Voprosy virusologii最新文献

Introduction: Severe influenza is characterized by damage and morphofunctional changes of the endothelium of blood vessels, which contributes to the development of hemorrhagic syndrome and can cause endothelial dysfunction. To optimize the pathogenetic therapy of influenza infection, a screening of medications with endothelial protective properties was carried out.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the endothelial protective properties of sacubitril/valsartan and drotaverine in influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection.

Materials and methods: The study was conducted on Wistar rats, which received sacubitril/valsartan and drotaverine (in treatment and prophylactic regimen) followed by intransal infection with influenza A/Saint-Petersburg/48/16 (H1N1)pdm09 virus. Rats without drug administration were included in the control group; rats received no medications followed by influenza virus infection - in challenge control group. The virus infectious activity was determined in pulmonary and mesenteric tissues. Vascular endothelium damage in lungs was assessed by three parameters (desquamation, morphological and dystrophic changes). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression level in endothelium of mesenteric blood vessels was determined as well as mesenteric arteries vasomotor activity.

Results: Drotaverine reduces the severity of histopathological changes in the pulmonary vascular endothelium; increases the maximal response of mesenteric blood vessels to acetylcholine compared to the infection control group; normalizes eNOS expression levels. Sacubitril/valsartan reduces the severity of desquamation in the pulmonary vascular endothelium; normalizes the response of mesenteric blood vessels to acetylcholine, while eNOS expression is decreased.

Conclusions: Drotaverine possesses more significant endothelial protective properties than sacubitril/valsartan when used in a treatment and prophylactic regimen in rats infected with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus.

Introduction: Pharmacopoeial standard of activity, specificity and necrotic activity is used in testing of for smallpox vaccines. As a part of standard certification, an opportunity of using Pharmacopoeial standard for smallpox vaccine on new cell culture method (in vitro) for testing a new generation of smallpox vaccines was also defined. The aim - certification of the Pharmacopoeial standard for smallpox vaccine to the main certified characteristics and defining an opportunity for using Pharmacopoeial standard for smallpox vaccine on new cell culture method (in vitro).

Materials and methods: Pharmacopoeial standard for smallpox vaccine (FSO 3.2.00113, series 130406) and pharmacopoeial biological methods described in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation (S.Ph), the monograph 3.3.1.0033.15 Smallpox vaccine live were used in the study. For cell culture method, the technique from State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology «Vector» of the Federal Service for Surveillance in Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being, Novosibirsk Region, Koltsovo, Russian Federation was used. Statistical data were evaluated using Microsoft Excel software.

Results: The Pharmacopoeial standard for smallpox vaccine (FSO 3.2.00113) was certified. The possibility of using a new method of determining specific activity, specificity (identification) using the culture method was confirmed.

Conclusion: Along with the confirmation of certified characteristics, the possibility of using a new methodology for determining specific activity, specificity (identification) using the culture method was confirmed, and the main acceptance criteria were determined.

Background: Zika virus (Orthoflavivirus zikaense), a mosquito-borne virus in the family Flaviviridae and genus Orthoflavivirus, has garnered international attention due to its neurological and congenital impacts. Although endemic to Africa, its presence in Nigeria remains poorly understood and often overshadowed by other febrile illnesses such as malaria and dengue. This review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 to explore the epidemiology, diagnostic challenges, and public health implications of ZIKV in Nigeria.

Materials and methods: A narrative synthesis of studies reporting ZIKV infection in Nigeria was conducted using targeted searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and African Journals Online. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed articles in English reporting serological or molecular data from human or vector populations.

Results: Evidence from eleven studies across ten states shows seroprevalence of ZIKV ranging from 1.4% to over 50%, particularly among pregnant women and febrile patients. Diagnostic gaps, including symptom overlap and serological cross-reactivity, contribute to underreporting. Co-endemicity with other arboviruses and limited surveillance further obscure ZIKV's public health impact.

Conclusion: ZIKV likely circulates silently in Nigeria, sustained by ecological and infrastructural factors. Fragmented vector control, inadequate diagnostics, and lack of integrated arboviral surveillance hinder timely recognition. Lessons from other Aedes-borne viruses should inform a more unified and proactive national strategy.

Introduction: Adenovirus infection occurs globally in the form of sporadic cases and isolated outbreaks. Human adenovirus type 55 (HAdV-55), endemic in China and South Korea, causes acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) of varying severity, both among the civilian population and in military units in different countries of the world. Genomic research facilitates reliable identification of HAdV-55. The aim of this study was to identify HAdV isolated in Moscow in 2022, as well as to conduct whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomic research.

