Romanian journal of virology最新文献

Polytransfused patients represent a major risk group for hepatitis C (HCV) acquirement. Haemophiliacs and thalassemic patients treated with virus contaminated blood or blood derivatives frequently exhibit anti-HCV antibodies and signs of chronic hepatitis. The serological profile for the HCV infection was investigated in 13 haemophiliacs, 18 cases of thalassemia and in 14 polytransfused patients affected by other diseases. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies was detected by means of the ORTHO HCV 3.0 ELISA kit and confirmed by Western-blot Murex. The serotyping used synthetic peptides mimicking the immunodominant epitopes in the NS4 region, characteristic of each of the six HCV genotypes in an ELISA blocking reaction (Murex). Serotype 1 was prevalent (51.1%), while serotype 2 was detected in 13.3% of patients, with a higher frequency in thalassemia cases. The remaining samples were multireactive, and serotype 3 alone was not detected. The profile of Western-blot bands was distinct for the monoreactive samples belonging to serotype 1 or 2. The analysis of the multireactive samples in young (thalassemic, age mean 15.17 +/- 6.5) and aged patients (haemophiliacs, age mean 32.64 +/- 13.5) allows us to suggest a different succession of reinfection acquirements. The infection with one of the subtypes does not confer protection against the reinfection with others. However, a certain attenuation of the symptomatology is obvious in the case of reinfections, indicating the existence of crossantigenic reactivities which contribute to protection. This protection is more evident in the case of primary infection with type 2 and is partially due to antigens coded by the NS4 genomic segment.

Infections with influenza virus, A/Beijing 353/89 (H3N2) strain, to which there were associated parainfluenza virus type 3, 739-2D strain, adenovirus type 3, and respiratory syncytial virus Long strain, were experimentally induced in white mice. The experimental models were set up so as to permit the obtaining of an associated infection with three viruses, in which the influenza virus should be inoculated the first, the participation of the others being variable, according to their presence by alternation. The infections were detected by means of the presence of homologous serum antibodies, of positive immunofluorescence reactions in the pulmonary tissue, of the histological, histochemical and histoenzymatic lesions at the level of the respiratory system, as well as of pathomorphological changes in other organs. The severity of lesions varied from one to another infection produced by a viral association. At the level of the pulmonary parenchyma, the inflammatory lesion had a frequency of 100%. The severest pathomorphological picture characterized the diffuse interstitial lymphohistio-macrophagocytic bronchopneumonia. The bronchopulmonary block was marked by cytoinfiltrative processes, with a prevalence of lymphocytes in the infection with influenza virus + adenovirus + respiratory syncytial virus, but with a proportionality between lymphocytes and histiocytes in the other infections. The lesion of the highest incidence was the thickening of interalveolar septa, as a consequence of stasis hyperemia, oedema and lymphohistio-macrophagocytic cytoinfiltrate, sometimes associated with hyalinosis of tunica media of the blood vessels and of the Reisseisen's muscle. In other organs, particularly in the liver and kidney, vascular lesions, stasis hyperemia, inflammatory and dystrophico-inflammatory lesions were present; in the spleen, megakaryocyte hyperplasia was recorded at a significant rate in associated infections in which the adenovirus was present.

Infections with respiratory syncytial virus Long strain, associated with influenza virus, A/Beijing 353/89 (H3N2) strain, parainfluenza virus type 3, 739-2D strain, and adenovirus type 3, were experimentally induced in white mice, causing histological, histochemical and histoenzymatic lesions at the respiratory system level, the severity of which exceeded the one observed in the controls infected with a single virus. The pathomorphological changes made up an inflammatory, predominantly infiltrative, lymphohistiocytic, then exudative and alterative picture. The severest and most frequent lesion was the diffuse interstitial, often peribronchiolovascular, bronchopneumonia, which might involve large parenchyma areas. Another highly frequent pulmonary lesion was the thickening of interalveolar septa, due to stasis hyperemia, oedema and the predominantly lymphocytic cytoinfiltrate. At the level of the extrapulmonary airways, the lesion present in all experimental models was the denudation of epithelium cilia. In the viral association in which influenza virus was included, an alteration, the hyalinosis of tunica media of the vessels, as well as of the Reisseisen's muscle, was also observed, in addition to the cytoinfiltrate; when the association was achieved with parainfluenza virus type 3, many macrophages and erythrocytes and a few fibroblasts appeared in the cytoinfiltrate, the alteration being the same as in the former model; when the association contained adenovirus, there appeared necrosis, abundant lymphocytes and lysis of the Reisseisen's muscle in the bronchopulmonary block. The associated infections were demonstrated by the presence of homologous serum antibodies and by positive IF reactions in the pulmonary tissue.

