OBJECTIVE: This study summarizes and compares clinical and laboratory characteristics of 34 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China from Jan. 22 to Mar. 5, 2020. METHODS: A total of 34 patients were divided into two groups, including those who required noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) with additional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in 11 patients. Clinical features of COVID-19 patients were described and the parameters of clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The rates of the acute cardiac and kidney complications were higher in IMV cases than those in NIV cases. Most patients had lymphocytopenia on admission, with lymphocyte levels dropping progressively on the following days, and the more severe lymphopenia developed in the IMV group. In both groups, T lymphocyte counts were below typical lower limit norms compared to B lymphocytes. On admission, both groups had higher than expected amounts of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), which over time declined more in NIV patients. The prothrombin time was increased and the levels of platelet, hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and IL-6 were higher in IMV cases compared with NIV cases during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Data showed that the rates of complications, dynamics of lymphocytopenia, and changes in levels of platelet, hemoglobin, BUN, D-dimer, LDH and IL-6, and prothrombin time in these ICU patients were significantly different between IMV and NIV cases.
Acute Kidney Injury ; virology ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Betacoronavirus ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; therapy ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; analysis ; Heart Diseases ; virology ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; blood ; Lymphopenia ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Noninvasive Ventilation ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; therapy ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Prothrombin Time ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of BK polymavirus (BKV) infection and the optimal time window for intervention in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and treatment regimens in 226 KTRs in our center between January, 2013 and January, 2018. Among the recipients, 157 had a urine BKV load ≥1.0×10 copy/mL after transplantation, and 69 had a urine BKV load below 1.0×10 copy/mL (control group). RESULTS: Among the 157 KTRs, 60 (38.2%) recipients were positive for urine BKV, 66 (42.0%) had BKV viruria, and 31(19.7%) had BKV viremia. The incidence of positive urine occult blood was significantly higher in BKV-positive recipients than in the control group ( < 0.05). The change of urine BKV load was linearly related to that of Tacrolimus trough blood level (=0.351, < 0.05). In urine BKV positive group, the average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was below the baseline level (60 mL·min·1.73 m) upon diagnosis of BKV infection reactivation, and recovered the normal level after intervention. In patients with BKV viruria and viremia, the average eGFR failed to return to the baseline level in spite of improvement of the renal function after intervention. CONCLUSIONS Positive urine occult blood after transplantation may be associated with BKV infection reactivation in some of the KTRs. BKV infection is sensitive to changes of plasma concentration of immunosuppressive agents. Early intervention of BKV replication in KTRs with appropriate dose reduction for immunosuppression can help to control virus replication and stabilize the allograft function.
BK Virus ; physiology ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Polyomavirus Infections ; virology ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplant Recipients ; Tumor Virus Infections ; virology ; Viral Load ; Virus Replication

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) strain SD1511 was isolated from chickens with severe inclusion body hepatitis and hydropericardium syndrome in Shandong Province, China. The isolate was cultured in primary chicken embryo kidney cells. A study of pathogenicity indicated that SD1511 readily infected 7-35-d-old chickens by intramuscular injection and intranasal and oral routes, causing 50%-100% mortality. The 35-d-old chickens suffered more severe infection than 7- and 21-d-old chickens with mortality highest in the intramuscular injection group. The serum from surviving chickens showed potent viral neutralizing capability. The complete genome of SD1511 was sequenced and analyzed. The strain was found to belong to the FAdV-4 cluster with more than 99% identity with the virulent FAdV-4 strains isolated in China in recent years except for some distinct variations, including deletions of open reading frame 27 (ORF27), ORF48, and part of ORF19. Our findings suggest that SD1511 might be used as a prototype strain for the study of pathogenesis and vaccine development.
Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Aviadenovirus/pathogenicity* ; Cell Line ; Chick Embryo/virology* ; Chickens/virology* ; China ; Gene Deletion ; Genetic Variation ; Genome ; Genome, Viral ; Genomics ; Kidney/virology* ; Liver/virology* ; Open Reading Frames ; Poultry Diseases/virology* ; Serogroup ; Viral Load ; Virulence ; Virus Diseases/virology*

OBJECTIVETo analyze the reason and treatment of the complications of 61 cases of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in order to improve survival rate of ECMO treatment.

METHODSECMO records from January 2007 to December 2014 in Shanghai Chest Hospital were investigated retrospectively focusing on complications. There were included 43 male and 18 female patients, age 3 to 66 years. Indications for ECMO included post-operative low cardiac output, viral myocarditis, bridge to heart transplantation, acute respiratory distress syndrome and myocardial infarction. There were 49 cases of veno-arterial ECMO and 12 cases of veno-venous ECMO.

