The Assessment of Light Environment with the First Generation Leds

The article describes experimental studies on the effectiveness of lighting installations (LI) with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is established that LED-based lighting does not cause a negative impact on the organ of vision and the human body as a whole. The changes in the functional parameters of the organ of sight, which occur during the visual performance has the corresponding limits of physiological fluctuations and are reversible. The integral indicators of the efficiency of LED-based lighting were estimated. The practical significance of the results was shown

Subsets of cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytes in acute pediatric respiratory viral infection with meningeal syndrome

Current urgency of studying the intrathecal cellular immune response to infections of central nervous system is determined by limited knowledge on existing data about mechanisms of the brain immune protection in normal and diseased state. Implication of multi-colour flow cytometry in clinical laboratory diagnostics allowed to perform detailed studies of biological liquors, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Currently, however, there are only scarce data on the lymphocyte subpopulations in CSF. Appropriate reference values remain a challenging issue. A study of CSF lymphocyte pool in absence of definite results at previous examination may be a potential way to resolve this problem. These clinical conditions include acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI), presenting with pseudomeningitidis (meningism) syndrome. The aim of this work was to characterize the subsets of lymphocytes from CSF of the children with ARVI with the meningism symptoms in order to get basic (control) values for diagnostics of inflammatory brain diseases. We have studied subpopulation composition of the CSF lymphocytes form in 27 children with ARVI complicated by the meningism (pseudomeningitidis) by means of flow cytometry using FACSCalibur analyzer with BD MultiTEST IMK Kit reagents. The data evaluation was performed with FlowJo software. We have studied relative contents of the main subsets, i.e., total Т cells (CD3+); Т helpers (CD3+CD4+Th); cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+CTL); natural killers (СD3-CD16+CD56+NK); В cells (CD3-CD19+), and minor lymphocyte subpopulations: double-positive (DP) (CD3+CD4+CD8+); double-negative (DN) (CD3+CD4-CD8-) T cells; NKT (СD3+CD16+CD56+); CD3+CD8bright, CD3+CD8dim, CD3-CD8+NK. Statistical evaluation was carried out with standard GraphPad Prism 5 software. Among the main lymphocyte populations in CSF, T cell were predominant (96.2%), as well as their subpopulations, i.e., CD4Th (53.4%), and CD8+CTL (28.2%), with low amounts of NK (2.2%) and B cells (0.7%). The mean relative content of minor subpopulations (DN or DP T cells, and NKT cells) was, respectively, 5.3, 4.0, and 9%. Age dependence was revealed for the contents of major and minor lymphocyte subsets. With advancing age of the children, the relative numbers of CD3+ and CD4+Тh cells in CSF increase, as well as CD4/CD8 ratio, associated with decreased share of NK cells, like as DN and CD3+CD8dimТ cells. The results obtained are reflect some features of lymphocyte pool in CSF of the children without inflammatory process in CNS. Thus, they may be referred as control values (inflammation-free brain disorders) when studying immune pathogenesis of neuroinfections and other inflammatory diseases of CNS in the children from different age groups

Productivity of Labour and Salaries in Russia: Problems and Solutions

The article gives the analysis of the level and dynamics of productivity of labour in the economy of Russia in general and Samara Region in particular; the ratio of labour productivity increase and salaries. It considers why Russia is lagging behind the developed countries in terms of the level of labour productivity and justifies the necessity of the development of the mechanism of labour productivity management and the feasibility of the relevant laws. It also reveals the drawbacks of the Labour Legislation in the sphere of salaries and the absence of clear definitions of such concepts as salary, salary payment and minimal salary in it. The article studies the problem of fictitious piecework as the result of imperfect organization of salaries payment. The authors substantiate the increase of tariff rates and salaries, the use of reasonable labour standards and the right choice of forms and systems of payment are the interconnected elements of the rational organization of payment which is an important factor of labour productivity increase and production efficiency. The authors suggested their own definition of the “salary” concept. They studied the modern approaches to labour payment in Russia and abroad, its structure and the principles of formation of minimal salary. It was proved that minimal salary should not be less than minimal living wage and should be even higher bearing in mind family burden. On the bases of the data presented we stated that the level of salaries in Russia is to a great extent predetermined by the absence of clear state policy on the problem of the essence, purposes and the size of minimal salary. It was revealed that the correspondent advance coefficients (the ratio of labour productivity growth to the rate of wage growth) are stably low and the coefficients of wage capacity (the ratio of wage growth to the rate of growth of labour productivity) are high. The conclusion of non-compliance of wage growth and the corresponding (advancing) growth of labour productivity is made, which can justify the need for a law (or laws) on labour productivity and wages. We suppose it is necessary to give clear definitions of such socially important categories as minimal living wage, minimal salary, minimal basic salary rates and logic links between them in the Labour Code which will facilitate the development of labour relations and effective organization of salary payment. Keywords: Productivity of labour; Salary; Salary payment; Ratio of labour productivity growth to the rate of wage growth; Productivity factors; Minimal salary; Forms and systems of salary payment; Setting of labour quotas; Fictitious piecework. JEL Classifications: J24; J30; J3

