Immunogenitity of A/USSR (H1N1) subunit vaccine in unprimed young adults

A clinical and serological study was performed on 267 of 636 volunteers vaccinated against Argentine hemorrhagic fever with the XJCl₃ attenuated strain of Junin virus seven to nine years earlier, in order to determine their long-term evolution. This study included a clinical examination, a chest roentgenogram, an electrocardiogram, and the following laboratory determinations: white and red cell count, number of platelets, hematocrit, hemoglobin, sedimentation rate (Katz index), urea, nitrogen, glucose concentration, cholesterol, GOT, GPT, gamma GT, alkaline phosphatase, cholinesterase, and total bilirubin. Neutralization reactions were performed to determine persistence of antibody levels. All clinical and laboratory findings were within normal limits, excluding a long-term pathology attributable to the virus. Of 165 tested sera, 153 (90.3%) had detectable levels of neutralizing antibodies, and the rest had no antibodies after this time. Although these people live in the endemic area, it is considered that only the 9% that had increased antibody levels had suffered a reinfection during the seven- to nine-year period, which acted as a booster. This figure approximately corresponds to the subclinical infection value found in the region. In the rest, the persistence of antibodies is attributed to the immunization achieved with the vaccine employed.     

登革热疫点22年后的血清流行病学调查

目的了解曾发生登革热流行的旧疫区健康人群抗登革病毒的抗体水平及分布。方法在1986年曾爆发Ⅱ型登革热疫情的黄埔区鱼珠街一带,对2周内无临床症状的健康人群横断面采样,收集血清,ELISA法检测血清中抗登革病毒IgG抗体,并和非疫点健康人群抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率进行比较。RT—PCR法检测抗体阳性者血清中登革病毒。结果登革热疫点健康人群抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率为23.3％,非疫点健康人群抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率为3．8％,两者差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;登革热疫点人群抗体阳性率与年龄成正相关,0～20、21～30、31—40、41～50、51—60、61～70和70岁以上各年龄组的抗体阳性率分别为3．8％、5．8％、9．1％、26．5％、27．7％、32．5％和35．1％。30岁以下年龄组与31～40岁年龄组、31～d0岁年龄组与41～60岁年龄组、41-60岁年龄组与61岁年龄组间的抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率差异分别具有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。登革热疫点和非疫点15岁以下中小学生滤纸血样标本中均未检测到抗登革病毒IgG抗体。RT—PCR法未检测到抗体阳性者血清中有登革病毒。结论登革热疫点人群抗登革病毒IgG阳性率明显高于非疫点人群,疫点人群抗体阳性率随年龄增长而上升,提示登革热疫点在登革热疫情后,登革病毒可能在蚊媒体内存在低密度的循环。     

Identification of a novel variant of hepatitis E virus in Italy

Hepatitis E infection is typically associated with areas in which hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic. Except for a few cases in Europe and in the United States, acute hepatitis E is usually associated with travel to endemic areas. We set out to determine the etiologic role of HEV in acute non-A-C hepatitis in Italy. The presence of HEV-RNA and antibody was determined in 218 patients diagnosed with acute viral non-A-C hepatitis. Acute hepatitis E infection was defined by the presence of HEV-RNA in sera and positivity for IgM anti-HEV and seroconversion to IgG anti-HEV. Acute hepatitis E was found in 10.1% of the patients with acute non-A-C, with 95.5% exhibiting a benign course. A more severe course was observed in a patient co-infected with HAV and HEV. Most cases were travelers to endemic areas, although 18.2% reported no travel. One patient was from a household with an infected patient. Sequence analyses of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product derived from a patient who never visited endemic areas, identified an isolate that is divergent significantly from all reported isolates of HEV (79.5-85.8% nucleotide identity). Evidence from this study suggests that HEV accounts for approximately 10% of acute non-A-C viral hepatitis in Italy, diagnosed generally in travelers returning from endemic areas. However, the identification of a new HEV variant in an individual who never indicated travel or contact with individuals associated with endemic areas, suggests that this virus may be native to Italy.     

Evaluation of a phenotypic revertant of the A/Alaska/77-ts-1A2 reassortant virus in hamsters and in seronegative adult volunteers: further evidence that the temperature-sensitive phenotype is responsible for attenuation of ts-1A2 reassortant viruses.

The magnitude of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in both immunologically naive mice and in mice primed with a serologically non-cross-reactive influenza A virus was greatly diminished if the virus used for challenge was first incubated with excess hemagglutinin-specific monoclonal antibody. However, the level of T cell stimulation was, when compared with virus stocks that are simply diluted, greater than would be expected from the infectivity titer remaining after exposure to the monoclonal antibody. Also, mice given mixtures of virus and monoclonal antibody were primed for a secondary cytotoxic T lymphocyte response, the frequency of memory T cells being approximately fourfold lower than that found for animals injected with virus alone. The possibility that such virus-antibody mixtures might be of value for immunization is worth further investigation.     

