Enhancement of infectivity of hantavirus in cell culture by centrifugation

MCMV Centrifugal Enhancement: A New Spin on an Old Topic

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen infecting a majority of people worldwide, with diseases ranging from mild to life-threatening. Its clinical relevance in immunocompromised people and congenital infections have made treatment and vaccine development a top priority. Because of cytomegaloviruses' species specificity, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) models have historically informed and advanced translational CMV therapies. Using the phenomenon of centrifugal enhancement, we explored differences between MCMVs derived in vitro and in vivo. We found centrifugal enhancement on tissue culture-derived virus (TCV) was ~3× greater compared with salivary gland derived virus (SGV). Using novel "flow virometry", we found that TCV contained a distinct submicron particle composition compared to SGV. Using an inhibitor of exosome production, we show these submicron particles are not extracellular vesicles that contribute to centrifugal enhancement. We examined how these differences in submicron particles potentially contribute to differing centrifugal enhancement phenotypes, as well as broader in vivo vs. in vitro MCMV differences.

Isolated peritoneal lymphomatosis defined as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after a liver transplant: A case report

BACKGROUND

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a fatal complication of solid organ transplantation or allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation that is associated with immunosuppressive therapy. Potential manifestations are diverse, ranging from reactive lymphoid hyperplasia to high-grade lymphoma. PTLD is usually of B-cell origin and associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Herein, we describe a case of PTLD involving the peritoneal omentum. There has been only case of PTLD as a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the peritoneum.

CASE SUMMARY

The patient was a 62-year-old man who had been receiving immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus since undergoing a liver transplant 15 years prior. He reported that he had experienced abdominal discomfort and anorexia 1 month prior to the current admission. Abdominal pelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed peritoneal and omental mass-like lesions without bowel obstruction. Ultrasonography-guided biopsy was performed, and he was histologically diagnosed with EBV-negative DLBCL. Positron emission tomography (PET)-CT depicted peritoneum and omentum involvement only, without any lymphadenopathy or organ masses, including in the gastrointestinal tract. Six cycles of chemotherapy with a “R-CHOP“ regimen (rituximab-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone) were administered, and PET-CT performed thereafter indicated complete remission.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report of isolated peritoneal lymphomatosis defined as PTLD in a liver transplant recipient.

Isolation and characterization of hantaviruses in Far East Russia and etiology of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the region

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a serious public health issue in Far East Russia. Two different hantaviruses were isolated from rodents captured in the Khabarovsk region: Amur virus (AMRV; Khekhtsir/AP209/2005 strain from Apodemus peninsulae) and Hantaan virus (HTNV; Galkino/AA57/2002 strain from A. agrarius). Genetic analysis of the new isolates revealed that the M and L segments were apparently different between AMRV and HTNV, but S segments of the two viruses were closer. The antigenicities of AMRV, HTNV, and Seoul virus (SEOV) were differentiated by cross-neutralization. Serological differential diagnoses of 67 HFRS patients in the Prymorsky and Khabarovsk regions of Far East Russia were conducted using a neutralization test. The results revealed that the major cause of HFRS varied with location in Far East Russia: SEOV for Vladivostok city in the Prymorsky region, AMRV in rural areas of the Primorsky region, and probably HTNV for the Khabarovsk region.

An efficient in vivo method for the isolation of Puumala virus in Syrian hamsters and the characterization of the isolates from Russia

Puumala virus (PUUV) and other Arvicolinae-borne hantaviruses are difficult to cultivate in cell culture. To isolate these hantaviruses efficiently, hantavirus nucleocapsid protein (NP)-positive but seronegative wild rodents were selected by NP-detection ELISA. Three of 68 Myodes glareolus captured in Samara, Russia, were NP-positive and seronegative. Syrian hamsters were inoculated with lung homogenates from NP-positive rodents for virus propagation. Virus isolation in vitro was carried out by inoculation of lung homogenates of NP-positive hamsters to Vero E6 cell monolayers. Two PUUV strains (Samara49/CG/2005 and Samara94/CG/2005) from M. glareolus were isolated in Vero E6 cells. Nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities of the S segment of these isolates to those of PUUV F-s808 from a fatal HFRS patient in Samara region were 96.7-99.3% and 99.3-100.0%, respectively. Morphologic features of Vero E6 cells infected with PUUV strain Samara49/CG/2005 were quite similar to those of Hantaan virus-infected cells. Isolation of Hokkaido virus from Myodes rufocanus captured in Hokkaido, Japan, was also performed. Hokkaido virus NP and RNA were recovered and maintained in hamsters. These results suggest that inoculation of Syrian hamsters with rodent samples is an efficient method for the isolation and maintenance of PUUV and other Arvicolinae-borne hantaviruses.