RESULTSECMO duration was 2 to 61 days. Among 43 patients, 37 patients weaned from ECMO successfully and 28 survived to discharge. Various complications occurred to 56 patients, including oxygenator plasma leakage(4 case times), circuit emboli (7), hemolysis (4), bleeding (34), infection (8), acute kidney injury (35), lower limb ischemia (8) and neurologic complications (6). There were 49 cases times of complications in survivors, while 61 cases times in death group. Bleeding (10 time cases) and acute kidney injury (33 time cases) happened in the death group. Progresses in ECMO technique had influences on complications in some parts. For instance, incidence of lower limb ischemia was 6/7 in cutdown cannulating group, but reduced to 2/42(4.8%) when semi-open technique was applied.

CONCLUSIONSComplications in ECMO are relative to patients' outcome intimately. Appropriate prevention and treatment of complication play a major role in the success of ECMO support. The incidences of certain complications reduce significantly due to progresses of equipment and medical experiences.

Acute Disease ; Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; adverse effects ; Female ; Heart Transplantation ; Hemorrhage ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocarditis ; virology ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

A 68-year old man diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) presented with multiple pneumonic infiltrations on his chest X-ray, and the patient was placed on a mechanical ventilator because of progressive respiratory failure. Urinary protein excretion steadily increased for a microalbumin to creatinine ratio of 538.4 mg/g Cr and a protein to creatinine ratio of 3,025.8 mg/g Cr. The isotope dilution mass spectrometry traceable serum creatinine level increased to 3.0 mg/dL. We performed a kidney biopsy 8 weeks after the onset of symptoms. Acute tubular necrosis was the main finding, and proteinaceous cast formation and acute tubulointerstitial nephritis were found. There were no electron dense deposits observed with electron microscopy. We could not verify the virus itself by in situ hybridization and confocal microscopy (MERS-CoV co-stained with dipeptidyl peptidase 4). The viremic status, urinary virus excretion, and timely kidney biopsy results should be investigated with thorough precautions to reveal the direct effects of MERS-CoV with respect to renal complications.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Coronavirus Infections/*diagnosis/virology ; Creatinine/blood/urine ; Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/metabolism ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Kidney/metabolism/*pathology ; Male ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus/*genetics/isolation & purification ; RNA, Viral/genetics/metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serum Albumin/analysis

Cytosolic retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) is an important innate immune RNA sensor and can induce antiviral cytokines, e.g., interferon-β (IFN-β). Innate immune response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) plays a pivotal role in viral clearance and persistence. However, knowledge of the role that RIG-I plays in HBV infection is limited. The woodchuck is a valuable model for studying HBV infection. To characterize the molecular basis of woodchuck RIG-I (wRIG-I), we analyzed the complete coding sequences (CDSs) of wRIG-I, containing 2778 base pairs that encode 925 amino acids. The deduced wRIG-I protein was 106.847 kD with a theoretical isoelectric point (pI) of 6.07, and contained three important functional structures [caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs), DExD/H-box helicases, and a repressor domain (RD)]. In woodchuck fibroblastoma cell line (WH12/6), wRIG-I-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) down-regulated RIG-I and its downstrean effector-IFN-β transcripts under RIG-I' ligand, 5'-ppp double stranded RNA (dsRNA) stimulation. We also measured mRNA levels of wRIG-I in different tissues from healthy woodchucks and in the livers from woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV)-infected woodchucks. The basal expression levels of wRIG-I were abundant in the kidney and liver. Importantly, wRIG-I was significantly up-regulated in acutely infected woodchuck livers, suggesting that RIG-I might be involved in WHV infection. These results may characterize RIG-I in the woodchuck model, providing a strong basis for further study on RIG-I-mediated innate immunity in HBV infection.
Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cloning, Molecular ; DEAD Box Protein 58 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; immunology ; Fibroblasts ; immunology ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Hepatitis B ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; veterinary ; Hepatitis B Virus, Woodchuck ; Immunity, Innate ; Interferon-beta ; genetics ; immunology ; Isoelectric Point ; Kidney ; immunology ; pathology ; virology ; Liver ; immunology ; pathology ; virology ; Marmota ; genetics ; immunology ; virology ; Open Reading Frames ; Protein Domains ; RNA, Double-Stranded ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rodent Diseases ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; virology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN) is an important cause of allograft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients. It has an unfavorable clinical course, and no definite treatment guidelines have yet been established. Here, we report our center's experience with biopsy-proven BKVAN and investigate factors associated with its progression. METHODS: From January 2004 to April 2013, 25 patients with BKVAN were diagnosed by biopsy at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Of the 25 patients, 10 were deceaseddonor transplant recipients and 15 were living-donor transplant recipients. Three of the patients underwent retransplantation. The primary immunosuppressant used was tacrolimus in 17 patients and cyclosporine in eight patients. RESULTS: BKVAN was observed at a mean duration of 22.8 ± 29.1 months after transplantation. The mean serum creatinine level at biopsy was 2.2 ± 0.7 mg/dL. BKVAN occurred with acute rejection in eight patients (28%). Immunosuppression modification was performed in 21 patients (84%). Additionally, leflunomide and intravenous immunoglobulin were administered to 13 patients (52%) and two (8%), respectively. Allograft loss occurred in five patients (27.8%) during the follow- up period at 0.7, 17.1, 21.8, 39.8, and 41.5 months after the BKVAN diagnosis. Advanced stages of BKVAN, increased creatinine levels, and accompanying acute rejection at the time of BKVAN diagnosis increased the risk of allograft failure. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical outcomes in patients with biopsy-proven BKVAN were unfavorable in the present study, especially in patients with advanced-stage BKVAN, poor renal function, and acute allograft rejection.
Adult ; Allografts ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; BK Virus/*pathogenicity ; Biomarkers/blood ; Biopsy ; Creatinine/blood ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Graft Rejection/diagnosis/drug therapy/immunology/*virology ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Kidney Transplantation/*adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/immunology/*virology ; Polyomavirus Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/immunology/*virology ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Virus Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/immunology/*virology