The experimental results of the in vivo testing of an autochthonous pharmaceutical Acyclovir form prepared for the topical treatment of herpetic infections with a mucocutaneous location are shown in this paper. This testing on laboratory animals continues the in vivo performed investigations regarding the antiviral activity of this compound, which have proved that the efficacy of the inhibitory action exerted by the product on the Herpes simplex virus multiplication is comparable with the characteristics of the standard substance (Acyclovir-Zovirax Wellcome). By testing the therapeutic efficacy of the autochthonous Acyclovir preparation on an experimental model of cutaneous herpes infection in the newborn rat, it is demonstrated in a statistically significant manner that the product exerts a strong inhibitory action on the virus multiplication at the level of epidermis (proved by the lowering of virus production in the cutaneous tissue); the result is a drastic reduction of local herpes vesicles and of virus propagation in the neuraxis attended by the appearance of herpes meningo-encephalitis with a lethal course. The preparation is well tolerated (phenomena of local intolerance or remote toxicity were not observed). These in vivo positive results corroborated by those obtained in vitro complete the experimental argumentation necessary to support the proposal regarding the clinical trial of the product.

Two groups of patients with herpes zoster were followed up. The first group was subjected, beside a symptomatic therapy, to an immunological and antiviral treatment. The control group was treated only symptomatically. The immunological preparations used were: the immunostimulant SRE (Corynebacterium parvum), which stimulated the lymphocytes and macrophages, Moroxidin (Virustat-Paris) and Antiherpin (interferon inductor), which acted by blocking the virus replication. The preparations were indigenous and atoxic. A significant difference between the courses of disease in the two groups was observed, namely, the severity and duration of subjective and objective symptoms were more than double and followed by persistent neurological sequelae in the control group in comparison with the patients of the experimental group.

In the work there are shown the results of a "case control" study carried out in a children collectivity (preschool children and school-children), regarding the action of an aqueous propolis extract, NIVCRISOL, in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper airways. The preparation, which had a rich content of flavonoids, was administered to a group of preschool children and school-children treated during the whole cold season 1994-1995. The monitoring of the subgroups investigated was performed by clinical observation of the health state and recording of the incidence of symptoms characteristic to acute or chronic rhinopharyngeal diseases, as well as by a periodical laboratory examination for the detection and characterization of viral, microbial and fungal germs carriage. The analysis of the data obtained pointed out the favourable effects of this local treatment, expressed by lowering of the number of cases with acute or chronic symptoms, and decrease and sometimes suppression of the viral-microbial flora carriage of the upper airways. These positive results, the good tolerance of the preparation, the advantages of the therapy with natural products and more economic criteria entitle us to propose the administration of this preparation as an adjuvant medication in the local treatment of some clinical forms of acute or chronic rhinopharyngeal diseases.

A number of 66 specimens from female cervical lesions were examined for infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18 by nucleic acid hybridization in dot-blot techniques and 35 sera were tested by the immunodot-blot technique, in order to detect the presence of anti E4 and E7 HPV protein antibodies. The findings were compared with the histologic diagnosis. Fifty-six per cent of specimens contained HPV DNA sequences. In 47% of specimens from cervical carcinoma, HPV 11 was detected in 4 cases, HPV 16 in 21 cases, and HPV 18 in 7 cases. Serum antibodies against HPV 16 E4 and HPV 16 E7 occurred in all the cases of uterine carcinoma, in 4 of 10 cases of CIN I-II, and in 3 of 5 sera obtained from apparently healthy women. The analysis of risk factors disclosed the early onset of sexual activity, a relatively high number of births and abortions before the age of 22 years, the use of oral oestroprogestative contraceptive agents, the presence in anamnesis of genital infections with bacterial flora--Candida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma, etc. Our results showed that HPV typing by nucleic acid hybridization was useful for differentiating low- from high-risk cervical lesions and also tried to elucidate the risk factors associated with HPV infections and progression to malignancy.

