bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical and immunological investigation of a new combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine
Authors: Ambrosch F. , Wiedermann G. , André F. E. , Delem A. , Gregor H. , Hofmann H. , D'hondt E. , Kundi M. , Wynen J. , Kunz Ch. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractAs with hepatitis B vaccines, the recently developed hepatitis A vaccine is suitable not only for individual protection, but also for public health control measures. For introduction into routine immunisation programmes, however, hepatitis A vaccine should preferably be combined with other already established vaccines. In particular, a combination of hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines would be appropriate. We investigated a new combined hepatitis A/hepatitis B vaccine comparing its tolerability and immunogenicity with that obtained after separate or mixed simultaneous administration of the two components. Three groups of healthy volunteers, each of approximately 50 persons, were included. All were negative for hepatitis A and hepatitis B markers and had normal liver enzyme values. They received hepatitis A (720 ELISA units) and hepatitis B (20 m̈g) vaccines in the deltoid muscle, combined, mixed or separately, according to a 0, 1, 6‐month schedule. Blood samples for determination of antibodies to hepatitis A virus (anti‐HAV) and hepatitis B virus (anti‐HBs) and of serum ala‐nine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were drawn at months 0, 1, 2, 6, and 7. Local and systemic reactions were monitored by means of questionnaires.The results of our study demonstrate that the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine is well tolerated and highly immunogenic. The seropositivity and seroprotection rates were 100% for both antigens in all groups. Surprisingly, anti‐HAV and anti‐HBs antibody titres after the combined and mixed vaccines were significantly higher compared with the respective monovalent vaccines injected separately. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cost‐effectiveness analysis of vaccination against hepatitis A in travellers
Authors: van Doorslaer E. , Tormans G. , van Damme P. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractHepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a substantial risk for travellers from low endemic countries to high endemic destinations. Costs and effects of alternative options for prevention were compared using formal decision analysis. General indications for the optimal prevention of hepatitis A were derived from a cost‐effectiveness analysis. Various possible strategies for prevention of hepatitis A in travellers were compared to doing nothing: active immunisation using either the existing vaccine (HAVRIX 720) or the new vaccine (HAVRIX(tm) 1440); first screening for the presence of HAV antibodies and then vaccinating only susceptibles; and passive immunisation with immunoglobulin. Using a number of assumptions as baseline and for an average duration and frequency of travel from low to high endemic countries, threshold values were obtained for the choice between passive and active immunisation. Passive immunisation remains the most cost‐effective prevention strategy for those expected to travel not more frequently than twice over the next 10 years and for short stays (£7,000–9,000 per infection prevented). For travellers expected to travel three or more times in 10 years or for trips exceeding a period of 6 months, active immunisation before the first trip is the most cost‐effective option (£7,500 or less per infection prevented). When travel frequency increases to once a year in the next 10 years, costs per infection prevented decrease to about £3,500. Screening for the presence of antibodies before vaccination is only justified for older travellers or those leaving from countries with moderate endemicity, i.e., with an average HAV prevalence Of at least 30%. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Symptomatic mumps virus reinfections
Authors: Gut Jean‐Pierre , Lablache Christel , Behr Sylvie , Kirn André 
Published: March 2007

