Intrauterine herpes simplex virus infection

Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection usually is the consequence of intrapartum infection, with disease onset between 5 and 15 days of life. More recently, intrauterine HSV infection has been identified. Intrauterine infection is apparent within the first 24-48 hr of life and is associated with skin vesicles/scarring, chorioretinitis, and/or hydraencephaly. The recognition that babies with these findings can have disease caused by HSV should prompt enhanced physician awareness in the evaluation of newborns with suspected intrauterine infection. The frequency of intrauterine infection appears to be about 5% of all babies with neonatal HSV infection.     

Parvovirus B19 infection of human primary erythroid progenitor cells triggers ATR-Chk1 signaling, which promotes B19 virus replication

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is restricted to erythroid progenitor cells of the human bone marrow. Although the mechanism by which the B19V genome replicates in these cells has not been studied in great detail, accumulating evidence has implicated involvement of the cellular DNA damage machinery in this process. Here, we report that, in ex vivo-expanded human erythroid progenitor cells, B19V infection induces a broad range of DNA damage responses by triggering phosphorylation of all the upstream kinases of each of three repair pathways: ATM (ataxia-telangiectasi mutated), ATR (ATM and Rad3 related), and DNA-PKcs (DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit). We found that phosphorylated ATM, ATR, and DNA-PKcs, and also their downstream substrates and components (Chk2, Chk1, and Ku70/Ku80 complex, respectively), localized within the B19V replication center. Notably, inhibition of kinase phosphorylation (through treatment with either kinase-specific inhibitors or kinase-specific shRNAs) revealed requirements for signaling of ATR and DNA-PKcs, but not ATM, in virus replication. Inhibition of the ATR substrate Chk1 led to similar levels of decreased virus replication, indicating that signaling via the ATR-Chk1 pathway is critical to B19V replication. Notably, the cell cycle arrest characteristic of B19V infection was not rescued by interference with the activity of any of the three repair pathway kinases.     

Coxsackie B virus infection

A case of a 27-year patient with a clinical syndrome of Coxsackie B viral infection is presented. The symptoms included pleurodynia, myocarditis and the acute gastritis. The diagnosis was confirmed with serological tests which showed high titre of antibodies neutralizing Coxsackie B3. The symptoms of myocardial infarction dominated in both clinical course and autopsy. The authors suggest that serological tests specific for Coxsackie B infection should be performed in the young patients with the symptoms of myocardial infarction.     

Immunopathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a non-cytopathic hepatotropic virus that can lead to severe liver disease including acute hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Successful clearance of the virus as well as the establishment of liver disease is largely driven by a complex interaction between the virus and the host immune response. In this review, the immunological events, including both the innate and adaptive immune response are discussed in the setting of both acute and chronic HBV infection and liver disease.     

Dynamics of hepatitis B virus infection

Mathematical models of the dynamics of HIV and hepatitis C virus infection have proven to be of great utility in understanding pathogenesis and designing better treatments. Here, we review the state of the art in modeling and interpreting data obtained from hepatitis B virus infected patients treated with antiviral agents.     

Antisense therapy of hepatitis B virus infection

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major health problem worldwide. The only established therapy is interferon-a with an efficacy of only 30–40% in highly selected patients. The discovery of animal viruses closely related to the HBV has contributed to active research on antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B. The animal model tested and described in this article are Peking ducks infected with the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV). Molecular therapeutic strategies aimed at blocking gene expression include antisense DNA. An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against the 5′-region of the preS gene of DHBV inhibited viral replication and gene expression in vitro in primary duck hepatocytes and in vivo in Peking ducks. These results demonstrate the potential clinical use of antisense DNA as antiviral therapeutics.     

Immunology of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection

More than 500 million people worldwide are persistently infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are at risk of developing chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite many common features in the pathogenesis of HBV- and HCV-related liver disease, these viruses markedly differ in their virological properties and in their immune escape and survival strategies. This review assesses recent advances in our understanding of viral hepatitis, contrasts mechanisms of virus-host interaction in acute hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and outlines areas for future studies.     

人细小病毒B19生物学特性研究进展

细小病毒B19是目前细小病毒家族中除人博卡病毒(HBoV)和新型细小病毒PARV4(Humanparvovirus 4)以外唯一可以引起人类疾病的病毒。它可能是多种疾病的致病因子,感染儿童可引起传染性红斑,感染成人可引起多发性关节病综合征,而对一些有免疫病,血液病的患者,B19感染可以引起严重的疾病,如慢性红细胞贫血,暂时性再障危象。病毒感染后对细胞的毒性是引起暂时性障碍危象和纯红细胞再障的直接原因。血液病患者中,B19病毒感染是引起暂时性障碍危象的主要病因,持续B19病毒感染会导致免疫缺损患者     

Hepatitis B virus infection in alcoholics]

Chromosomal analysis has been carried out in 4 patients with the symptoms of hepatic coma. An analysis included lymphocytes cultured from peripheral blood. Chromosomal disorders have been assessed with two techniques: structural chromosomal aberrations test, and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) test. It has been shown that the extend of chromosomal damage in the form of the gaps, breaks, acentric chromosomes as well as the presence of ring and dicentric chromosomes, and micronuclear cells have been higher in the examined patients. Such changes may evidence DNA repair disorders, and the presence of micronuclear forms may seem an unfavourable prognosis.     