我国青年人群血清中流感抗体的连续三年监测

目的：了解青年人群血清中抗流感病毒的抗体水平和病毒变异程度。方法：应用微量血凝素抑制试验，对从1997—2000年在我国8个地区，每年春、秋两季，共采集3000份血清标本进行抗流感病毒抗体水平的检测。结果：发现人群中抗流感病毒抗体的水平，在春、秋两季间波动；抗甲3型流感病毒(H3N2)的抗体水平，从1999—2000年保持了高水平；而抗甲1型流感病毒(H1N1)的抗体水平，从1998年以来呈悌形下降，易感人群由15％上升到75％。结论：近3年中流感病毒甲3型、甲1型和乙型均曾在我国局部流行，甲1型流感病毒(H1N1)发生了明显变异，甲3型流感病毒(H3N2)将可能发生变异。     

北京地区儿童EB病毒感染的血清学调查

目的 了解北京地区儿童EB病毒感染现状.方法 选取北京地区0～14岁儿童的血清589份,应用微润赛润ELISA classic EBV VCA IgG试剂盒,在波长405 nm下检测血清样品的吸光度值.参照试剂盒内专用的标准曲线和临界值判定血清样品EB病毒感染与否.根据专用公式计算EBV VCA IgG抗体活性.利用统计学软件SPSS 13.0分析比较北京城区和农村儿童EBV感染阳性百分率及EBV VCA IgG抗体强度.结果 血清学检测显示北京地区0～14岁儿童EBV感染阳性率为83.6%,其中城市为80.8%,农村为86.2%.EBV感染高峰集中在3岁之前为71%,其中城市为67.7%低于农村75.3%,6岁之前为82.5%.统计学分析比较城市和农村儿童不同年龄的EBV感染阳性百分率和EBV VCA IgG抗体活性具有显著差异.结论 北京城区儿童6岁之前EBV感染阳性百分率有所降低,部分儿童初次感染年龄向后推移.     

Factors involved in enzyme-linked immunoassay of viruses and evaluation of the method for identification of enteroviruses.

A quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for identification of selected enteroviruses: poliovirus type 1, echovirus type 6, coxsackievirus A type 9, and coxsackievirus B types 1 through 6. Partially purified viral antigens or virus-specific antibodies were adsorbed to polystyrene spectrophotometer cuvettes, which permitted the assays to be reported and compared in terms of enzyme units specifically reacting. Both the adsorbed antigen and the adsorbed antibody methods were approximately equal in terms of sensitivity and specificity of reaction. By use [14C]leucine-labeled enteroviruses, the amount of virus that bound to the plastics used was shown to be dependent on the purity of the virus preparation used, but it was higher than the amount that was bound by plastics coated with viral antibody. Diluents which contained 0.15% (vol/vol) Tween 20 and 2.0% (wt/vol) bovine serum albumin in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.2, were found to be the most effective in inhibiting nonspecific adsorption of immunoreagents. However, the presence of these inhibitors in phosphate-buffered saline solutions also caused desorption of virus or viral antibody during immunoassays; the amount of virus desorption varied with the type of preparation used, and antibody desorption was dependent on the concentration of antibody initially used for adsorption. For specific identification of a given enterovirus type by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method used, approximately 10(5) plaque-forming units of virus per assay tube were required.     

广东省登革热原学和血清学检测

目的 了解１９７８－１９９５年广东省多次发生登革热Ⅰ－Ⅳ型流行的病学原学。方法 在流行区捕捉９种蚊媒，进行病毒分离。结果 阳性率白纹伊蚊为２０．６９％，埃及伊蚊为１８．９５％，致乏库蚊为１０．２９％，其余６种蚊媒为阴性。这三种蚊媒间的病毒分离阳性率无显著性差异。在海南岛和湛江地区，埃及伊蚊是主要的传播媒介，其他的流行区是白纹伊蚊。患者发病３天内病毒分离的阳性率在７３．５８－８２．０５％之间，发病第     

A conserved carboxy-terminal domain in the major tegument structural protein VP22 facilitates virion packaging of a chimeric protein during productive herpes simplex virus 1 infection

Recombinant virus HSV-1(RF177) was previously generated to examine tegument protein VP22 function by inserting the GFP gene into the gene encoding VP22. During a detailed analysis of this virus, we discovered that RF177 produces a novel fusion protein between the last 15 amino acids of VP22 and GFP, termed GCT-VP22. Thus, the VP22 carboxy-terminal specific antibody 22-3 and two anti-GFP antibodies reacted with an approximately 28 kDa protein from RF177-infected Vero cells. GCT-VP22 was detected at 1 and 3 hpi. Examination of purified virions indicated that GCT-VP22 was incorporated into RF177 virus particles. These observations imply that at least a portion of the information required for virion targeting is located in this domain of VP22. Indirect immunofluorescence analyses showed that GCT-VP22 also localized to areas of marginalized chromatin during RF177 infection. These results indicate that the last fifteen amino acids of VP22 participate in virion targeting during HSV-1 infection.     

