Procedure of manufacturingK. pinnatawater extracts containing cecropin P1 (CecP1) from the formerly described transgenic plants is established. It included incubation of leaves at +4°C for 7 days, mechanical homogenization of leaves using water as extraction solvent, and heating at +70°C for inactivating plant enzymes. Yield of CecP1 (after heating and sterilizing filtration) was 0.3% of total protein in the extract. The water extract ofK. pinnata+ CecP1 exhibits favorable effect on healing of wounds infected withS. aureus(equal to Cefazolin) and with a combination ofS. aureuswithP. aeruginosa(better than Cefazolin). Wild-typeK. pinnataextract exhibited evident microbicide activity againstS. aureuswithP. aeruginosabut it was substantially strengthened inK. pinnata+ CecP1 extract.K. pinnataextracts (both wild-type and transgenic) did not exhibit general toxicity and accelerated wound recovery. Due to immunomodulating activity, wild-typeK. pinnataextract accelerated granulation of the wound bed and marginal epithelialization even better thanK. pinnata+ CecP1 extract. Immunomodulating and microbicide activity ofK. pinnatasynergizes with microbicide activity of CecP1 accelerating elimination of bacteria.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is now considered the most common cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. There are no published data about the prevalence of antibodies to HEV and RNA in donor sera in Estonia, and this precludes planning measures for preventing HEV proliferation through blood transfusion services. Here, were report data from an analysis of 1002 sera on the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG and IgM and the viral RNA. The antibodies were found in 48 donor sera (4.8%); of these, 40 (4%) harbored anti-HEV IgG, 15 (1.5%) contained anti-HEV IgM, and 7 donors had anti-HEV antibodies of both classes simultaneously. HEV RNA was not detected in any blood serum. Statistical associations of infection risk factors (gender, age, travel in the last six months, contact with pigs and/or wild boars in the last six months, consumption of thermally unprocessed/raw pork or boar meat, raw/unfiltered tap water or water from natural sources, unpasteurized farm dairy products, and unwashed berries and/or vegetables) were assessed. None of the listed factors were found to be associated with a higher or lower risk of anti-HEV antibody presence. At the same time, an increasing share of anti-HEV IgG carriers with age was found. The absence of HEV RNA in the analyzed donor plasma samples proves that HEV acute infection prevalence in Estonia does not exceed the average level of European countries. There is no urgent necessity to enter a requirement for a total screening of blood plasma for HEV RNA prevalence in Estonia.

Total serum IgG level is a surrogate marker of hepatitis C (HC) severity. Antibodies (Abs) to microbial glycans could be markers of HC severity caused by the translocation of microbial products. The level of anti-glycan (AG) Abs was analysed in serum samples of patients (n=128) with chronic HC in ELISA using fourteen synthetic glycans present in microbes and adhesins to evaluate the association of Abs with clinical parameters and the efficacy of antiviral treatment. The anti-GlcNAcβIgG level was significantly higher in patients with fibrosis (P=0.021) and severe portal inflammation (P<0.001) regardless of other clinical parameters. The ROC curve analysis showed sensitivity of 0.59, specificity of 0.84, and AUC of 0.71 in discriminating F0 from F1–4 (HCV genotype-1b-infected patients). The level of anti-GA2 Abs before Peg-IFN/RBV treatment was significantly higher in nonsustained viral response (non-SVR) to treatment than in SVR (P=0.033). ROC analysis showed sensitivity of 0.62, specificity of 0.70, and AUC of 64. Correlations of AG Abs to clinical parameters were found. The quantification of anti-GlcNAcβAbs deserves attention in assessment of the hepatic damage while anti-GA2 Abs may be a sign of immune response related to the antiviral treatment.