bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Localization and reactivity of an immunodominant domain in the NS3 region of hepatitis C virus
Authors: Claeys Hendrik , Volckaerts Andre , Mertens Wilfried , Liang Zhong , Fiten Pierre , Opdenakker Ghislain 
Published: March 2007

AbstractAnalysis of the amino acid sequences of the non‐structural region 3 (NS3) of the hepatitis C virus type 1 revealed four points with a high average hydrophilicity (Ah). Two of these potential anti‐genie sites were expressed in E. coli as short fragments. The first fragment of 91 residues (NS3f3: residues 1359–1449) harbors the hexapeptide K‐K‐K‐C‐D‐E with an Ah of 2.33; the second fragment is 73 residues long (NS3f4: residues 1460–1532) and encompasses the hep‐tapeptide R‐S‐N‐R‐R‐G‐R with an Ah of 1.79. Both fragments were expressed with truncated hepatitis B core (tHBc) as a carrier protein. The fusion proteins were purified from the bacterial lysates by affinity chromatography on immobilized monoclonal antibodies against HBc, and evaluated as antigens in an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of HCV antibodies. In a specificity control panel, reactivity with NS3f3 was only found in proven HCV carriers, while reactivity with NS3f4 was weak in HCV carriers but accounted for some of the nonspecific serological reactions. In a group of 48 genotyped HCV‐in‐fected volunteer blood donors, antibodies against NS3f3 were detected in 90% (27/30) of HCV‐type 1 infections and in all HCV‐type 4 infections (5/5). However, in carriers infected with HCV‐types 2, 3, or 5, the response rate was on average only 23% (3/13). With NS3f4 as antigen, weak antibody titers were found in only about half of the carriers, independent of the infectious genotype. In a cohort of hemodialysis patients, all infected with HCV‐type 1b, NS3f3 antibodies were detected in 80% (16/20) of the carriers, while only one patient showed a weak NS3f4 reactivity. It is concluded that NS3f3 harbors an immunodominant domain of the NS3 region showing an apparently HCV‐type‐dependent serological response. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hepatitis C genotypes in hemophilic patients treated with alpha‐interferon
Authors: Devereux Helen , Telfer Paul , Lee Christine , Dusheiko Geoffrey 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe effect of α‐interferon on the hepatitis C genotypes was examined in 25 anti‐HCV‐positive hemophilic patients. The rate of multiple HCV genotypes in patients who are likely to have mixed infections was also studied. Pretreatment results showed that 3/25 (12%) patients had a change in genotypes, whereas posttreatment this rose to 10/25 (40%). Seven of 10 (70%) patients who showed a change in genotype had a clinical response to α‐interferon. Six of 25 (24%) patients showed a complete clinical response to α‐interferon, and the majority of these were either type 2 or 3. This study supports previous evidence that type 1 is less likely to respond to α‐interferon, and that a‐interferon may alter the concentrations of the various circulating genotypes present in multiply‐infected patients. There are many difficulties in studying hepatitis C in hemophilic patients due to the sequence heterogeneity within each individual, and this study has shown that no ideal method exists as yet for looking at HCV genotypes in multiply‐infected individuals. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Seroepidemiological study of hepatitis delta virus infection in Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Sakugawa Hiroshi , Nakasone Hiroki , Shokita Hayashi , Nakayoshi Tomofumi , Kinjo Fukunori , Saito Atsushi , Yamashiro Akihiro , Miyagi Yasuhiro 
Published: March 2007

AbstractA seroepidemiological study on hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection was conducted in the Oki‐nawan islands, the area of Japan where hepatitis B virus infection is most prevalent. The subjects of this study included 116 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, 48 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), 19 with liver cirrhosis (LC), and 11 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among the 194 serum samples examined, a total of 10 (5.2%) were anti‐HDV sero‐positive. Anti‐HDV was detected in 2 (1.7%) of the 116 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, in 3 (6.3%) of the 48 patients with CH, and in 5 (26.3%) of the 19 with LC. However, none of the patients with HCC had detectable anti‐HDV. Eight of the 10 were born in the Miyako island group and the remaining 2 on the main island of Okinawa. Since the subjects included 34 individuals who were living and/or born in the Miyako islands, the positive rate of anti‐HDV in the islands was 23.5%. This study demonstrates the existence of an endemic area of HDV infection in Japan. © 1995Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Precore and core mutations in HBV from individuals in india with chronic infection
