Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis was treated by a combination of monomycin and an immunotherapeutic agent, leukinferon, representing a complex of cytokines of the first phase of in vitro immune response of human leukocytes with the predominance of the activities of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, macrophage- and leukocyte-inhibiting factors, and alpha-interferon. A total of 182 patients were treated in endemic foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Uzbekistan, 115 patients were followed up. Ointment applications (1000 U) or i.m. injections of leukinferon every 3-4 days were used in the treatment of 50 patients. Monomycin was administered only locally--as an ointment or collagen sponge ("leishmacol"). The best results were attained with combined therapy including i.m. leukinferon and local monomycin. The treatment duration was 3 weeks in grave complicated cases and 2 weeks in cases with a benign course of the disease. Local therapy with any of the drugs alone or combined was less effective, and lasted for about 1.5 months. The combined method is convenient for outpatient therapy, for it helps do without numerous daily injections that are necessary in parenteral monomycin therapy. Another advantage of combined therapy of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is an essential reduction of the total dose of monomycin, a highly toxic drug.
By inducing with mitomycin C the following phages were isolated from all the tested 32 methicillin resistant strains of S. aureus: the serogroup B phage was isolated from 2 strains, the serogroup B and F phages were isolated from 5 strains and the serogroup F phage was isolated from 25 strains. The phages were divided into 5 groups by the antiphage immunity. In group 1 of the phages 4 additional phages were specified. By the specificity of the prophages in the cultures all the strains were divided into 5 groups. Group 1 of the cultures was divided into 5 subgroups (A, B, C, D and E).
Addition of (intramuscular+intravenous) leukinferon (LF) to the schemes for the treatment of acute peritonitis promoted a more rapid positive development of the time course of clinical signs and decreasing of leukocytosis in the presence of a pronounced tendency to normalization of the main immunological indices i. e. the counts of differential T-lymphocytes and T-helper cells. There was also activation of neutrophil phagocytic function. A rapid decrease in objective signs of endotoxicosis was recorded: the intoxication leukocytic index and the level of medium-mass molecules. In parallel with the decrease in the intoxication leukocytic index, there was a decrease in cytosis of the peritoneal exudate. The use of LF in the treatment of elderly patients with acute cholecystitis eliminated the clinical signs and normalized the main laboratory indices without surgical interventions which allowed one to make a planned operation with the minimum risk.
Clinical and immunological studies were carried out in patients with maxillofacial phlegmons treated by traditional methods and by traditional therapy supplemented by immunocorrection (leukinferon). Addition of leukinferon to basic therapy had a pronounced clinical and immunomodulating effect, which resulted in shorter hospitalization period and virtually complete recovery of the main immunological parameters, in contrast to traditional therapy alone. The most demonstrative parameters were the expression of the neutrophil granulocyte membrane receptors and the relationships between T-lymphocyte subpopulations, which prompted using them as the most significant diagnostic markers indicating the disease severity and treatment efficiency.
Cases of successful treatment of severe neurological complications, developing as a consequence of diphtheria intoxication, by injections of leukinferon, a new combined preparation of alpha-interferon and other cytokines of the first stage of immune response, are described. Toxico-allergic polyneuropathy with sensory, reflex, motor (tetraparesis) disturbances and the bulbar syndrome developed in males after nasopharyngeal diphtheria. For the first time effective and rapid therapy of the bulbar syndrome and other disturbances, developing in connection with the demyelinating toxico-allergic process, was shown to be possible due to the use of leukinferon in combination with other therapeutic measures. The preparation proved to be highly effective in the treatment given with a view to arrest the development of intercurrent infectious complications in severely ill, bedridden patients receiving prednisolone. Leukinferon produces a pronounced effect even in patients receiving massive doses of corticosteroids, thus making it possible to shortly abolish the use of these preparations.
In response to virus induction a culture of donor leukocytes alongside with interferon (IF-alpha) produced a factor of tumor necrosis (TNF). The kinetics of TNF and IF-alpha biosynthesis did not depend on the kind of IF used for priming, was rapid, with maximum production within 7-8 hours. Antibodies to IF-alpha and IF-alpha had no effect on TNF production, while antibody to TNF did not reduce IF-alpha yields. TNF in detectable titres was present in medical preparations of native IF-alpha but was absent in preparations of recombinant IF-alpha and IF-alpha as well as in an injection preparation of IF purified by chemical methods.
The following mucosal are characteristic of measles in adult patients: dryness in the oral cavity, dryness, desquamation, and fissures in the red edge and in the mouth corners, edema and hyperemia, of the buccal mucosa, macular enanthema on the hard and soft palate, Bel'skiĭ-Filatov-Koplik spots, whitish deposit on the gingiva, edematous and bleeding gingiva, and, as a result of general intoxication, a lingual deposit. Leukinferon, a wide-spectrum immunocorrective drug, was used to improve the efficacy of treatment of adult patients with measles; besides alpha-interferon, it contains other cytokines of the first phase of immune response. Therapy with leukinferon led to a sooner improvement of the general status and a more rapid regression of the disease symptoms, including changes in the buccal mucosa, in comparison with the control leukinferon-untreated group.
A latent influenza infection was produced experimentally in three ways: after experiencing the disease, after immunization with a live virus, as a result of vertical transmission of the virus persisting in females. In the latent influenza infection forming after the disease the duration of virus persistence was 112 days postinfection. The persisting virus from the animals receiving a single immunization was isolated only up to 35 days postinoculation. Both after the disease and immunization with a live virus the persisting infectious virus was found in the lungs in low titres not exceeding 1 lg EID50/0.2 ml. In contrast, a latent influenza infection in mice born to mothers-virus carriers was characterized by virus persistence in the blood and viscera in titres of 10(1) to 10(2) EID50/0.1 ml. Features of influenza virus persistence and conditions of its formation in mammals by the three ways mentioned are discussed.
Patients with breast tumors, stage IIb-IIIb, received complex treatment including radiation therapy, radical surgery and polychemotherapy. Some of them were also injected 4-40 doses of leukinferon, im, for immunocorrection. The latter treatment carried out during radiotherapy and preparation for surgery prevented lymphopenia development. Leukinferon administered during 6-8 courses of cytostatic polychemotherapy was followed by a significant rise in lymphocyte concentration. Leukinferon-treated patients, on the whole, revealed higher rates of postoperative rehabilitation, improved tolerance of rigorous treatment and lower frequency of metastatic development. A correlation was established between preoperative lymphocyte level and risk of metastasis development at later stages. No metastasis or recurrence was detected within 15-42 months in 16 patients who received leukinferon throughout the entire period of treatment.
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