AbstractAlthough natural mumps virus infection is believed to induce lifelong immunity, our laboratory was confronted with 82 patients who developed mumps‐evoking lesions but exhibited serological evidence of a booster immune response, namely a rise or a high titer of virus‐specific IgG, without IgM. In order to provide arguments favoring the existence of recurrent mumps attacks, the age, symptomatology, and humoral response of these patients (group 1) were compared to that of 82 randomly selected true primary infected patients (group 2), 10 parainfluenza virus‐infected patients (group 3), and 20 noninfected mumps‐immune subjects (group 4), Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures with different viral antigenic preparations were used for determination of specific IgM, IgA, IgG, IgG subclasses, and IgG avidity. The patients of group 1, older than those of group 2 (28 vs. 10 years, P <0.0001), presented a significantly less severe and less typical symptomatology. Against the whole virus they exhibited IgG of higher avidity (P < 0.001), a lower prevalence and titer of IgA (10 vs. 68%, P < 0.0001 and 278 vs. 5,009, P < 0.001, respectively). Values obtained for IgG 1, 2, and 3 were significantly different between the two groups. Prevalence and absorbance of nucleocapsid‐directed IgG 3 were significantly lower in group 1 (27 vs. 46%, P < 0.01 and 0.444 vs. 0.869, P < 0.01, respectively). A significant discrepancy also allowed patients from group 1 to be distinguished from those of groups 3 and 4. So the presumed mumps‐reinfected patients were different from primary infected ones and presented features reminiscent of a secondary immune response, suggesting the not uncommon occurrence of symptomatic reinfections by the mumps virus. This concept is of importance in medical practice. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unbiased usage of T‐cell receptor β variable region genes in peripheral blood cells of hepatitis C patients: No correlation with superantigen effect
Authors: Wang C. C. , Hwang L. H. , Chen D. S. , Yang P. M. , Chiang B. L. , Chen P. J. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection frequently causes chronic hepatitis and lack of virus clearance in these patients. In addition, many patients infected by HCV also present with hypergamma‐globulinemia in the early stage of chronic infection. These observations raise a possible viral superantigen effect induced by HCV, because viral superantigen found in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or in replication of defective murine leukemia virus (MuLV) is associated with T‐cell dysfunction and polyclonal activation of B cells. The possibility was investigated of whether HCV encodes any superantigen by analyzing the usage of T‐cell receptor (TCR) from the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PEL) of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Two groups, one with hyper‐gammaglobulinemia and the other without hy‐pergammaglobulinemia, were studied for the usage of TCR β chain by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis. It was found that all genes of Vβ variable chain were used in the PBL of these patients. Furthermore, there was no significant difference of the TCR expression pattern between these two groups, nor a complete deletion of a particular T‐cell subset in either group. These results do not provide evidence for HCV superantigen, but indicate that the TCR usage in the patients was neither defective nor biased. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection of hepatitis C virus‐RNA by polymerase chain reaction in dental surgeries
Authors: Piazza Marcello , Borgia Guglielmo , Picciotto Ludovico , Nappa Salvatore , Cicciarello Salvatore , Orlando Raffaele 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe mean prevalence of anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Italy is 0.87%. It reaches 2% in Campania, Southern Italy. Approximately 50% of community acquired non‐A, non‐B (NANB) hepatitis cannot be associated with known parenteral exposure. A recent Italian study has shown that the only demonstrable risk factor in 9% of acute C/NANB hepatitis is dental treatment. There are no data on direct contamination by HCV of dental surgeries. Possible environmental contamination by HCV‐RNA was investigated in dental surgeries after treatment of anti‐HCV and HCV‐RNA positive patients. Thirty‐five anti‐HCV and HCV‐RNA positive patients with chronic hepatitis underwent dental treatment and were enrolled in this study. Eight had chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 23 chronic active hepatitis (CAH), and 4 cirrhosis. A total of 328 samples collected from instruments and surfaces were tested after dental treatment of 35 anti‐HCV positive patients. The presence of HCV‐RNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to evaluate contamination of instruments and surfaces in dental surgeries. Twenty (6.1%) out of 328 collected samples were positive for HCV‐RNA. The positive samples were from work benches (two), air turbine handpieces (one), holders (four), suction units (one), forceps (four), dental mirrors (two), and burs (six)Our data indicate that there is extensive contamination by HCV of dental surgeries after treatment of anti‐HCV patients and that if sterilisation and disinfection are inadequate there is the possible risk of transmission to susceptible individuals. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evidence for lytic infection by Epstein‐Barr virus in mucosal lymphocytes instead of nasopharyngeal epithelial cells in normal individuals.