Cytokines and neuron-specific proteins in pediatric viral encephalitis and convulsive syndrome. I. Viral encephalitis

Convulsive syndrome in children is manifested in the three forms: febrile convulsions in acute infections, symptomatic convulsions during acute neuroinfection, as well as onset of epilepsy requiring careful differentiation to prescribe adequate therapy. A threat of convulsive syndrome spreads beyond complications related to ongoing infection, because its development is associated with the risk of emerging symptomatic epilepsy in the future. Postencephalitic epilepsy developing in children within the first years after viral encephalitis has been specifically highlighted. A necessity to identify groups at risk of developing epilepsy gave a momentum to seek out for biomarkers of epileptogenesis reflecting the features of systemic and local inflammatory process in the central nervous system during the immune response to infection. Cytokines mainly mediating inflammation are currently examined being studied as candidate biomarkers of the risk of epilepsy. On the other hand, neuron-specific proteins known as inflammation biomarkers identified in various diseases of the central nervous system are being investigated to reveal brain cell injury in neuroinfections and epilepsy. Here we review publications assessing a potential to use inflammation biomarkers (cytokines and neuron-specific proteins) to diagnose and monitor pediatric neurological diseases associated with convulsive syndrome. The first part of the review describes the results of determining the inflammation biomarkers in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid during acute viral encephalitis/encephalopathy associated with various neurotropic viruses (herpes viruses, flaviviruses, enteroviruses). A significance of diverse biomarkers in predicting an outcome and long-term disease consequences are discussed

Major and minor lymphocytes subpopulations in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of children with meningitis

Introduction. The analysis of current publications indicates at our insufficient understanding of subpopulation composition of lymphocytes in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during pediatric neuroinfectious diseases. It has been found that the main lymphocyte populations are divided into many small (minor) subpopulations.The purpose of this research was to assess percentage of major and minor blood and CSF lymphocyte subsets in children with aseptic viral meningitis (AM) or bacterial purulent meningitis (BM).Materials and methods. Phenotyping of blood and CSF lymphocytes of children aged from 4 months to 17 years diagnosed with AM (n = 86) and BM (n = 39) was carried out by using flow cytometry. As a comparison group, we analyzed peripheral blood and CSF samples collected from children with acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs) associated with syndrome of meningism (n = 27). There was evaluated percentage of the major cell subpopulations (CD3+ T-lymphocytes, T-helpers — CD3+CD4+ Th, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes — CD3+CD8+ CTL, natural killer cells — CD3-CD16+CD56+ NK, B-cells — CD3-CD19+), as well as minor lymphocyte subsets (double positive (DP) (CD3+CD4+CD8+), double negative (DN) (CD3+CD4-CD8-) T-cells, NKT (CD3+CD16+CD56+), CD3-CD8+ NK, CD3+CD8dim and CD3+CD8 8bright).Results. It was found that the acute period of BM and AM vs. the comparison group (ARVI) was characterized by significant differences in the blood and CSF composition of major and minor lymphocyte subsets. In particular, blood T-cells, Th, CTL, NK, NKT, DN, CD3-CD8+ NK, CD3+CD8bright and CD3+CD8dim dominated in parallel with significantly lowered B-cell frequency in AM vs. BM. In the CSF of children with AM, T-cells and Th prevailed, whereas count of B-cells and CD3-CD8+ NK was lower compared to those in BM. In addition, further differences were revealed in CSF and blood cell subset composition depending on nosological entity, while maintaining differences in some major and minor lymphocyte subpopulations lacked in the comparison group. Calculating the CSF/blood ratio for the major and minor lymphocyte subsets uncovered the prevalence for the majority of cell subpopulations (the coefficients ranged from 1.2 to 16.4) in the CSF of the comparison group (ARVI), except B-cells, NK and CD3-CD8+ NK (coefficients ranged from 0.07 to 0.31). AM and BM were featured with various changes in the CSF/blood ratio found for most of the studied subpopulations in the acute period as well as the recovery phase highlighted with characteristic traits for each nosological form.Conclusion. The data obtained indicate about finding specific features in the activation of systemic and intrathecal immune response during viral and bacterial meningitis in children, which may be used as an additional differential diagnostic criterion

