Ascorbic acid content was assayed in plasma and neutrophils of peripheral blood in 260 patients with virus hepatitis A during acute period of the disease. The data obtained have evidenced C-hypovitaminosis in these patients, that was more pronounced in the winter-spring period, according to the disease severity 300 mg of ascorbic acid for 1.5 g of galascorbin/day have proved to be the most optimal dose for vitamin C deficiency elimination. A significant decrease in T-lymphocyte level and an increase in 0-cell content were recorded in the acute period of virus hepatitis A. Ascorbic acid drugs promoted more rapid recovery of T-lymphocyte content in the peripheral blood that has confirmed the necessity of vitamin C administration in combined pathogenetic therapy of patients with virus hepatitis A.

A total of 260 patients aged 15 to 57 years with virus hepatitis A were examined over time for some indicators of humoral and cellular immunity (serum IgA, IgM, IgG, the phagocytic number and indicator of the completeness of neutrophil phagocytosis, cytochemical content of ribonucleic and deoxyribonucleic acids in blood leukocytes). The immunological indicators were determined in two patients' groups after intake per os of 300 mg/day of ascorbic acid for 2-3 weeks and without its administration. It has been established that in virus hepatitis A, vitamin C exerts a remarkable immunomodulating action. In view of this fact, it should be necessarily included into multimodality treatment of patients suffering from pathology under consideration.

The antimicrobial activity of simulated solar disinfection (SODIS) against enteric waterborne viruses including coxsackievirus-B5, poliovirus-2 and hepatitis A virus was investigated in this study. Assays were conducted in transparent 12-well polystyrene microtitre plates containing the appropriate viral test suspension. Plates were exposed to simulated sunlight at an optical irradiance of 550 Wm(-2) (watts per square metre) delivered from a SUNTEST™ CPS+ solar simulator for 6 hours. Aliquots of the viral test suspensions were taken at set time points and the level of inactivation of the viruses was determined by either culture on a HeLa cell monolayer for coxsackievirus-B5 and poliovirus-2 or by utilising a chromogenic antibody-based approach for hepatitis A virus. With coxsackievirus-B5, poliovirus-2 and hepatitis A virus, exposure to SODIS at an optical irradiance of 550 Wm(-2) for 1-2 hours resulted in complete inactivation of each virus. The findings from this study suggest that under appropriate conditions SODIS may be an effective technique for the inactivation of enteric viruses in drinking water. However, further verification studies need to be performed using natural sunlight in the region where the SODIS technology is to be employed to validate our results.

To correct disbolism of vitamins C, B3, B6 and B12 due to viral hepatitis A (VHA), the patients received daily doses of the vitamins: 300 and 400 mg of ascorbic acid, 300 and 600 mg of calcium pantothenate or 90 and 180 mg of pantetin per os. 100 and 200 micrograms of cyanocobalamin alternating with 50 and 100 mg of pyridoxin was given intramuscularly every other day. The course lasted 3-4 weeks. The vitamin treatment promoted a positive trend in clinico-biochemical parameters, normalization of immunocompetent cell and serum immunoglobulins levels, of phagocytic reaction of peripheral blood neutrophils.