New Method of Vaccination Against Anthrax

The aim of this work was to develop an oral method of vaccination against anthrax, since wide vaccination campaigns using this method require no special conditions, equipment, and instruments. Also, minimum number of medical personnel is sufficient to ensure control over the intake of the drug. Materials and methods. Domestic raw materials, consumables and reagents that passed the incoming inspection and met the requirements of State and industry standards, technical specifications, and the articles of the Pharmacopoeia were used for the work. Batches of anthrax vaccines based on Bacillus anthracis strain STI-1, manufactured at the Research Center (Kirov) of the “48th Central Research Institute” of the Ministry of Defense of Russia were put to the test. Results and discussion. The immunization schemes have been tested on animals, taking into account the features of the antigen. One of the crucial factors that determine the effectiveness of oral vaccination is the correct choice of the type and form of the oral anthrax vaccine administered enterally. It has been shown that in contrast to oral vaccines, the vaccine strain in enteral vaccines must be protected from the harmful effects of stomach contents. Thus, enteric-coated capsules coated with a shell that is resistant to the action of stomach acid were used for the study. The presented experimental data indicate that a single administration of the capsules with oral anthrax vaccine STI protects at least 70 % of laboratory animals from a highly virulent strain of the anthrax microbe and confirm the safety and non-reactogenicity of the drug. The developed laboratory technology makes it possible to obtain a finished product containing one inoculation dose of an oral vaccine for laboratory animals. So, a new method of vaccination has been designed. It is necessary to conduct preclinical and clinical trials to promptly introduce the oral administration of anthrax vaccine into medical practice as the simplest method for mass vaccination of humans

Association of carotid atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: risk factors and biomarkers

BACKGROUND: Carotid atherosclerosis (CA) and lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common and potentially life-threatening comorbidity in diabetes.AIM: to determine risk factors and biomarkers of the association of CA and PAD in patients with type 2 diabetes.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center cross-sectional comparative study was carried out. Three hundred ninety one patients with type 2 diabetes were included. Duplex ultrasound of carotid and low limb arteries, screening/monitoring of diabetic complications and associated diseases, and assessment of glycemic control, biochemical and coagulation parameters were performed. Factors involved in vascular wall remodeling, including calponin-1, relaxin, L-citrulline, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -3, were measured in blood serum by ELISA.RESULTS: The signs of CA and PAD were observed in 330 and 187 patients respectively. In 178 patients, both CA and PAD were revealed. The risk of combined involvement of carotid and lower extremity arteries was higher in patients with diabetic retinopathy (OR=2.57, p<0.001), chronic kidney disease (OR=4.48, p<0.001), history of myocardial infarction (OR=5.09, p<0.001), coronary revascularization (OR=4.31, p<0.001) or cerebrovascular accident (OR=3.07, p<0.001). In ROC-analysis, age ≥65.5 years (OR=3.43, p<0.001), waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.967 (OR=3.01, p=0.001), diabetes duration ≥12.5 years (OR=3.7, p<0.001), duration of insulin therapy ≥4.5 years (OR=3.05, p<0.001), duration of arterial hypertension ≥16.5 years (OR=1.98, p=0.002), serum L-citrulline ≥68 µmol/l (OR=3.82, p=0.003), and mean amplitude of glucose excursions ≥3.72 mmol/l (OR=1.79, p=0.006) were the risk factors for atherosclerosis of two vascular beds. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, diabetes duration and waist-to-hip ratio were independent risk factors for association of CA and PAD (p=0.005, p=0.0003, and p=0.004 respectively).CONCLUSION: In subjects with type 2 diabetes, carotid and lower extremity atherosclerotic disease is associated with age, diabetes duration, abdominal obesity, microvascular and macrovascular complications, glucose variability, and high serum levels of L-citrulline

Polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor gene (<i>VEGF</i>) and matrix metalloproteinase (<i>ММР</i>) genes in primary limb lymphedema

Among the reasons of primary lymphedema development, a certain role belongs to genetic factors. The specific molecular products participate in remodeling of blood and lymphatic vascular networks. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are key regulators of endothelial functions of the cells, which are responsible for lympho- and vasculogenesis. Moreover, matrix metalloproteinases (ММР) may act as regulators of both lymphangiogenesis, and angiogenesis. Since the regulatory regions of VEGFA gene, as well as of ММР genes are polymorphic, one may suggest, that their different expression level, determined by these polymorphisms, could be associated with development of swellings typical for lymphedema.We have analyzed gene polymorphisms in two regulatory regions of vascular endothelial growth factor-A VEGF-A (rs 699947 and rs 3025039), and matrix metalloproteinase genes MMP2 (rs 2438650), MMP3 (rs 3025058), MMP9 (rs 3918242), and their combinations in the patients with primary lymphedema.A group of patients with primary lymphedema included 72 subjects (55 women and 17 men) at the age of 18 to 81 years. Control group included 526 inhabitants of Novosibirsk (153 men, 373 women) without chronic diseases, comparable for age with lymphedema patients. We have performed typing of regulatory regions in VEGF (rs 699947, rs 3025039), ММР2 (rs 2438650), ММР3 (rs 3025058), ММР9 genes (rs 3918242). Fifteen complex genotypes have been revealed that were positively associated with disease. Analysis of the gene network topology has outlined the main intergenic interactions upon primary lymphedema development. MMP2 -1306 CC, MMP9 -1562CC and VEGF +936CC arrange the basic knots in the gene network (53% of total interactions). A number of significantly different complex genotypes was revealed at patients with primary lymphedema with normal body mass index (BMI &lt; 25) and obesity (BMI &lt; 30). Hence, frequency of complex genotype VEGF +936 CC: MMP3 -1171 5А6А:MMP9 -1562 CC in the patients with obesity is increased more 5.5-fold compared to the patients with normal BMI.The data obtained may presume a certain value of the analyzed gene polymorphisms in pathogenesis of primary lymphedema. Topological analysis of gene networks allows to study the structural and functional organization of gene-gene interactions for development of approaches to individyal preventive maintenance and therapy of the disease

Inductively coupled superconducting half wavelength resonators as persistent current traps for ultracold atoms

A crucial point in the experimental implementation of hybrid quantum systems consisting of superconducting circuits and atomic ensembles is bringing the two partners close enough to each other that a strong quantum coherent coupling can be established. Here, we propose to use the metallization structures of a half wavelength superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator as a persistent current trap for ultracold paramagnetic atoms. Trapping atoms with the resonator structure itself is provided by using short-ended and inductively coupled resonators instead of capacitively coupled ones as customary in circuit quantum electrodynamics.We analyze the external quality factor of short-ended coplanar waveguide resonators and show that it can be easily designed for the desired regime of quantum circuits. The magnetic field configuration at the resonator is calculated by means of numerical three-dimensional simulations of the London equations. We present a way to transport an atomic ensemble into the coplanar resonator gap where the magnetic field of the cavity mode is maximum. The configuration allows stable trapping by persistent currents and paves the route towards strong coupling between atomic clouds and the cavity mode which is required for cooperative effects and gives the interface between atoms and circuit quantum electrodynamics