Detection of YMDD motif mutants by oligonucleotide chips in lamivudine-untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Lamivudine, a nucleoside analogue, has been used widely as an effective antiviral agent for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the YMDD motif mutation of HBV polymerase resistant to lamivudine occurs very frequently after long term therapy. We developed an oligonucleotide chip for the detection of YMDD motif mutants resistant to lamivudine and investigated the prevalence of the mutants in patients with chronic HBV infection who had not been treated by lamivudine before. Forty patients who had not been treated with lamivudine were included in this study. Serum samples were tested by the oligonucleotide chips designed for detection of wild-type YMDD motif, M552V and M552I. Samples were confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and direct sequencing. M552I mutants were detected by the oligonucleotide chips in 7.5% (3/40) of chronic HBV infected patients (2 chronic hepatitis and 1 cirrhosis). The results were in accordance with those of RFLP. YMDD motif mutants occur as natural genome variabilities in patients with chronic HBV infection who had not been treated with lamivudine before. Oligonucleotide chip technology is a reliable and useful diagnostic tool for the detection of mutants resistant to antiviral therapy in chronic HBV infection.     

Epitope specificity is critical for high and moderate avidity cytotoxic T lymphocytes associated with control of viral load and clinical disease in horses with equine infectious anemia virus

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus that causes persistent infections in horses. We hypothesized that high-avidity CTL specific for nonvariable epitopes might be associated with low viral load and minimal disease in EIAV-infected horses. To test this hypothesis, memory CTL (CTLm) responses were analyzed in two infected horses with high plasma viral loads and recurrent disease (progressors), and in two infected horses with low-to-undetectable viral loads and mild disease (nonprogressors). High-avidity CTLm in one progressor recognized an envelope gp90 epitope, and the data documented for the first time in EIAV that viral variation led to CTL escape. Each of the nonprogressors had high-to-moderate avidity CTLm directed against epitopes within Rev, including the nuclear export and nuclear localization domains. These results suggested that the epitope specificity of high- and moderate-avidity CTLm was an important determinant for disease outcome in the EIAV-infected horses examined.     

我国狂犬病病原学和病理形态学观察

报告四例狂犬病病例及对其尸脑组织的病原学和病理形态学观察。４例病人均有被犬咬伤史；发病后临床病状典型，表现为发热、恐水、怕风等；潜伏期和病程分别在２０～１３２天和７～１４天；临床诊断明确。死亡后尸检脑组织病理改变为病毒性脑炎病变，在感染神经细胞胞浆内均检到内基氏体。从尸脑组织中分离出狂犬病毒４株。又从４例病人血清中和２例病人脑脊液中分别检测出特异性狂犬病毒抗体各１例。     

Gene transfer by viral vectors for gene therapy

Conclusions The search for useful virus vectors and for improvements in currently available retrovectors which may have the capability of transportation by natural transport systems in the human body will open effective ways for targeting human genes to specific cells in tissues in situ. Genetic engineering of virus vectors is a subject of prime importance to the developing gene therapy protocols in humans.Abbreviations HSV Herpes simplex virus     

2a型HCV E1、E2/NS1区基因cDNA的克隆及序列分析

目的：了解丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）2a型基因组E1 E2／NS1区序列，为进一步研究HCV包膜蛋白的生物学功能奠定基础。方法：用逆转录套式PCR（RT－nPCR)从江苏省1例丙型肝炎患者血清中扩增出两条分别约770bp、1100bp的片段，分别以限制性内切酶EcoR I、BamH I和EcoR I、Hand Ⅲ双酶切后连入pUC19载体中，转化感受态细胞，经限制性酶切长度多态性分析（RFLP）和PCR法证实为阳性克隆后，用全自动序列分析仪测序。结果：分别测得约770bp、1100bp的核苷酸序列，拼接后得到的完整核苷酸序列及其编码的氨基酸序列分别与HCV－1、HC－C2、HCV－BK、HC－J6、HC－J8相应序列作比较，显示分离株HCV在核苷酸水平上与以上分离株的同源性分别为60．5％、60．1％、59．7％、87．8％、67．5％；在氨基酸水平上的同源性分别为67．3％、66．4％、65．0％、87．8％、79．0％。结论：分离株（HCV－JS）与HC－J6同属2a型，但同源性有一定差异。     

