1
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Loeb K, Lemaille C, Frederick C, Wallace HL, Kindrachuk J. Harnessing high-throughput OMICS in emerging zoonotic virus preparedness and response activities. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024:167337. [PMID: 38986821 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging viruses pose unpredictable and significant challenges to global health. Emerging zoonotic infectious diseases, which are transmitted between humans and non-human animals, have been estimated to be responsible for nearly two-thirds of emerging infectious disease events and emergence events attributed to these pathogens have been increasing in frequency with the potential for high global health and economic burdens. In this review we will focus on the application of highthroughput OMICS approaches to emerging zoonotic virus investigtations. We highlight the key contributions of transcriptome and proteome investigations to emerging zoonotic virus preparedness and response activities with a focus on SARS-CoV-2, avian influenza virus subtype H5N1, and Orthoebolavirus investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristi Loeb
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Candice Lemaille
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Christina Frederick
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Hannah L Wallace
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jason Kindrachuk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
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2
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Demyashkin G, Kogan E, Boldyrev D, Demura T, Tyatyushkina A, Annenkova E, Semenov K, Zorin I, Zverev A. Molecular changes in the testes of COVID-19 patients. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:3731-3736. [PMID: 37325835 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2224881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
After the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists and clinicians around the world have significantly expanded understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease as well as the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on various organs and tissues. To date, it is accepted to consider the new coronavirus infection as a multisystem disease, but the data on the effect on fertility remains unclear. Previous works by other authors have presented controversial results, and there is no evidence of a direct effect of the new coronavirus on the male gonads. Thus, further studies are needed to verify the hypothesis that the testicles are the target organ for SARS-CoV-2. Groups were formed: Group I (n = 109; age from 25 to 75 years, Median (IQR) - 60 (23) years), cause of death - new coronavirus infection; Group II (n = 21, age from 25 to 75 years, Median (IQR) - 55 (29.5) years) - autopsy testicular material obtained outside the pandemic. We used RT-PCR to detect the presence of viral RNA in testicular tissue. In addition, we investigated the levels of proteins that provide viral invasion, such as ACE-2 and Furin. In the present study, we detected genetic material of a new coronavirus and increased proteins required for viral invasion in testicular tissue of patients with COVID-19 by RT-PCR. Thus, based on our findings, we assume that testicular tissue is potentially vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Demyashkin
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
- National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Obninsk, Russia
| | - E Kogan
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - D Boldyrev
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - T Demura
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - A Tyatyushkina
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - E Annenkova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - K Semenov
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - I Zorin
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - A Zverev
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
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3
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Groß R, Reßin H, von Maltitz P, Albers D, Schneider L, Bley H, Hoffmann M, Cortese M, Gupta D, Deniz M, Choi JY, Jansen J, Preußer C, Seehafer K, Pöhlmann S, Voelker DR, Goffinet C, Pogge-von Strandmann E, Bunz U, Bartenschlager R, El Andaloussi S, Sparrer KMJ, Herker E, Becker S, Kirchhoff F, Münch J, Müller JA. Phosphatidylserine-exposing extracellular vesicles in body fluids are an innate defence against apoptotic mimicry viral pathogens. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:905-921. [PMID: 38528146 PMCID: PMC10994849 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01637-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Some viruses are rarely transmitted orally or sexually despite their presence in saliva, breast milk, or semen. We previously identified that extracellular vesicles (EVs) in semen and saliva inhibit Zika virus infection. However, the antiviral spectrum and underlying mechanism remained unclear. Here we applied lipidomics and flow cytometry to show that these EVs expose phosphatidylserine (PS). By blocking PS receptors, targeted by Zika virus in the process of apoptotic mimicry, they interfere with viral attachment and entry. Consequently, physiological concentrations of EVs applied in vitro efficiently inhibited infection by apoptotic mimicry dengue, West Nile, Chikungunya, Ebola and vesicular stomatitis viruses, but not severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, human immunodeficiency virus 1, hepatitis C virus and herpesviruses that use other entry receptors. Our results identify the role of PS-rich EVs in body fluids in innate defence against infection via viral apoptotic mimicries, explaining why these viruses are primarily transmitted via PS-EV-deficient blood or blood-ingesting arthropods rather than direct human-to-human contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Groß