Authors: Valliammai T. , Harrison Tim J. , Zuckerman Arie J. , Thyagarajan S. P. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractTen hepatitis B surface antigen seropositive carriers (5 asymptomatic and 5 with chronic liver disease) were tested for HBeAg/anti‐HBe and for HBV‐DNA using the polymerase chain reaction. Five were DNA‐positive, 2 with HBeAg and 3 with anti‐HBe. Nucleotide sequences were determined for these 5 cases. Hepatitis B virus DNA from one cirrhotic carrier with anti‐HBe had a mutation in the precore region (nucleotide position 1862) which may affect signal peptide cleavage and HBeAg synthesis. In the other 2 anti‐HBe‐ and DNA‐positive cases, a cirrhotic carrier and an asymptomatic case, there was a mutation at nucleotide position 1896 leading to a termination codon in the precore region. In all 5 patients, except for one or two missense mutations, there was no significant variation in the core region. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Seroepidemiology of hepatitis E in selected Australian populations
Authors: Moaven Len , Locarnini Stephen A. , van Asten Mark , Crofts Nick 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe presence of hepatitis E virus‐specific antibodies (anti‐HEV) was determined in selected Australian groups. Anti‐HEV was detected initially using a recombinant antigen‐based enzyme immunoassay (EIA). It was found that 1 of 279 (0.4%) blood donors, 14 of 182 (7.7%) Indochinese refugees, 2 of 89 (2.2%) sera submitted for amoebic serology (generally people who had visited developing countries), 1 of 13 (7.7%) patients with non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, none of 7 (0%) patients with fulminant non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, and none of 33 (0%) control sera were repeatedly reactive by the HEV EIA. The positive sera were subjected to further testing using a supplemental immunoblot. Preliminary data suggest that while potentially large numbers of people infected with HEV are entering Australia, no compulsive evidence was found in these particular groups for endemic HEV infection in Australia. This is the first seroepidemiological survey of HEV in Australia. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Evaluation of the polymerase chain reaction for the detection of human papillomavirus from urine
Authors: Vossler James L. , Forbes Betty A. , Adelson Mark D. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe ability to detect the presence of human pap‐illomavirus (HPV)‐DNA sequences in urine was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DMA was purified and extracted from urine samples, and subjected to 40 cycles of amplification using the consensus primer pair MY11 and MY09. Coamplification using the β‐globin primers, GH20 and PC04, was performed as an internal reaction control. Following assay optimization, urine samples from 22 women undergoing examination for cervical dysplasia were tested for the presence of HPV‐DNA. PCR assay results were correlated with cytologic and histo‐logic findings as well as Vira Type(tm) assay results. Overall, HPV was detected by PCR in 16 (76%) of the interpretable samples. HPV sequences were detected in 13 (87%) of the 15 specimens from women showing evidence of condylomata, dysplasia, or invasive carcinoma. HPV was detected in 3 (50%) of the women whose cytologic or his‐tologic results were either negative or showed benign atypia. Although the sample size in this study is small, our results show that HPV can be detected by PCR in a majority of individuals showing evidence of HPV infection. The method described provides a means for the clinical laboratory to detect a broad range of HPV types from using a sample obtained by noninvasive techniques. The ability to easily obtain urine would allow for increased numbers of individuals to be tested, and thus, aid in our understanding of HPV. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Risk factors and prevalence of hepatitis E in German immigrants from the former soviet union