Spinoculation of heparan sulfate deficient cells enhances HSV-1 entry, but does not abolish the need for essential glycoproteins in viral fusion

Cell surface heparan sulfate functions as a co-receptor in HSV-1 entry. In order to study its significance in context with specific gD receptors (nectin-1, HVEM, and 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate) a low speed centrifugation based virus inoculation (spinoculation) method was used. The experiments were performed at 1200 x g using glycosylaminoglycan positive (GAG+) or deficient (GAG-) cells expressing gD receptors. Clearly, spinoculation of GAG- nectin-1 or HVEM cells enhanced significantly viral entry compared to similar but unspun cells. The enhanced entry was due to increased virus deposition at the cell surface and not due to pelleting of the virus. Among the gD receptors, spinoculated GAG- HVEM cells showed restoration of HSV-1 entry compared to unspinoculated GAG+ HVEM cells. In contrast, spinoculated GAG- nectin-1 cells showed less entry than unspinoculated GAG+ nectin-1 cells. GAG- 3-O-sulfotransferase-expressing cells or heparinase treated GAG+ 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate cells, in contrast, remained resistant to entry even after spinoculation. To investigate further, any potential effects of centrifugation on membrane fusion, a virus-free cell fusion assay was performed. Clearly, spinning had no effects on cell fusion, nor could it replace the need for all four essential glycoproteins. Taken together these results suggest that heparan sulfate plays a role of an attachment receptor, which could be substituted by spinoculation. This effect, however, varies with the gD receptor used, which in turn, could be used as a means for identifying gD receptor usage for entry into a cell type.

Identification of a cell surface 30 kDa protein as a candidate receptor for Hantaan virus

Cellular receptors play an important role in virus pathogenesis. As a first step in virus infection, viruses attach to specific receptors on the surface of cells; Hantaan virus infects susceptible cells by attaching to a receptor located on the cell surface. To date, the identity of the Hantaan virus host cell receptor remains unknown. To determine the protein on the cell surface to which Hantaan virus binds, a virus overlay protein-binding assay was performed with radiolabelled virus. A 30 kDa (30K) protein was identified as a putative receptor for Hantaan virus. The specificity of virus interactions with this protein was demonstrated with a competition assay using unlabelled Hantaan virus and poliovirus. Unlabelled Hantaan virus inhibited the binding of radiolabelled Hantaan virus to this 30 kDa protein, whereas poliovirus did not. A polyclonal antibody against the 30K protein blocked binding of Hantaan virus to Vero-E6 cells and, consequently, virus infection. Blocking with the anti-30K antibody reduced virus infection of cells by 70%. These data strongly suggest that the 30 kDa surface protein is a putative receptor for Hantaan virus.

Improving the rate of infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in cell culture using centrifugation

Centrifugation was evaluated as a method to improve infectivity assays of Cryptosporidium parvum in cell culture using the focus detection method, an immunofluorescence-based method for detecting infectious C. parvum oocysts in vitro. Human ileocecal adenocarcinoma (HCT-8) cells were grown for 48 hr on 13-mm cover slips in 24-well microtiter plates and infected with bleach-treated C. parvum oocysts. Plates were centrifuged at 228 g for 10 min and incubated at 37 C for 5, 12, 18, 24, and 48 hr. Foci of infection were stained by immunofluorescence and enumerated using epifluorescent microscopy. Results were compared to noncentrifuged controls. Foci in centrifuged samples could be enumerated after 18 hr. According to most probable number (MPN) analysis, the number of infectious oocysts estimated at 48 hr (13,326 infectious oocysts) was reached by 18 hr in centrifuged samples. After 48 hr, there was no significant difference (P < 0.05) between centrifuged and noncentrifuged samples enumerated by number of foci or the MPN of infectious oocysts. Centrifugation may expedite detection during C. parvum infectivity assays. Furthermore, multiwell plate formats are more cost effective than traditional chamber slides.