Materials and methods: HAdV-55 was isolated from a sample of a patient hospitalized with pneumonia and analyzed using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and whole-genome sequencing. Bioinformatics comparative analysis was performed on a sample of sequences of 83 isolates.

Results: The whole-genome sequencing of first isolated in Russia HAdV-55 was conducted. The sequence of isolate SCV3008:Ad55 was deposited in GenBank (Accession Number PQ641625). Unique mutations in the SCV3008:Ad55 genome were identified, one of which resulted in a conservative T29A substitution in the penton that did not affect its functions. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of SCV3008:Ad55 with isolates of clade II, which included representatives of 7 countries on different continents, indicating a wide distribution of HAdV-55. Isolates from endemic regions of China and South Korea formed separate clades. The study of microsatellite length polymorphism in untranslated regions of the genome became an additional tool for distinguishing closely related genomes.

Conclusion: The obtained genomic information laid the foundation for further monitoring for HAdV-55 in Russia and demonstrated the informativeness and significance of whole-genome studies for monitoring adenoviruses. The development and implementation of genotyping methods aimed at detecting HAdV-55 and other clinically relevant genotypes will significantly improve the effectiveness of the diagnosis of adenovirus infections with the threat of developing bronchopneumonia.

The review describes certain viral vectors and considers various methods for constructing recombinant viruses with special attention paid to the homologous recombination and CRISPR/Cas9 system, and also describes the capabilities of using various cloning vectors (different plasmids, BAC etc.). The review also presents a comparative analysis of the effectiveness and safety of using various viral vectors, both for creating recombinant vaccines and for obtaining oncolytic viruses, as well as medicines for gene therapy.

The purpose of this work was to determine the characteristics of the circulation of acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) pathogens during the epidemic season of 2023-2024 in the WHO regions and Russian Federation.

Materials and methods: The article uses virological, immunological, and statistical methods, analytical material from the WHO website, to assess the circulation of ARVI pathogens in the Russian Federation and WHO regions.

Results and discussion: The detection rate of positive samples in clinical materials was as follows: influenza viruses - 7.7%, ARVI - 17.1% and SARS-CoV-2 - 6.5%. According to antigenic and molecular genetic properties, the population of the dominant subtype of the influenza A(H3N2) virus was heterogeneous and differed from the vaccine strain. The favorable sensitivity profile of epidemic strains to drugs with antineuraminidase activity (oseltamivir and zanamivir) and cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor (baloxavir marboxil) was preserved. There was a tendency to increase the activity of respiratory pathogens such as HPIV, HAdV, HRsV, HRV, HCoV and HMPV. WHO experts have developed recommendations on the composition of influenza vaccines for the countries of the Northern and the Southern hemispheres with the replacement of the component of the influenza A(H3N2) virus: A/Darwin/9/2021 with A/Thailand/8/2022 and А/Croatia/13601RV/2023 accordingly. Cases of human infection with avian and swine influenza viruses continue to be registered.

Conclusion: Against the background of a relatively low circulation of new SARS-CoV-2 variants in the 2023-2024 season, epidemic activity of influenza viruses was recorded in the countries of the Northern hemisphere at the traditional time. Globally, its onset was associated with the influenza A(H3N2) virus, followed by an increase in the activity of the influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 virus and influenza B. As in previous seasons, differences in the proportion of influenza viruses in WHO regions, including cities of the Russian Federation, were traced.

Objective: To analyze the age-related characteristics of the contribution of influenza viruses, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, other pathogens to the development of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in children with an assessment of the disease severity depending on its etiology and epidemic period.

Materials and methods: SARI monitoring was carried out over six consecutive epidemic seasons, starting from 2018-2019 in 9 infectious hospitals of three cities of Russia with an assessment of the disease severity depending on its etiology.

Results: Among all hospitalized children, the proportion of children hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza from 2018 to 2020 ranged from 25.7% to 44.7%, and for RSV infection from 25.7% to 26.8%. However, during the peak of the pandemic, these rates dropped significantly to 0.3% and 1.7%, respectively. In the subsequent three seasons (2021-2024), laboratory-confirmed influenza among hospitalized children was registered in 4.5-20.2% of cases, while RSV infection was identified in 13.4-24.1% of cases, accompanied by a shift in viral subgroups. RSV infections were most severe during the 2022-2023 season, presenting in some cases with hyperthermia, hypoxia, dyspnea, and altered consciousness. Among hospitalized children, the proportion with COVID-19 was relatively low in 2020-2021 (0.8-2.4%) but increased significantly to 10.6%-13.6% following the emergence of the Omicron variant in 2022, before decreasing again in subsequent years. The main genetic lineages of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the Russian Federation are presented.

