Detection of mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome determining resistance to fluoroquinolones by hybridization on biological microchips

We developed a method of identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with simultaneous evaluation of the sensitivity to fluoroquinolones on a biological microchip array. The method of multiplex two-staged PCR followed by hybridization of a biochip makes it possible to detect 8 mutant variants of gyrA gene occurring in fluoroquinolone-resistant strains (∼85% all resistant forms) within 1 day. Using this method we analyzed 107 cultures isolated from patients with tuberculosis and 78 sputum samples. Mutations in gyrA gene were detected in 48 (92%) resistant strains. Natural S95T polymorphism in gyrA gene was detected in all resistant and in 76% sensitive strains. The sensitivity and specificity of the proposed method calculated on the basis of the analysis of sputum samples (n=78) were 94 and 100%, respectively. __________ Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 145, No. 1, pp. 115–120, January, 2008     

Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-IV as a histochemical marker of differential diagnosis of large cell anaplastic CD30+-lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease

Using histochemical methods, we studied distribution of dipeptidylaminopeptidase-IV (DPP-IV) in tumor cells of 16 patients with non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas (NHL) including B-cell NHL (10 cases), pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma (1 case), CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of T-cell (1 case) and ALCL of null-cell type (4 cases) and of 13 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). The results indicate that tumour cells of pleomorphic T-cell NHL and ALCL of T- and null-cell type showed DPP-IV activity. In contrast, no DPP-IV activity was seen in the tumor cells of B-cell NHL (lymphocytic, centroblastic/centrocytic, centroblastic, immunoblastic), in Berezovsky-Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's cells of different HD variants. These results demonstrate that difference in DPP-IV activity between tumor cells of ALCL and HD may be diagnostically important for separation of ALCL from HD and moreover may be used in verification of the borderline between HD-like ALCL and ALCL-like HD. It is possible that DPP-IV activity contributes to pathogenesis of ALCL and may determine clinical behaviour of this NHL being involved in autocrine and paracrine regulation of tumor cell growth of ALCL.     

Inhibition of Tobacco Ringspot Virus by the Culture Fluid of L-Lysine-α-Oxidase Producing Strain

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine - A producing strain of an anti-tumor and antiviral enzyme L-lysine-α-oxidase from Trichoderma was cultured using a technological device of G. K....     

The main trends in a complex program of rehabilitation of children with oncological diseases

The present-day therapeutical programmes allow physicians to cure as many as 70% of children with malignant neoplasms, in some tumor forms, the proportion of recovered children is much higher, which shows it urgent to elaborate comprehensive rehabilitation programmes required for the effective integration of prior patients of children's cancer clinics into a group. The paper presents a complex rehabilitation programme worked out at the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Russian Cancer Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The basic directions of the programme are medical, psychological, pedagogical, and social rehabilitation. For medical rehabilitation, phytotherapy, medical laser, climate therapy, and therapeutical exercises are widely used. Of particular value are physical and recreational activities, which include the use of therapeutical exercises, active recreational activities, participation in sporting events, and conditioning swimming. Psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation is aimed at solving personality and familial problems, at developing intellectual abilities, and at eliminating steady-state bad habits and behavioral deviations. A psychological and pedagogical programme is based on the work of art-therapeutical shops where a child realizes his/her strivings, which promotes the recovery of his/her mental and social status. The work of psychologists and psychotherapeutists with children's parents occupies a highly important place since correction of child-parent relations serves as a necessary basis for mental recovery in a child. The most important factor of social rehabilitation is an educational programme aimed at acquiring knowledge and at stimulating cognitive activities. To implement the comprehensive programme increases life quality in children who have sustained cancer diseases, improves their social adaptation and thus facilitates integration of these children in society.     

Genovariants of Vibrio cholerae biovar El Tor: Construction,molecular-genetic,and proteomic analyses

Experimental modeling of the emergence of virulent Vibrio cholerae El Tor genovariants is presented. It has been shown that the obtained genovariants differed neither in phenotypic or genotypic traits from natural genetically altered strains that emerged in populations of wild-type strains. It has been established, using the PCR and sequencing methods, that the genovariants formed in the process of conjugation carried in their genome a fragment of the CTX^Classφ prophage genome with the ctxB1 gene of classical-type cholera vibrios. It has been shown that changes in the prophage’s structure led to higher levels of toxigenicity and virulence in the genovariants compared to a typical recipient strain. A proteomic analysis has also revealed changes in the expression of 26 proteins performing various functions in the cell, such as metabolism, energy exchange, transport of amino acids, etc.). These data are indicative of the effect produced by the new DNA region in the genome of the genovariants on the expression level of some house-keeping genes. The obtained results confirm the idea that horizontal gene transfer is one of the mechanisms leading to the emergence of genovariants in the populations of wild-type strains.     

Immunohistochemical localization of somatotropin receptors in rat liver cells. Effect of sex and hormonal status

Peculiarities of cell and tissue distribution of somatotropin receptors in liver cells of male rats and intact, pregnant, and estrogenized female rats is studied using an indirect immunohistochemical method. Experiments reveal equal and positively regulated by female hormones expression of somatotropin receptors in all hepatocytes. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 10, pp. 432–435, October, 1997     

Effect of platinum-containing cytostatics on rat progeny

Pathological changes in internal organs are seen in some offspring of intact females and males treated with platidiam 1 month before mating. One case of malformation was found in the progeny of cytostatic-treated females. High embryonal mortality is noted in animals treated with cytostatics 3 and 6 months before mating. Delayed ossification is observed in some animals of almost all experiments groups. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 11, pp. 516–519, November, 1997     

Malignant ovarian struma

A rare observation of an unilateral ovarian tumour in a 62-year-old patient is presented. According to the clinical data and the results of the ultrasound examination the tumour was considered as a carcinoma. Hysterectomy with appendages and large omentum resection were performed. A tumour of the right ovary, 13 x 10 x 10 cm was found: cyst with a grey-brown soft node was observed in the cut surface. Histologically, the struma remnants were observed in the cyst wall and structures corresponding to the follicular carcinoma of the thyroid, the central parts of which had a structure of the C-cell thyroid carcinoma. Ultrastructural examination confirmed a light microscopic diagnosis of the malignant monodermal ovarian teratoma developing from the struma with areas of follicular solid C-cell carcinoma.     

Cell therapy in treatment of trophic ulcers of lower extremities

The aim of the work was to study the effectiveness of using human embryo fibroblast culture in complex treatment of trophic ulcers of venous etiology in 23 patients with trophic ulcers of lower extremities. The cause of the appearance of ulcers was postthrombophlebitic disease in 16 patients and varicose disease in 7 patients. A control group consisted of 25 patients (postthrombophlebitic disease in 18 patients and varicose disease in 7 patients). The human embryo cell culture grown on the wound cover "Foliderm" was used at the stage of epithelization in the main group, while in the control group the modern alginate, collagen, hydrogel, polyurethane and hydrocolloid covers Suprosorb--Suprosorb A, Suprosorb C, Suprosorb G, Suprosorb F and Suprosorb H were used. Healing of the varicose trophic ulcers in the control group was achieved in 86% of patients, of post-thrombophlebitic--in 78% of patients. The average period of healing was 3.6 and 3.9 months respectively. Healing of trophic ulcers in the main group took place in 100% of patients. The average period of healing was 1.5 week for varicose and 3.2 weeks for postthrombophlebitic ulcers. The cell therapy was shown to be a highly effective method in treatment of venous trophic ulcers.