Hantaan virus Howang strain which isolated from the blood of severe case of Korean hemorrhagic fever is more virulent than HTN 76/118 and showed different RFLP from partial PCR amplified M genome segment to established Hantaan serotype viruses. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the M and S genome segments and compared to HTN 76/118. The M and S segment of Howang strain has 3615 and 1696 nucleotides long, respectively. The M segment sequence of Howang strain is one mucleotide shorter than HTN 76/118. The sequence data of Howang strain shows 93.5% homology to HTN 76/118. One long open reading frame, which stoats from 41nt. to 3448nt. of the M segment and from 37nt. to 1326nt. of the S segment, exist to on complementary sense of the virus genome. There are no significant difference between HTN 76/118 and Howang strain on hydrophobicity of deduced polypeptides, but has slight difference on secondary structure.
Base Sequence ; Genome ; Hantaan virus* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Nucleotides ; Open Reading Frames ; Peptides ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

We developed a sensitive, nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect Hantaan, Seoul, Belgrade, Puumala and Sin Nombre viruses in animal tissues. Total RNA was extracted from blood, lung or kidney samples of experimentally-infected hamsters by using the guanidine isothiocyanate buffer-acid phenol-chloroform method. Genus-reactive outer primers were derived from the consensus region of the G1 gene sequences of several hantaviruses. Serotype-specific primers were selected within the region amplified by the outer primers. To examine the sensitivity and specificity of the test, we diluted known quantities of Hantaan, Seoul, Belgrade, Puumala and Sin Nombre viruses in human or hamster immune sera before performing the nested RT-PCR. We could detect as little as 1 pfu of virus, even in the presence of high-titer neutralizing antibodies, and the serotype-specific primers amplified only homologous serotype viruses. RT-PCR with these primers demonstrated virus in the blood of experimentally-infected hamsters as early as four days to as late as 30 days after infection.4 comparison of a standard immunofluorescent antibody screening test (IFAT) to nested RT-PCR with RNA extracted from lung or kidney tissues of the hamsters, demonstrated that RT-PCR to be more sensitive for identifying viruses in these tissues.
Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Consensus ; Cricetinae* ; Discrimination (Psychology)* ; Guanidine ; Hantavirus* ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Kidney ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; RNA ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Sin Nombre virus

The experiment was performed to investigate changes of maternal immune status during the pregnancy. We observed the distribution of several immune cells [macrophage, activated B-cell, IgM+ B-cell, Lyt-2+ T-cell and L3T4+ T-cells] in the utero-placental interface and the peripheral blood of Balb/c mice. The experimental animals were divided into seven groups by the gestational ages ; virgin, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th, 14th and 19th day of pregnancy. In the utero-placental interface, the distribution patterns of the lymphocytes [both T and B] and macrophages were observed. Histochemical staining by naphthol-AS-MX phosphate sodium salt was used for the detection of activated B-cells. For the detection of macrophage, plasma cell, suppressor cell and helper cell, all the prepared samples reacted with Rat anti-mouse Mac-1, goat anti-mouse IgM, rat anti-Lyt2 and rat anti-L3T4 antibody first, and washed. Second reaction was done with biotinylated anti-rat or anti-mouse IgG anti-bodies, and washed. Avidin-biotin -peroxidase complex and 3, 3`-diamino-benzidine[DAB] were used for the visualization of specific cells. T-cells and B-cells were not observed during the all stages of pregnancy. By contrast, macrophages were observed a few at the perimetrium on the second day of gestation, and they were found at the outermost portion of the trophoblastic layer on the 8th day, and they were observed at the decidua basalis in late pregnancy after the 10th day when the placenta were well developed. In the peripheral blood, activated B-cells were not observed throughout the pregnancy. On the 8th day, the proportion of plasma cells to total mononuclear cells was decreased significantly to 16+/-2.4% compared with the virgin group[22+/-2.6%][p<0.01]. It increased again and it reached 42+/-5.8% on the 14th day and 37+/-4.9% on the 19th day. Helper T-cells were decreased on the 14th day[30+/-2.4%] compared with the normal control[47+/-5.1%]. But, Suppressor T-cells were increased on the 8th day[35+/-2.9%] and the 10th day[33+/-3.6%] compared with the normal controls[27+/-2.3%]. This decrement returned to the level of the normal controls on the 14th day and 19th day. Together with our previous data, we could find the synchronized changes of immune cells in utero-placental interface, uterus draining lymph nodes, peripheral blood and spleen. Therefore, we suggest that macrophages in utero-placental interface may play an important role for the immune responses against the fetal transplantation antigen.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Decidua ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Goats ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages* ; Mice* ; Placenta ; Plasma Cells ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Sodium ; Spleen ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; Trophoblasts ; Uterus

