Studies of interrelations between neurotrophic antibodies and individual neurophysiological indices in patients with professional chronic mercury intoxication at the post-exposure period

Disturbances in the nervous system during chronic mercury intoxication (CМI) are accompanied by regular changes in the immune system. Diagnostic use of neurospecific protein markers of various pathological changes in the central nervous system is one of the promising areas of modern neuroimmunology. Prolonged exposure to the mercury vapors may cause disturbances of both CNS neurons and peripheral nerves. At the same time, the neuroimmune relationships underlying the evolving disease are not studied to sufficient grade, especially in the later post-contact period of chronic mercury intoxication. The aim of this work was to identify the relationship between the contents of antibodies to neurotrophic proteins of the nervous tissue, and changes of the neurophysiological indices characterizing the state of central and peripheral pathways in the nervous systems of the patients after chronic mercury intoxication (CMI). Our study immunological study included 30 males in the post-contact period of the CМI, who previously worked in contact with metallic mercury vapors. The clinical patterns of patients were dominated by encephalopathy, the main manifestation of which are mental disorders (more often in the form of organic asthenic disorder, or organic personality disorder with cognitive and emotional-volitional disorders of varying severity). The criteria for inclusion in the study were: verified diagnosis in all patients, written informed consent to participate in the study, a history of the harmful effects of metallic mercury vapor under production conditions. Statistical evaluation was carried out using Statistica for Windows 6.0 software. The levels of neurotrophic antibodies (AT), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), electroneuromyography (ENMG) data were studied in terms of assessing the relationship between changes in specialized structures of the nervous tissue, and the state of the central and peripheral neural pathways in the patients after chronic mercury exposure. The following correlations were found: those between the concentrations of antibodies to endorphin p ф-END) and changes in central conducting structures, as well as between antibodies to proteins S-100, MBP, GFAP, NF-200, VG calcium channel, MAG, p-END, AH-R, Ser-R, M-OR and the speed of axonal impulse conduction within various peripheral neural structures. The interrelations revealed in this study indicate to pathological changes in specialized structures of the nervous tissue, which may be used as diagnostic indicators for clinical course of CМI in the post-contact period

OPPORTUNITIES OF USE OF THE BIOFEEDBACK METHOD IN REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES CAUSED BY CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL FACTORS

The article shows the opportunity of use of biomonitoring in patients with exogenous toxic encephalopathy in the remote period of chronic mercury intoxication. (CMI) and with, vibration disease caused by local vibration. The efficiency of the biofeedback method was assessed on the basis of the data of electroencephalography, auditory, visual and somatosensoric generated potentials, electroneuromyography, thermometry, dosed cold test and. rheography. Biofeedback training in people with. CMI caused decrease of total brain changes in EEG, improvement of amplitude indices at of the brain generated potentials, in people with vibration disease it caused decrease of manifestation of angiodistonic syndrome and. restoration of neuromuscular conductivity

Coherent fluctuation nephelometry in clinical microbiology

In this article data concerning coherent fluctuation nephelometry (CFN) use in clinical microbiology is presented. CFN-analyzer allows to solve two important problems – fast urine screening for bacteriuria within 2-4 hours and antibiotic susceptibility testing within 3-6 hours. Altogether more than 650 urine samples were tested, and the effectivity of CFN-analyzer for preliminary selection of samples for further analysis was shown. Method allows to detect negative samples, reducing the number of urine analyses by 70-80%. Simultaneous analysis of growth curves and concentration of microorganisms shows high sensitivity and specificity (95.2% и 96.9%). Also more than 250 antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using CFN-analyzer to show its effectiveness for determination of resistant properties of both pure cultures and urine microflora without isolation of bacteria. The agreement with traditional methods was from 84% to 88%. The use of CFN-analyzer with express methods of identification of microorganisms (chromogenic nutrient broths or mass-spectrometry) allows to make full urine analysis within 1-2 days. In the future CFN-analyzer gives an opportunity to screen different human biological liquids, and finds an application for other microbiological tasks, including standardization and speeding-up in sanitary bacteriology

Esports as a Resource of A New Model of Educational Reality

В статье рассматривается новый вид спортивной деятельности - киберспорт. Ставится вопрос о перспективах развития спортивного программирования, киберспорта и фиджитализации как нового взгляда на традиционный спорт. Авторами раскрываются положительные и отрицательные стороны увлечения сетевыми видеоиграми.The article discusses a new type of sports activity - esports. The question is raised about the prospects for the development of sports programming, esports and digitalization as a new look at traditional sports. The authors reveal the positive and negative sides of the hobby of online video games

Overview of Epizootological and Epidemiological Situation on Brucellosis in the Russian Federation in 2017 and Prognosis for 2018

Analysis of brucellosis morbidity rates in humans and animals across the Russian Federation in 2017 is presented. Epidemic situation on the infection is characterized as unstable, the incidence and number of people with brucellosis are reduced in reference to the average long-term indicators by more than 20 %, against the background of epizootic situation aggravation as regards brucellosis of farm animals. There are cases of group outbreaks of brucellosis in the Stavropol Territory, Lipetsk and Penza Regions. According to the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, analysis of the cumulative epizootic state of the population of epidemically significant species of cattle and small cattle in 2017 defines the risk of brucellosis in the Russian Federation as “high.” In 2018, the unstable epidemic situation on brucellosis will remain; there is high probability of outbreaks with cluster human incidence, including in the territory that is free from brucellosis. Predicted for 2018 morbidity rates on brucellosis in humans will be below the level of the average long-term morbidity and may be within the range of 330–360 cases

