Search results for "Virology"

Low rate of detection of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection early following acute myocardial infarction

2012

Impacto psicosocial de la COVID-19 en las personas mayores: problemas y retos

2020

Interaction of prion protein mRNA with CBP35 and other cellular proteins: possible implications for prion replication and age-dependent changes.

1996

Abstract A study of the intracellular distribution of prion protein (PrP) in N2a neuroblastoma cells which had been infected with prions (ScN2a cells) revealed that most PrP is present in the cytoplasm. However, a significant amount of PrP is also present in the nucleus (predominantly in the nucleoli) of these cells, as analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. By contrast, no PrP could be detected in the nucleus of uninfected N2a cells. The steady-state level of PrP mRNA did not markedly differ between the two cell strains. Likewise, no changes were found in the rate of transcription and in the half-life of PrP mRNA. A number of cellular proteins, among them the nuclear lectin CBP35,…

Genome-wide association studies identify 137 genetic loci for DNA methylation biomarkers of aging

2021

Abstract Background Biological aging estimators derived from DNA methylation data are heritable and correlate with morbidity and mortality. Consequently, identification of genetic and environmental contributors to the variation in these measures in populations has become a major goal in the field. Results Leveraging DNA methylation and SNP data from more than 40,000 individuals, we identify 137 genome-wide significant loci, of which 113 are novel, from genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses of four epigenetic clocks and epigenetic surrogate markers for granulocyte proportions and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels, respectively. We find evidence for shared genetic loci ass…

Human immunosenescence: is it infectious?

2005

Morbidity and mortality due to infectious disease is greater in the elderly than in the young, at least partly because of age-associated decreased immune competence, which renders individuals more susceptible to pathogens. This susceptibility is particularly evident for novel infectious agents such as in severe acute respiratory syndrome but is also all too apparent for common pathogens such as influenza. Many years ago, it was noted that the elderly possessed oligoclonal expansions of T cells, especially of CD8(+) cells. At the same time, it was established that cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity was associated with many of the same phenotypic and functional alterations to T-cell immunit…

Is immunosenescence infectious?

2004

Abstract Herpes viruses are endemic. Once established, the virus is never eliminated but persists throughout life. The fraction of infected individuals gradually increases with age, such that the majority of elderly people are cytomegalovirus (CMV) + , Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) + and Varicella + . Clinically relevant reactivation of Varicella causes painful shingles; CMV reactivation can cause fatal pneumonia. Overt reactivation, even in the very elderly, occurs only in immunocompromised individuals; however, the necessity for maintaining immunity to these viruses is costly. We argue that this cost is not only reflected in the requirement for continuous immunosurveillance against these virus…

Outbreak of sapovirus infection among infants and children with acute gastroenteritis in Osaka City, Japan during 2004–2005

2006

One hundred and twenty five fecal specimens were collected from sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis in a pediatric clinic in Osaka City, Japan from July 2004 to June 2005 and tested for the presence of rotavirus, norovirus, sapovirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus by RT-multiplex PCR. Among diarrheal viruses detected, norovirus was the most prevalent (19.2%, 24 of 125), followed by group A rotavirus (18.4%, 23 of 125), astrovirus (1.6%, 2 of 125), and adenovirus (0.8%, 1 of 125), respectively. Interestingly, sapovirus infection was identified with high incidence of 17.6% (22 of 125). Sapovirus was subjected to molecular genetic analysis by sequencing. It was found that sapovirus detected i…

RNA2-encoded VP37 protein of Broad bean wilt virus 1 is a determinant of pathogenicity, host susceptibility, and a suppressor of post-transcriptional…

2020

Abstract Broad bean wilt virus 1 (BBWV‐1, genus Fabavirus, family Secoviridae) is a bipartite, single‐stranded positive‐sense RNA virus infecting many horticultural and ornamental crops worldwide. RNA1 encodes proteins involved in viral replication whereas RNA2 encodes two coat proteins (the large and small coat proteins) and two putative movement proteins (MPs) of different sizes with overlapping C‐terminal regions. In this work, we determined the role played by the small putative BBWV‐1 MP (VP37) on virus pathogenicity, host specificity, and suppression of post‐transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). We engineered a BBWV‐1 35S‐driven full‐length cDNA infectious clone corresponding to BBWV‐…

Prevalence and genetic diversity of Aichi virus strains in stool samples from community and hospitalized patients.

2008

ABSTRACT Aichi virus has been proposed as a causative agent of gastroenteritis. A total of 457 stool specimens from children hospitalized with acute diarrhea and 566 stool specimens from adults and children involved in 110 gastroenteritis outbreaks were screened for the presence of Aichi virus by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) amplification of the genomic region of the 3C and 3D (3CD) nonstructural proteins. Our results show a low incidence of Aichi virus in pediatric samples and the existence of mixed infections with other microbiological agents in some cases. From the outbreak survey, it appears that the presence of Aichi virus is an indicator of mixed infections causing gastroenterit…

Assessment of determinants affecting the dual topology of hepadnaviral large envelope proteins

2004

For functional diversity, the large (L) envelope protein of hepatitis B virus (HBV) acquires a dual transmembrane topology via co-translational membrane integration of the S region and partial post-translational translocation of the preS subdomain. Because each process requires the second transmembrane segment (TM2), we explored the action of this determinant by using protease protection analysis of mutant L proteins. We demonstrated that neither the disruption of a leucine zipper-like motif by multiple alanine substitutions nor the flanking charges of TM2 affected the topological reorientation of L. The dispensability of both putative subunit interaction modules argues against a link betwe…