Absence of HTLV I from New Zealand

Sera from 1,943 individuals from Auckland, New Zealand, were tested for the presence of serum antibodies to human T cell lymphotropic virus I (HTLV I), mainly with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with cell extracts as target antigen. The individuals tested were blood donors and mostly Caucasian, but included indigenous Maoris and representatives of several groups of Pacific islanders now resident in New Zealand. Also included were 37 patients with various hematological malignancies, including seven with T cell leukemias. Although 1% of samples were positive by ELISA, none of these were confirmed as positives by Western blotting. On the basis of these results we consider that it is unlikely that HTLV I infection occurs in Auckland; however, we cannot exclude the possibility that pockets of virus infection may occur in other parts of New Zealand or the South Pacific.     

Detection of HBV-DNA by in situ hybridization using a biotin-labeled probe

A biotin-labeled DNA probe specific for hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleotide sequences was hybridized in situ to liver tissue of 20 patients; 16 were chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 4 had no markers of HBV infection. HBV-DNA was also analyzed in the serum and the liver of these patients by spot and Southern blot hybridization, respectively. Liver specimens from six carriers were positive for HBV-DNA both by in situ and Southern blot hybridization; ten carriers were negative by in situ hybridization, and two of these were positive by Southern blot technique. The staining was granular, mainly cytoplasmic, limited to liver specimens containing replicative forms of HBV-DNA, and associated with detection of HBcAg in hepatocytes by immunofluorescence. The sensitivity of this technique was not sufficient to detect few copies of integrated HBV-DNA. The hybridization procedure was specific, as results were constantly negative in liver specimens of patients without markers of HBV infection, and no reaction was observed using DNA probes lacking HBV-DNA sequences. Detection of HBV-DNA by in situ hybridization, using a biotinylated probe, is a rapid, reproducible, and specific histochemical method. Currently available biotinylated probes are advantageous when absolute sensitivity is not the limiting factor, and they also facilitate studies of the cellular and subcellular distribution of HBV nucleic acids.     

弗氏佐剂与氢氧化铝佐剂对诱导小鼠获得性免疫应答作用的比较

为研究、比较不同佐剂对诱导小鼠产生获得性免疫应答的不同作用,以卵清白蛋白(OVA)为抗原,分别混合完全弗氏佐剂(CFA)或Al(OH)3佐剂,对C57BL/6小鼠进行常规免疫,采用流式细胞技术对细胞内细胞因子IFN-γ和IL-4进行检测;ELISA方法对特异性抗OVA抗体滴度及抗体亚型进行了检测。结果显示在免疫后CFA组产生以IFN-γ为主的细胞因子而Al(OH)3组产生以IL-4为主的细胞因子;两组中均产生特异性抗OVA IgG抗体,但CFA组以IgG2a亚型为主,而Al(OH)3组则以IgG1亚型为主,不产生IgG2a亚型抗体。实验表明,经CFA加抗原免疫后机体产生的免疫应答以Th1型细胞免疫为主,抗体类型为IgG2a;而Al(OH)3佐剂则诱导机体产生Th2型细胞免疫应答,抗体类型为IgG1。     

SEN病毒ORF2基因序列和抗原性的初步分析

目的对SEN病毒(SENV)开放阅读框(ORF)2基因进行序列测定分析和原核表达,并对表达蛋白进行抗原性分析。方法用聚合酶链反应(PCR)方法扩增SENVORF2基因,对该基因进行序列测定、系统进化分析,双酶切扩增产物与原核表达载体pRSETB构建成重组质粒,诱导表达后进行SDSPAGE和免疫印迹分析。结果该株SENVORF2与北京株(AY072045)核苷酸同源性为97%,氨基酸同源性为59%;与日本株(AB059352)同源性分别为90%和56%。含有SENVORF2质粒的菌株表达相对分子质量约为19×103的融合蛋白,免疫印迹证明该融合蛋白能与SENVDNA阳性血清发生特异反应。结论表达了158个氨基酸的SENVORF2原核表达蛋白具有一定的抗原活性。     

新鲜羊膜致I型超敏反应的变应原性研究

研究新鲜人羊膜的变应原性及其致敏后发生I型超敏反应的可能性。建立豚鼠全身主动过敏实验模型。分新鲜羊膜组、新鲜蛋清组(阳性对照)和PBS液组(阴性对照),每组10只豚鼠。观察豚鼠在致敏期和激发后的反应,采用化学荧光法检测外周血组胺含量,血液流变分析系统检测4项血液流变学指标(全血高切变率黏度、全血低切变率黏度、血浆黏度、红细胞聚集指数)。致敏期间各组豚鼠的体重变化无明显差别(P>0.05);激发后羊膜组豚鼠与阴性组表现一致,无异常反应;羊膜组外周血组胺含量及4项血液流变学指标均与阴性对照无明显差别(P>0.05),与阳性对照有显著性差异(P<0.01)。经规范化无菌处理后的新鲜羊膜,一般不具有变应原性,不会引起I型超敏反应。     

