Antigenic cartography using sera from sequence-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern infections reveals antigenic divergence of Omicron

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Crediting his critics' concerns: Remaking John Snow's map of Broad Street cholera, 1854

Few cases in the history of epidemiology and public health are more famous than John Snow's investigation of a neighborhood cholera outbreak in the St. James, Westminster, area of London in 1854. In this study Snow is assumed to have proven that cholera was water rather than airborne through a methodology that became, and to a great extent remains, central to the science and social science of disease studies. And yet, Snow's work did not satisfy most of his contemporaries who considered his proof of a solely waterborne cholera interesting but unconvincing. Uniquely, this paper asks whether the caution of Snow's contemporaries was reasonable, and secondly, whether Snow might have been more convincing within the science of the day. The answers significantly alter our understanding of this paradigmatic case. It does so in a manner offering insights both into the origins of nineteenth century disease analysis and more generally, the relation of mapping in the investigation of an outbreak of uncertain origin. The result has general relevance—pedagogically and practically—in epidemiology, medical geography, and public health.     

2002年广东省H3N2亚型流感病毒流行的分子基础

目的 了解广东省2002年H3N2亚型流感病毒流行及抗原性变异情况。方法 用狗肾传代细胞(MDCK)和鸡胚进行流感病毒分离，用交叉血凝抑制实验对毒株进行抗原性分析；提取病毒RNA，用一步法RT-PCR扩增血凝素基因(H3A)，产物纯化后，并将其克隆到pMD18—T Vector，进行序列测定和分析。结果 2002年1-10月共获得流感病毒246株，其中H3N2亚型210株，占85．4％，H1N1亚型2株，占0．8％，B型34株，占13．8％；2002年流感流行的高峰是6月；抗原性分析显示，2002年广东省H3N2亚型流感病毒A／粤/236/2002和2001年流行株A／粤／448／2001以及目前国内代表株A／闽／151／2001的抗原比分别是5．6和4．0；其HAl区氨基酸序列和国际代表株A／悉尼／5／97同源性为94．2％，有19个氨基酸差异，其中发生在抗原决定族A、B、E上的有6个，受体结合部有3个。结论 2002年广东省流感病毒以H3N2亚型为主，其流行的分子基础是基因变异导致抗原性发生漂移。     

抗戊型肝炎病毒重组蛋白单克隆抗体的制备和初步应用

目的:制备抗-戊型肝炎病毒的单克隆抗体,并将其用于分析戊型肝炎病毒不同毒株结构蛋白的抗原表位。方法:采用来自墨西哥株(Mexicanstrain)的戊型肝炎病毒重组蛋白(p166Mex)免疫Balb/c小鼠,取其脾细胞与SP2/0骨髓瘤细胞进行融合,经酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)法筛选阳性克隆,并将获得的单克隆抗体与戊型肝炎病毒缅甸株(Burmastrain)和美国株(USAstrain)的重组蛋白(p166Bur、p166US)进行交叉反应测定。结果:最终获得4株能稳定分泌抗-p166Mex的杂交瘤细胞株,即D8G10、E5E12、D4A3、B7E6。其中D8G10,E5E12和B7E6细胞株的培养上清液,还能分别与p166Bur和p166US重组蛋白发生阳性反应。结论:利用已获得的抗-p166Mex单克隆抗体,初步确定3种不同的戊型肝炎病毒重组蛋白(p166Bur、p166US、p166Mex)含有一种共同的抗原表位。     

Association of a genetic polymorphism in human apolipoprotein B-100 with intermediate density lipoprotein concentrations

Immunochemical techniques have been used to identify five antigenic (Ag) sites on apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB), the major protein constituent of very low density (VLDL), intermediate density (IDL), and low density lipoproteins (LDL). Each Ag site results from allelic variation at a specific locus of the apoB gene. In the present study, we assessed whether variations in the five Ag loci were associated with concentrations of plasma lipids or lipoprotein fractions measured by analytical ultracentrifugation in a group of 44 healthy men. Pair-wise analyses of the Ag markers revealed that Ag(a1/d), in association with either Ag(x/y) or Ag(t/z), is significantly related to plasma IDL-mass concentrations. In this cohort we detected no significant associations of the Ag alleles (singly or in combination) with plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, or mass of total VLDL or LDL. These results suggest that genetic variations in the apoB molecule may predispose to variations in concentrations of IDL that could have consequences for atherosclerotic risk.     

During active viscerocutaneous leishmaniasis the anti-P2 humoral response is specifically triggered by the parasite P proteins.

