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Surface antigens from Candida maltosa were shown to be of heterogeneous nature while common component was present in all the preparations. These antigens were able to induce both the slow type hypersensitivity and the reaction related apparently to the later phase of immediate hypersensitivity. Hypersensitivity of slow and immediate types developed in response to invasion of living culture of C. maltosa A strain. The data obtained suggest that surface antigens from Candida might be used for production of diagnostic allergens.

Blastolysin is shown to cause degranulation of mast cells, resulting in a reduction of their histamine content and in their release of mediators that activate eosinophilic leukocytes (EL). These accelerate the deamination of the histamine released by mast cells to the extracellular medium. It is possible that blastolysin acts directly on EL granules which are largely responsible for histamine inactivation.

Cellular immunity and activity of enzymes of xenobiotic metabolism have been investigated. It has been shown that administration of benzene induces a stable immune deficiency syndrome characterized by a decrease in the quantity if antibody-forming cells, T-killers and T-suppressors. The activity of enzymes (cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome C reductase) was also inhibited. It has been shown that anabol can stimulate the parameters of cellular immunity and enzyme activity. Benzene intoxication was demonstrated to be a model of immune deficiency syndrome similar to the clinical pattern. Anabol was shown to be an effective immunomodulator.

The capacity of nonpathogenic yeast-like C. maltosa strains to coagglutinate Escherichia coli has been studied. C. maltosa cells have also been shown to coagglutinate E. coli possessing mannose-sensitive adhesins in a wide range of their concentrations (5-140 bacterial cells per C. maltosa cell). Strains belonging to types CFA/I and CFA/II with fimbriae, similarly to their corresponding paired genetically related strains without these adhesins, are practically incapable of agglutinating C. maltosa cells, while strains K88 and B41 react with them. The reaction occurs at a concentration of 9.5-37.0 and 38.0-55.5 bacteria respectively per C. maltosa cell and is not inhibited by 1% d-mannose. The suggestion that C. maltosa cell surface glycoproteins contain not only receptors for E. coli fimbriae, type I, but also components similar in their structure to receptors specific to the mannose-resistant adhesins of strains K88, K99 and 41, has been confirmed by hemagglutination inhibition with C. maltosa surface antigens as inhibiting agents.

L. bulgaricus, L. casei var. rhamnosus, and L. plantarum cells grown in agar-containing (but not liquid) thioglycol medium for 3 days have been shown to be capable of inducing mannose-resistant agglutination of human and guinea-pig erythrocytes, while giving a considerably weaker reaction with erythrocytes from animals of other species (ox, sheep, dog, rabbit, rat and mouse). The optimum conditions for the test are presented.

The fibronectin-binding capacity of clinical isolates of the genus Staphylococcus has been studied in the flake-formation test on glass and by inoculation into agar with human fibronectin added. Most of 58 S. aureus strains have been found capable of binding fibronectin. None of coagulase-negative staphylococci has given flake formation with fibronectin. The possibilities of the quantitative evaluation of the fibronectin-binding by the above-mentioned methods have been shown. In the analysis of the monomers of bovine fibronectin its capacity for inducing the growth of compact colonies in semiliquid agar has been shown.

The complex preparation of surface antigens was obtained by the treatment of C. maltosa whole cells with beta-mercaptoethanol and their separation into 8 fractions by means of ion exchange chromatography on DEAE cellulose. The sensitizing capacity of these fractions was studied in the allergic dermal test on guinea pigs and their immunochemical activity, in the immunodiffusion test with homologous antiserum and with the gamma-globulin fraction of antiserum to C. albicans. All fractions induced delayed hypersensitivity, more or less intensive, in guinea pigs. The agar immunodiffusion test revealed that the complex preparation contained two groups of fractions differing in their antigenic composition. Fractions of group 1 reacted equally well with homologous and heterologous antisera. Fractions of group 2, eluting at NaCl concentrations from 0.1M to 0.4M and having very high precipitation activity in reactions with homologous antiserum, showed considerably lower capacity for reaction with antiserum to C. albicans, which suggested that they contained antigenic structures differing from the antigenic determinants of C. albicans and thus ensuring specific reactions in cases of candidal sensitization induced by C. maltosa.

The authors present the data that evidence in favour of employing fibronectin sensitized formalin-treated red cells for the indication of fibronectin-binding microorganisms (as exemplified by staphylococci) in the passive hemagglutination test (PHAT). The possibility of a quantitative estimation of fibronectin binding by the PHAT is shown. PHAT will help detect higher numbers of fibronectin-binding staphylococci than flocculation on the glass.

