Diagnosis of active tuberculosis using MPB64, a specific antigen of Mycobacterium bovis

Because the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is still high in developing countries, an inexpensive and rapid diagnostic test for this infection is needed. To develop a screening test for TB, MPB64 antigen was produced by recombinant technology and purified with a polyhistidine tag. Next, serum and urine samples from patients with TB and uninfected individuals were examined by the dot‐blot assay method using this purified antigen. Serum samples from patients with TB reacted more strongly with MPB64 antigen than did those from uninfected individuals. In addition, serum samples from TB patients with active infection reacted more strongly with the antigen than did samples from patients with inactive TB. When urine samples were assessed using this assay, similar results were obtained. Correlations between the data obtained from serum and urine samples were analyzed for all subjects, including uninfected individuals, and a strong positive correlation between the results of serum and urine tests (n = 36, r = 0.672) was found. The sensitivity and specificity of this assay for serum samples was 85.7 % and 85.0 %, and for urine samples 75.0 % and 85.0 %, respectively. These results suggest that dot‐blot assay with MPB64 antigen could be a useful screening test for active TB. Because urine samples can be obtained more easily than serum samples and because urine is less contagious, urine testing should probably be employed for screening purposes.     

Experimental challenge and clinical cases of Bohle iridovirus (BIV) in native Australian anurans

Ranaviruses have been observed with increasing frequency amongst poikilothermic vertebrate hosts. The impact of ranaviruses upon amphibian populations has remained largely unknown. A gene probe for Bohle iridovirus (BIV) based upon primers designed to detect epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV) was constructed. A PCR and dot-blot system was used successfully in screening for the presence of BIV nucleic acid in digested formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded amphibian tissues. Juvenile frogs were more susceptible to BIV than adults. In experimental challenges and epizootics in captive frogs, juvenile Litoria caerulea, L. alboguttata, Cyclorana brevipes and Pseudophryne coriacea were acutely susceptible. High mortality (at or near 100%) resulted, usually occurring within 5 to 25 d depending on dose and method of exposure. Histopathological changes included mainly hepatic, renal and splenic necroses. Significant haemosiderosis was encountered in more chronically infected frogs. BIV could be reisolated from juvenile L. caerulea >40 d after inoculation, and >200 d after the first mortalities occurred in an epizootic in L. alboguttata. Adult L. rubella, L. inermis, L. caerulea, Cophixalus ornatus and Taudactylus acutirostris were less susceptible in trials ranging from 30 to > 100 d. There was some evidence of chronic infection, and BIV could be detected by PCR. Wild moribund adult L. caerulea from Townsville and captive juvenile Pseudophryne corieacea from Sydney undergoing mortality tested positive with the BIV PCR. PCR and dot blot was more sensitive than viral isolation. PCR could detect BIV in amphibians long after BIV challenge, and in amphibians which appeared healthy. Ranaviruses could be having an impact on Australian herpetofauna.     

HIV-1包膜蛋白gp41优势抗原的构建及可溶性表达

目的:筛选1型人免疫缺陷病毒(HIV-1)中国流行株中包膜蛋白gp41的优势抗原片段,构建具有区域流行代表性的HIV-1 gp41重组抗原,为改进现有HIV-1初筛试剂盒中使用的同类抗原奠定基础。方法:利用免疫斑点杂交和生物信息学方法,从收集自重庆、广州、上海的区域代表性150份HIV-1感染者血清标本中筛选gp41抗原性强的候选样本,利用RT-PCR及巢式PCR方法扩增包含重要抗原表位决定蔟的gp41基因片段,与原核表达载体pQE30连接,转化大肠杆菌M15构建gp41重组抗原表达菌株,表达后经亲和层析纯化、SDS-PAGE和Western印迹鉴定。结果:兔源HRP标记的gp41多抗能识别标本中gp41抗原性差异,得到候选样本,扩增包含gp41主要抗原表位片段;构建了包含gp41抗原表达簇的重组原核表达质粒,表达、纯化后经His标签抗体Western印迹鉴定为阳性。结论:高纯度的重组优势gp41抗原的构建和鉴定,为进一步改进现有HIV初筛诊断奠定了基础。     

A quantitative assay for measuring of bovine immunodeficiency virus using a luciferase-based indicator cell line

In order to quantitate the bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) infection in vitro, a BIV indicator cell line (BIVL) was established by transfecting baby hamster kidney cells with reporter plasmids containing the firefly luciferase gene driven by a BIV long terminal repeat promoter. The BIV activates promoter activity of the LTR to express luciferase upon infection. BIV infection could therefore by quantified by detection of luciferase activity. Compared to standard assays used to detect BIV infection, the BIVL-based assay is 10 times more sensitive than the the CPE-based assay, and has similar sensitivity with the viral capsid protein Western blot assay. BIV indicator cell line could detect BIV infection specifically. Luciferase activity of BIV infected BIVL cells showed a time dependent manner, and 60 h post infection is the optimal time to detect BIV infection. Luciferase activity of BIVL cells correlates with the BIV capsid protein expression. Moreover, a linear relationship was found between MOI and the activated intensity of luciferase expression. In brief, the BIV indicator cell line is an easy, robust and quantitive method for monitoring BIV infection.     