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hanna Reßin
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Pascal von Maltitz
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dan Albers
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Laura Schneider
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Bley
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Hoffmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mirko Cortese
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dhanu Gupta
- Biomolecular Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Miriam Deniz
- Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Jenny Jansen
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Preußer
- Core Facility Extracellular Vesicles, Institute for Tumor Immunology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kai Seehafer
- Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Christine Goffinet
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Elke Pogge-von Strandmann
- Core Facility Extracellular Vesicles, Institute for Tumor Immunology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Bunz
- Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Samir El Andaloussi
- Biomolecular Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Eva Herker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Janis A Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
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4
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Cross RW, Woolsey C, Chu VC, Babusis D, Bannister R, Vermillion MS, Geleziunas R, Barrett KT, Bunyan E, Nguyen AQ, Cihlar T, Porter DP, Prasad AN, Deer DJ, Borisevich V, Agans KN, Martinez J, Harrison MB, Dobias NS, Fenton KA, Bilello JP, Geisbert TW. Oral administration of obeldesivir protects nonhuman primates against Sudan ebolavirus. Science 2024; 383:eadk6176. [PMID: 38484056 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk6176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Obeldesivir (ODV, GS-5245) is an orally administered prodrug of the parent nucleoside of remdesivir (RDV) and is presently in phase 3 trials for COVID-19 treatment. In this work, we show that ODV and its circulating parent nucleoside metabolite, GS-441524, have similar in vitro antiviral activity against filoviruses, including Marburg virus, Ebola virus, and Sudan virus (SUDV). We also report that once-daily oral ODV treatment of cynomolgus monkeys for 10 days beginning 24 hours after SUDV exposure confers 100% protection against lethal infection. Transcriptomics data show that ODV treatment delayed the onset of inflammation and correlated with antigen presentation and lymphocyte activation. Our results offer promise for the further development of ODV to control outbreaks of filovirus disease more rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Cross
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Courtney Woolsey
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Abhishek N Prasad
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Daniel J Deer
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Viktoriya Borisevich
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Krystle N Agans
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Jasmine Martinez
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Mack B Harrison
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Natalie S Dobias
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Karla A Fenton
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | - Thomas W Geisbert
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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5
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Dabizzi S, Maggi M, Torcia MG. Update on known and emergent viruses affecting human male genital tract and fertility. Basic Clin Androl 2024; 34:6. [PMID: 38486154 PMCID: PMC10941432 DOI: 10.1186/s12610-024-00222-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Many viruses infect the male genital tract with harmful consequences at individual and population levels. In fact, viral infections may induce damage to different organs of the male genital tract (MGT), therefore compromising male fertility. The oxidative stress, induced during viral-mediated local and systemic inflammation, is responsible for testicular damage, compromising germinal and endocrine cell functions. A reduction in sperm count, motility, number of normal sperm and an increase in DNA fragmentation are all common findings in the course of viral infections that, however, generally regress after infection clearance. In some cases, however, viral shedding persists for a long time leading to unexpected sexual transmission, even after the disappearance of the viral load from the blood.The recent outbreak of Zika and Ebola Virus evidenced how the MGT could represent a reservoir of dangerous emergent viruses and how new modalities of surveillance of survivors are strongly needed to limit viral transmission among the general population.Here we reviewed the evidence concerning the presence of relevant viruses, including emergent and re-emergent, on the male genital tract, their route of entry, their adverse effects on male fertility and the pattern of viral shedding in the semen.We also described laboratory strategies to reduce the risk of horizontal or vertical cross-infection in serodiscordant couples undergoing assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Dabizzi
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Center for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy.
| | - Mario Maggi
- Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy.
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, Florence, Italy.