РОЛЬ ГЕНЕТИЧЕСКИХ ФАКТОРОВ В РАЗВИТИИ МЕТАБОЛИЧЕСКОГО И ИММУННОГО ОТВЕТА ПРИ ОСТРЫХ РЕСПИРАТОРНЫХ ИНФЕКЦИЯХ С ПНЕВМОНИЯМИ В УСЛОВИЯХ КРАЙНЕГО СЕВЕРА В РАЗЛИЧНЫХ ЭТНИЧЕСКИХ ГРУППАХ

This is the first-time comparison of pneumonia course severity in two different ethnic groups of children in the conditions of the Far North with the account of acetylatory phenotype and intensity of free-adical oxidation. Genetic polymorphism on activity of N-cetyltransferase (N-АТ) enzyme is present in the majority of human populations as some have fast and others slow form of enzyme. According to this there are phenotypically distinguished people with slow and fast acetylatory phenotype, so-called slow and fast acetylators (SА and FА). SА-сhildren are to a greater degree the subject  to complications in the cases of infectious diseases and do not easily response to therapies. The purpose of our research was to estimate the value of acetylatory phenotype of a child during the development of an acute respiratory infection complicated by pneumonia in both populations of children of Sakha Republic (native population – Yakuts and arrived population – Russians). There has been performed the examination of 112 children with acute respiratory infections complicated by pneumonia, and 49 practically healthy ones in the conditions of the Far North (Sakha). It is demonstrated that both Yakuts and Russians have to fight with pneumonia by free-radical oxidation activation (at the expense of “respiratory burst” reactions). It has been revealed that in the conditions of the Far North both hormones of stress, cortisol and somatotropic hormone work actively. The level of growth hormone was 2 times higher even in healthy Russian children to compare with Yakuts, (the level of growth hormone was 1,5 times higher among FА comparing with SА). The subpopulation structure of blood lymphocytes in SА-patients to a less degree depends on the intensity of free-radical oxidation to compare with FA-patients, especially in Yakuts population. Two independent parameters – speed of acetylation and free-radical oxidation intensity, regulating cell activation, synthesis of protection mediators and the level of hormones in blood, as well as cytotoxic properties of lymphocytes interact with each other, influencing the regulation of metabolism and separate mechanisms of immune response. This type of influence is to a greater degree expressed in children of Yakuts to compare with Russians. Depending on the combination of acetylation type and free-radical oxidation level during an acute phase of acute respiratory infection there is a change of a profile of immune protection due to the activation of cellular Th1-response or IgA production in mucous membranes. It is demonstrated that the stimulation of cellular response is more characteristic for Yakut-children, and humoral one for Russian-children. There have been revealed the features of pneumonia course, the metabolic laws of the development of adaptation response to infectious stress and the maintenance of immune homeostasis with taking into account a genophenotype of acute respiratory infection complicated by pneumonia in children of the Far North. The value of the research of N-АТ activity level in cases of acute respiratory infection complicated by pneumonia in ill children (Yakuts and Russians) in the conditions of the Far North is underlined as the reason for its further use as a marker of the predisposing factor for complicated acute respiratory infection and other infections.Впервые проведено сопоставление тяжести течения пневмоний у двух различных этнических групп детей в условиях Крайнего Севера с учетом ацетиляторного фенотипа и интенсивности свободно-радикального окисления (СРО). Генетический полиморфизм по активности фермента N-ацетилтрансферазы (N-АТ) распространен в большинстве популяций человека, так как одним свойственна быстрая, а другим медленная форма фермента. Соответственно, фенотипически различают лиц с медленным и быстрым ацетиляторным фенотипом, так называемых медленных и быстрых ацетиляторов (МА и БА). Дети-МА в большей степени подвержены самим инфекционным заболеваниям, осложнениям при инфекционных заболеваниях, труднее поддаются терапии. Цель исследования – оценить значение ацетиляторного фенотипа ребенка при развитии ОРИ, осложненных пневмониями в обеих популяциях детей республики Саха (коренного населения – якуты и приезжего – русские). Проведено обследование 112 детей, больных острыми респираторными инфекциями (ОРИ), осложненных пневмониями, и 49 практически здоровых в условиях Крайнего Севера (Саха). Показано, что как якуты, так и русские вынуждены бороться с пневмониями активацией СРО (за счет реакций «дыхательного взрыва»). Выявлено, что в условиях Крайнего Севера активно работают оба гормона стресса: кортизол и соматотропный гормон (СТГ). Уровень СТГ даже у здоровых русских детей был в 2,0 раза выше, чем у якутов (у БА уровень СТГ был в 1,5 раза выше, чем у МА). Субпопуляционный состав лимфоцитов крови у больных-МА в значительно меньшей степени зависит от интенсивности СРО, чем у больных-БА, особенно в популяции детей-якутов. Два независимых параметра – скорость ацетилирования и интенсивность СРО, регулирующие активацию клеток, синтез медиаторов защиты и уровень гормонов в крови, а также цитотоксические свойства лимфоцитов взаимодействуют между собой, влияя на регуляцию метаболизма и отдельные механизмы иммунного ответа. Это влияние в большей степени выражено у детей-якутов, чем у русских. В зависимости от сочетаний типа ацетилирования (АЦ) и уровня СРО в острой фазе ОРИ происходит изменение профиля иммунной защиты вследствие активации клеточного Th1-ответа или продукции IgA в слизистых РТ. Показано, что для детей-якутов в большей степени характерна стимуляция клеточного ответа, а для детей русских – гуморального. Выявлены особенности течения пневмоний, метаболические закономерности развития ответной реакции адаптации на инфекционный стресс и поддержание иммунного гомеостаза с учетом гено-фенотипа при ОРИ, осложненных пневмониями, у детей Крайнего Севера. Показано значение исследования уровня активности N-АТ при ОРИ, осложненных пневмониями, у больных детей (якутов и русских) в условиях Крайнего Севера, для последующего использования в качестве маркера при оценке предрасположенности ребенка к осложненному течению ОРИ и других инфекций