Authors: Tao Qian , Srivastava Gopesh , Chan Alexander C. L. , Chung Lap Ping , Loke Shee Loong , Ho Faith C. S. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractNormal nasopharyngeal tissues from 23 individuals who died of causes unrelated to the upper respiratory system and had no evidence of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐related diseases were studied using in situ hybridisation (ISH) and immunohistochemistry for the detection of EBV RNA and expression of EBV proteins, respectively. ISH using 35S‐labelled riboprobe for EBV EBER RNA showed occasional to a few EBER + lymphocytes in the stroma of nasopharyngeal mucosa in 14/16 cases with available paraffin‐embedded tissues. In addition, very rare intraep‐ithelial EBER+ lymphocytes were also detected in 3/16 cases. However, in none of these cases was EBER detected in the epithelial cells. Similar results were obtained using a nonradioactive ISH method for EBER (Dako). In 3/23 cases, im‐munostaining using monoclonal antibodies for EBV proteins on cryostat sections showed occasional cells in the stroma expressing EBV nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2), latent membrane protein‐1 (LMP), and switch protein encoded by BZLF1 gene (ZEBRA) in two cases and only very rare LMP+ and ZEBRA+ cells in one other case. Double immuno‐staining combining alkaline phosphatase anti‐alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) for CD markers and indirect immunofluorescence for LMP showed that the LMP+ cells were either CD19+ or less frequently CD3+, but none were CD68+. These results show that both B and T lymphocytes harbouring EBV can be found in the normal nasopharyngeal tissues. Interestingly, EBV proteins associated with lytic viral replication—diffuse early antigen (EA‐D), viral capsid antigen (VCA), or membrane antigen (MA)—were also detected in rare cells in the stroma in one case, and in another case only one MA+ cell was detected. These results provide evidence for a lytic type of infection by EBV in the normal nasopharynx involving a very small proportion of stromal lymphocytes and support the view that nasopharyngeal lymphocytes can act as a reservoir for EBV in normal individuals. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of the Epstein‐Barr virus DNA polymerase in Escherichia coli for use as antigen for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Lin Lung‐Shen , Ro Lee‐Hwa , Lo Mu‐Shung , Huang Wan‐Ling , Ma Jeng , Chang Tong‐Hsuan , Shu Chih‐Hung , Chow Kuan‐Chih , Liu Wu‐Tse , Chen Kuang Y. , Yang Huey‐Lang 
Published: March 2007

AbstractEpstein‐Barr virus (EBV) encoded DNA polymerase (POL) was cloned and over‐expressed in Escherichia coli. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of antibody to this POL protein in sera from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. By Western blot analysis, moderate to high concentration of IgG POL‐specific antibodies were present in 43 of 48 NPC sera and only 4 of 48 healthy, seropositive controls. The POL‐specific IgG antibodies appear as early as stage I of NPC, suggesting that the recombinant POL protein can be a useful diagnostic marker for early diagnosis of the disease. It was also found that human sera containing high titer of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies or herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) antibodies did not cross‐react with the recombinant EBV POL, despite the homology shared by DNA polymerase proteins of these viruses. © 1995 Wiiey‐Liss, inc.