| | - Maria Gabriella Torcia
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Center for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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6
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Mears MC, Ntiforo CA, Sauer LM, Mehta AK, Levine CB. Select Agent Regulatory Challenges in a Patient Care Setting: Review and Recommendations. Health Secur 2024; 22:58-64. [PMID: 38054936 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2023.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Federal Select Agent Program ensures the safe and secure possession, use, and transfer of biological select agents and toxins through the select agent regulations (42 CFR §73, 7 CFR §331, and 9 CFR §121). These regulations are primarily written for interpretation by diagnostic and research laboratories, with limited text pertaining to the care of individuals infected with a select agent. The regulations applicable to patient care settings are ambiguous, resulting in challenges with regulatory compliance. The COVID-19 pandemic called attention to these shortcomings and the need to clarify and modify the select agent regulations. In this article, we discuss 3 select agent regulation phrases regarding patient care that need clarification-specifically, the window of time to transfer, patient care setting, and conclusion of patient care-and provide recommendations for improvement. These recommendations include implementing minimum security standards to safeguard patient specimens against theft, loss, or release prior to the appropriate transfer or destruction of the material and increasing the time allowed for the transfer or destruction of specimens before entities are subject to the select agent regulations. We encourage the Federal Select Agent Program to release a policy statement clarifying the select agent regulations regarding patient care discussed herein and to lengthen the designated time to destroy or transfer agents to a registered entity. Addressing these challenges will aid in compliance with the select agent regulations in patient care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C Mears
- Megan C. Mears, PhD, MPH, is a Graduate Student, School of Public and Population Health and Department of Pathology; University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
| | - Corrie A Ntiforo
- Corrie A. Ntiforo, MSPH, RBP, is a Lead Biosafety Professional, Department of Biosafety, Office of the Provost; University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
| | - Lauren M Sauer
- Lauren M. Sauer, MSc, is an Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Agricultural, and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Aneesh K Mehta
- Aneesh K. Mehta, MD, is a Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Corri B Levine
- Corri B. Levine, PhD, MS, MPH, is Program Manager, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine; University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
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7
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Schiffman Z, Garnett L, Tran KN, Cao W, He S, Emeterio K, Tierney K, Azaransky K, Strong JE, Banadyga L. The Inability of Marburg Virus to Cause Disease in Ferrets Is Not Solely Linked to the Virus Glycoprotein. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:S594-S603. [PMID: 37288605 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) causes lethal disease in ferrets, whereas Marburg virus (MARV) does not. To investigate this difference, we first evaluated viral entry by infecting ferret spleen cells with vesicular stomatitis viruses pseudotyped with either MARV or EBOV glycoprotein (GP). Both viruses were capable of infecting ferret spleen cells, suggesting that lack of disease is not due to a block in MARV entry. Next, we evaluated replication kinetics of authentic MARV and EBOV in ferret cell lines and demonstrated that, unlike EBOV, MARV was only capable of low levels of replication. Finally, we inoculated ferrets with a recombinant EBOV expressing MARV GP in place of EBOV GP. Infection resulted in uniformly lethal disease within 7-9 days postinfection, while MARV-inoculated animals survived until study endpoint. Together these data suggest that the inability of MARV to cause disease in ferrets is not entirely linked to GP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Schiffman
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Lauren Garnett
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kaylie N Tran
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Wenguang Cao
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Shihua He
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Karla Emeterio
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kevin Tierney
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kim Azaransky
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - James E Strong
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Logan Banadyga
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Odongo L, Habtegebrael BH, Kiessling V, White JM, Tamm LK. A novel in vitro system of supported planar endosomal membranes (SPEMs) reveals an enhancing role for cathepsin B in the final stage of Ebola virus fusion and entry. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0190823. [PMID: 37728342 PMCID: PMC10581071 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01908-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a hemorrhagic fever with fatality rates up to 90%. The EBOV entry process is complex and incompletely understood. Following attachment to host cells, EBOV is trafficked to late endosomes/lysosomes where its glycoprotein (GP) is processed to a 19-kDa form, which binds to the EBOV intracellular receptor Niemann-Pick type C1. We previously showed that the cathepsin protease inhibitor, E-64d, blocks infection by pseudovirus particles bearing 19-kDa GP, suggesting that further cathepsin action is needed to trigger fusion. This, however, has not been demonstrated directly. Since 19-kDa Ebola GP fusion occurs in late endosomes, we devised a system in which enriched late endosomes are used to prepare supported planar endosomal membranes (SPEMs), and fusion of fluorescent (pseudo)virus particles is monitored by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We validated the system by demonstrating the pH dependencies of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA)-mediated and Lassa virus (LASV) GP-mediated fusion. Using SPEMs, we showed that fusion mediated by 19-kDa Ebola GP is dependent on low pH, enhanced by Ca2+, and augmented by the addition of cathepsins. Subsequently, we found that E-64d inhibits full fusion, but not lipid mixing, mediated by 19-kDa GP, which we corroborated with the reversible cathepsin inhibitor VBY-825. Hence, we provide both gain- and loss-of-function evidence that further cathepsin action enhances the fusion activity of 19-kDa Ebola GP. In addition to providing new insights into how Ebola GP mediates fusion, the approach we developed employing SPEMs can now be broadly used for studies of virus and toxin entry through endosomes. IMPORTANCE Ebola virus is the causative agent of Ebola virus disease, which is severe and frequently lethal. EBOV gains entry into cells via late endosomes/lysosomes. The events immediately preceding fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes are incompletely understood. In this study, we report a novel in vitro system for studying virus fusion with endosomal membranes. We validated the system by demonstrating the low pH dependencies of influenza and Lassa virus fusion. Moreover, we show that further cathepsin B action enhances the fusion activity of the primed Ebola virus glycoprotein. Finally, this model endosomal membrane system should be useful in studying the mechanisms of bilayer breaching by other enveloped viruses, by non-enveloped viruses, and by acid-activated bacterial toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Odongo
