CONTENTS
Taxonomy
- Present Status of Classification of Viruses of Vertebrates
KONRAD MALICKI and FELIX N. TOKAAbstract. The VIth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) was published in 1995. We have briefly characterized its contents and discussed the most important changes that have been made in the classification of viruses of vertebrates. The present line up of families and genera of viruses of vertebrates, and subviral agents and unassigned viruses is also provided. We propose an allocation of families of viruses of vertebrates according to a conjectural evolutional connection between the type and class of genomic nucleic acid. Finally the directions and intentions of the ICTV have been reviewed from the Virology Division News in Archives of Virology (1994/1995). These will be considered in the VIIth Report of the ICTV scheduled for publication after the XIth International Congress of Virology in Sydney in 1999.
Keywords: virus taxonomy; viruses of vertebrates.brates.
- Hepatotropic Viruses Seen by Clinicians
WŁADYSŁAWA ZIELIŃSKA and TOMASZ SMIATACZAbstract. During last decades we have been witnessing substantial progress in hepatology, particularly in relation to viral hepatitis. Novel diagnostic tools allowed researchers to define new etiological agents, understand, their epidemiology and pathogenesis as well as develop effective preventive measures. However, several important questions still remain to be answered and no satisfactory therapeutical agents for chronic hepatitis are available. Basic epidemiological, preventive and clinical aspects of viral hepatitis are being discussed in this paper.
Keywords: viral hepatitis; epidemiology; hepatitis A virus; hepatitis B virus: hepatitis C virus. virus.
Etiopathogenesis
- Cytomegalovirus and Atherosclerosis
JOSEPH L. MELNICK, ERVIN ADAM and MICHAEL E. DEBAKEYAbstract. The investigations reviewed in this paper provide evidence that a member of the herpesvirus family can cause atherosclerosis in chickens. In vitro experiments, as well as studies of arteries from infected birds, suggest that a virus-induced alteration of cellular metabolism, which results in the accumulation of cholesterol and cholesteryl esters, may be the primary mechanism in development of viral atherosclerosis. In addition, the fact that the same avian virus induces a malignant lymphoma suggests that it may also have the potential to stimulate the proliferation of other cells, notably arterial smooth muscle cells. The evidence for involvement of one or more members of the herpesvirus family in human atherosclerosis is much more circumstantial. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is prevalent, increasing with age, so that a majority of the human population becomes infected by adulthood. As with other herpesviruses, the infection with CMV is usually subclinical or latent. Although the sites of latency for CMV have not been established, both smooth muscle and leukocytes are likely possibilites. The observations of viral antigens and nucleic acid sequences, but not infectious virus, in arterial smooth muscle cells suggests that latent CMV infection of the arterial wall may be common in patients with atherosclerosis.
Keywords: atherosclerosis; cytomegalovirus.ovirus.
- Characterization of Rotaviral RNA Isolated from Children with Gastroenteritis in Poland
ZOFIA SZCZEPANIAK, WŁODZIMIERZ GUT and ZDZISŁAW JARZĄBEKAbstract. Rotaviruses were detected in 37% (331/895) of stool specimens collected from children with gastroenteritis attending three hospitals in Warsaw between January 1981 and March 1994. An analysis of rotavirus electrophoretypes circulating in Warsaw and Cracow, Poland, over 6 years showed that all 176 electrophoretypes encountered were characteristic of group A rotaviruses. Based on variations in the migration pattern of RNA genome segments when passed through polyacrylamide gels,10 different electrophoretypes were identified: 86% were long patterns and 14% were short patterns. Mixed infections were observed in two cases.
Keywords: rotavirus; RNA electrophoretype; molecular epidemiology.iology.
- Content of ß-Carotene in Blood Serum of Human Papillomavirus Infected Women with Cervical Dysplasias
ANNA KWAŚNIEWSKA, ANNA TUKENDORF and MARIAN SEMCZUKAbstract. Studies were carried out in 528 women hospitalized in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Academy in Lublin. Besides the control group, patients were classified according to the observed histopathological changes in the cervix (CIN) and found infections with human papillomavirus (HPV). In a11 cases ß-carotene content in blood serum was examined. HPV infection was probably a cause of decrease of ß-carotene content. It was found that with increased advancement of cervical dysplasia the level of ß-carotene in serum decreased.
Keywords: human papillomavirus; cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; ß-carotene level. level.
- Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection
HANNA KISZKISAbstract. The paper presents 66 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients (57 males, 9 females) with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. In 60 cases, hepatic cirrhosis was the primary hepatic disease, in 5 – chronic hepatitis, and in 1 – neoplasm developed in morphologically normal liver. Forty out of 66 patients were HBsAg seropositive. In 96% of the cases, anti-HBc antibodies were detected. In 76% of the cases, the infection was subclinical. In all patients, neoplasm was diagnosed in the late, symptomatic stage of the disease. Okuda’s classification was used to stage the disease. The following treatment methods were applied: surgical in 5 patients, embolization of hepatic artery with intra-arterial administration of cytostatics in 5, intravenous chemotherapy in 39, interferon a in lozenges in 15. In 44 patients, an objective response to treatment (according to WHO criteria) was achieved: in 5 (I and II Okuda’s stage) – a complete response (CR) for the period of 0.5-4 years, in 2 (III Okuda’s stage) – partial response (PR) with prolonged survival time up to 1 year, in 21 – no change (NC). The average survival time of non-treated and treated patients was, respectively: in the I Okuda’s stage 2.05 and 9.55 months, in stage II 1.36 and 7.36 months, in III stage 1.15 and 5.05 months. The differences in the average values are statistically significant. Only combined therapy, including both surgical and devascularization methods, applied to HCC patients results in achieving a long-lasting complete remission of the disease. Interferon a oral therapy improves the effects of the treatment.
Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; HBV infection; clinical course of the disease; diagnostics; treatment; oral interferon a .
- Acquirement of Susceptibility to Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infection by Murine Resident Peritoneal Cells during Culturing in Vitro
BEATA ORZECHOWSKA and ZOFIA BŁACH-OLSZEWSKAAbstract. We have studied the effect of culturing in vitro of BALB/c – mouse resident peritoneal cells (RPC) on their ability to replicate vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Results of 36 experiments performed on RPC, freshly isolated from individual female mice, showed that over 70% of them expressed constitutive antiviral immunity against VSV infection. The virus multiplied to low titers (? 103 TCID50/106 cells) only in 10 out of 36 cases. After several days in culture, the RPC were found to lose the resistance and VSV multiplied in the cells to high titers (up to 107 TCID50/106 cells). The time period, required for the cultures to reach a full ability to replicate the virus, was individually differentiated and ranged from 24 h to over 96 h.
Keywords: peritoneal cells; in vitro culture; constitutive immunity; vesicular stomatitis virus.
Immunodeficiency
- Syphilis and AIDS
JADWIGA PODWIŃSKAAbstract. Evidence is shown that syphilis has become a major public health problem again. From 1988 to 1995 the permanently growing number of new cases of syphilis in the world was observed. The majority of the syphilitic cases in the patients are difficult for curing. The central nervous system is often involved in early syphilis. Previously the neurosyphilis was very rare. The reason for development of this stage of syphilis, may be an inadequate treatment as well as a weakening of the immunological responses. The latter one very often is caused by additional non-symptomatic infection including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Syphilitic ulcers act as a portal of entry for HIV. Analysis of cases with double infection with Treponema pallidum and HIV indicate that HIV infection may accelerate the course of syphilis and the presence of syphilis may also have influence on progression of the chronic HIV infection to AIDS. Taking into account that HIV infection alters the response to the treatment also, one can suggest that all of the patients with syphilis should be examined for the presence of HIV infection.
Keywords: Treponema pallidum; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). (HIV).
- Does Hepatitis B Virus or Hepatitis C Virus Infection Influence CD4 Count in HIV-Positive Individuals?
TOMASZ SMIATACZ and WŁADYSŁAWA ZIELIŃSKAAbstract. Objective of the study was to determine whether there is any influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on CD4 count decline rate in HIV-infected individuals. Retrospective analysis of consecutive CD4 counts was conducted in 72 HIV-infected untreated individuals (including 57 intravenous drug addict (i.v.d.a.)) in relation to their serological markers of HBV and HCV infection and the history of i.v. substance abuse. Anti-HBc seropositive individuals had slower CD4 count decline rates compared to anti-HBc seronegative ones (-0.20%/month vs. -2.90%/month, Kruskal-Wallis H = 4.77, p = 0.029). Anti-HCV serostatus had no influence on CD4 count decline rates (-0.47%/month for anti-HCV seropositive persons vs. -0.61%/month for anti-HCV seronegative ones, p = 0.91). History of i.v. substance abuse did not affect the CD4 count decline rates too (-0.83 for i.v.d.a. vs. +0.74 for non-i.v.d.a., p = 0.26). In our study HIV-infected individuals seropositive for anti-HBc tended to have substantially lower CD4 count decline rates compared to seronegative ones. Neither anti-HCV serostatus nor the history of i.v. substance abuse influenced the CD4 count decline rate. This observation arises question about the possible nature (molecular?, immune-based?) of potential mutual interactions between HIV and HBV infections.