ЭТАПЫ РАЗВИТИЯ КЛИНИЧЕСКОЙ ЛАБОРАТОРНОЙ ДИАГНОСТИКИ В НАУЧНО-ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКОМ ИНСТИТУТЕ ДЕТСКИХ ИНФЕКЦИЙ

The article presents the information on the basic stages and directions of clinical laboratory diagnostics development for 85 years of Scientific and Research Institute of Children’s Infections existence. The importance of biochemical and immunological research in the investigation of pathogenesis and working out of new diagnostic criteria to improve the course and possible outcomes of an infectious disease in children is underlined. The emphasis is made on the importance of modern hi-technology equipment usage in carrying out scientific and practical laboratory research.В статье представлены основные этапы и направления развития клинической лабораторной диагностики за 85 лет существования Научно-исследовательского института детских инфекций. Подчеркивается важность биохимических и иммунологических исследований в изучении патогенеза и разработке новых диагностических критериев для улучшения течения и исходов инфекционных заболеваний у детей. Сделан акцент на необходимости использования современного высокотехнологичного оборудования для проведения научных и практических лабораторных исследований

ЦИТОКИНЫ В ПАТОГЕНЕЗЕ САЛЬМОНЕЛЛЕЗНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИИ

The review examines the contemporary knowledge about immune protection mechanisms with Salmonella infection, and Salmonella ability to struggle against these mechanisms. Principal emphasis was made oncytokine system reactions of innate and adaptive immunity, described in experimental and clinical researches.В обзоре представлены современные сведения о механизмах иммунной защиты при сальмонеллезной инфекции, способности сальмонелл противостоять этим механизмам. Основной акцент сделан на реакции системы цитокинов врожденного и приобретенного иммунитета, описанной в экспериментальных и клинических исследованиях

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЕ ИЗУЧЕНИЕ ИММУНОМОДУЛИРУЮЩИХ СВОЙСТВ ЛИКВОРА ПРИ БАКТЕРИАЛЬНЫХ ГНОЙНЫХ МЕНИНГИТАХ У ДЕТЕЙ