Authors: Trautwein C. , Kiral G. , Tillmann H. L. , Manns M. P. , Witteler H. , Michel G. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractWorldwide there is only limited information on the epidemiology of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and its association with other hepatotropic viruses. Endemic regions have been described in some Asian countries, whereas in Europe only sporadic cases have been reported. The prevalence of HEV and a series of other viral hepatitis infections was investigated in a group of 1,025 individuals immigrating into Germany from the former Soviet Union. Serum samples were tested for anti‐HEV by a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) based on recombinant proteins, and by peptide EIA and immunoblot. Risk factors and other demographic information were investigated using a questionnaire and a short interview. The overall prevalence of anti‐hepatitis E antibodies (anti‐HEV) was 2.05%. The following risk factors for HEV infection were identified : age of >65 years, resident in the south‐west part of the former Soviet Union, history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and employment in health care professions. HEV prevalence is not strikingly different from that observed in Western European countries. However, the different rates found for HEV vs. hepatitis A virus (HAV) are intriguing, since similar routes of transmission (fecal‐oral) are well documented for both viruses. Exposure to HBV is surprisingly high, and the number of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐positive individuals was also higher than those reported from Western European areas. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human papillomavirus‐16 and ‐18 replication in esophagus squamous cancer cell lines does not require sheterologous E1 and E2 proteins
Authors: and Kazumi Togawa , Rustgi Anil K. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractHuman papillomaviruses (HPVs) are doublestranded DNA viruses that replicate in the nuclei of squamous epithelial cells. HPVs can be classified into high‐risk (e.g., types 16, 18, 31, and 33) or low‐risk (e.g., types 6, 11, and 30), depending on their association with benign or malignant tumors. We recently described the association of HPV‐16 and ‐18 with esophagus squamous cell cancer. HPV replication was studied in representative cell lines derived from esophagus cancers. HPV‐16 and ‐18 genomes were independently transiently transfected into HCE‐4 and HCE‐7 cell lines with and without E1 and E2 genes under heterologous promoters. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that these cell lines support viral replication. However, heterologous E1 and E2 are not required for HPV replication. These findings suggest that specific host nuclear factors in esophageal squamous epithelial cells may support HPV replication. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection amongst intravenous drug users in rural communities
Authors: Majid Ayaz , Holmes Roger , Desselberger Ulrich , Simmonds Peter , McKee Tom A. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection amongst a group of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) resident in West Suffolk (East Anglia, England) was investigated and compared with the prevalence of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In addition, both the level of HCV persistence, as defined by detection of viral RNA, and the HCV genotypes present in this population were determined. It was found that HCV antibodies were present in 59% of those tested; by comparison 22% had antibodies to HBV and 1% antibodies to HIV. HCV RNA was found in 44% of those with HCV antibody. HCV genotype 1 was the most prevalent within this population although both genotypes 2 and 3 were also represented. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sequence comparison of echovirus type 30 isolates to other enteroviruses in the 5′noncoding region
Authors: Diedrich Sabine , Driesel Gerhard , Schreier Eckart 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe genetic relationship between echovirus type 30 (E30) isolates were characterised by means of amplification of a part of the 5′noncoding region by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Later, the E30 sequences were compared with other enteroviruses. Homology between recent clinical E30 isolates from different years exceeds 98% at the nucleotide level. Comparing the E30 sequence with other enteroviruses, homology varied between 68% (coxsackievirus A24) and 93% (coxsackievirus B3). E30 appeared to have coxsackie B‐like characteristics in this genomic part. It is considered that E30 and coxsackie B viruses belong to the same enterovirus subgroup. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enzyme immunoassay using baculovirus‐expressed human calicivirus (Mexico) for the measurement of IgG responses and determining its seroprevalence in London, UK