实时荧光定量RT-PCR监测恒河猴体内人/猴免疫缺陷病毒载量在传代过程中的变化

目的为分析中国SHIV/猕猴AIDS模型的病毒载量变化趋势,建立一种实时、灵敏、特异的针对人/猴免疫缺陷病毒的定量检测方法。方法体外转录制备RNA标准品,利用TaqManEZRT-PCR试剂盒的反应体系和针对SHIVgag保守区91个碱基的TaqMan探针和引物,建立一步法实时荧光定量RT-PCR。提取126份来自SHIV-CN97001感染恒河猴血浆病毒RNA并定量检测。结果利用梯度稀释的RNA标准品对反应体系进行优化,标准曲线下限达到2×102拷贝/ml,相关性(r>0.99)及重复性(CV=4.14%)均能达到测定要求。病毒载量的检测结果表明SHIV-CN97001在猴体内传代过程中病毒载量有先升后降的趋势,病毒载量通常在接种病毒或感染猴的全血后第14天达到高峰。血浆载量可达到105~106拷贝/ml。结论成功地建立了一步法定量SHIVRNA的实时荧光定量RT-PCR,为SHIV/恒河猴AIDS模型的建立与应用提供了灵敏的病毒载量检测方法。SHIV-CN97001的体内繁殖能力在猴体内传代过程中有所增强。     

病毒载量和T淋巴细胞计数在HIV感染者临床治疗疗效观察中的应用

目的 研究病毒载量检测和CD4^ 计数在评价人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)感染者疗效中的应用效果。方法 对HIV感染者临床病例73例进行了实验室和临床观察，其中包括6例鸡尾酒治疗病例、36例中药试验性治疗病例及31例未进行治疗的感染者。主要实验室指标包括血浆病毒载量及T淋巴细胞亚群计数。结果 在进行治疗后3个月时联合治疗组的病毒载量明显低于其他两组，并且在其后保持在很低的水平，CD4^ 计数水平明显高于其他两组并在其后持续升高。在整个观察期间，中药治疗组的病毒载量检测和CD4^ 计数水平与未治疗组差异无显著性，但在临床症状观察中中药治疗组较未治疗组有明显改善。结论 病毒载量检测和CD4^ 计数试验是评价抗HIV治疗疗效的有效方法。     

Comparison of assays to detect cytomegalovirus shedding in the semen of HIV-infected men

We sought to determine the optimal assays for cytomegalovirus (CMV) shedding in semen. Over a 2-month period, 149 HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men each provided up to three semen specimens. Specimens were tested for CMV by culture, rapid assay (shell vial) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By culture, 30% of seminal plasma and 28% of seminal cell specimens grew CMV. By rapid assay, results were 38 and 33%, respectively. By PCR, 56% of seminal cell specimens demonstrated CMV: 20% in a single semen specimen; 33% in two specimens; and 34% in all three specimens. Overall, 69% of men had CMV detected by PCR in at least one seminal cell specimen. By quantitative PCR, 14% had ten, 14% had 100, 16% had 1000, and 12% had 10 000 copies in 6.25 μl of semen analyzed. Adjusting for initial CD4+ cell count, men with CMV shedding demonstrated by PCR at the first visit were approximately four times as likely to shed CMV at a subsequent visit (RR 4.28, CI: 2.30–7.95). CMV shedding was associated with decreased CD4+ cell counts in peripheral blood (P=0.05). It is concluded that the PCR assay provided the greatest sensitivity among the three detection methods.     

Amino acid substitutions within the heptad repeat domain 1 of murine coronavirus spike protein restrict viral antigen spread in the central nervous system

Targeted recombination was carried out to select mouse hepatitis viruses (MHVs) in a defined genetic background, containing an MHV-JHM spike gene encoding either three heptad repeat 1 (HR1) substitutions (Q1067H, Q1094H, and L1114R) or L1114R alone. The recombinant virus, which expresses spike with the three substitutions, was nonfusogenic at neutral pH. Its replication was significantly inhibited by lysosomotropic agents, and it was highly neuroattenuated in vivo. In contrast, the recombinant expressing spike with L1114R alone mediated cell-to-cell fusion at neutral pH and replicated efficiently despite the presence of lysosomotropic agents; however, it still caused only subclinical morbidity and no mortality in animals. Thus, both recombinant viruses were highly attenuated and expressed viral antigen which was restricted to the olfactory bulbs and was markedly absent from other regions of the brains at 5 days postinfection. These data demonstrate that amino acid substitutions, in particular L1114R, within HR1 of the JHM spike reduced the ability of MHV to spread in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the requirements for low pH for fusion and viral entry are not prerequisites for the highly attenuated phenotype.     

NucliSens HIV-1 QT和Amplicor HIV-1 monitor1.5方法测定HIV-1病毒载量的比较研究

目的进行NuchSens HIV-1 QT和Amplicor HIV-1 monitor 1．5检测相同临床样品HIV-1病毒载量值之间的比较研究。方法收集临床样本82份，使用两种方法测定病毒载量，对病毒载量值进行统计分析。结果未测到核酸的和两种方法病毒载量对数值之差小于0．5的占88．9％；用△log10 VL〈0．5的56份样本统计两种方法的相关性，相关系数为0．956。结论NucliSens HIV-1 QT和Amphcor HIV-1 monitor 1．5两种方法测定的HIV病毒载量值有很好的相关性。