Prevalence of human herpesvirus-8 infection in HIV-positive patients with and without Kaposi's sarcoma in Hungary

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection of 130 Hungarian HIV-positive individuals with or without Kaposi's sarcoma was investigated from 158 serum and 122 peripheral blood samples using anti-latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), recombinant orf65 and orfK8.1 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), Western blot assays and orf26 specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The overall prevalence of HHV-8 infection was found to be 31.5% (41/130) among the Hungarian HIV-positive patients. This seroprevalence rate is 7-11-fold higher than that of healthy HIV-negative blood donors in Hungary. The highest prevalence of HHV-8 infection (36.1%, 35/97) was observed in homo- or bisexual patients. Similar to the serologic results, HHV-8 DNA was not always detectable in all serial samples previously shown to be positive for HHV-8 DNA.     

表达丙型肝炎病毒NS3抗原的重组腺病毒构建及体外表达

为探索研制丙型肝炎疫苗的新途径,以期获得防治丙型肝炎的重组腺病毒减毒活疫苗,我们构建了表达丙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis C virus ,HCV)非结构蛋白3(non structural protein 3,NS3)抗原的重组腺病毒RAd NS3,并检测其在体外表达。应用PCR从真核表达质粒pRC/NS3 中扩增编码HCV NS3 蛋白(329-935aa)的基因片段,定向克隆到重组腺病毒AdEasy-1系统的穿梭质粒pAdTrack CMV上,采用细菌内同源重组"两步转化法"构建携带HCV NS3基因的重组腺病毒基因组质粒pAd HCV NS3,转染293 细胞,成功包装出重组腺病毒RAd NS3,利用它有效地感染人肝癌细胞株HepG2,经RT PCR及免疫印迹等不同方法检测表明,被感染细胞能表达HCVNS3蛋白,为后续进行重组腺病毒在动物体内诱导抗HCV免疫应答能力的研究奠定了基础。     

人巨细胞病毒pp150蛋白片段与MDBP蛋白片段的融合表达及初步应用

人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)感染是临床上常见的一种病毒性传播疾病,正常人群常无明显的临床症状,而对器官移植患者、免疫力低下及孕妇等人可产生严重的危害。以HCMVAD169病毒株基因为模板,经PCR扩增了编码pp150蛋白片段的UL32基因和编码MDBP蛋白片段的UL57基因,目的基因转化入pMD18-T克隆载体后再经酶切与表达载体pET-11a连接构建出融合基因表达载体,然后转入大肠杆菌BL21,重组大肠杆菌经诱导表达融合蛋白pp150/MDBP。经SDS-PAGE分析,其相对分子量约为27kD,表达量约占菌体蛋白的17.45%,Westernblot鉴定为阳性,ELISA及蛋白芯片检测表明融合蛋白具有良好的抗原性,经过初步应用表明其对血清IgG及IgM的检出率与全抗原相比一致,具有进一步开发应用的价值。     

完整弓形虫P35重组蛋白IgM-酶联免疫吸附测定法检测弓形虫急性感染

为利用重组的完整弓形虫表面抗原P35 GST蛋白对弓形虫感染进行血清学诊断 ,构建了可表达P35 GST的JM10 9细胞株 .采用亲和层析对融合蛋白进行分离和纯化 ,用SDS 聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳 (SDS PAGE)和蛋白质印迹 (Westernblot)分析所表达的蛋白质 ,并用纯化的重组蛋白进行IgM 酶联免疫吸附测定法 (IgM ELISA)检测不同病人血清中的抗 P35抗体 .SDS PAGE分析发现P35 GST重组蛋白的大小约 6 0ku ,为一亲水性蛋白 ,蛋白质印迹分析表明该蛋白与弓形虫阳性感染病人的血清有特异性反应 .利用P35 GST为抗原 ,对 6 0例血清进行IgM ELISA分析 ,发现P35 GST可明显区分近期感染和既往感染 ,在弓形虫的诊断上有很大的应用前景 .     

牛分枝杆菌MPB83基因的原核表达及免疫活性分析

利用PCR技术,以牛型分枝杆菌(M.bovis)Vallee菌株的全基因组DNA为模板,扩增出了一条600bp的MPB83基因片段,将其克隆至pMD18T载体中,经核苷酸序列测定确证后,KpnI/EcoRI双酶切,然后亚克隆到原核表达载体pET30a的相同酶切位点,构建表达质粒pETMPB83,将鉴定的重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),IPTG诱导后SDSPAGE检测表达情况,重组质粒pETMPB83在30kDa处有一特异表达带,与预计大小相符。经Ni柱纯化后,Westernblot检测纯化蛋白具有免疫活性,用纯化的该蛋白进行动物(兔)接种制备抗血清,用Westernblot和ELISA检测该抗血清的效价和特异性,结果表明特异性较好。