STUDYING DEVELOPMENT OF POST-VACCINAL CELLULAR IMMUNITY AGAINST BRUCELLOSIS BY MEANS OF LYMPHOCYTE <i>IN VITRO</i> TESTS USING AN EXPERIMENTAL ANTIGENIC COMPLEX

Regulatory framework and methodological approaches to evaluation of immunological effects of vaccination against brucellosis are not established, and the degree of immunological post-vaccinal rearrangement is not yet developed. Due to leading role of cellular immunity in formation of immune protection against brucellosis, evaluation the cellular response in response to antigenic stimulation may be considered the most informative and objective approach to analysis of immune changes in the body during vaccination. In order to develop the most diagnostically informative methods for design of antigen-stimulation cell tests in vitro, a careful selection of a stimulating agent (antigen) is required, which should have a sufficient activating potential, thus providing specificity of reaction under in vitro conditions. The aim of the present study is to study the in vitro specific activity of a protein-polysaccharide antigenic complex from the Brucella abortus 19 BA strain (BrAg), and an opportunity of its application in order to assess the formation of post-vaccinal cellular immunity against brucellosis.The study was performed with white laboratory mice (n = 50) immunized with the Brucella abortus 19 BA strain. The control group (n = 50) consisted of laboratory mice that received a sterile saline solution in a volume of 0.5 ml. Blood samples were taken from immunized and control animals before vaccination, and 7, 14, 21, and 30 days after immunization. By means of flow cytometry, the activation molecules CD25, CD69, MHC II and CD95, expressed on T lymphocytes (CD3+CD69+, CD3+CD25+, CD3+CD95+, CD3+MHC+) were determined. To observe the development of immunity, the intensity of expression of T lymphocyte activation markers was calculated using the stimulation quotient. BrAg was used for specific in vitro stimulation of T lymphocytes. The liquid brucellosis allergen (brucellin) was used as an antigen for comparison, when studying opportunity of BrAg usage for assessing the postvaccinal immunity development.The following results were obtained: BrAg has pronounced specific activity, it did not cause non-specific in vitro reactions (activation) of T lymphocytes, thus enabling its application as a test antigen when evaluating development of adaptive vaccine immunity against brucella.Experimental testing of brucellosis antigen for carrying out the in vitro antigen-stimulated cellular reactions, aiming for evaluation of post-vaccinal immunity development against brucellosis, showed that the usage of BrAg promotes increase in diagnostic sensitivity of cellular reactions under in vitro experimental conditions. The applied experimental antigen is a quite promising tool for development of laboratory algorithms for brucellosis diagnostics, and assessment of actual vaccination efficiency in cohorts previously vaccinated against brucellosis

Improvement of the Epidemiological Surveillance over Brucellosis Using GIS-Technologies

Put forward is the method of usage of Arc GIS 10 software product for epidemiological surveillance over brucellosis in the Stavropol region (SR). Designed is the structure of databases on epidemiology and epizootiology of brucellosis in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation. Constructed are two databases (Epidemiology of brucellosis in the SR and Epizootiology of brucellosis in the SR) compatible with Arc GIS 10. Carried out is the zoning of the SR territories based on assessment of the risk of infecting with brucellosis, using Arc GIS computer program

Brucellosis Epidemiological Situation and Its Morbidity in the Russian Federation in 2011, and Prognosis for 2012

Presented is the analysis of brucellosis morbidity, both in humans and animals, in the Russian Federation in 2007-2011. Evaluated is epizootic and epidemic situation on the disease. Epidemiological situation on brucellosis in the Russian Federation remains unfavorable and has a tendency to deterioration. Moreover, it is expected that the incidence of brucellosis in humans will rise in 2012

Development of a protective lyophilisation medium and conditions to stabilise the erythrocyte diagnostic preparation of tularaemia immunoglobulin

Liquid erythrocyte diagnostic preparations have a practical disadvantage; i.e., long-distance transportation involving possible non-compliance with cold-chain requirements may result in a complete loss of biological activity. A lyophilisation technology is necessary to ensure that the preparations retain their original properties for a long time. The aim of the work was to develop a protective medium and conditions for lyophilisation to stabilise the erythrocyte diagnostic preparation of tularaemia immunoglobulin. Materials and methods: Gelatin, thiourea, trehalose, sucrose, dextran, and Tween 80 were used as excipients for protective media. The authors used nine strains of homologous and heterologous microorganisms of different genera and species to control the lyophilised diagnostic preparation sensitivity and specificity. Evaluation of the main stability-related quality attributes (appearance of the dried preparation, loss on drying, solubility, appearance after reconstitution, appearance after settling, sensitivity, specificity) considered the temperatures specific to the climatic zones where the in vitro diagnostics is intended to be marketed and used. Results: The authors developed protective stabilising media with different compositions, used them in freeze-drying of the preparation and carried out control testing. The most promising was the lyophilisation medium containing a smaller amount of ingredients —6% of dextran, 0.06% of Tween 80 and up to 0.01% of sodium azide—as it was the simplest one to prepare and ensured complete preservation of the quality attributes. The authors carried out practical evaluation of lyophilisation procedures, and the 12–14-hour procedure proved to be the most cost-effective. Conclusions: The results of long-term, or real time, and accelerated stability testing of the lyophilised diagnostic preparation demonstrated the possibility of two-year storage at a labelled temperature of 2–8 °C, as well as at elevated and low temperatures of 30±2 °С and –18 °С, respectively. The tests showed no negative effects of the temperatures on the controlled quality attributes