Controlled study of human herpesvirus 6 detection in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐associated non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma
Authors: Fillet Anne‐Marie , Raphael Martine , Visse Bertrand , Audouin Josée , Poirel Laurent , Agut Henri 
Published: March 2007

AbstractHuman herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) is a recently identified lymphotropic herpesvirus, which has been isolated from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or lymphoproliferative diseases. Two variants A and B of HHV‐6 have been described, variant B being more common in children with exanthema subitum. HHV‐6 infection was studied in cases of AIDS‐associated non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and in three control populations in order to evaluate the possible etiologicai role of HHV‐6 in this lymphoproliferative disease.Tumor specimens from various organs were obtained from 27 patients with AIDS‐associated NHL and 20 human immunodeficiency virus (HlV)‐seronegative patients with NHL. Lymph node specimens were obtained from four HIV‐seropositive and nine HIV‐seronegative patients with lymph node follicular hyperplasia. A specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect HHV‐6 DNA. Subsequently HHV‐6 variant was identified by using variant‐specific PCR. Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was detected in parallel by means of specific PCR.HHV‐6 DNA was detected in 12 of 27 tumor tissues (44%), including 8 of 15 lymph node specimens (53%) from patients with AIDS‐associated NHL. The corresponding values in HIV‐seronegative patients with NHL were 35% (7/20) and 36% (5/14), respectively. Lymph node specimens were positive for HHV‐6 in two of four (50%) HIV‐seropositive and five of nine (55%) HIV‐seronegative patients with follicular hyperplasia. Variant A was detected in two cases of AIDS‐associated NHL, variant B in one case, and both variants in six cases. The distribution of HHV‐6 variants exhibited a similar pattern in the three control groups. CMV was only detected in 3 of 27 tumor tissues (11%) from patients with AIDS‐associated NHL.The prevalence of HHV‐6 DNA and the distribution of its variants did not differ significantly among the four populations studied. HHV‐6 was more prevalent than CMV, a closely related herpesvirus. Most cases of HHV‐6 infection involved both HHV‐6 variants A and B. These results do not support strongly that HHV‐6 infection is closely associated with the occurrence of NHL in AIDS patients but demonstrate that mixed HHV‐6 infections are more common than previously assumed. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Geographic sequence variation of latent membrane protein 1 gene of Epstein‐Barr virus in Hodgkin's lymphomas
Authors: Lin Jung‐Chung , Lin Seh‐Ching , Mar Eng‐Chun , Luppi Mario , Torelli Giuseppe 
Published: March 2007

AbstractTo assess the role of the Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene in the development of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), the polymorphism of this gene in EBV isolates from different geographic locations was analyzed. A 497 bp fragment spanning LMP1 gene exons 1 and 2 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using a primer pair bracketing a Xhol restriction site. PCR products were subjected to Xhol digestion and to DNA sequencing analysis. Twenty‐five HL biopsy specimens from the United States and five HL and four non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) biopsy specimens from Italy were examined. Eighty percent of LMP1‐positive samples (12 of 15) from the United States maintained the Xhol restriction site and the remaining 20% partially lost the Xhol site. One of four EBV‐positive HL and one of the three EBV‐positive NHL specimens from Italy lost the restriction site. The other three EBV‐positive HL DNAs were partially cut by Xhol. Direct DNA sequencing analysis revealed that those Italian samples not digested by Xhol were due to a G to C transversion at the first base of codon 18, resulting in the change of glycine to arginine. Those DNA samples partially cut by Xhol were due to a mixture of G/C at the same location. In contrast, those partially digested American HL DNAs had a mixture of G/T at the second base of codon 17. The sequence variation found in the Italian samples differs from that of Asian EBV strains, in which G to T transversion was detected at codon 17, resulting in the substitution of arginine by leucine. Among the 72% (18 of 25) EBV‐positive American HL samples, 67% (12 of 18) were associated with type A virus, 17% (3 of 18) with type B, and 17% (3 of 18) with dual viral sequences. EBV DNA was detected in 80% (four of five) of Italian HL biopsy specimens, in which 50% (two of four) were associated with type A and 50% (two of four) with type B. Despite these sequence variations at the Xhol recognition site between EBV isolates of different geographic locations, no direct correlation with a specific genotype was observed. These results, to our knowledge, represent the first observation of a specific point mutation at codon 18 of LMP1 gene associated with a particular geographic location. It appears that the Xhol polymorphism may be a useful molecular marker for epidemio‐logic study, and the alteration in the LMP1 gene may have functional significance in the development of HL in certain geographic areas. © 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.