In this work we show that in the sera from dogs naturally infected with the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum there are antibodies that react specifically against the parasite acidic ribosomal proteins LiP2a and LiP2b, and that each one of the Leishmania P proteins elicits a specific humoral immune response. Using synthetic peptides, the antigenic epitope of these proteins has been mapped in a single region located adjacent to the C-terminal domain highly conserved among the eukaryotic P proteins. The anti-P antibodies elicited during the Leishmania infection do not recognize the conserved C-terminal domain of the parasite P proteins, in contrast with the findings reported in Chagas' disease or systemic lupus erythematosus. The antigenic epitopes of the LiP2a and LiP2b are almost identical in amino acid sequence. No reactivity against Trypanosoma cruzi and human P proteins was found in sera from L. infantum-infected dogs.     

Homologous and heterologous neutralization antibody responses after immunization with Japanese encephalitis vaccine among Taiwan children

Because 21 immunized children (13%) among the 162 confirmed Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases during 1986–1991 occurred in Taiwan, we collected 320 serum samples from Taiwan children aged 15–31 and 27–44 months immediately before the 1st dose (n = 41) and 1–3 months after the 2nd dose (n = 78, 27 pairs), and immediately before (n = 58) and 1–3 months after the 3rd dose (n = 143,44 pairs) to determine neutralization antibody (Nt Ab) against the Nakayama (N) and Beijing-1 (B) strains and two Taiwan wild type JE viruses (JEV): CC-27 and CH-1392. Our Nt results showed that (1) B vaccine stimulated a better homologous Ab response than N vaccine for Nt Ab seropositivity rate (NASR), produced a higher level of Nt titer after the primary immunization [2 doses = 100% vs. 91%, geometric mean titer (GMT) = 115 vs. 22], had a greater booster effect (3 doses: 100% vs. 95%; GMT = 320 vs. 33), and showed a better capability to neutralize two local Taiwan JEV strains, particularly only after 3 doses (ave. NASR for B vs. N = 90% vs. 10%; and GMT for B vs. N = 154 vs. 1); (2) the two wild type JEV strains had different plaque morphology and antigenic variation and the CC-27 strain was not neutralized as well as the CH-1392 strain after 3 doses of vaccine (BBB or NNN or NNB); and (3) 30% of the children had lost JEV Nt Ab one year after the 2nd dose of N vaccine and natural infection with JE virus did occur among those children after immunization. In conclusion, (1) three doses of mouse-brain vaccine are the minimum requirement to protect children against the local Taiwan JEV; (2) the best strain for a JE vaccine depends on level of Nt Ab it induced, the molecular epidemiology and antigenic variation of the JEV in each local area; and (3) future vaccine must produce better B- and T-cell memory. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

小鼠胃癌MAGE3抗原H-2K~k限制性抗原肽的筛选

本研究对小鼠胃癌MAGE3抗原H 2Kk 限制性的抗原肽进行了筛选。用CTL表位预测的基序法对易与H 2Kk 结合的多肽序列进行了预测并人工合成了 4个多肽。在体外检测了各多肽刺激H 2Kk 型小鼠T细胞增殖和分泌IFN γ的能力 ,同时测定了各多肽诱导出的CTL对小鼠前胃癌细胞株MFC细胞的杀伤活性。结果显示 ,抗原肽MAGE31 3 0 1 3 7可有效地刺激特异性T细胞的增殖和分泌细胞因子IFN γ ,其诱导出的CTL细胞对MFC细胞也有较高的杀伤活性。这些实验结果证实抗原肽MAGE31 3 0 1 3 7可以作为多肽疫苗来对表达MAGE3抗原的H 2Kk 型小鼠胃癌进行免疫治疗。     

Expression of CD31 epitopes on human lymphocytes: CD31 monoclonal antibodies differentiate between naive (CD45RA+) and memory (CD45RA-) CD4-positive T cells

The CD31 antigen, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily with a possible cell adhesion function, is expressed on approximately 50% of peripheral blood lymphoid cells at relatively low intensity (10-20% of the level on monocytes). In the accompanying paper we showed that a mAb, 5A2.G5, which identifies a glycosylation-dependent epitope of the CD31 antigen, bound to fewer lymphocytes than two other CD31 mAb, B2B1 and 2BD4, although the 3 antibodies bound equally well to monocytes. We have now analyzed the pattern of expression of epitopes of the CD31 antigen on lymphoid cell subpopulations using two-color immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Large granular lymphocytes (CD16+), CD8-positive T cells and B cells (SMIg+) were mostly CD31-positive as indicated by the binding of mAb B2B1 and 2BD4. Single populations displaying some overlap with the negative control were obtained in each case. In contrast, CD4-positive T cells fell into two discrete populations with respect to CD31 antigen expression. mAb 5A2.G5 displayed weaker binding to all lymphoid cell types, indicating that the pattern of glycosylation of the CD31 antigen differs between lymphocytes (of all types) and cells of the myeloid lineages. The heterogeneity of CD31 antigen expression by CD4-positive cells was further examined by dual-labelling of purified CD4 cells with mAb B2B1 and CD45RA or CD29 mAb which identify naive and memory T cells respectively. The CD31 antigen was found to be preferentially expressed by the CD45RA-positive, naive cell population.