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Betelihem H. Habtegebrael
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Volker Kiessling
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Judith M. White
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Lukas K. Tamm
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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9
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Ly J, Campos RK, Hager-Soto EE, Camargos VN, Rossi SL. Testicular pathological alterations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 5:1229622. [PMID: 37457430 PMCID: PMC10338913 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2023.1229622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which caused one of the pandemics with the highest mortalities with millions of deaths and hundreds of millions of cases to date. Due to its potential for airborne transmission, many studies have focused on SARS-CoV-2 primarily as a respiratory disease. However, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to non-respiratory organs has been experimentally demonstrated and clinically observed. During autopsy studies, histopathological lesions, and disruption of the blood-testes barrier (BTB) have been observed in the male reproductive tract. Here, we review findings from both autopsy cases and animal models that demonstrate testicular disease due to COVID-19 and present an overview of the pathological alterations that occur in the testes resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection and explore its potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Ly
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Rafael K. Campos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - E. Eldridge Hager-Soto
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Vidyleison N. Camargos
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Shannan L. Rossi
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
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10
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McKay G, Enria L, Nam SL, Fofanah M, Conteh SG, Lees S. Family Planning in the Sierra Leone Ebola Outbreak: Women's Proximal and Distal Reasoning. Stud Fam Plann 2022; 53:575-593. [PMID: 35994516 PMCID: PMC10086979 DOI: 10.1111/sifp.12210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Sierra Leone was highly impacted by the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, with 3,955 recorded deaths. Already stressed maternal health services were deeply affected by the outbreak due to fears of viral transmission, reallocation of maternity staff, and broader policies to stop transmission including travel restrictions. This research sought to explore women's perspectives on delaying pregnancy during the Ebola outbreak using family planning methods. Qualitative data collection took place in Kambia District in 2018 and included 35 women participants, with women who were either family planning users or nonusers at the time of the outbreak. Women reported a variety of reasons for choosing to take or not to take family planning during the outbreak, which we categorized as proximal (directly related to the outbreak) or distal (not directly outbreak related). Proximal reasons to take family planning included to avoid interacting with health care spaces where Ebola could be transmitted, to avoid the economic burden of additional children in a time when economic activities were curtailed and to return to school when education resumed postoutbreak. Distal reasoning included gender roles affecting women's decision making to seek family planning, concerns related to the physiological side effects of family planning, and the economic burden of paying for family planning. Women's perspectives for choosing to take or not take family planning during the Sierra Leone Ebola crisis had not been explored prior to this paper. Using the lens of family planning to consider how women choose to access health care in an outbreak gives us a unique perspective into how all health care interactions are impacted by a generalized outbreak of Ebola, and how outbreak responses struggle to ensure such services remain a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian McKay
- Department of Global Health and Development, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Luisa Enria
- Department of Global Health and Development, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | | | | | - Suliaman Gbonnie Conteh
- University of Sierra Leone College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, A. J. Momoh Street Tower Hill, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Shelley Lees
- Department of Global Health and Development, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
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11
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Wang F, Zhang J, Wang Y, Chen Y, Han D. Viral tropism for the testis and sexual transmission. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1040172. [PMID: 36439102 PMCID: PMC9682072 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1040172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian testis adopts an immune privileged environment to protect male germ cells from adverse autoimmune reaction. The testicular immune privileged status can be also hijacked by various microbial pathogens as a sanctuary to escape systemic immune surveillance. In particular, several viruses have a tropism for the testis. To overcome the immune privileged status and mount an effective local defense against invading viruses, testicular cells are well equipped with innate antiviral machinery. However, several viruses may persist an elongated duration in the testis and disrupt the local immune homeostasis, thereby impairing testicular functions and male fertility. Moreover, the viruses in the testis, as well as other organs of the male reproductive system, can shed to the semen, thus allowing sexual transmission to partners. Viral infection in the testis, which can impair male fertility and lead to sexual transmission, is a serious concern in research on known and on new emerging viruses. To provide references for our scientific peers, this article reviews research achievements and suggests future research focuses in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yongmei Chen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Daishu Han
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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12