Authors: Parker S. P. , Cubitt W. D. , Jiang X. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe use of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) employing a baculovirus‐expressed recombinant human calicivirus (Mexico virus, MxV) for the detection of IgG‐specific antibodies is described. MxV appeared to be related antigenically to a strain of small round structured virus, SRSV/UK4/Leeds/91, which had previously been shown by solid phase immune electron microscopy (SPIEM) to be related to Snow Mountain agent (SMA). One other outbreak which occurred in San Anita, USA in 1980 and was due to consumption of contaminated water was caused by a virus antigenically related to MxV.Volunteers and patients who developed significant IgG responses to rMxV showed anamnestic IgG responses (2 to 4‐fold) in the recombinant Norwalk virus (rNV) IgG assay. Patients and volunteers who were known to have been infected with several other strains of calicivirus/small round spherical viruses (SRSV) including NV and SRSV UK3 showed no significant antibody response to rMxV in the EIA. A seroepidemiological survey of sera from 338 children in London showed that infection with MxV occurred earlier in life than NV. Primary infections with MxV were common after the age of 6 months. Over 70% of children had evidence of infection by the age of 2 years, whereas only 12% of these children had been infected with NV. High concentrations of maternal antibody were present during the first month of life which was detected in 96% of the neonates. The results suggest that the high sensitivity of the EIA may be detecting maternal antibody throughout the first 8 months of life. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hepatitis E virus antibodies among patients with hemophilia, blood donors, and hepatitis patients
Authors: Zaaijer H. L. , Mauser‐Bunschoten E. P. , ten Veen J. H. , Kapprell H. P. , Kok M. , van den Berg H. M. , Lelie P. N. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe presence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) was studied among hemophiliacs, blood donors, and hepatitis patients. Four of 296 (1.4%) hemophiliacs and 5 of 1, 275 (0.4%) donors were confirmed as positive for HEV antibodies (difference was not significant: P = 0.07). Parenteral transmission of HEV to hemophiliacs was thus rare or nonexistent. Seven of 187 hepatitis patients were found with HEV antibodies (IgG and IgM). Six persons fell ill shortly after arriving from HEV‐endemic countries. The seventh patient, without a history of travel, represents a case of nontropical hepatitis E. Consequently, hepatitis E should be considered in patients suffering from acute non‐ABC hepatitis, even in industrialized countries. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid in immunocompetent patients as a sign of active infection
Authors: Studahl M. , Bergström T. , Ekeland‐Sjöberg K. , Ricksten A. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractDetection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been shown to be a sensitive method of diagnosing CMV disease in the central nervous system. Since CMV causes latent infection in white blood cells, an unanswered question is whether detection of latent CMV DNA in the cell fraction of CSF samples by PCR is possible in seropositive patients. In a prospective study, the finding of CMV DNA in CSF of CMV seropositive patients with suspected viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) was evaluated clinically. Fractionation of 64 CSF samples from seropositive patients was carried out before analysing the samples for CMV DNA by PCR. In four of the five patients who had CMV DNA in the cell pellet and/or supernatant, the clinical data suggested CMV‐associated neurological disease. The remaining 59 samples were negative in both pellet and supernatant. In addition, 11 CSF samples with high cell counts from patients with bacterial meningitis were examined for CMV DNA and found to be negative in 10 patients and positive in 1. One hundred thirty two uncentrifuged CSF samples were used as negative controls. The results of the study indicate that detection of CMV DNA in CSF samples by PCR correlated well with disease and was not due to latent CMV infection. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immunogenicity and safety of a new inactivated hepatitis a vaccine in a comparative study
Authors: Goilav Christian , Zuckerman Jane , Lafrenz Michael , Vidor Emmanuel , Lauwers Sabine , Ratheau Christine , Benichou Grazia , Zuckerman Arie 
Published: March 2007