Pediatric Research and Clinical Center of Infectious Diseases under the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Saint Petersburg, Russia Investigation of the role of cerebrospinal fluid components in the processes of patho- and sanogenesis of central nervous system diseases is a fundamental problem of medicine and biology. The work aim was to study immunomodulatory features of cerebrospinal fluid in case of bacterial purulent meningitis (BPM) in children by an in vitro experiment.There were studied immunomodulatory features of high-molecular and low-molecular fractions of cerebrospinal fluid of 33 children with bacterial purulent meningitis of different etiology and 12 children without meningitis by phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated reaction of leukocyte blast transformation. There was studied the influence of homogeneous cerebrospinal fluid samples of 8 children with bacterial purulent meningitis upon the production of immunoregulatory cytokines by blood cells. Concentration of cytokines (Interleukin (IL)-12, Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, IL-8, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1b) in supernatants of 3-day old cultures of blood cells was detected by flow cytometry method.The effects of cerebrospinal fluid fractions directed on both stimulation and suppression of blast production were identified by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated reaction of leukocyte blast transformation (PHA-RLBT) test. The maximal frequency of stimulating effect of fractions was revealed in children with meningococcal meningitis. There was detected a link between the dynamics of blast forms production under the influence of cerebrospinal fluid fractions and severity of the disease course. The studied cerebrospinal fluid samples of children with bacterial purulent meningitis stimulated IL-6 proinflammatory cytokine production by blood cells as much as possible whereas the influence upon the synthesis of other immunoregulatory cytokines was ambiguous.Детский научно-клинический центр инфекционных болезней Федерального медико-биологического агентства, Санкт-Петербург, Россия Изучение роли компонентов ликвора в процессах пато- и саногенеза заболеваний центральной нервной системы является фундаментальной проблемой медицины и биологии. Цель работы — в эксперименте in vitro изучить иммуномодулирующие свойства ликвора при бактериальных гнойных менингитах у детей.В ФГА-стимулированной реакции бласттрансформации лейкоцитов исследованы иммуномодулирующие свойства высокомолекулярной и низкомолекулярной фракций ликвора 33 детей с бактериальным гнойным менингитом (БГМ) разной этиологии и 12 детей без менингита. Исследовано влияние образцов цельного ликвора 8 детей с БГМ на выработку иммунорегуляторных цитокинов клетками крови. Концентрацию цитокинов (ИЛ-12, ФНО-a, IL-8, IL-6, IL-10, ИЛ-1b) в надосадках 3-х дневной культуры клеток крови определяли методом проточной цитометрии.В тесте ФГА-РБТЛ выявлены эффекты фракций ликвора, направленные как на стимуляцию, так и на супрессию бластообразования. Максимальная частота стимулирующего эффекта фракций выявлена у детей с менингококковым менингитом. Установлена связь динамики образования бластных форм под воздействием фракций ликвора с тяжестью течения заболевания. Исследованные образцы ликвора детей с БГМ максимально стимулировали выработку клетками крови провоспалительного цитокина ИЛ-6, тогда как на синтез других иммунорегуляторных цитокинов воздействие было неоднозначным.

Оценка влияния этиологического спектра герпесвирусов на системный и локальный иммунный ответ при энцефалитах у детей

Herpesviruses are the most common etiological agents of encephalitis in children. The most pathogenic properties for humans are: Herpes Simplex virus type 1, type 2, Varicella Zoster virus, Human Herpes virus type 6 and Epstein-Barr virus, combined infection with which, along with the individual characteristics of the patient's immune status, can lead to a severe course and unpredictable outcome encephalitis.Materials and methods. Clinical and neurological monitoring, etiological verification of infectious agents in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid by PCR and ELISA methods were carried out in 85 children with encephalitis at the age of 10—18 years. In patients suffering from herpesvirus encephalitis, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukins, chemokines were determined in the blood during the acute period of the disease and after 10—14 days.Results. A decrease in the production of IFN-α and IFN-γ was revealed, which is an unfavorable factor prolonging the course of an active herpes virus infection. Conclusions. Cytokines should be considered as one of the prognostic factors for the course and outcomes of encephalitis in children, which will allow timely correction of patient management tactics in each specific case and improve the outcome of the disease.Герпесвирусы являются наиболее часто встречающимися этиологическими агентами энцефалитов у детей. Наибольшими патогенными свойствами для человека обладают: вирус простого герпеса 1, 2 типа, вирус варицелла зостер, вирус герпеса человека 6 типа и вирус Эпштейна-Барр, сочетанное инфицирование которыми, наряду с индивидуальными особенностями иммунного статуса пациента, может приводить к тяжелому течению и непредсказуемому исходу энцефалитов.Материалы и методы. У 85 детей, переносящих энцефалиты в возрасте 10—18 лет, проводился клинико-неврологический мониторинг, этиологическая верификация инфекционных агентов в крови и цереброспинальной жидкости (ЦСЖ) методами ПЦР и ИФА. У пациентов, переносящих герпесвирусные энцефалиты, в крови определялись уровни провоспалительных цитокинов, интерлейкины, хемокины в острый период заболевания и через 10—14 дней.Результаты. Выявлено снижение продукции ИФН-α и ИФН-γ, что является неблагоприятным фактором, пролонгирующим течение активной герпесвирусной инфекции.Выводы. Цитокины следует рассматривать как один из прогностических факторов течения и исходов энцефалитов у детей, что позволит своевременно провести коррекцию тактики ведения пациента в каждом конкретном случае и улучшить исходы заболевания