Effect of concurrent acute infection with hepatitis C virus on acute hepatitis B virus infection.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate the possible interference with acute hepatitis B virus infection by co-infection with hepatitis C virus. DESIGN--Analysis of stored sera collected for transfusion transmitted viruses study in 1970s. SETTING--Four major medical centres in the United States. PATIENTS--12 recipients of blood infected with hepatitis B virus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--In 1970s, presence of antibodies in hepatitis B virus and raised serum alanine aminotransferase concentration; detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus with new enzyme linked immunoassays. RESULTS--Five of the 12 patients were coinfected with hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis B surface antigen was first detected at day 59 in patients infected with hepatitis B virus alone and at day 97 in those coinfected with hepatitis C virus (p = 0.01); median durations of antigenaemia were 83 and 21 days respectively (p = 0.05), and the antigen concentration was lower in the coinfected patients. Alanine aminotransferase patterns were uniphasic when hepatitis B virus infection occurred alone (range 479-2465 IU/l) and biphasic in patients with combined acute infection (no value > 380 IU/l; p = 0.0025). Four coinfected recipients developed chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The fifth patient was followed for only four months. CONCLUSIONS--Acute coinfection with hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus inhibits hepatitis B virus infection in humans, and onset of hepatitis B may reduce the severity of hepatitis C virus infection but not frequency of chronicity. Alanine aminotransferase concentration showed a biphasic pattern in dual infection.     

Hepatitis B virus type 2 infection in France

Hepatitis B type 2 infection was observed in 96 French soldiers. A recent stay overseas was reported by 65% of them and an HBsAg chronic carrier state was observed in eight individuals. Anti-pre-S1 and anti-pre-S2 antibodies were not detected after recovery, but HBV DNA was detected in 58 % of sera tested.     

IL28B基因在乙型肝炎病毒感染中的作用

乙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis B virus,HBV)感染是引发乙型肝炎的病因,慢性化程度较高,后期可诱发肝硬化甚至肝癌。IL28B基因属于新型干扰素λ家族,已有研究报道其遗传多态性与HBV感染者的治疗效果和病毒自然清除率具有相关性。通过探讨IL28B基因遗传易感性与HBV感染、患者治疗应答和病毒清除的关系,可以进一步了解宿主基因多态性在HBV感染治疗和病毒自然清除中的作用机制,为乙肝患者个体化医疗提供一定的理论基础。     

The earliest steps in hepatitis B virus infection

The early steps in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, a human hepadnavirus, initiates from cell attachment followed by entry and delivery of the genetic information to the nucleus. Despite the fact that these steps determine the virus-related pathogenesis, their molecular basis is poorly understood. Cumulative data suggest that this process can be divided to cell attachment, endocytosis, membrane fusion and post-fusion consecutive steps. These steps are likely to be regulated by the viral envelope proteins and by the cellular membrane, receptors and extracellular matrix. In the absence of animal model for HBV, the duck hepadnavirus DHBV turned out to be a fruitful animal model. Therefore data concerning the early, post-attachment steps in hepadnaviral entry are largely based on studies performed with DHBV in primary duck liver hepatocytes. These studies are now starting to illuminate the mechanisms of hepadnavirus route of cell entry and to provide some new insights on the molecular basis of the strict species specificity of hepadnavirus infection.     

The earliest steps in hepatitis B virus infection

The early steps in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, a human hepadnavirus, initiates from cell attachment followed by entry and delivery of the genetic information to the nucleus. Despite the fact that these steps determine the virus-related pathogenesis, their molecular basis is poorly understood. Cumulative data suggest that this process can be divided to cell attachment, endocytosis, membrane fusion and post-fusion consecutive steps. These steps are likely to be regulated by the viral envelope proteins and by the cellular membrane, receptors and extracellular matrix. In the absence of animal model for HBV, the duck hepadnavirus DHBV turned out to be a fruitful animal model. Therefore data concerning the early, post-attachment steps in hepadnaviral entry are largely based on studies performed with DHBV in primary duck liver hepatocytes. These studies are now starting to illuminate the mechanisms of hepadnavirus route of cell entry and to provide some new insights on the molecular basis of the strict species specificity of hepadnavirus infection.     

Modeling the mechanisms of acute hepatitis B virus infection

Mathematical models have been used to understand the factors that govern infectious disease progression in viral infections. Here we focus on hepatitis B virus (HBV) dynamics during the acute stages of the infection and analyze the immune mechanisms responsible for viral clearance. We start by presenting the basic model used to interpret HBV therapy studies conducted in chronically infected patients. We then introduce additional models to study acute infection where immune responses presumably play an important role in determining whether the infection will be cleared or become chronic. We add complexity incrementally and explain each step of the modeling process. Finally, we validate the model against experimental data to determine how well it represents the biological system and, consequently, how useful are its predictions. In particular, we find that a cell-mediated immune response plays an important role in controlling the virus after the peak in viral load.