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Habib N, Hughes MD, Broutet N, Thorson A, Gaillard P, Landoulsi S, McDonald SLR, Formenty P. Statistical methodologies for evaluation of the rate of persistence of Ebola virus in semen of male survivors in Sierra Leone. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274755. [PMID: 36197875 PMCID: PMC9534448 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa was the largest and most complex outbreak ever, with a total number of cases and deaths higher than in all previous EBOV outbreaks combined. The outbreak was characterized by rapid spread of the infection in nations that were weakly prepared to handle it. EBOV ribonucleic acid (RNA) is known to persist in body fluids following disease recovery, and studying this persistence is crucial for controlling such epidemics. Observational cohort studies investigating EBOV persistence in semen require following up recently recovered survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD), from recruitment to the time when their semen tests negative for EBOV, the endpoint being time-to-event. Because recruitment of EVD survivors takes place weeks or months following disease recovery, the event of interest may have already occurred. Survival analysis methods are the best suited for the estimation of the virus persistence in body fluids but must account for left- and interval-censoring present in the data, which is a more complex problem than that of presence of right censoring alone. Using the Sierra Leone Ebola Virus Persistence Study, we discuss study design issues, endpoint of interest and statistical methodologies for interval- and right-censored non-parametric and parametric survival modelling. Using the data from 203 EVD recruited survivors, we illustrate the performance of five different survival models for estimation of persistence of EBOV in semen. The interval censored survival analytic methods produced more precise estimates of EBOV persistence in semen and were more representative of the source population than the right censored ones. The potential to apply these methods is enhanced by increased availability of statistical software to handle interval censored survival data. These methods may be applicable to diseases of a similar nature where persistence estimation of pathogens is of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ndema Habib
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research, Training in Human Reproduction, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael D. Hughes
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nathalie Broutet
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research, Training in Human Reproduction, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anna Thorson
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research, Training in Human Reproduction, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Gaillard
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research, Training in Human Reproduction, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sihem Landoulsi
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research, Training in Human Reproduction, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Suzanne L. R. McDonald
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research, Training in Human Reproduction, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Formenty
- Department of Health Emergency Interventions, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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13
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de Albuquerque BHDR, de Oliveira MTFC, Aderaldo JF, de Medeiros Garcia Torres M, Lanza DCF. Human seminal virome: a panel based on recent literature. Basic Clin Androl 2022; 32:16. [PMID: 36064315 PMCID: PMC9444275 DOI: 10.1186/s12610-022-00165-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The seminal virome and its implications for fertility remain poorly understood. To date, there are no defined panels for the detection of viruses of clinical interest in seminal samples. Results In this study, we characterized the human seminal virome based on more than 1,000 studies published over the last five years. Conclusions The number of studies investigating viruses that occur in human semen has increased, and to date, these studies have been mostly prospective or related to specific clinical findings. Through the joint analysis of all these studies, we have listed the viruses related to the worsening of seminal parameters and propose a new panel with the main viruses already described that possibly affect male fertility and health. This panel can assist in evaluating semen quality and serve as a tool for investigation in cases of infertility.
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14
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Crozier I, Britson KA, Wolfe DN, Klena JD, Hensley LE, Lee JS, Wolfraim LA, Taylor KL, Higgs ES, Montgomery JM, Martins KA. The Evolution of Medical Countermeasures for Ebola Virus Disease: Lessons Learned and Next Steps. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1213. [PMID: 36016101 PMCID: PMC9415766 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ebola virus disease outbreak that occurred in Western Africa from 2013-2016, and subsequent smaller but increasingly frequent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in recent years, spurred an unprecedented effort to develop and deploy effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. This effort led to the U.S. regulatory approval of a diagnostic test, two vaccines, and two therapeutics for Ebola virus disease indications. Moreover, the establishment of fieldable diagnostic tests improved the speed with which patients can be diagnosed and public health resources mobilized. The United States government has played and continues to play a key role in funding and coordinating these medical countermeasure efforts. Here, we describe the coordinated U.S. government response to develop medical countermeasures for Ebola virus disease and we identify lessons learned that may improve future efforts to develop and deploy effective countermeasures against other filoviruses, such as Sudan virus and Marburg virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Crozier
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
| | - Kyla A. Britson
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA; (K.A.B.); (D.N.W.); (J.S.L.)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Postdoctoral Fellow, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Daniel N. Wolfe
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA; (K.A.B.); (D.N.W.); (J.S.L.)
| | - John D. Klena
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA; (J.D.K.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Lisa E. Hensley
- Integrated Research Facility, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 12116, USA;
| | - John S. Lee
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA; (K.A.B.); (D.N.W.); (J.S.L.)
| | - Larry A. Wolfraim
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (L.A.W.); (K.L.T.); (E.S.H.)
| | - Kimberly L. Taylor
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (L.A.W.); (K.L.T.); (E.S.H.)
| | - Elizabeth S. Higgs
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (L.A.W.); (K.L.T.); (E.S.H.)
| | - Joel M. Montgomery
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA; (J.D.K.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Karen A. Martins
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA; (K.A.B.); (D.N.W.); (J.S.L.)
