[Reactions to and immunogenic properties of the combined vaccine Bubo-M for immunization of children against diphtheria, tetanus and viral hepatitis B]

Bubo-M, the first Russian combined vaccine, was found to have low reactogenicity. The difference between the number of postvaccinal reactions in the group of children immunized with Bubo-M (25.9%) and those in the group of children who had been simultaneously injected into different sites of the body with ADS-M toxoid (adsorbed DT toxoid with reduced antigen content) and hepatitis B vaccine (26.7%) was not statistically significant. Following immunization a considerable increase in the level of diphtheria and tetanus antibodies (p < 0.005) was observed in all children (100%), the level of HBs antibodies in the group of children immunized with Bubo-M (the geometric mean titer: 13,721 IU/l) essentially exceeding that observed in the control group injected with ADS-M toxoid and hepatitis B vaccine (the geometric mean of the titer: 2,441 IU/l). Bubo-M was duly registered and allowed for industrial production and medical use.

[Evaluation of reactogenicity and immunogenicity of Bubo-M, the Russian combined vaccine for immunization of adults against diphtheria, tetanus and viral hepatitis B]

Bubo-M, the first Russian associated vaccine, was found to have low reactogenicity and high immunogenic potency. The frequency of postvaccinal reactions in the group of persons immunized with Bubo-M (20%) appeared to be considerably lower than among persons who received the combined injection of adsorbed DT toxoid with reduced antigen content and vaccine against hepatitis B (47.7%). Following the course of vaccination the level of anti-HBs considerably exceeded the protective level. Immune response to the diphtheria and tetanus components of Bubo-M exceeded that observed after immunization with absorbed DT toxoid with reduced antigen content (p < 0.05).

[MALT-lymphomas with primary gastric focus]

The peculiar features of the clinical course and treatment of primary gastric MALT-lymphoma in 7 patients are discussed. Diagnosis was established by morphological examination of resected material. Six patients had low-grade tumor while one showed signs of blast-transformation. Stage IEB disease was identified in 4 cases, IIEB--3. Complete remission duration after combined surgical and chemoradiation treatment ranged 3.5-80 months (mean duration--35.1 months), survival--5-84 months (mean duration--43.1 months). Relapse was registered in one case 3.5 months after operation.

[Ultrastructural characteristics of cervical dysplasia and carcinoma in situ]

Some ultrastructural features of cervical dysplasia and carcinoma in situ were revealed by electron microscopic studies of cervix specimens from 24 women. Both types of preinvasive disorders are characterized by alterations in the distribution of nuclear chromatin, the outline of the nuclear membrane, the amount of cytoplasmic organelles, and the mode of cellular attachment. Unlike dysplasia, a great variety of morphological patterns was found in carcinoma in situ which could be subdivided into squamous and reserve cell types. In carcinoma in situ, there was no increase in differentiation of cells and the cell surface up to the outermost layers. The basal membrane was altered only in carcinoma in situ epithelium. The ability of the epithelial cell processes to penetrate through the altered basal membrane and to invade the underlying stroma may be the evidence of the malignancy of cells in carcinoma in situ but not in dysplasia where the basal membrane was unaltered.

[Transformation of the cytoplasmic processes in desmosome formation in the normal multilayer squamous epithelium and in cervical carcinoma in situ]

Cytoplasmatic processes of human normal cervical epithelium cells and of carcinoma in situ lesions were examined; transmission and scanning electron microscopy were used. Microvilli, microspikes and microplicae were predominant in various layers of normal squamous epithelium. It is suggested that transformation of microvilli into microspikes and then into microplicae accompanied the formation and disassembly of desmosomes in the normal epithelium. Microvilli were found to be the predominant type of cytoplasmatic processes in all the layers of the carcinoma in situ epithelium. It is suggested that the transformation of cytoplasmic processes is deficient in these lesions; this deficiency may be associated with a decreased formation of desmosomes. Possible similarities between pseudopodial attachment processes in vitro and in vivo are discussed.

[Classification of precancerous conditions and cancer of the cervix uteri]

The classification consists of three sections: background processes, precancer states, and cancer of cervix uteri. The background processes depending on the etiological factor and the character of lesion of the epithelium are divided into dyshormonal, inflammatory, and posttraumatic. Groups of the so-called morphological precancer and preclinical forms of cervix uteri cancer are identified.