No abstract available.
Sinusitis*

No abstract available.
Dust* ; Mastoid*

Various hantaviruses were isolated from HFRS patients and various rodent species, in many parts of the world. Bandicotas were captured at Yogyakarta, east region of Sumatura island, Indonesia; and 4 rodents species including Bandicotas were captured at Chiang Rai in Thailand during 1995. Sera were collected from captured andicotas and other rodent spicies were screened for antibody test against Hantaan (HTN), Seoul (SEO), Puumala (PUU) and Sin Hombre (SN) viruses by immunofluoresence antibody assay (IFA). Hantavirus antigen in lung tissues were tested by IFA. Among 55 captured Bandicota indica in Indonesia, 14 (25.5%) were antibody positive against HTN, SEO, PUU and SN virus. Hantavirus antigen were detected from 5 (9.0%) out of 55 lungs tested. Among 34 captured Bandicota indica in Thailand, 9 (26.5%) were antibody positive against HTN, SEO, PUU and SN virus. Among 34 lungs tissues of Bandicota indica examined, 3 (8.8%) were antigen positive. In other rodent species, antibody positive against Hantaviruses of Rattus rattus, Rattus losea and Mus cervicolor were 4/62(6.5%), 5/25(20%), 1/1(100%), respectively. But no one has antigen in their lung tissues. Antigen positive lungs suspension were inoculated into vero E6 cells for virus isolation and 4 viruses were isolated from Indonesian Badicota and 3 viruses from Thailand.
Animals ; Hantavirus* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Indonesia* ; Lung* ; Mice ; Murinae* ; Rats ; Rodentia ; Seoul ; Thailand*

No Abstract Available.
Animals ; Hantavirus* ; Indonesia* ; Murinae* ; Thailand*

Objective To detect the mutation of CARD15 gene in a patient with sarcoidosis and tuberculosis.Methods Clinical data were collected from a 32-year-old male patient with early-onset sarcoidosis and tuberculosis.Peripheral blood was obtained from the patient,both of his parents,and 102 healthy controls.All the 12 exons of the coding regions as well as flanking intronic sequences of the CARD15 gene were amplified by PCR followed by direct sequencing.The resulted sequences were blasted against the reference sequences of CARD15 gene.Results Both clinical features and histopathological findings of the patient were consistent with sarcoidosis.Furthermore,the patient presented with flexion contractures of fingers and toes,as well as iridocyclitis.A heterozygous missense recurrent mutation c.1000C ＞ T (p.R334W) was detected in exon 4 of the CARD15 gene in the patient,but not in either of his parents or any of the 102 healthy controls.Conclusions A p.R334W mutation in the CARD15 is identified in the patient,which may be responsible for the clinical phenotype of earlyonset sarcoidosis.Gene analysis may be a useful method to clarify the etiology of early-onset sarcoidosis.

No abstract available.
Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

Since HantavaxTM, formalin inactivated Hantaan virus vaccine (10,240 ELISA units/ml), has been developed in 1990 to prevent against haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Hantaan or Seoul virus, it has been commercially available in Korea. Twenty-one healthy people were booster shot once and twice after primary basic vaccination with HantavaxTM. Seroconversion rates were measured by immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high density composite particle agglutination (HDPA), and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Seroconversion rates of 21 vaccinees at one year after primary basic vaccination were 52.3%, 95.2%, 0.0%, 47.6%, and 28.6%, and 13 vaccinees of one month after 1st booster vaccination were 100%, 100%, 30.7%, 100% and 100% by IFAT, ELISA (IgG, IgM), HDPA and PRNT, respectively. Seroconversion rates declined slightly by twenty months, and they were 84.6%, 92.3%, 0.0%, 84.6% and 69.2% by IFAT, ELISA (IgG, IgM), HDPA and PRNT, respectively. Seroconversion rates of 9 vaccinees at three months after 2nd booster vaccination were 100%, 100%, 0.0%, 100%, and 88.9%, and 16 vaccinees at one year after the 2nd booster vaccination were 87.5%, 93.8%, 0.0%, 87.5% and 81.3% by IFAT, ELISA (IgG, IgM), HDPA and PRNT, respectively. Based on the above result HantavaxTM has proved a vigorous anamnestic response after the 1st and the 2nd booster vaccination and has persisted higher fluorescence, agglutination and neutralizing antibody titers in vaccinees.
Agglutination ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fever* ; Fluorescence ; Formaldehyde ; Hantaan virus ; Korea ; Neutralization Tests ; Seoul virus ; Vaccination