Dynamics of HIV replication in lymphocytes and the efficacy of protease inhibitors

Using a system that allows transfection of resting peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) two questions were addressed: the kinetics of HIV replication from the state of proviral latency, and the impact of different parameters on the efficacy of protease inhibitors to control HIV replication. PBLs were transfected with an infectious full length HIV-DNA harboring a luciferase reporter gene and activated thereafter. Ritonavir was added at different times at doses ranging from to 0.06 to 1 microM. Viral expression was assessed by quantifying luciferase activity in cell extracts and levels of p24 HIV antigen in culture supernatants. After transfection and cell activation, intracellular expression of HIV proteins, as assessed by luciferase detection, occurred within 2 hr. HIV-gag p24 antigen was detected in culture supernatants between 6 and 8 hr post-activation. Ritonavir was effective in blocking viral replication when given within 4 hr following HIV reactivation, but a delay in ritonavir administration or breaches in ritonavir levels after 6 hr from transfection resulted in viral escape. HIV reactivation from proviral latency in PBLs is an extremely rapid process, faster than estimated from previous models. These data stress the need for maintaining effective antiretroviral concentrations to block completely viral replication.     

临床诊断为非甲～戊型肝炎患者的病原学研究

目的探讨临床诊断为非甲-戊型肝炎患者的病原学。方法 采用巢式PCR（nPCR)检测HBV、TTV、B19、和SENV DNA；用逆转录巢式PCR（RT-nPCR)检测HGV和HCV RNA。结果 60例临床诊断为非甲-戊型肝炎患者中，单独HBVDNA阳性30例（阳性率为50.0%)，HBV和TTVDNA阳性10例（16.7%)，HBV和B19DNA阳性6例（10.0%)，HCVRNA、HBV和SENVDNA阳性1例（1.7%)，单独HCVRNA阳性1例（1.7%)，HCVRNA和B19DNA阳性1例（1.7%),HGVRNA无一例阳性，单独B19DNA阳性2例（3.3%)。单独TTVDNA阳性1例（1.7%)，另8例（13.3%)上述病毒核酸均为阴性。HBV合并感染TTV或B19对其血清学生化指标无影响。结论HBV是临床诊断为非甲-戊型肝炎的主要病原，HGV、TTV、B19和SENV与非甲-戊型肝炎无关。     

A patient with hepatic granuloma formation and angiotensin-converting enzyme production by granuloma cells during clinical relapse of hepatitis A

Elevation of the serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE) level and hepatic granulomas were found during a clinical relapse in a 22 year old patient with acute viral hepatitis type A (AVH-A). The serum transaminase level and sACE level remained high for more than 6 months. In the biopsied specimen of the liver, fibrous rings of granulomas composed of collagen types I, III, and V were observed. Furthermore, the localization of ACE was visible in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of epithelioid cells of granulomas in the liver under electron microscopy using the indirect immunoperoxidase method. These results suggest that granuloma cells in the liver caused by hepatitis A may be involved in ACE production. In addition, other diseases associated with the presence of granulomas in the liver, such as lymphoma, cytomegalovirus infection, visceral leishmaniasis, and lupoid hepatitis, were ruled out. However, the hepatic granulomas disappeared with the healing of AVH-A. In this regard, the present case is considered to be one of the very few cases of hepatic sarcoidosis.     

Prevalence of viral infection markers by polymerase chain reaction amplification and interferon-alpha measurements among patients undergoing lumbar puncture in an emergency department

Aseptic meningitis is a frequent diagnosis in emergency departments. Nevertheless, viral investigations are not carried out currently and the viral etiology in adult population has not been studied extensively. We conducted a prospective study including all consecutive patients undergoing lumbar puncture during a 15 months period in an adult emergency department. Bloody and purulent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were excluded. The main tests undertaken were: CSF genomic amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for neurotropic viruses and serum and CSF interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) measurements. Among 194 patients included, 45 had and 149 did not have aseptic meningitis. Of 45 patients with aseptic meningitis, 10 had alternative non-virological final diagnosis, and 35/45 were presumed to have neurological disorders of viral origin. Patients (27/35) completed virological analysis: 21/27 (78%) had either positive viral PCR (enterovirus: 8 patients, Varicella zoster virus (VZV): 5, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV): 2, herpes simplex virus (HSV): 1, human herpes virus 6: 1) or only raised serum or CSF IFN-alpha (4 patients). Overall, 59% of patients with a positive viral PCR had either CSF or serum raised IFN-alpha. Twentyone patients without meningitis had either positive viral PCR (enterovirus: 3 patients) or only high serum IFN-alpha level (18 patients). In the setting of aseptic meningitis diagnosed in an adult emergency department, viruses are the most common agents encountered, with enterovirus and VZV as the two main etiological agents. Current CSF viral genome amplification and IFN-alpha measurement are informative and could be useful to confirm the viral origin of various neurological disorders, although the sensitivity and specificity of IFN-alpha measurement for the diagnosis of viral infection need further confirmation.     

Murine acinar pancreatitis preceding necrotizing myocarditis after Coxsackievirus B3 inoculation.

