Background. Influenza prophylaxis with the use of quadrivalent vaccines (QIV) is increasingly being introduced into healthcare practice. Methods. In total, 32 healthy adults and 6 patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) received adjuvant QIV during 2018–2019 influenza season. Depending on initial antibody titers, healthy volunteers were divided into seronegative (≤1:20) and seropositive (≥1:40). To evaluate immunogenicity hemagglutination inhibition assay was used. Results. All participants completed the study without developing serious post-vaccination reactions. Analysis of antibody titer 3 weeks after immunization in healthy participants showed that seroprotection, seroconversion levels, GMR and GMT for strains A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B/Colorado, B/Phuket among initially seronegative and seropositive participants meet the criterion of CHMP effectiveness. CVID patients showed increase in post-vaccination antibody titer without reaching conditionally protective antibody levels. Conclusion. Adjuvant QIV promotes formation of specific immunity to vaccine strains, regardless of antibodies’ presence or absence before. In CVID patients search of new regimens should be continued.

Individuals without a protective antibody level are susceptible to measles infection. There are differences in the persistence of antibodies after vaccination and infection, while the impact of gender on this process has not been sufficiently studied. Measles Ig G antibodies were measured in 1742 employees of a large hospital facility—403 men and 1339 women aged from 25 to 67 years; 15% participants had antibody levels less than the protective threshold of ≥0.18 IU/mL. Significant differences were found in the age group 40–49, where the level of IgG antibodies to measles among men was higher than among women (1.51 IU/mL (0.41; 3.38) vs. 0.70 IU/mL (0.22;1.98) respectively, (U = 3.2, p = 0,001)); in the age group 60 and older, by contrast, the level of antibodies among women was higher compared to men (3.29 IU/mL (1.72; 4.07) vs. 2.90 IU/mL (1.46; 3.53) respectively (U = 2.2, p = 0.03)). The proportion of seronegative women in the age group 40–49 was significantly higher than of seronegative men: 22 [18–26]% and 11 [6–18]% respectively (χ² = 7.0, p = 0.001). The revealed gender characteristics that affect persistence of measles immunity may be important in personalization of vaccinal prevention for men and women.

Mucosal immunity plays a major role not only in the prevention but probably also in the outcomes of COVID-19. An enhanced production of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) might contribute to the activation of the immune response mechanisms. To assess the levels of sIgA produced by epithelial cells in the nasal and pharyngeal mucosa and those measured in salivary gland secretions and to study the course of COVID-19 following the combined scheme of intranasal and subcutaneous administration of a bacteria-based immunostimulant agent. This study included 69 patients, aged between 18 and 60, who had moderate COVID-19 infection. They were divided into two groups: Group 1 (control group) included 39 patients who received only background therapy, and Group 2 was made up of 30 patients who received background therapy in combination with the Immunovac VP4 vaccine, a bacteria-based immunostimulant agent, which was given for 11 days starting from the day of admission to hospital. The levels of sIgA were measured by ELISA in epithelial, nasal and pharyngeal swabs, and salivary gland secretions at baseline and on days 14 and 30. The combined scheme of intranasal and subcutaneous administration of the Immunovac VP4 vaccine in the complex therapy of patients with COVID-19 is accompanied by increased synthesis of sIgA in nasal and pharyngeal swabs, more intense decrease in the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) and reduction in the duration of fever and length of hospitalization compared to the control group. Prescribing a immunostimulant agent containing bacterial ligands in complex therapy for COVID-19 patients helps to enhance mucosal immunity and improves the course of the disease.

