Recombinant Sendai viruses with L1618V mutation in their L polymerase protein establish persistent infection, but not temperature sensitivity

The Sendai virus pi strain (SeVpi) isolated from cells persistently infected with SeV shows mainly two phenotypes: (1) temperature sensitivity and (2) an ability of establishing persistent infection (steady state). Three amino acid substitutions are found in the Lpi protein and are located at aa 1088, 1618, and 1664. Recombinant SeV(Lpi) (rSeV(Lpi)) having all these substitutions is temperature sensitive and is capable of establishing persistent infection (steady state). rSeVs carrying the fragment containing L1618V show both phenotypes. rSeV(L1618V), in which leucine at aa 1618 is replaced with valine, has the ability of establishing persistent infection, but is not a temperature-sensitive mutant, indicating that the ability of a virus to establish persistent infection can be separated from temperature sensitivity. The amino acid change at 1618(L-->V) coexisting with aa 1169 threonine is required for acquirement of a temperature-sensitive phenotype. Three amino acid substitutions are also found in the Ppi protein, but rSeV(Ppi) does not show these phenotypes.     

NKG2D ligands: unconventional MHC class I-like molecules exploited by viruses and cancer

Our best teachers in revealing the importance of immune pathways are viruses and cancers that have subverted the most prominent pathways to escape from immune recognition. Viruses and cancer impair antigen presentation by classical MHC class I to escape adaptive immunity. The activating receptor NKG2D and its MHC class I-like ligands are other recently defined innate and adaptive immune pathways exploited by viruses and cancer. This review discusses recent advances in the understanding of how NKG2D, expressed on innate immune cells including natural killer cells, gammadelta+ T cells and macrophages, and adaptive immune cells such as CD8+ T cells, recognize stress-induced, MHC class I-like, self-ligands. Moreover, we describe how viruses and cancer have developed strategies to evade this recognition pathway.     

Seroprevalence studies using a recombinant norwalk virus protein enzyme immunoassay

A recombinant Norwalk virus (NV) protein enzyme immunoassay was used to study the age of acquisition of NV IgG in various populations. In London, England, there was little evidence of infection during the first 2 years of life. However, the prevalence of NV IgG rose steadily throughout the period that children attend school, reaching a peak of 70% in the group aged 11–16 years. High levels of maternal antibody were detected in infants aged <3 months. Comparison of the acquisition of antibodies to three strains of human calicivirus in Japanese children in northern Japan indicated that although the majority had experienced infection with strains Japan and UK1 by the age of 12 years, only 22% possessed antibodies to NV. In Australian aborigines NV infection occurs early in life; by the age of 6 years over 90% of children were seropositive. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

小儿喉乳头状瘤HPV-DNA及体液免疫检测

目的：探讨小儿喉乳头状瘤（ＪＬＰ）人乳头瘤病毒（ＨＰＶ）感染途径及发病机理。方法：采用ＰＣＲ及ＰＣＲ产物斑点杂交技术检测ＪＬＰ组织ＨＰＶ－ＤＮＡ;散射免疫比浊法测定血清Ｉｇ及补体Ｃ３。结果：ＪＬＰ组织ＨＰＶ总感染率为９５％（１９／２０）,其中ＨＰＶ。型为５５％（１１／２０）,ＨＰＶ１１为３０％（６／２０）,ＨＰＶ６＋１１型为１０％（２／２０）;ＪＬＰ患者血清ＩｇＧ、ＩｇＡ、ＩｇＭ、Ｃ３值正常,对照     