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15
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Abstract
DNA viruses often persist in the body of their host, becoming latent and recurring many months or years later. By contrast, most RNA viruses cause acute infections that are cleared from the host as they lack the mechanisms to persist. However, it is becoming clear that viral RNA can persist after clinical recovery and elimination of detectable infectious virus. This persistence can either be asymptomatic or associated with late progressive disease or nonspecific lingering symptoms, such as may be the case following infection with Ebola or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Why does viral RNA sometimes persist after recovery from an acute infection? Where does the RNA come from? And what are the consequences?
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16
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Gourronc FA, Rebagliati M, Kramer-Riesberg B, Fleck AM, Patten JJ, Geohegan-Barek K, Messingham KN, Davey RA, Maury W, Klingelhutz AJ. Adipocytes are susceptible to Ebola Virus infection. Virology 2022; 573:12-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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17
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Li C, Ye Z, Zhang AJX, Chan JFW, Song W, Liu F, Chen Y, Kwan MYW, Lee ACY, Zhao Y, Wong BHY, Yip CCY, Cai JP, Lung DC, Sridhar S, Jin D, Chu H, To KKW, Yuen KY. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection by Intranasal or Intratesticular Route Induces Testicular Damage. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75:e974-e990. [PMID: 35178548 PMCID: PMC8903466 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the pathogenesis of testicular damage is uncertain. METHODS We investigated the virological, pathological, and immunological changes in testes of hamsters challenged by wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its variants with intranasal or direct testicular inoculation using influenza virus A(H1N1)pdm09 as control. RESULTS Besides self-limiting respiratory tract infection, intranasal SARS-CoV-2 challenge caused acute decrease in sperm count, serum testosterone and inhibin B at 4-7 days after infection; and chronic reduction in testicular size and weight, and serum sex hormone at 42-120 days after infection. Acute histopathological damage with worsening degree of testicular inflammation, hemorrhage, necrosis, degeneration of seminiferous tubules, and disruption of orderly spermatogenesis were seen with increasing virus inoculum. Degeneration and death of Sertoli and Leydig cells were found. Although viral loads and SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein expression were markedly lower in testicular than in lung tissues, direct intratesticular injection of SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated nucleocapsid expressing interstitial cells and epididymal epithelial cells, While intranasal or intratesticular challenge by A(H1N1)pdm09 control showed no testicular infection or damage. From 7 to 120 days after infection, degeneration and apoptosis of seminiferous tubules, immune complex deposition, and depletion of spermatogenic cell and spermatozoa persisted. Intranasal challenge with Omicron and Delta variants could also induce similar testicular changes. This testicular damage can be prevented by vaccination. CONCLUSIONS SARS-CoV-2 can cause acute testicular damage with subsequent chronic asymmetric testicular atrophy and associated hormonal changes despite a self-limiting pneumonia in hamsters. Awareness of possible hypogonadism and subfertility is important in managing convalescent coronavirus disease 2019 in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Li
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Zhanhong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Anna Jin-Xia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Academician Workstation of Hainan Province, and Hainan Medical University-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; and The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wenchen Song
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Feifei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Yanxia Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Mike Yat-Wah Kwan
- Department of Paediatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Andrew Chak-Yiu Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Bosco Ho-Yin Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Cyril Chik-Yan Yip
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jian-Piao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - David Christopher Lung
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital / Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Siddharth Sridhar
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Dongyan Jin
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangdong Province, China,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Kwok-Yung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Academician Workstation of Hainan Province, and Hainan Medical University-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; and The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangdong Province, China,Correspondence: K.-Y. Yuen, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; and Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China ()
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18
