The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity of a new pyrimidine derivative against Staphylococcus aureus. The assessment of the antimicrobial activity of pyrimidine compound 3 3-(2-Phenyl-2- oxoethyl)quinazoline-4(3H)-one was performed in vitro using a test culture of the S. aureus strain isolated from patients’ sputum by serial dilutions in meat-peptone broth, followed by the formation of sequences with a concentration of pyrimidine derivative 128 mcg/ml; 64 mcg/ml; 32 mcg/ml; 16 mcg/ml; 8 mcg/ml; 4 mcg/ml; 2 mcg/ml; 1 mcg/ml. During the study, the minimum inhibitory concentration of 3-(2-Phenyl-2-oxoethyl)quinazoline-4(3H)-one against S. aureus was determined. The antimicrobial activity of the compound under examination was studied in vivo using a model of generalized staphylococcal infection. The infectious process was modeled via intraperitoneal administration of S. aureus at a dose of ×10⁸ microbial bodies to 7-week-old mice. All laboratory mice were divided into 4 groups: control I — animals receiving an equivalent volume of water for injection; control II — animals infected with S. aureus; comparison group — a group of animals treated with the comparison drug ceftriaxone at a dose of 50 mg/kg; experimental group – animals treated with the studied compound at a dose of 1/10 of the molecular weight of 26 mg/ kg, for 7 days starting from the day of infection. The survival rate of mice during the experiment was evaluated. At the end of the experiment, blood, spleen, liver, and lung contamination indices were calculated. The study established the antibacterial activity of the pyrimidine derivative 3-(2-Phenyl-2-oxoethyl)quinazoline-4(3H)-one under in vitro conditions against S. aureus: the compound showed bacteriostatic activity in the dilution of 16 mcg/kg and bactericidal activity in dilution of 64 mcg/kg. The results of the assessment of antimicrobial activity in vivo showed that the studied compound contributes to the survival of laboratory animals, as well as to a decrease in the index of bacterial contamination of internal organs and blood in conditions of generalized staphylococcal infection, which indicates the ability to form antimicrobial immunity. 

An experimental study of the antimicrobial properties of the Anolyte disinfectant solution on the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was carried out using the «Turbidity Standard» method. The high activity of the Anolyte solution against the pathogens of nosocomial infections in vitro was shown.

The study included 14 isolates of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W, isolated from patients with generalized forms of meningococcal infection aged 0–17 years at the Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases during the period from 2009 to 2020, as well as from carriers. The isolates from carriers (17–18 years old) were isolated in 2016–2019. The isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry using a Microflex LT mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics, Germany). Whole genome sequencing of N. meningitidis was carried out on the basis of the Miseq Illumina platform; it was established that they belong to ST11 (cc11) sequence type. The results of the whole genome sequencing of the studied meningococci showed that there are 2 groups of the subcluster belonging to the Hajj cluster in St. Petersburg. In addition, they show close affinity with meningococci of the Anglo-French and Swedish clusters of the Hajj line.

The study included 50 isolates of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from patients with generalized forms of meningococcal infection and 48 isolates, which were isolated from carriers. The isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry using a Microflex LT mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics, Germany). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol were assessed by the method of serial agar dilution with interpretation of the results according to EUCAST 2021 criteria. Clinical resistance to penicillin was detected in 7% of isolates. However, all isolates with MIC >0.064 µg/ml (n=26) had mutations in the penA gene. Decreased sensitivity to rifampicin was found in four isolates isolated from patients and four isolated from carriers. Seven out of eight isolates with reduced sensitivity to rifampicin had mutations in the rpoB gene. Resistance to ceftriaxone, meropenem, ciprofloxacin was not detected. 

When treating patients with recurrent herpesvirus infection, it is necessary to use combination therapy, which involves the use of both chemotherapy and immunotropic drugs. Simultaneous use of drugs with different mechanisms of action allows to achieve greater efficiency than the use of monotherapy. The effectiveness of Cycloferon, an interferon inducer, which has an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect in combination therapy in patients with labial herpes, has been established. An accelerated elevation of rashes was observed against the background of the use of Cycloferon in combination therapy with acyclic nucleosides (Acyclovir); the severity of general intoxication syndrome, subjective symptoms (pain, itching, burning), and signs of inflammation (edema, hyperemia) decreased by half compared with the control group. Also, an increase in the duration of remission by 2–2.5 times was observed in patients taking Cycloferon. High efficiency, good tolerance by patients, as well as the possibility of using it with the main antiviral chemotherapy drugs indicate the advisability of including Cycloferon in the combination therapy in patients with recurrent herpes infection.