Molecular mechanical calculations (computer modelling), optical DNA melting experiments and co-migration assay were used to assess stable helix formation at homopurine--homopyrimidine-rich target sites present in the human papillomavirus type 16 E7 oncogene (positions 656-673 on the genome map). The target sequence, either present in the E7 oncogene obtained by PCR technique or prepared from oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs), can be specifically recognised by different 17-merpurine ODNs designed to form antiparallel or parallel triple helices. These in vitro experiments realised with rather long purine ODNs having a high degree of specificity open the way for in vivo tests focused on E7 oncogene targeting and suppression.

A number of 112 patients hospitalized for chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were investigated. According to the results of the pathomorphological examinations of liver biopsies, 29 (25.8%) were cases of persistent chronic hepatitis (PCH), 39 (34.8%) cases of active chronic hepatitis (ACH), and 44 (39.2%) cases of liver cirrhosis. The prevalence of the female sex was observed in PCH (61.6%) and ACH (64.7%) cases, whereas in liver cirrhosis the sex distribution was more balanced (53.3% patients were males). The patients' mean age ranged from 34 to 38 years in PCH cases, from 44 to 46 years in ACH cases and from 50 to 57 years in liver cirrhosis. The postviral cirrhosis was three times more frequent in the female sex (77%), while the alcoholic and mixed cirrhoses (of an associated alcoholic and viral etiology) were prevalent in males (63.2%, respectively 72.2%). Serological tests for detection of the serological markers of hepatitis viruses B (HBV), C (HCV) and Delta (HDV) were performed for the purpose of studying the correlations between the pathomorphological findings and the viral markers. Among the 39 patients with ACH, HBV markers were detected in 13 cases (33.3%), anti-HCV antibodies in 10 (25.6%), and associated HBV-HCV, respectively HBV-HDV infections in 9 (23%) cases (6, respectively 3 patients). In the remaining 7 cases (17.9%) of ACH, there were no serological markers in the three hepatitis viruses. Of the 29 patients with PCH, 17 cases (58.6%) displayed HBV markers, 4 (13.7%) anti-HCV antibodies, in one patient (3.4%) an associated HBV-HCV infection was present, and in 7 patients (24.1%) markers of none of the three hepatitis viruses could be identified. Of the 44 patients with liver cirrhosis, HBV markers were detected in 17 cases (38.6%), anti-HCV antibodies in 9 (20.4%) and associated HBV-HCV and, respectively, HBV-HDV infections in 11 cases (25%) (9, respectively 2 cases). In 7 (15.9%) of the 44 patients with cirrhosis, markers of none of the three hepatitis viruses could be identified.

The study refers to children of 0-15 years of age, infected with HIV and who developed a chronic hypertrophic parotitis (CHP), admitted to the "Colentina" Clinic of Infectious Diseases--Paediatrics in Bucharest, between January 1, 1990 and May 15, 1993. Among the total number of 579 HIV infection cases hospitalized in the above-mentioned period, 135 were associated with CHP, hence an incidence of 23.3%. The HIV infection was defined by two ELISA-positive assays, confirmed by a Western-blot test. No specific laboratory test for the diagnosis of CHP in the course of HIV infection was available. The detection of a uni- or bilateral painless parotid enlargement, without signs of skin inflammation in HIV-infected children, was conclusive for the diagnosis of CHP. IgG type anticytomegalovirus antibodies were detected in 41.17% (7/17) and anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in 50% of the tested cases (4/8). The immunogram performed in 85 children showed increased IgG values in 92.94% of cases (79/85) and increased IgM values in 85.88% (73/85). There was recorded a significant increase in the levels of immunoglobulins, especially of IgM, which exceeded 13 times the normal values. The CD8 cells were frequently normal or increased (94.44%, respectively 34/36). CHP appeared before a marked deterioration of CD4 cells, simultaneously with the CD8 cells proliferation. CHP developed at a stage of the HIV infection when the medium-term prognosis was still considered favourable.