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Linkage between the DRD4 and COMT genes and cognitive measures characterizing verbal memory, executive functions, and associative processes was studied in 150 patients with schizophrenia, 83 of their relatives, and 118 mentally healthy subjects without any family history of psychoses, with the aim of detecting the main effects of the polymorphic markers -809G/A and -521C/T (DRD4) and Val158Met (COMT) when present individually and together. The group of patients showed a main effect for polymorphism -521C/T on verbal fluency and an effect of the interaction of this polymorphism and the COMT gene on this cognitive trait. The highest level of verbal fluency was seen among carriers of the Val/Val+CC and Met/Met+TT genotypes. In the combined group of unaffected individuals, the interaction of the COMT and DRD4 -521C/TT genotypes had an effect on the standardness of speech associations due to a decrease in the standardness of associations in carriers of the Met/Met+CC genotype. Finally, both patients and unaffected individuals showed an effect for the interaction between the COMT and DRD4 -809G/A genotypes on working memory. Patients and healthy subjects showed similar features: the highest values were seen in subjects homozygous for the Val and G alleles, while the lowest values were seen in homozygotes for the Met and A alleles. These data provide evidence for a relationship between the DRD4 and COMT genes and different aspects of executive functions and the absence of such a relationship in relation to verbal memory.

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To elucidate main effects of dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) and cathecol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes as well as their interaction effect on neurocognitive traits, DRD4 gene polymorphisms (-809G/A, -521C/T) and the COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism, along with characteristics of verbal memory, executive functions and peculiarities of associative processes, have been studied in 150 patients with schizophrenia, 83 their relatives and 118 mentally healthy subjects without positive family history of psychosis. A main effect of -521C/T polymorphism and DRD4 (-521C/T).Vall58Met polymorphisms interaction were found for verbal fluency, carriers of the Val/Val+CC and the Met/Met+TT genotypes performing better on this task as compared to other genotypes. An interaction DRD4 (-521C/T).Val158Met effect on originality of speech associations was observed in the combined group of unaffected individuals (relatives and controls), with lower scores of the trait in those with the Met/Met+CC genotype. The COMT-DRD4 (-809G/A) interaction effect on working memory was demonstrated for patients and unaffected individuals, homozygotes for the Val and the G alleles having the best results and homozygotes for the Met and the A alleles--the worst ones. The data obtained suggest the relationship of DRD4 and COMT genes with different characteristics of executive functions but not with verbal memory.

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The occurrence of markers, the genotypic variety of isolates and the profile of risk factors with respect to viral hepatitis C among 629 employees of the Regional Clinical Hospital (RCH) in Novosibirsk and 1,020 employees of the Central District Hospital (CDH) in Iskitim were studied in a cross-sectional investigation. The occurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers was 5.1% in RCH and 2.2% in CDH. Among the risk factors in the population under study were: the medical history of blood transfusions (TF) with 0 TF, anti-HCV = 2.3%; 1 TF, = 5.7% > 1 TF, = 13.5% (p < 0.001); general anesthesia (GA) with < or = 2 GA, anti-HCV = 2.8%; > 2 GA, = 7.8% (p = 0.002); surgical interventions (SU) with 0 SU, = 1.9%; > 0 SU, = 4.3% (p = 0.012); the intravenous use of drugs (OR = 31.8); age (< or = 25 years, anti-HCV IgG = 8.6% > 25 years, = 4.5%); the number of partners of the opposite sex < or = 4 partners, = 2.4%; > 4 partners, = 6.9%; p < 0.001). The probable risk factors at a working place (pricks and cuts, contamination of mucous membranes with blood and other biological fluids, etc.) proved to be faintly related with the status of HBV infection. HBV isolates detected in the examined persons (35 examinees) were distributed by genotypes as follows: 60% of subtype 1b, 28.6% of subtype 2a/2c, 11.4% of subtype 3a. HBV of genotype 1a was not detected in the examined specimens, while the detection rate of genotype 2a/2c was considerably greater than in specimens obtained in the European and Asian parts of Russia (according to the data reported earlier).

