНС в сыворотке крови определяли в острейшей стадии через 1-3 часа, 7, 14 и 30 дней от начала заболевания. Количественную оценку содержания кандидатных молекулярных маркеров повреждения центральной нервной системы (ЦНС) в сыворотке крови у пациентов с геморрагическим инсультом осуществляли методом иммуноферментного анализа в острейшей стадии через 1-3 часа, затем — 7, 14 и 30 дней от начала заболевания. Определяли нейротрофический фактор головного мозга, нейронспецифическую ено-лазу, белок S-100 общий, глиальный нейротрофический фактор, васкулоэндотелиальный фактор роста, сиалированный углеводный антиген, супероксиддисмутазу. Молекулярные маркеры ЦНС выявляли с помощью автоматического микропланшетного иммуноферментного анализатора Immuno-mat ТМ. Контрольную группу составили 20 добровольцев в возрасте 24-58 лет. Статистический анализ полученных данных производили при помощи пакета Statistica 7,0. Использовали параметрические методы статистического анализа, данные представили в виде медианы 25-75 перцентилей (25-75 IQR). Статистически значимым считали различие при p&lt;0,05.Результаты. По сравнению с группой контроля в сыворотках крови пациентов с геморрагическим инсультом отмечали изменение содержания исследуемых кандидатных молекулярных маркеров. В острейшей стадии геморрагического инсульта (1-3 часа от начала заболевания) регистрировали статистически значимое возрастание содержания белка S100, глиального нейротрофического фактора, фактора роста эндотелия сосудов, супероксиддисмутазы, сиалированного углеводного антигена, а снижение содержания мозгового нейротрофического фактора и повышение содержания нейрон-специ-фической енолазы было статистически недостоверным. В острой стадии геморрагического инсульта (7-14 дней) отмечали статистически значимое снижение содержания мозгового нейротрофического фактора (14 день), повышение содержания фактора роста эндотелия, супероксиддисмутазы, сиалиро-ванного углеводного антигена. В подострой стадии заболевания (30 суток) регистрировали статистически значимое повышение содержания фактора роста эндотелия, супероксиддисмутазы и сиалиро-ваннго углеводного антигена.Заключение. Изучили динамику содержания кандидатных молекулярных маркеров в сыворотке крови пациентов с геморрагическим инсультом, которая, вероятно, отражает процессы альтерации и регенерации, соответствующие стадиям заболевания. Использование данных кандидатных молекулярных биомаркеров, после соответствующей валидации, перспективно в комплексной диагностике, мониторинге лечения и реабилитационных мероприятий у данной категории пациентов

Experience of Organizational-Preventive Measures in Rostov Region in the Influenza Epidemic Season of 2015 - 2016

The complex of actions is presented carried out by the Local Administration of Russian Federal Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare Supervision Service in the Rostov Region together with the Ministry of Health of the Rostov Region and Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Rostov Region, aimed at the prevention of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections and including: organizational work, results of epidemiological surveillance during interepidemic and epidemic periods with the epidemiological situation assessment, managerial decision-making on the basis of the results obtained, as well as working with reference-centers. The epidemic rise of incidence in the season of 2015 - 2016 was more intensive judging by the majority of characteristics in comparison with the previous period. The main etiological agent of infection was influenza virus A(H1N1)pdm09 characterized by the early onset of epidemic rise from mid-January 2016, the lesser engagement of children from 3 to 6 years of age into epidemic process but maximal engagement of schoolchildren aged 7 - 14, by the higher rate of disease development, higher per cent of hospitalized with influenza diagnosis, and maximal number of deceased at the peak of epidemic

Simultaneous serum desalting and total protein determination by macroporous reversed-phase chromatography

<p>Macroporous reversed-phase (mRP) chromatography was successfully used to develop an accurate and precise method for total protein in serum. The limits of detection (0.83 mu g, LOD) and quantification (2.51 mu g, LOQ) for the mRP method are comparable with those of the widely used micro BCA protein assay. The mRP method can be used to determine the total protein concentration across a wide dynamic range by detecting chromatographic peaks at 215 nm and 280 nm. The method has the added advantage of desalting and denaturing proteins, leading to more complete digestion by trypsin and to better LC-MS-MS identification in shotgun proteomics experiments.</p>