Enhancement of Inoue-Melnick virus synthesis by 5-bromodeoxyuridine in human meningioma (MG-1) cells

The authors found remarkable enhancement of Inoue-Melnick virus (IMV) synthesis by 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR) in human meningioma (MG-1) cells, a virus-producer line of type 1 IMV. Treatment with BUDR resulted in rapid and abundant synthesis of infectious IMV in MG-1 cells. The titer of the cell-associated virus in treated cells increased approximately 6.0 log 10 compared with that in untreated cells. Immunofluorescent antibody tests revealed that IMV-associated late antigen was induced by BUDR in the cytoplasm of approximately 50% of treated cells. A clonal difference was also found in the enhancement of BUDR on the IMV synthesis in MG-1 cells. The most remarkable enhancing effect of BUDR was observed in the clone C line, and a herpes-type virus was detected by negative-staining electron microscopy in the culture fluid of the clone C treated with BUDR.     

2010-2011年北京市四次甲型H1N1流感病毒抗体水平动态变化分析

目的 了解和掌握北京市不同人群对甲型H1N1流感的免疫水平.方法 在2010年1月-2011年4月期间,四次采用多阶段分层随机抽样方法,在北京市六个区分年龄组随机选取调查对象进行问卷调查,并采集血清标本进行甲型H1N1流感病毒抗体检测.结果 共选取调查对象18264名.5456名(28.9％)调查对象体内甲型H1N1流...     

湖南省甲型H1N1流感病毒感染状况及快速血清学调查研究

目的了解不同时期湖南省人群甲型H1N1流感病毒感染状况和评估方法。方法在长沙市选择14个医疗卫生机构于2009年11月至2010年3月期间,先后5次进行甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝抑制（HI）抗体阳性率快速调查,并与全省抽样调查结果比较。结果共有2131名对象参与快速调查,五次调查的全人群标准化抗体阳性率依次为9．32％、14．62％、31．08％、28．43％和22．80％;6～17岁年龄组人群的抗体阳性率最高;调查对象甲流抗体阳性中仅9．84％可归因于疫苗接种;快速血清学调查与同期全省抽样调查所得标准化抗体阳性率差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论湖南省人群的甲型流感抗体阳性率在2010年1月下旬时最高;在急性传染病大规模流行期间,可以采用小范围的快速调查评估感染状况。     

Titering of 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin inhibition antibody in nonvaccinated pregnant women in Shiraz, Southern Iran

Influenza may cause severe complications for pregnant women. In this study antibody response against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in pregnant women was investigated. This seroprevalance cross sectional and questionnaire based study was conducted using a convenient sampling method. Blood samples of pregnant women were checked for antibodies against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus using hemagglutination inhibition assay. An antibody titer level of ≥ 1:40 dilution was considered as the protective level. 167 (43.60%) of 383 pregnant women who participated in this study had protective antibody levels against this virus. 62 (35.63%) of 3rd trimester, 79 (46.74%) of 2nd trimester, and 21(52.50%) of 1st trimester pregnant women were immune respectively (χ2(for trend) = 8.20, p < 0.004). Lack of protective antibody level was significantly seen more in pregnant women of 3rd trimester of pregnancy (OR = 2.37, CI = 1.09-5.18). Pregnant women with higher education (OR = 1.67, CI = 1.02-2.73) and those with history of anemia (OR = 2.09, CI = 1.18-3.68) had more immunity. Older women (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.91-0.99) and those with history of psychological diseases (OR = 0.19, CI = 0.05-0.70) had less immunity. Vaccination of pregnant women, especially those who are in the higher trimesters of pregnancy, older, or less educated, against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus should be continued.     

Seoul hantavirus in Europe: first demonstration of the virus genome in wild <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rattus norvegicus</Emphasis> captured in France

Although rats (Rattus rattus or Rattus norvegicus) worldwide have been found to carry Seoul hantavirus, there are at present only a very few reports of confirmed human Seoul hantavirus infections outside Asia, where the virus, in certain areas, is responsible for approximately 25% of the human hantavirus infections. In Europe, no confirmed human infections outside laboratories have been described, and although rats occasionally have been found to be antibody positive, the viral genome has not been demonstrated in these animals. The present report describes the first confirmed finding of Seoul hantavirus in R. norvegicus captured in Europe.     