In this study, pEGFP-N1 was chosen as the reporter plasmid and transferred into Ctenopharyngodon idellus kidney (CIK) cells by electroporation, and the optimal electroporation conditions were determined by testing the transfection efficiency with different voltages, pulse times, plasmid amounts, and numbers of shocks. The results showed that the maximum electroporation efficiency was achieved under the following conditions in a 0.2 cm electroporation cuvette containing CIK cells (1.5 x 10(7)/mL, 200 microl): electric voltage 200 V, pulse time 45 ms, plasmid 30 microg, and one electric shock. The total genomic RNA of grass carp reovirus (GCRV) was extracted in this experiment and reversely transcribed into cDNA, which was used to amplify the gene segment of GCRV non-structural protein NS26 using designed specific primers. The PCR product was recombined into pEGFP-N1 vector. The fusion protein EGFP-NS26 was successfully and efficiently expressed in the CIK cells by electroporation, which was confirmed by both fluorescent imaging and Western blot analysis. This experiment laid a foundation for further functional studies of the non-structural protein NS26 of GCRV.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cyprinidae ; Electroporation ; Fish Diseases ; virology ; Gene Expression ; Kidney ; virology ; Reoviridae ; genetics ; physiology ; Reoviridae Infections ; veterinary ; virology ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the renal function in treatment-naive patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) related cirrhosis and to identify the risk factors for renal impairment.

METHODSWe collected the data of 860 HBV-related cirrhosis patients hospitalized in our unit between Jan 1, 2011 and Dec 31, 2011. Liver function of the patients was assessed with Child-Pugh score system, and the renal function with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation recommended by Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI). We investigated the prevalence of renal impairment (eGFR>60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) among these patients and explored the risk factors for renal impairment.

RESULTSOf the 860 patients, 296 had complete clinical data and were included in our analysis. The overall incidence of renal impairment among the enrolled patients was 8.45% (25/296). Patients with Child-Pugh stage C showed a significantly higher incidence of renal impairment than those with stages B and A (17.17% [17/99] vs 6.67%[7/105] vs 1.09% [1/92], P<0.001). Age, history of hyperuricemia, and Child-Pugh score were identified as the risk factors for renal impairment in these patients.

CONCLUSIONIn patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis, the incidence of renal impairment increases significantly with deterioration of the liver function, and renal function should be regularly monitored in these patients for appropriate antiviral treatment.

Adult ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; physiopathology ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of occult HBV infection depends on the prevalence of HBV infection in the general population. Hemodialysis patients are at increased risk for HBV infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of occult HBV infection in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Total of 98 patients undergoing hemodialysis in CHA Bundang Medical Center (Seongnam, Korea) were included. Liver function tests and analysis of HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and anti-HCV were performed. HBV DNA testing was conducted by using two specific quantitative methods. RESULTS: HBsAg was detected in 4 of 98 patients (4.1%), and they were excluded. Among 94 patients with HBsAg negative and anti-HCV negative, one (1.1%) patient with the TaqMan PCR test and 3 (3.2%) patients with the COBAS Amplicor HBV test were positive for HBV DNA. One patient was positive in both methods. Two patients were positive for both anti-HBs and anti-HBc and one patient was negative for both anti-HBs and anti-HBc. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed the prevalence of occult HBV infection in HBsAg negative and anti-HCV negative patients on hemodialysis at our center was 3.2%. Because there is possibility of HBV transmission in HBsAg negative patients on hemodialysis, more attention should be given to prevent HBV transmission.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies/blood ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Feces/*virology ; Female ; Hepatitis B/complications/*epidemiology/transmission ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens/immunology ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics/immunology ; Hepatitis C Antibodies/blood ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Renal Dialysis ; Risk Factors