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The possibility of emergency prophylaxis of Marburg hemorrhagic fever with leukocytic and recombinant interferons was studied in experiments on Cercopithecus aethiops. None of the agents protected monkeys from the action of lethal doses of Marburg virus. Recombinant interferon-alpha(2)administered according to the emergency prophylaxis schedule prolonged the mean life-span of monkeys injected with Marburg virus in doses of 100 and 1000 LD50 by 1.9 and 6.1 days, respectively.

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Immunosuppression was detected in six patients with parotitis. The proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, NK activity, and CD4/CD8 index decreased, while the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta increased on day 1 after clinical manifestation of mumps. The clinical diagnosis of mumps was confirmed by serological analysis of paired sera. Besides parotitis virus, herpes simplex type 1 virus was detected in two saliva samples by the polymerase chain reaction. Herpes (lip vesicles) manifested in these patients on days 8 and 11 after manifestation of parotitis.

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Infection of human mononuclear cells with Lassa virus leads to production of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1). These cytokines cause expression of adhesion receptors ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 by human endothelial cells. Mitogen-induced cell proliferation was not suppressed 1 h after infection of human mononuclear cells with Lassa virus in a dose of 0.01 PFU/cell. The capacity of cells to proliferation in response to mitogen stimulation decreased significantly only 4 h after infection.

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Infection of human mononuclear cells with Marburg virus results in production of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1. These cytokines induce expression of adhesion receptors VCAM and ICAM by human endothelial cells. Mitogen-induced proliferation of human mononuclears is not suppressed 1 h after infection of these cells with Marburg virus in a dose of 0.01 PFU/cell. The capacity of cells to proliferate in response to mitogens significantly decreased 4 h after infection.

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The paper provides data on the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antiserum on the course of experimental Marburg hemorrhagic fever. On day 3 of the challenge of guinea pigs with the Popp strain of Marburg virus, the infection event was confirmed by PCR. On days 4-7, the infected animals intramuscularly received a TNF-alpha antiserum. The treated animals showed a 50% survival while all control animals died. It may be assumed that a course of death due to Marburg hemorrhagic fever in shocks brought about by inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, attempts may be made to treat this infection by using the drugs that are TNF antagonists.

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The paper presents data on the effects of the drugs desferal, ribavirin and homologous (guinea pig) interferon on the course of experimental Marburg fever. Neither ribavirin nor interferon were effective. A moderate response to desferal was noted. It is suggested that tumor necrosis factor may contribute to development of Marburg hemorrhagic fever.

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The parameters of nonspecific immunity (interferon, tumor necrosis factor, natural killers), of spontaneous and mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation, of specific immunity (antibodies to Marburg virus, antigen-stimulated proliferation) were found to change in the course of experimental Marburg fever in immune and intact animals. The named factors were shown to influence the course of the disease; their role in the lethal outcome of the infection was demonstrated.

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Presents data on changes in nonspecific immunity (interferon, tumor necrosis factor, natural killers), spontaneous and mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in the course of development of experimental Marburg fever. Demonstrates the effects of the said factors and interleukin-2 on the course of the fever and their role in a lethal outcome of the disease.

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The data on changes in the parameters of specific and nonspecific immunity after challenge of the immunized animals with Marburg virus are presented. Mediators of the immune response: tumor necrosis factor, interferon, were shown to play different roles in the development of the disease and "protection" of animals. The survival rate of the immunized animals after the challenge with Marburg virus was determined by the intensity and level of the immune response after challenge rather than by the levels of postvaccination immunity at the time of the challenge.

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Samples of concentrated and unconcentrated preparations of Marburg virus were studied. The ultrafiltration method helped increase the specific protein content and decrease the common protein content in a preparation. The resistance index increased with an increase of the specific protein content and the maximum (2.63 +/- 0.2) was reached by two immunizations on 0 and 14 days.

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