广州市甲型H1N1流感暴发疫点与监测人群病毒抗体检测

目的通过分析广州市甲型H1N1流感暴发疫点与监测人群病毒的抗体水平,了解甲型H1N1流感的流行趋势,为预防甲型H1N1流感疫情提供科学依据。方法应用红细胞血凝抑制（HI）方法检测流感甲型H1N1抗体,对比分析1570名疫区学生与1326名监测人群血清标本H1N1流感病毒的抗体水平。结果疫区学生甲型H1N1流感病毒感染率、流感罹患率分别为32.17%、22.23%,明显高于市区监测人群的22.62%、15.38%（P=0.000,P=0.000）。疫点学生与市区监测人群甲型H1N1流感隐性感染率分别为9.94%、7.24%,差异有统计学意义（P=0.012）。在已感染甲型H1N1流感病毒的疫点学生和市区监测人群中,甲型H1N1流感隐性感染率（30.89%、32.00%）差异无统计学意义（P=0.754）。疫点人群显性感染者的抗体滴度明显高于隐性感染者（t=4.701,P=0.000）,监测人群中显性感染与隐性感染者的抗体滴度无显著差异（t=0.248,P=0.804）。结论疫点学生甲型H1N1流感隐性感染率明显高于监测人群。提示隐性感染人群具有潜在的传染力,应加强隐性感染者的监测。     

Antibody neutralization of HIV-1

Neutralizing antibodies are a major component of host defense against viruses, and appear to be particularly important in limiting the spread of cell-free virus. Results from vaccine trials in animal models suggest that these antibodies may contribute to protection against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Here, Pascal Poignard and colleagues discuss recent developments in this area, with particular emphasis on the measurement, specificity and mechanism of the antibody response, and its significance for vaccine production.     

Characterization of immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMS) of HIV-1

HIV-1, strain HTLV-III, propagated in H9 cells and purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation, was used as native antigen source for the preparation of immunostimulating complexes, HIV-iscoms. The major antigen detected in the iscom was the cell-derived HLA-DR, which readily could be removed from the virus lysate by immunosorbent. In the iscoms the HIV structural proteins MA p17, p55 and TM gp41 were identified; SU gp120 was present in only minute amounts in the virus lysate. The iscom particles appeared well preserved after freeze drying with a round shape, approximately 35 nm in diameter, comprising morphological subunits, assembled with icosahedral symmetry. Immunization experiments in mice reflected the antigen content of the iscoms. High antibody response was induced to HLA-DR in non-depleted iscoms. Major humoral responses were observed to the viral structural proteins MA p17, CA p24, p55, and also to TM gp41. A low or negligible antibody response to SU gp120 was induced by the HIV-iscoms. The negligible response was, however, overcome by the addition of recombinant gp160 to the virus lysate prior to formation of iscoms, resulting in a preparation evoking a clear serum antibody to gp160.     

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis A virus infection among schoolchildren in Taiwan

Taiwan was a hyperendemic area for hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection before 1980. The aim of this study was to examine the association between seropositivity of antibodies against HAV (anti-HAV) by a community-based survey. School children from 10 elementary and 3 junior high schools, as well as staff members who worked at the above schools in central Taiwan were selected at random in this study. Anti-HAV was tested in sera of 1,954 healthy schoolchildren (aged 7-15 years old) and 254 teachers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Schoolchildren had a low prevalence of anti-HAV (2.3%) in contrast to the high seroprevalence in their teachers (52%). The seropositive rates of HAV antibody among the study subjects were increasing with age. No significant differences of anti-HAV seroprevalence among the study subjects were observed when they were stratified by gender, geographical area, household members, and parental education. Whereas, the anti-HAV seroprevalence was significantly higher in schoolchildren who were either aboriginal or living in areas without a supply of drinking tap-water. The seroprevalence of HAV data among the healthy pediatric population would be helpful to evaluate the need for mass vaccination policies.     

Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in chronic liver disease in northwest China

To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in northwest China, 179 chronic liver disease patients in this area were examined for antibody to hepatitis C virus core protein (anti-HCVcore). This antibody was found in only 5 (14 percent) of 37 chronic non-A, non-B liver disease patients, in 11 (16%) of 67 asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers, and in 20 (27%) of 75 chronic hepatitis B patients. High titers of anti-HCVcore (cut off index >2) were observed in 3 (60%), 5 (45%), and 9 (45%) of the anti-HCVcore-positive cases of these groups, respectively. We further investigated the seroprevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B virus in the 37 chronic non-A, non-B liver disease patients. All 5 anti-HCVcore-positive cases were positive for a hepatitis B virus marker, with only 44% (14/32) of the anti-HCVcore-negative patients (P < 0.05). Based on these findings, it is concluded that the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in chronic non-A, non-B liver disease is unexpectedly low in northwest China and that hepatitis B and C viruses seem to have a similar mode of infection in that area.