AbstractA multicentre, controlled, randomised, open, comparative trial including 839 healthy adult volunteers was carried out in order to compare the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two vaccines against hepatitis A virus (HAV) during primary immunization and after booster injection. The first vaccine was produced by Pasteur Mérieux (PM), and the second vaccine by Smith‐Kline Beecham (SKB). The vaccination schedule consisted of 2 doses (months 0, 6) for PM and 3 doses (months 0, 1, and 6) for SKB. Two weeks after the first dose, the seroconversion rates among initially HAV seronegative subjects (n = 608) were 93.4% and 76.1% for the PM and SKB vaccines, respectively, the corresponding geometric mean titres (GMTs) were 59.0 mlU/ml versus 30.8 mlU/ml (modified RIA HAVAB assay, Abbott Laboratories). Two months after the beginning of immunization (one dose versus two doses) the GMTs were 138.4 and 161.6 mlU/ml, respectively. At month 7, the seroconversion rates were 100% for both vaccines, and the GMTs were 4, 189 and 3, 163 mlU/ml, respectively. After the first dose of vaccine, 24.6% and 19.6% of the PM and SKB vaccinees reported local reactions. The rates for systemic reactions were 27.2% and 25.0%, respectively. Lower rates for local and systemic reactions were seen after booster injections and statistical differences were not observed between the two vaccines. The study also demonstrated that vaccination was as well tolerated in subjects with anti‐HAV antibodies as in HAV seronegative subjects. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant vaccine effect on seroconversion rates only at week 2 (P<10−4). The same conclusions were drawn from the analysis of GMT by multivariate regression. When both times (week 2 and week 8) were analysed together, a statistically significant effect of interaction between time and vaccine was observed, indicating that the kinetics of antibody responses were different. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of Coxsackie B neutralization and enteroviral PCR in chronic fatigue patients
Authors: Nairn C. , Galbraith D. N. , Clements G. B. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractCoxsackie B enteroviruses have been implicated repeatedly as agents associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The objective of this study was to compare the serological evidence for the presence of Coxsackie B virus neutralising antibody, with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detecting a portion of the 5′ nontranslated region (NTR) of the enterovirus genome. Serum samples from 100 chronic fatigue patients and from 100 healthy comparison patients were used in this study. In the CFS study group, 42% patients were positive for enteroviral sequences by PCR, compared to only 9% of the comparison group. Using the neutralisation assay, 34% of study patients were positive, compared to 41% of comparison patients. In the study group, 66/100 patient results correlated, i.e., they were either positive/positive or negative/negative for both tests. Of those that did not correlate, the majority were PCR‐positive/Coxsackie B antibody‐negative (21/34). In the comparison group, 58/100 patient results correlated. Of those that did not, the majority were PCR‐negative/Coxsackie B antibody‐positive (37/42). The Coxsackie B antibody neutralisation assay was not able to differentiate the CFS study group from the healthy comparison group, and thus the clinical relevance of this assay may be questioned. The PCR assay did differentiate the two groups with significantly more CFS patients having evidence of enterovirus than the comparison group. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of antigen and antibody detection in urine specimens from children with congenital human cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Koopmans M. , Sánchez‐Martinéz D. , Patton J. , Stewart J. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractFetal infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the leading viral cause of brain dam age among newborns at birth or later in life. Efforts to screen newborns routinely for shedding of the virus by immunoassay have been ham pered by inhibitors in urine, reportedly the host protein beta2‐microglobulin (β2m). An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was devel oped for the detection of HCMV antigen in which the reactivity was not affected by the presence of β2m, but nevertheless inhibition was observed when urine samples with high levels of virus were tested. The presence of antibodies to HCMV was demonstrated in these urine samples by antibody ELISA and immunoblot using the major antigenic protein of HCMV (pp150) expressed in Escherichia coli; this offers an alterna tive explanation for the inhibition in ELISA. The presence of HCMV antibodies correlated significantly with congenital HCMV infection (as detected by tissue culture isolation of virus from urine samples of newborns), especially with as ymptomatic cases (sensitivity 70%; specificity 94%). The data indicate a local (renal) immune response to HCMV in congenitally infected children, which may have future diagnostic applica tions. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.