柯萨奇B4病毒非结构蛋白P2C重组质粒的构建

目的：构建柯萨奇B4病毒非结构蛋白P2C重组质粒。方法：用RT-PCR技术，从柯萨奇B4病毒中钓取非结构蛋白P2C cDNA片段，克隆入PUCan-T载体，转化大肠杆菌DH5α，构建重组质粒。结果：以柯萨奇B4病毒的总RNA为模板，扩增出987bp大小的片段，克隆入PUCan-T载体，用BamHⅠ、HindⅢ双酶切鉴定，与非结构蛋白P2C的PCR扩增产物片段大小一致。结论：成功地构建了柯萨奇B4病毒非结构蛋白P2C重组质粒。     

登革病毒Ⅱ型NS1基因在小鼠体内诱导的DNA免疫

目的　研究含有登革病毒Ⅱ型NS1基因的重组质粒肌内注射小鼠后在其体内诱导的细胞和体液免疫。方法　用含有登革病毒NS1基因的真核表达质粒pCNX2 NS1于小鼠胫前肌注射并加强免疫 2次。然后定期处死 ,采集血液标本以及小鼠脾细胞 ,检测小鼠的体液和细胞免疫。结果　在末次免疫后 4周检测到小鼠抗NS1抗体 ,并且检测到小鼠CD4 、CD8 亚群的变化。结论　含有登革病毒NS1基因的真核表达质粒pCNX2-NS1免疫小鼠后 ,可以诱导小鼠产生针对NS1的稳定特异性体液、细胞免疫     

森林脑炎病毒prM-E蛋白在昆虫细胞中的表达及免疫活性测定

目的为了表达森林脑炎病毒prME蛋白,为森林脑炎快速诊断试剂的研制奠定基础。方法经过RTPCR扩增、重组转移载体构建、细菌内转座和昆虫细胞转染,以杆状病毒昆虫细胞表达系统成功地表达了森林脑炎病毒MDJ01株prME蛋白。结果从感染细胞上清中电镜观察到重组蛋白形成的球型颗粒,说明重组病毒感染细胞后产生病毒样表达颗粒(viruslikeparticlesVLPs),并且分泌至细胞外。免疫印迹试验和间接免疫荧光试验表明,表达的重组蛋白能够与抗森林脑炎病毒抗体特异结合,具有良好的抗原性。ELISA和间接免疫荧光染色证实,重组prME蛋白可以作为抗原用于检测患者血清特异性抗体。结论在昆虫细胞中表达的prME具有良好的抗原性,本研究为森林脑炎快速特异诊断试剂研制奠定了基础。     

Influenza A virus-induced apoptosis is a multifactorial process: exploiting reverse genetics to elucidate the role of influenza A virus proteins in virus-induced apoptosis

Three influenza viruses, A/Puerto Rico/8/34-A/England/939/69 clone 7a (H3N2), A/Fiji/15899/83 (H1N1), and A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2), induce different levels of apoptosis in vitro at equal moi; Clone 7a > A/Victoria > A/Fiji. Previous studies have shown that several viral proteins from clone 7a and A/Fiji, including PB2, NA, NS1, M1, and M2, induce apoptosis when expressed individually fused to the herpes simplex virus tegument protein, VP22. However, this did not reflect viral protein-protein-RNA interactions known to occur within infected cells. To explore the role of viral proteins in apoptosis under infection conditions, recombinant viruses with single or triple gene exchanges were generated using A/Victoria or clone 7a as the background virus. Inserting the A/Fiji NS or PB2 gene into A/Victoria or clone 7a significantly reduced the level of apoptosis compared to the parent virus while clone 7a PA or NP genes increased apoptosis. Inserting A/Fiji NA or HA or clone 7a NS, M, NA, or HA genes individually into A/Victoria had no significant effect on apoptosis. Surprisingly, inserting the M, NA, and HA genes of A/Fiji together into clone 7a reduced apoptosis, whereas inserting clone 7a M, NA, and HA together into A/Fiji increased apoptosis. These results suggest that no single virus protein induces apoptosis and that the combination of genes required may be strain specific, highlighting the difficulty of predicting the virulence of new strains that arise in nature. No support for the view that apoptosis is essential for high virus yields was obtained as high virus yields were obtained with viruses that induced both high and low levels of apoptosis.