Keywords: hepatitis B virus; hepatitis C virus; human immunodeficiency virus; substance abuse; CD4; lymphocyte subsets.ocyte subsets.
- Long-Term Assessment of Interferon Responses in the HIV + and AIDS Patients
EGBERT PIASECKI, BRYGIDA KNYSZ, MAŁGORZATA INGLOT, KRZYSZTOF SIMON and ANDRZEJ GŁADYSZAbstract. Impairment of interferon (IFN) system in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) became a basis for searching IFN responses to monitor the disease progression. For detailed investigations 16 HIV+/AIDS patients with at least 4 successively taken blood samples available for IFN determinations were selected. IFN responses were tested in two ways. Firstly, IFN level in plasma was measured. Secondly, capacity of IFN production by leukocytes was evaluated. The latter was determined in the whole blood assay, in which Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were used as IFN-a and IFN-g inducers, respectively. The levels of IFN induced in whole blood leukocytes varied considerably in all individuals that had been tested. Nevertheless, two patterns of IFN responses were observed. In pattern I, patients had low levels of IFN in plasma and high levels of induced IFN-a and IFN-g . It was characteristic for 8 patients in good clinical condition. On the contrary, severe disease found in 2 patients was correlated with high levels of IFN in plasma and low levels of induced IFNs (pattern II). In 6 patients IFN responses were classified as intermediate pattern I/II suggesting transition from pattern I to pattern II. A variation of pattern I was found in the case of a patient defined as long-term survivor having relatively low levels of all IFN tested. The results suggested that interferon measurements reflected clinical condition of HIV+ patients showing not only past but also current immune changes.
Keywords: interferons; interferon induction; HIV-positive patients; HIV progression marker.
- Interferon and Tumor Necrosis Factor Production by peripheral Blood Leukocytes of Patients With Infectious Mononucleosis
TERESA KAMIŃSKA, MARTYNA KANDEFER-SZERSZEŃ, AGNIESZKA SZUSTER-CIESIELSKA, GRAŻYNA RZESZOWSKA, HALINA MARKOWSKA and ROMANA MODRZEWSKAAbstract. Blood samples from 29 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) in phases of acute disease and convalescence were obtained. Interferon a (IFN-a ) and tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a ) activity was detected in sera of patients both in: acute and convalescence phase, however when IFN titers were higher in the acute than convalescence phase, TNF titers were the highest in convalescence. In the whole blood assay Newcastle disease virus (NDV), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used as cytokine inducers. A significant decrease in IFN titer induced in vitro with NDV, PHA and coon was observed in blood leukocytes of patients in the acute IM phase. In convalescence the ability of blood leukocyte of IM patients to produce IFN returned to normal, comparable with control. However, blood leukocytes of IM patients in the acute phase produced more TNF in response to LPs than in convalescence. The role of the observed overproduction of TNF in the course of IM similar to that in HIV infection should be elucidaeed.
Keywords: infectious mononucleosis; interferons; tumor necrosis factor; human leukocytes.
- Comparison of the Long-Term Effects of Treatment with Oral and Parenteral Interferon a in Chronic Viral Hepatitis Patients
WŁADYSŁAWA ZIELIŃSKA, ANNA KORCZAK-ROGOŃ, JACEK PASZKIEWICZ, MACIEJ KOWALIK, JOSEPH M. CUMMINS and JERZY A. GEORGIADESAbstract. This report presents the interferon a (IFN-a ) treatment results for 75 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) (51 cases) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) (24 cases) induced hepatitis in maximal 61 months follow-up. Among the group of 51 patients with chronic HBV hepatitis, 35 were treated orally with IFN-a in the form of lozenges in low daily doses (37.5 -150 U). The treatment was completed in 32 cases. The remaining 16 patients with chronic HBV hepatitis completed the treatment with parenteral IFN-a (3 x 106 U, 3 times a week). Positive results measured by the use of seroconversion in the HBe-antigen system were obtained for 68.7% (5-61 months follow-up) and 56.2% (7-44 months follow-up) of the patients treated with oral and parenteral IFN-a , respectively. Among the group of 24 patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, the first 6 patients were initially treated with IFN-a in the form of lozenges, in low daily doses. Biochemical remission was not achieved in these patients; genotype 1b was documened in 4 of them. Both, the first 6 patients (after a break) and the remaining 18 were treated with IFN-a parenterally, as in HBV patients. Temporary clinical and biochemical remission was achieved in 62.5% of the cases during the treatment, however the durable remission observed during 6 – 29 months of follow-up was achieved in 20.4 of the cases only.