Balb/C weanling mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with a myocarditic variant of coxsackie-virus B3, with the aim of characterizing more fully the cell damage induced in the heart as well as in other organs. During the first week postinfection (pi), all animals developed acinar pancreatitis, followed by focal myocarditis. In accordance with the increasing infectivity titers, such progressive histopathological changes correlated with local viral replication. From day 4 pi, acinar degeneration accompanied by diffuse inflammatory exudate was observed in the pancreas, followed by fatty tissue replacement by day 8. In the heart, focal necrosis rather than inflammatory reaction first appeared at 4 days pi and became widespread by 6-8 days pi. Necrotic foci usually presented calcium deposits, with absence of myofibrils in the affected fibers. The fact that both periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and Best carmine staining remained positive even after diastase treatment ruled out basophilic necrosis. In summary, the pancreas appeared to be the site of primary viral replication leading to viremia.     

Hepatitis B virus-DNA in the serum of patients followed-up longitudinally with acute and chronic hepatitis B

Sera from 79 patients with acute self-limiting hepatitis, 17 patients with acute hepatitis B evolving into chronic HBsAg carriership, and 43 chronic HBsAg carriers without a history of acute hepatitis were analyzed for presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA by a molecular hybridization technique. In acute self-limiting hepatitis, HBV-DNA was cleared within a few weeks after the onset of clinical symptoms. The longest period of DNA positivity observed in this group was 42 days. In 29 of 52 patients HBV-DNA was cleared before HBeAg disappeared. Among 17 patients who became chronic HBsAg carriers, HBV-DNA was present for more than 6 months in all but one. Most of the HBsAg carriers eventually cleared HBV-DNA. The DNA clearance frequently preceeded the conversion of HBeAg to anti-HBe. Thus, in many patients there was a transitional period with HBeAg but without HBV-DNA. HBV-DNA was found to be a better index of impending chronicity than HBeAg since persistence of HBeAg for more than 42 days was noted in 10% of the patients who nevertheless cleared HBsAg within 6 months. By that time all those patients had turned negative for HBV-DNA. On the other hand, in 16 of the 17 patients who became chronic carriers of HBsAg, HBV-DNA as well as HBeAg persisted for more than 6 months. The present results also suggest that infectivity in acute hepatitis B is a feature mainly of the presymptomatic and early symptomatic period.     

用标记分析法检测我国海南省登革2型病毒抗原性变化

我们试用标记分析法,用3种单克隆抗体(黄病毒科特异性、登革病毒属特异性和登革病毒2型型特异性单克隆抗体)研究了我国海南省1985～1987年3年内流行的登革2型病毒8个流行株的抗原性变化,并与标准株新几内亚B株进行了比较。发现6株与标准株类似,2株显示出明显的差异。标记分析法为病毒抗原分析提供了一个简便、快速的方法,可用来监测一个地区病毒株群的变化及新株的传入。     

甘肃省SARS抗体血清流行病学调查

目的 了解甘肃省严重急性呼吸综合征(SARS)患者、密切接触者和正常人群血清SARS冠状病毒特异性IgG抗体水平。方法 利用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)法检测SARS病毒IgG抗体水平。检测对象包括甘肃省9例SARS患者的急性期和(或)恢复期系列血清，l109例直接护理SARS患者的医生、护士、实验室检测人员、疾控人员和曾与患者有接触的人员以及978例正常人血清。结果 9例临床诊断病例SARS冠状病毒特异性IgG抗体中6例为阳性，疾病恢复后12个月血清抗体仍为阳性；密切接触者1例特异性IgG抗体阳性；正常人3例特异性IgG抗体阳性。结论 病例抗体阳性符合临床诊断，密切接触者和正常人的抗体阳性数较低，提示可能不存在隐性感染。     

Prolonged hepatitis A infection in an HIV-1 seropositive patient

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a worldwide disease; in most cases, it causes an acute self-limited illness that does not lead to a chronic state. The course of HAV viremia in a homosexual male with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the correlation between HIV and HAV viral load, alanine aminotranferase (ALT) level, and CD4(+) lymphocyte count were investigated during the course of the infection. HAV RNA was detected quantitatively up to 256 days after clinical onset. To our knowledge, this specific case is the first report of a prolonged infection with hepatitis A in a male with HIV-1. The ALT levels decreased gradually; however, 286 days after clinical onset of hepatitis, ALT levels were three times higher than normal values. HIV viral load was not affected by the infection with HAV and CD4(+) cell count was stable during the course of the co-infection. The duration and the high-titer viremia of hepatitis A virus in an immunodeficient patient constitute a serious risk of the spread of hepatitis A within this population. As inactivated HAV vaccine is safe in HIV-positive subjects, it would be wise to establish a strategy of preventive vaccination in this high-risk group.     

Mixed microbial aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia in children

Seven paediatric studies on community-acquired pneumonia with serological methods for both viruses and bacteria have been published, allowing the evaluation of concomitant multiple etiological findings. In these studies, dual viral infection has been present in 0-14%, dual bacterial infection likewise in 0-14%, and mixed viral-bacterial infection in 3-30% of the pneumonia cases. The results confirm former clinical observations that respiratory viruses often pave the way for airway-colonising bacteria. The measured frequency of multiple infections has been dependent on the available test panel, mainly on the tests used for pneumococcal aetiology. Mixed viral-bacterial infections have been especially common in young children under 2 years of age, reflecting the high frequency of respiratory syncytial virus infections and their tendency to induce bacterial co-infections. No microbe-specific viral-bacterial associations have been demonstrated. The clinical implications of mixed viral-bacterial infections, compared with viral infections alone or bacterial infections alone, have so far remained unresolved. Current guidelines recommend antibiotic therapy for all community-acquired pneumonia cases in children.