Conclusion: Influenza and RSV viruses were predominant among viral pathogens identified in hospitalized children aged ≤ 2 years. COVID-19 cases among children were relatively rare and generally less severe compared to RSV and rhinovirus infections.

Aim: The aim of this study was to search for human genes potentially involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C by multi-network bioinformatics linkage analysis of proteins involved in the stages of hepatitis C virus (HСV) attachment and entry.

Materials and methods: A number of web applications with complementary algorithms and databases were used to analyze genetic and protein-protein networks. The following genes were used as basic genes: CD81, CLDN1, LDLR, OCLN, SCARB1, the products of which are involved in interaction with viral glycoproteins E1 and E2 at the stage of HCV attachment and penetration into the cell. Data analysis was performed, including a two-stage scoring ranking of the identified candidate genes based on their interaction with basic genes and their presence in the results of network analysis of different web resources.

Results: Candidate genes were initially identified using three web resources: HumanNet - 100 candidate genes, GeneMania - 20, STRING - 98. Based on the intersection of the three web resources, the total number of candidate genes associated with basic genes was 170. The total number of genes with a rank higher than 4 points was 35. Candidate genes were grouped into functional sets: cellular barriers and intercellular contacts (17 genes, 48.6%); lipid metabolism and lipoproteins (9 genes, 25.7%); immune response and interaction with the virus (5 genes, 14.3%); signaling pathways, proteolysis and cytoskeleton (4 genes, 11.4%). The following candidate genes potentially involved in the pathogenesis of HCV have been identified: APOA1, CLDN3, APOE, LIPC, LRPAP1, CSNK1E, APOB, CD19, CLDN6, CLDN9, ESAM, F11R, IFITM1, LDLRAP1, PCSK9, TJP1, CD9, CLDN11, CLDN17, CLDN2, CLDN5, IGSF8, MMP2, PDZK1, ADAM10, APOA2, C3, CLDN12, DAB1, GJB1, ITGB1, MYLIP, NEDD4L, PTGFRN. Conclusion. In the future, a detailed study of the functional features and polymorphic variants of the identified genes using bioinformatics and laboratory methods can significantly expand current understanding of the involvement of human genes in the development of HCV infection and discover new targets for the development of drugs and therapeutic strategies.

Introduction: RNA-containing viruses, especially influenza viruses, are of high epidemiological significance. The manifestation of COVID-19 has led to the registration of coinfection cases, the pathogenesis of which is poorly studied. The Vero (E6) cell line is widely used to study the morphogenesis of various viruses, including influenza and coronavirus. The aim of the work is to study the ultrastructure of Vero (E6) cells and the reproduction of viral particles during monoinfection with the influenza A virus and coinfection of this virus with two SARS-CoV-2 genovariants in dynamics 6, 18 and 24 hours after inoculation.

Materials and methods: The Vero (E6) cell line model was used for in vitro study of the viral infection effects and an analysis of the dynamics of changes in the number of intracellular viral particles. The study involved 4 experimental groups: Vero (E6) cells mono-infected with the influenza virus strain A/H1N1 pmd09 at a dose of 0.1 MOI; Vero (E6) cells co-infected with the influenza virus strain A/H1N1 pmd09 and Delta strain of SARS-CoV-2 at a total dose of 0.1 MOI; Vero (E6) cells co-infected with the influenza virus strain A/H1N1 pmd09 and Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 at a total dose of 0.1 MOI. In each study group, cells were monitored at time points of 6, 18, and 24 hours.

Results: After 6 h, no pathological structures were detected in all groups, except for virus-containing transport vesicles. After 18 h, vacuolization of the ER of varying degree was noted in all the studied groups. After 24 h, ultrastructural changes, namely vacuolization of organelles and/or compaction of the cytoplasm, were encountered in all groups comparatively more frequently than at 6 h and 18 h time points. . The dynamics of the number of viral particles increased significantly by 24 h time point in the monoinfection group. However, none of the coinfection groups demonstrated a tendency for the number of viral particles to change, since no statistically significant differences were found between the 6 h, 18 h, and 24 h stages.

Conclusion: The results obtained suggested that the interaction between A/H1N1 pmd09 and SARS-CoV-2 viruses contributed to an overall decrease in the formation of new virions in Vero (E6) cells in both cases of coinfection.