Prognostic value of adenosine deaminase compared to other markers for progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among intravenous drug users
Authors: Casoli Claudio , Starcich Riccardo , Magnani Giacomo , Fiaccadori Franco , Lisa Antonella , Bertazzoni Umberto , Zei Gianna 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThis study was designed to determine the prognostic value of erythrocyte adenosine deaminase (ADA) as a possible indicator of progression to AIDS, and compare this with other known cellular and serological markers. At the end of a 3‐year study, a cohort of 114 human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) seropositive intravenous drug users (IVDUs) from the five different Center for Disease Control (CDC) groups was examined in order to estimate the prognostic relevance with respect to the progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) of each of the following markers at baseline value: number and percentage of CD4+T cells, number of CD8+T cells, CD4+/CD8+ratio, IgA and β2microglobulin and ADA levels, and the presence of HIV antigens. Moreover, 57 IVDUs belonging to II and III CDC groups were analyzed in a follow‐up study at 6‐month intervals, in order to evaluate and compare the behavior of each marker over time. The prognostic significance of each marker was assessed by computing the survival distribution and the Cox analysis in a multivariate model providing the set of markers with greatest predictive value. The levels of ADA and the CD4+/CD8+ratio showed a linear association with disease staging, whereas β2microglobulin and CD4+/ CD8+ratio were the best predictors for AIDS progression. A highly significant increase in ADA and β2microglobulin was observed during follow‐up. The results obtained among HIV‐positive IVDUs clearly indicate that the erythrocyte ADA may be considered a reliable marker of the development of HIV infection from the intermediate stages of the disease onwards. The measurement of β2microglobulin should be regarded as a particularly useful parameter in the assessment of HIV infection in drug users. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prokaryotic expression and analysis of the antibody response to a Newcastle isolate of the core gene of hepatitis C
Authors: Milton I. D. , Carter M. J. , Toms G. L. , Watson J. P. , Bassendine M. F. , Quo K. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe full length hepatitis C virus (HCV) core gene was isolated from a Newcastle strain and expressed in E. coll. A truncated HCV core gene which lacks the hydrophobic carboxyl‐terminal sequence was also expressed. The truncated HCV core was expressed at higher levels with fewer cleavage products. Antibody reactivity to the recombinant HCV core antigen was analysed by ELISA and Western blotting in 60 HCV antibody‐positive patients with a broad spectrum of liver disease. There was no significant difference between the presence of IgG to recombinant HCV core and reactivity to the core antigen in the RIBA‐2 test. There was also no significant difference between the presence of IgG to recombinant core and diagnostic PCR as a marker for active liver inflammation. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Analysis of genomic polymorphism among herpes simplex virus type 2 isolates from four areas of Japan and three other countries
Authors: Sakaoka Hiroshi , Kurita Keiko , Gouro Tsutomu , Kumamoto Yoshiaki , Sawada Shigeo , Ihara Makoto , Kawana Takashi 
Published: March 2007

AbstractGenomic polymorphism of 307 epidemiologi‐cally unrelated strains of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV‐2) from four areas of Japan and three other countries (Korea, Sweden and the U.S.A.) was analysed by using 16 variable markers selected from 97 restriction endonuclease (RE) sites with five REs. In addition to the 16 markers, 26 rare variable RE sites were found in 307 isolates. Five and four of 16 markers (RE sites) were found to differ in the frequency of isolates with the markers between isolates from Japan and Sweden and between those from Japan and the U.S.A., respectively, suggesting that they are genomically different from each other. In this manner, 307 HSV‐2 isolates from four countries could be classified into 68 different genotypes (no. of isolates/no, of genotypes = 4.5). Some isolates from one country or more than two countries at times were classified into the same genotypes, which were referred to as predominant genotypes. The most predominant genotypes for isolates from Japan, Sweden and the U.S.A. were genotypes 30, 26 (32) and 3, respectively, indicating that they are different by the country. In genotypes 1 and 6, the frequency of isolates was found to be significantly different between Japan and Sweden and between Japan and the U.S.A., respectively. Nine out of 16 markers differed in the most genomically distant isolates, each of which was obtained in Sweden and Japan. In addition, high correlation coefficients (r) in the Japanese isolates were detected in different pairs of markers from those in the Swedish isolates, suggesting that isolates from these two countries are evolutionary distant. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.