粒单系白血病原始细胞表达血小板特异性抗原与周期蛋白D3异常表达关系的研究

目的 :探讨急性单核细胞白血病原始细胞表达血小板特异性抗原的机制。方法 :分离外周血或骨髓单个核细胞 ,采用常规染色和普通细胞化学染色观察其形态学特性 ,采用流式细胞仪双荧光分析免疫表型 ,单荧光胞浆蛋白标记分析周期蛋白表达和免疫印迹进一步证实周期蛋白 D3的表达情况。采用周期蛋白和 DNA双标记分析周期蛋白 D3表达与细胞周期的关系。结果 :白血病原始细胞中 CD1 3 HL A- DR 细胞为 94.6 9% ,CD1 3 CD34 细胞为 96 .86 % ,CD41 a CD34 细胞为 41.6 0 % ,CD1 3 CD41 a 细胞为 40 .0 0 % ,免疫印迹和流式细胞仪单参数分析证实周期蛋白 D3表达明显升高 ,周期蛋白 D3阳性细胞在细胞周期各时段所占的比例分别为 :G1 期 5 2 .10 % ,S期9.90 % ,G2 M期 38.0 0 %。结论 :周期蛋白 D3的异常表达导致单核系白血病细胞表达血小板特异性抗原 ,同时也可能在白血病的发生中起重要作用。     

Decreased frequency of a novel T-lymphocyte subset,CD3+CD4−CD7+CD57− T cells,in hepatitis B virus-related end-stage liver disease might contribute to disease progression

CD7 and CD57 are related to the differentiation and functional stages of CD8⁺ T cells. However, the role of their combined presence in CD8⁺ T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, especially those with end-stage liver disease, remains unclear. Blood samples from healthy volunteers and patients with chronic hepatitis B were analyzed via Luminex assay and ELISA to measure plasma cytokine levels. Further, recombinant IL-22 was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy volunteers, and the frequency of CD3⁺CD4⁻CD7⁺CD57⁻ T cells and apoptosis rates were investigated via flow cytometry. Patients with end-stage liver disease, particularly those with acute to chronic liver failure, showed decreased CD3⁺CD4⁻CD7⁺CD57⁻ T cell frequency. Furthermore, the prevalence of CD3⁺CD4⁻CD7⁺CD57⁻ T cells was negatively correlated with disease severity, prognosis, and complications (ascites). We also observed that IL-22 promoted apoptosis and brought about a decrease in the number of CD3⁺CD4⁻CD7⁺CD57⁻ T cells in a dose-dependent manner. CD3⁺CD4⁻CD7⁺CD57⁻ T cells displayed a B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA)^highCD25^highCD127^high immunosuppressive phenotype and showed low interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, granzyme A, and perforin expression levels. The present findings will elucidate the pathogenesis of HBV-related end-stage liver disease and aid the identification of novel drug targets.     

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma at baseline and 1 year after initiation of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy for chronic hepatitis B

Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) cannot completely suppress the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to identify the risk factors for HCC development in naïve CHB patients treated with current NA. Patients receiving NA (n = 905) were recruited retrospectively from the 17 hospitals of the Japanese Red Cross Liver Study Group. All treatment-naïve patients had been receiving current NA continuously for more than 1 year until the end of the follow-up. We analyzed the accuracy of predictive risk score using the area under receiver operating characteristic curve. The albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) score was significantly improved by NA therapy (−0.171 ± 0.396; p < 0.001 at Week 48). A total of 72 (8.0%) patients developed HCC over a median follow-up of 6.2 (1.03–15.7) years. An independent predictive factor of HCC development was older age, cirrhosis, lower platelet counts at baseline and ALBI score, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at 1 year after NA therapy according to multivariate analysis. The accuracy was assessed using the PAGE-B, mPAGE-B, aMAP, APA-B, and REAL-B scores that included these factors. Discrimination was generally acceptable for these models. aMAP and REAL-B demonstrated high discrimination with 0.866/0.862 and 0.833/0.859 for 3- and 5-year prediction from the status of 1 year after NA therapy, respectively. Baseline age and platelet count, as well as ALBI and AFP one year after NA, were useful for stratifying carcinogenesis risk. The aMAP and REAL-B scores were validated with high accuracy in Japanese CHB patients.