Background. Infectious complications are the most frequent and severe among all complications in cancer patients. The development of fungal-bacterial infections is particularly difficult. The aim was to develop an etiological description for the causative agents of infectious complications in oncological patients. Materials and methods. The study was conducted from January, 2020 to December (inclusive both dates), 2021. 3662 hospitalized patients (men and women) aged from 1 to 85 years with clinical manifestations of an infection were examined. The traditional microbiological method was used to clarify the etiology of the infectious process and to verify the pathogen. Phenotypic and real-time PCR methods were used for detection of carbapenemase and ESBL production. Results. The organs of the respiratory system, skin, soft tissues, and blood are most susceptible to infectious complications. In the etiology of infectious complications, the leading place is occupied by gram-negative bacteria. The conducted microbiological study made it possible to establish that resistance to cephalosporins and carbapenems in enterobacteria is realized through various resistance mechanisms. Extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases are particularly relevant and concerning. Monitoring revealed the growth of carbapenemase-producing isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae (34.9%), the spread of carbapenemase among Escherichia coli strains (5.1%), the increase in the spread of Acinetobacter baumannii strains with the production of NDM groups (32.6%). Conclusion. Prescription of antibacterial drugs should be based only on the results of microbiological diagnostics. The current situation requires modern methods of microbiological diagnostics: the use of only up-to-date (periodically updated) criteria for determining sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs, as well as the introduction of phenotypic tests that provide reliable information without molecular genetic methods. 

Lectins are a group of highly specific carbohydrate-binding proteins with a wide spectrum of action, involved in the so-called «first line» of body defense. These unique biomolecules show high specificity for various mono- and oligosaccharides, primarily for viral and bacterial glycoconjugates. Cyanobacteria lectins are effective against enveloped viruses and are an appealing alternative to existing synthetic drugs. Virtually complete absence of resistance formation in viruses to these compounds is known. The purpose of this review is to analyze, summarize, and discuss the results of experimental studies in vivo and in vitro, illustrating the mechanisms of action and antiviral effects of lectins obtained from cyanobacteria in relation to the most dangerous and socially significant viruses: SARS-Cov-2, HIV, Ebola viruses, influenza, and hepatitis C. In addition, the article outlines some of the challenges that must be overcome in order to obtain effective antiviral drugs in the future.

The study of coronaviruses, including those capable of causing life-threatening diseases, continued for many decades. So did the study of interferons, as well as acridine acetic acid, which is a powerful interferon inducer. For a long time, both directions of research developed in parallel to each other. However, the discovery of SARS-CoV and the creation of Cycloferon based on acridine acetic acid made both research directions converge. To date, the abundance of factual and theoretical tenets is enough to estimate the potential effectiveness of acridine acetic acid against COVID-19. 

The problem of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still remains relevant even now, after two years. As one of the methods of combating the current COVID-19 pandemic, most experts suggest the widespread use of vaccination. The use of anticovid vaccines in patients with rheumatic diseases raises a number of questions related to efficacy, immunogenicity (especially in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy), as well as safety of immunization. With that in mind, it is very important to analyze the data on the above-mentioned aspects in real time. This review presents the results of studies on COVID-19 vaccination immunogenicity in rheumatology conducted over the past two years. The ability of a number of antirheumatic drugs to have a negative effect (to varying degrees) on the post-vaccination response has been demonstrated. Interpretation and comparison of the results of vaccine immunogenicity studies are complicated by a number of factors usually associated with the design of works. Within the framework of the problem under consideration, there are still a sufficient number of questions, the answers to which should be found in further research.

A new carbapenem antibiotic — biapenem — previously used only in Japan and Southeast Asia, was registered in Russia in 2021. The article analyzes the antimicrobial, pharmacokinetic, and clinical characteristics of biapenem in detail, provides pharmacodynamic justifications for antibiotic dosing. The most important properties and advantages of biapenem related to antimicrobial action (higher activity and eradication potential against Pseudomonas aeruginosa), the highest stability among carbapenems to carbapenemases of classes D (OXA-48-type) and B (NDM-type) are emphasized, which determines a new option for the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (biapenem in combination with polymyxin/colistin and/or tigecycline). Among the features of pharmacokinetics, it is necessary to highlight low albumin binding (3.7%), good tissue penetration, as well as stable pharmacokinetics of biapenem in patients in critical condition, septic shock, and those requiring renal replacement therapy. Pharmacodynamic modeling has established the most optimal dosage of biapenem in sepsis and septic shock: 300 mg (3-hour infusion) every 6 hours or 600 mg every 12 hours. A dosage regimen of 300 mg QID is preferable in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy. The effectiveness of biapenem has been documented in numerous studies, which also show good antibiotic tolerability and safety: the frequency of side effects averaged 2% and was lower than that of other carbapenems. Biapenem can be effectively and safely prescribed to the most problematic elderly patients with serious comorbid conditions and impaired kidney and liver function.