National streptococcal center

In 1985 a National Streptococcus Center was formed on the basis of the Department which participated in creation of a domestic set for express-grouping the streptococci in the international project of WHO on the creation of standard diagnostic sera, in the development of recommendations on typing GAS, in the international project on sequencing the GAS genome. The Department helps the research and practical institutions in diagnosing streptococci, holds seminars on the problem. Since 1976 the members of the Department have been taking part in all 18 international symposia on streptococci and conferences on the genetics of these microbes. In 1993 on the instruction of WHO, the XII International symposium on streptococci was held in Saint-Petersburg, in which 37 countries took part. At the last XVI symposium which took place in Cairns Australia in September 2005, Department was presented by two oral talks and 3 posters.

The perspectives of investigations in the field of streptococci and streptococcal diseases may be determined as follows:

• Investigations of fine gene structure, encoding factors of pathogenicity with the purpose to reveal nucleotide sequences, critical for the function of the concrete gene.

• Constructing recombinant polypeptides within the limits of proteins — pathogenicity factors for revealing domens with marked pathogenic, protective or receptor activity and creation of vaccines against pathology caused by GBS in obstetric practice.

• Standardization of the genotyping methods for a complex analysis of genome strain polymorphism and distinguishing of discriminative indices for the purposes of molecular epidemiology of widespread streptococcal diseases.

• Investigation of the mechanisms of protective action of Fc-portion of autological immunoglobulin G for treatment of poststreptococcal diseases.

• Introduction into practice of endocrinological service of the country of new available methods of diagnosing diabetic nephropathy on the basis of detection of microalbuminuria in the receptor-enzymatic analysis where the recombinant polypeptide of group G streptococcus is used as a receptor, and human serum albumin — as a ligand.