Keywords: interferon a ; interferon a in low oral doses; interferon a in parenteral use; hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients treatment; hepatitis C virus patients treatment.
Vaccines and Therapy
- Viral Vaccines: Selected Topics
MIROSŁAW KAŃTOCHAbstract. Significant role of viruses in pathology, their dominating position in etiology of infectious diseases point at the special position of active prophylactic procedures based on vaccination. The real role and value of viral vaccines of classic and modern generations, the limitation of immune potency in suppression of defence mechanisms, some problems of immunization against virus vertical transmission are presented in the paper. The reader may find tables which cumulate selected but significant patterns of viral vaccines and vaccinations, and selected papers devoted to topics discussed.
Keywords: viral vaccines; immunodeficiency; vertical transmission.ission.
- Controlling Orthopoxvirus Infections – 200 Years after Jenner’s Revolutionary Immunization
MAREK G. NIEMIAŁTOWSKI, FELIX N. TOKA, ELŻBIETA MALICKA, MAŁGORZATA GIERYŃSKA, IRMA SPOHR DE FAUNDEZ and ADA SCHOLLENBERGERAbstract. An 11-year global WHO campaign for eradication of smallpox finished in October 1977 as the result of Edward Jenner’s primary success in 1796, who for the first time applied human vaccination against variola virus (VARV). The 200th anniversary of this happening is a good occasion to summarize the current status of the knowledge about the role of B and T lymphocytes in the control of orthopoxvirus infections. This short review concentrates on general characteristics of orthopoxviruses and the immune response to infection, mainly by vaccinia virus (VV) and ectromelia virus (EV).
Keywords: orthopoxviruses; cellular and humoral immunity.oral immunity.
- Studies on the Stability of HSV-1 Temperature Sensitive 28oC Clone
BOGUMII.A LITWIIVSKA, AGNIESZKA BIESIADECKA and MIROSŁ,AW KAIVTOCHAbstract. The temperature mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1 has been received. The following properties on different levels of passages were investigated: stability of virulence, virus infection titer and immunogenicity. The virulence stability was expressed by percent of survivors and mean survival time in infected mice (CFW/Pzh and BALB/cPzh strains). Virus infection titer’s stability was measured after prolonged exposure of temperature sensitive mutant (ts 28oC) to critical temperatures (+4oC and from +20oC to +23oC). Stability of immunogenic potency of ts 28oC was evaluated in mice immunized with the virus on different level of passages and after that they were challenged with highly pathogenic temperature resistant clone (tr 39oC). The performed experiments proved the stability of investigated features.
Keywords: herpes simplex virus; temperature mutants; stability.ts; stability.
- Influenza : Problem in Poland as Elsewhere
WIESŁAW MAGDZIK and LIDIA B. BRYDAKAbstract. The present paper deals with the epidemiological and clinical properties of influenza, taking into consideration differences in the course of the disease its consequences, and infections in high-risk groups. Special attention was paid to problems connected with influenza prophylaxis, and especially to the problem of vaccination. The authors point out that if the vaccine contains recommended strains for a given season and if the vaccination is done in the proper time, the immunity obtained in this way is effective.
Keywords: epidemiology of influenza; influenza vaccination; immunity; vaccine.accine.
- Characteristic of Humoral Response of Elderly to Inactivated Influenza Vaccine
JOANNA SIENNICKAAbstract. Eighty persons immunized with inactivated influenza vaccine in 1990-1991 epidemic season were examined. Serological tests: hemagglutination inhibition (HI), lectin neuraminidase (LN) and Western blot were performed with serum specimens taken before and 3-4 weeks after vaccination. Distribution of anti-influenza antibodies in the subclass was also examined. The results revealed humoral response to vaccine strains of influenza virus and also to strains caused infections in the past.
Keywords: influenza vaccination; elderly; humoral response.sponse.
- Phosprenyl: A Novel Drug with Antiviral And Immunomodulatory Activity
LEONID L. DANILOV, SERGEY D. MALTSEV, ANNA V. DEYEVA, ALEXANDER N. NAROVLYANSKY, ALEXANDER V. SANIN, SERGEY V. OZHERELKOV and ALEXANDER V. PRONIN
Abstract. A novel antiviral drug with immunomodulatory activity (Phosprenyl) is presented. The main active ingredient of the preparation is polyprenyl phosphates. This medicine is highly efficient against a number of viruses, including HIV in vitro, and tick-borne encephalitis and rabies viruses in the experimental models in vivo. In veterinary practice Phosprenyl is now regarded as an effective therapeutic means for treatment of canine distemper, hepatitis, enteritis, etc.
Keywords: Phosprenyl; polyprenyl phosphates; treatment of viral diseases.seases.