In this investigation the influence of anabol, a biopolymer preparation incorporated into a complex of extracted components obtained from the surface layer of Lactobacillus bulgaricus cell wall, on some functional activity characteristics of mononuclear phagocytes has been studied. The injection of the preparation in a dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight 24 hours prior to the experiment leads to a decrease in the time necessary for the elimination of one-half of the total amount of ink from the blood stream and to an increase in the content of fibronectin in the blood plasma of rats. The activation of the metabolic activity of resident and induced macrophages, evaluated by the nitro blue tetrazolium reduction test, is observed. On the next day after the injection of anabol the sharp increase of the pool of granulocyte and microphage precursors is observed; the stimulating effect may be retained as long as 3 days. The results thus obtained indicate that anabol acts on different elements of the system of mononuclear phagocytes and can be effective in the complex therapy aimed at the increase of the body resistance to any toxic substances and bacterial infection.

The expression of the human IL-2 recombinant gene in E. coli cells was studied. The processes which take place during thermo-induced expression and effect the state of the product were investigated. Experimental data on the membrane localisation of IL-2, the formation of aggregates (inclusion bodies) and polymers were obtained. It was determined that temperature significantly influence the kinetics of the processes of intracellular IL-2 production and IL-2 stability. It is supposed that the cell membrane state plays a determining role in these processes via temperature mediation. Thus, the formation of inclusion bodies described for a number of E. coli recombinant strains is probably stipulated not only by recombinant polypeptides properties, but also by cellular interactions.

Anabol and blastolysin preparations obtained from L. bulgaricus may contain surface structural components of the initial strain with adhesion activity; of these, one is similar in specificity to L. casei adhesin and the other, to L. plantarum adhesin. The antigenic activity of anabol and blastolysin, evaluated in the immunodiffusion test, does not correlate with their capacity for binding the receptors of susceptible bacterial cells, determined in the Lactobacillus-induced hemagglutination inhibition test.

Swine blood leukocytes have first been found capable of producing interferon the antiviral activity in human cells of which is comparable to that of native human leukocyte interferon. The influence of various factors on production of porcine leukocyte interferon active in human cells were studied. Thus, when serum was substituted with MAF in the medium used for leukocyte cultivation the titer of the produced interferon increased 4--16-fold and the content of protein impurities in the preparation decreased 10-fold or more. Marked individual interferon-producing capacity of blood leukocytes from different swine and seasonal variations in the level of this capacity were established. The optimal conditions for porcine leukocyte interferon production are: the use of leukocytes in the first few hours after bleeding of the animals; leukocyte concentration in the medium 10 million cells per 1 ml; medium 199 with 10% MAF; New-castle disease virus as interferon inducer in a dose of 10--100 CPD50 per cell. Priming of leukocytes with interferon enhanced their interferon-synthesizing capacity 2--8-fold. This new source of interferon production is readily available, and interferon is useful for public health and veterinary needs.

The immunochemical properties of blastolysin (BL), a preparation obtained from the cell walls of Lactobacillus bulgaricus with immunostimulating and antitumor activity were studied. The experiments on dogs and rabbits showed that the immunogenic effect of BL was not high. However, after parenteral administration to the dogs and rabbits it induced production of the specific antibodies detected with the Ouchterlony test of direct hemagglutination and immunodiffusion. This should be taken into account in development of the schemes for its use as a pharmacological agent. With the procedures of gel filtration on the columns with Sephadex G-75 and immunodiffusion the fraction composition of BL was determined and the use of the immunochemical procedures for standardization of the BL preparations was shown to be possible.

Morphology and functional activity of peritoneal macrophages were studied at different intervals after the administration of blastolysin to Wistar rats. Alteration of the macrophage ultrastructure and their functional activity proving the stimulatory effect of the preparation on cells is shown. The signs of stimulation were revealed 30 minutes after the administration of the drug, reached a maximum on the 7th and 14th days and was manifested by structural changes of the cell surface, lysosomal apparatus, mitochondria and by activation of phagocytosis.

Immunological indices and activity of xenobiotic metabolism enzymes in lymphocytes were studied on minipigs under normal conditions, under conditions of chronic alcoholic intoxication and after administration of anabol (an immunomodulator) to normal healthy animals and to animals with alcohol intoxication. Age-related differences with respect to the number of T-lymphocytes and activity of lymphocyte glutathione S-transferase were observed in the normal animals, the other indices such as activity of natural killer cells, K-cells, blast cell transformation with concanavalin A and activity of cytochrome c-reductase being independent of the age. Administration of anabol to healthy animals did not alter their immunoenzymatic status. Chronic alcohol intoxication was accompanied by development of secondary immune deficiency characterized by lower immunological indices and lower activity of xenobiotic metabolism enzymes in lymphocytes. Daily exposure to 0.8 g of anabol for 12 days at this background resulted in normalization of the above indices.