The treatment of sarcoidosis remains uncertain despite 70 years of studies. The conventional approach is to initiate corticosteroids in individuals who require treatment. However, to date, there are no strict dosing regimens for systemic corticosteroids (SСS), and patients who were treated with SСS develop relapses more frequently than those who have not received these drugs. The aim of this work was to evaluate the course and outcomes of pulmonary sarcoidosis in patients who were prescribed systemic corticosteroids. Methods. The study was retrospective and noninterventional. 493 (32.5%) of 1,518 patients with sarcoidosis were prescribed corticosteroids during follow-up. Only 333 cases were selected because they had histologic confirmation and follow-up of 1 year or more. The data at the time of diagnosis and at the time of analysis were compared (patients remained under the supervision of the same physicians thereafter). Results. After at least one year of follow-up, the positive effect of SCS (resolution or stabilization of the process) was achieved only in half of the cases, while the rest of the patients required more courses of SCS or the use of alternative drugs. Worsening was more common when multiple organs were involved, when SCS were administered immediately after diagnosis without a follow-up period, and when the duration of the first course of hormone therapy was less than 7 months. 33.6% of patients treated with SCS had clinically significant adverse events (AEs), and 13.2% had to discontinue or replace one hormonal drug with another. Older age and repeated courses of SCS were associated with the development of fibrosis, whereas transition to second-line drugs was not. Conclusion. SCS remain the first-line drugs in the treatment of sarcoidosis. The analysis performed allows us to recommend them after an observation period (if the patient’s condition allows it) and for at least 6 months. In case of exacerbation or recurrence of sarcoidosis after treatment with SCS, subsequent therapy with second-line drugs is more effective that a repeated course of SCS.

Aim: to investigate the safety of acellular pertussis vaccines for adolescents.Materials and methods. The clinical tolerability of revaccination against pertussis (cell-free component), diphtheria and tetanus was analyzed in 107 children aged 13,5–14 years. Group 1 consisted of children revaccinated with DTacP-IPV combined vaccine (Tetraxim), group 2 – vaccinated with Td and group 3 – children who received Tdap vaccine (Adacel).Results. Statistically significant differences in the frequency of local reactions between the group that received Tdap and the other two (DTacP-IPV and Td) were detected (p = 0.001and p = 0.04, respectively). Analysis of the structure of local reactions revealed a difference only in the occurrence of the hyperemia at the site of injection, with the most frequent registration in the groups of children vaccinated with DTacPIPV (29,4%) and Td (14,7%), whereas in patients vaccinated with Tdap – only in 5,9% (χ2 = 6,8 p = 0,03). Systemic reactions occurred with the same frequency in all studied groups and did not require medical correction, as well as local reactions. Thus, revaccination against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus of adolescents using Tdap, containing the acellular pertussis component, does not exceed the frequency of systemic reactions and the number of local reactions is significantly lower in comparison with the vaccine with a reduced content of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (Td) that is used in practice for a long time.

Vaccination is the most effective method of influenza prophylaxis resulting in reduced frequency and severity of complications. Currently, for the prevention of influenza, inactivated split and subunit vaccines as the safest and promoting formation of protective level of strain-specific virus neutralizing antibodies are used. It is known that not all inactivated vaccines are effective enough for select human groups. While nowadays the level of public health is low, there is a need to improve the effectiveness of vaccines that should activate all chains of the immune system. In order to enhance intensity of influenza virus strain-specific antibody production, adjuvant vaccines exerting other mechanisms to activate humoral and cellular immunity compared to non-adjuvant vaccines have been used. The aim of the study was to examine lymphocyte immunophenotype in 27 healthy donors treated with polymer-subunit (immunoadjuvant) and non-adjuvanted split and subunit influenza vaccines. Materials and methods. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in vitro by flow cytometer FC-500 Cytomics (Beckman Coulter, USA) using FITC- and PE-labeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Results. All examined influenza vaccines activate the effectors of cellular immunity, increasing the number of NK-cells (CD16/56), NKT-lymphocytes (CD3/CD16/56), B-lymphocytes (CD45/CD20), activated (CD3/HLA-DR) and cytotoxic (CD8/HLA-DR) T-lymphocytes, as well as cells bearing early activation marker (CD45/CD25). Among them the immunoadjuvant vaccine showed the greatest potential to induce cellular response eliciting regulatory mechanisms that prevent hyperactivation, stimulating growth of NK (CD16/56), NKT-cells (CD3/CD16/56), B-lymphocytes (CD45/CD20), activated (CD3/HLA-DR) and cytotoxic (CD8/HLA-DR) T-lymphocytes, T-regulatory cells (Tregs, CD4/CD25/Foxp3). Conclusion. Vaccination against influenza besides the formation of specific antibodies render a transient, immunomodulating effect that is more noticeable after immunoadjuvant vaccine. It can be assumed that vaccination of people with dysfunctions of the immune system an additional prophylactic effect will be observed.