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Sherwood LJ, Hayhurst A. Generating Uniformly Cross-Reactive Ebolavirus spp. Anti-nucleoprotein Nanobodies to Facilitate Forward Capable Detection Strategies. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:343-359. [PMID: 34994194 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It is often challenging for a single monoclonal antibody to cross-react equally with all species of a particular viral genus that are separated by time and geographies to ensure broad long-term global immunodiagnostic use. Here, we set out to isolate nanobodies or single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) with uniform cross-reactivity to the genus Ebolavirus by immunizing a llama with recombinant nucleoprotein (NP) representing the 5 cultivated species to assemble a phage display repertoire for mining. Screening sdAbs for reactivity against the C-terminal domain of NP guided the isolation of clones that could perform as both captor and tracer for polyvalent antigen in sandwich assays. Two promising sdAbs had equivalent reactivities across all 5 species and greatly enhanced the equilibrium concentration at 50% (EC50) for recombinant NP when compared with a differentially cross-reactive nonimmune sdAb isolated previously. Uniform reactivity and enhanced sensitivity were relayed to live virus titrations, resulting in lower limits of detection of 2-5 pfu for the best sdAbs, representing 10-, 20-, and 100-fold improvements for Zaire, Sudan/Reston, and Taï Forest viruses, respectively. Fusions of the sdAbs with ascorbate peroxidase (APEX2) and mNeonGreen generated one-step immunoreagents useful for colorimetric and fluorescent visualization of cellular NP. Both sdAbs were also able to recognize recombinant NPs from the recently discovered Bombali virus, a putative sixth Ebolavirus species unknown at the start of these experiments, validating the forward capabilities of the sdAbs. The simplicity and modularity of these sdAbs should enable advances in antigen-based diagnostic technologies to be retuned toward filoviral detection relatively easily, thereby proactively safeguarding human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jo Sherwood
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78227, United States
| | - Andrew Hayhurst
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78227, United States
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19
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Liu J, Trefry JC, Babka AM, Schellhase CW, Coffin KM, Williams JA, Raymond JLW, Facemire PR, Chance TB, Davis NM, Scruggs JL, Rossi FD, Haddow AD, Zelko JM, Bixler SL, Crozier I, Iversen PL, Pitt ML, Kuhn JH, Palacios G, Zeng X. Ebola virus persistence and disease recrudescence in the brains of antibody-treated nonhuman primate survivors. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabi5229. [PMID: 35138912 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi5229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Effective therapeutics have been developed against acute Ebola virus disease (EVD) in both humans and experimentally infected nonhuman primates. However, the risk of viral persistence and associated disease recrudescence in survivors receiving these therapeutics remains unclear. In contrast to rhesus macaques that survived Ebola virus (EBOV) exposure in the absence of treatment, we discovered that EBOV, despite being cleared from all other organs, persisted in the brain ventricular system of rhesus macaque survivors that had received monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment. In mAb-treated macaque survivors, EBOV persisted in macrophages infiltrating the brain ventricular system, including the choroid plexuses. This macrophage infiltration was accompanied by severe tissue damage, including ventriculitis, choroid plexitis, and meningoencephalitis. Specifically, choroid plexus endothelium-derived EBOV infection led to viral persistence in the macaque brain ventricular system. This resulted in apoptosis of ependymal cells, which constitute the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier of the choroid plexuses. Fatal brain-confined recrudescence of EBOV infection manifested as severe inflammation, local pathology, and widespread infection of the ventricular system and adjacent neuropil in some of the mAb-treated macaque survivors. This study highlights organ-specific EBOV persistence and fatal recrudescent disease in rhesus macaque survivors after therapeutic treatment and has implications for the long-term follow-up of human survivors of EVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - John C Trefry
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - April M Babka
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Christopher W Schellhase
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Kayla M Coffin
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Janice A Williams
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jo Lynne W Raymond
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Paul R Facemire
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Taylor B Chance
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Neil M Davis
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jennifer L Scruggs
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Franco D Rossi
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Andrew D Haddow
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Justine M Zelko
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Sandra L Bixler
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ian Crozier
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Patrick L Iversen
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Margaret L Pitt
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Gustavo Palacios
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Xiankun Zeng
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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20
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Zafar MI, Yu J, Li H. Implications of RNA Viruses in the Male Reproductive Tract: An Outlook on SARS-CoV-2. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:783963. [PMID: 35003013 PMCID: PMC8739959 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.783963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging viral infections continuously pose a threat to human wellbeing. Several RNA viruses have managed to establish access to the male reproductive tract and persist in human semen. The sexual transmission of the virus is of critical public concern. The epidemiological inferences are essential to understand its complexity, particularly the probability of viral transmission from asymptomatic patients or those in the incubation period or from the patient who was previously infected and now fully recovered. From the clinical perspective, negative impacts in the male reproductive tract associated with RNA virus infection have been described, including orchitis, epididymitis, impaired spermatogenesis, and a decrease in sperm quality, which can affect male fertility at different time intervals. The disruption of anatomical barriers due to inflammatory responses might enable the viral invasion into the testis, and the immune privilege status of testes might facilitate a sustained persistence of the virus in the semen. In this review, the current knowledge about other RNA viruses that affect male reproductive health provides the framework to discuss the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The molecular mechanisms, sexual transmission, and viral impacts for mumps, HIV, Zika, and Ebola viruses are explored. We discuss the currently available information on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 and its sequelae in the male reproductive tract, particularly regarding presence in semen, its impact on sexual organs, and sperm quality. To date, no sexual transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported, whereas the identification of viral particles in semen remains conflicting. In the purview of the earlier conducted analyses, it is essential to investigate further the long-term health impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on the male reproductive tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ishraq Zafar
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiangyu Yu
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Reproductive Medicine, Central Theater Command General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Wuhan, China
| | - Honggang Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, China
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21
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Khalili-Tanha G, Khazaei M, Soleimanpour S, Ferns GA, Avan A. The chance of COVID-19 infection after vaccination. Infect Disord Drug Targets 2022; 22:e050122199980. [PMID: 34986778 DOI: 10.2174/1871526522666220105113829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 that began in Wuhan, China, has constituted a new emerging epidemic that has spread around the world. There are some reports on illustrated the patients getting reinfected after recovering from COVID-19. Here we provide an overview of the biphasic cycle of COVID-19, genetic diversity, immune response and chance of reinfection after recovering from COVID-19. The new generation of COVID-19 is highly contagious and pathogenic infection can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Whilst most patients suffer from a mild form of the disease, there is a rising concern that patients who recover from COVID-19 may be at risk of reinfection. The proportion of the infected population, is increasing worldwide; meanwhile, the rate and concern of reinfection by the recovered population are still high. Moreover, there are a few evidence on the chance of COVID-19 infection even after vaccination, which is around one per cent or less. Although the hypothesis of zero reinfections after vaccination has not been clinically proven, further studies should be performed on the recovered class in clusters to study the progression of the exposed with the re-exposed subpopulations to estimate the possibilities of reinfection and, thereby, advocate the use of these antibodies for vaccine creation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazaleh Khalili-Tanha
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Majid Khazaei
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Saman Soleimanpour
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Gordon A Ferns
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Division of Medical Education, Falmer, Brighton, Sussex BN1 9PH, UK
| | - Amir Avan
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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22
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The Role of Male Reproductive Organs in the Transmission of African Swine Fever-Implications for Transmission. Viruses 2021; 14:v14010031. [PMID: 35062235 PMCID: PMC8782017 DOI: 10.3390/v14010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) has evolved from an exotic animal disease to a threat to global pig production. An important avenue for the wide-spread transmission of animal diseases is their dissemination through boar semen used for artificial insemination. In this context, we investigated the role of male reproductive organs in the transmission of ASF. Mature domestic boars and adolescent wild boars, inoculated with different ASF virus strains, were investigated by means of virological and pathological methods. Additionally, electron microscopy was employed to investigate in vitro inoculated sperm. The viral genome, antigens and the infectious virus could be found in all gonadal tissues and accessory sex glands. The viral antigen and viral mRNAs were mainly found in mononuclear cells of the respective tissues. However, some other cell types, including Leydig, endothelial and stromal cells, were also found positive. Using RNAScope, p72 mRNA could be found in scattered halo cells of the epididymal duct epithelium, which could point to the disruption of the barrier. No direct infection of spermatozoa was observed by immunohistochemistry, or electron microscopy. Taken together, our results strengthen the assumption that ASFV can be transmitted via boar semen. Future studies are needed to explore the excretion dynamics and transmission efficiency.
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23
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Pawęska JT, Jansen van Vuren P, Storm N, Markotter W, Kemp A. Vector Competence of Eucampsipoda africana (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) for Marburg Virus Transmission in Rousettus aegyptiacus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Viruses 2021; 13:2226. [PMID: 34835032 PMCID: PMC8624361 DOI: 10.3390/v13112226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the vector competence of bat-associated nycteribiid flies (Eucamsipoda africana) for Marburg virus (MARV) in the Egyptian Rousette Bat (ERB), Rousettus aegyptiacus. In flies fed on subcutaneously infected ERBs and tested from 3 to 43 days post infection (dpi), MARV was detected only in those that took blood during the peak of viremia, 5-7 dpi. Seroconversion did not occur in control bats in contact with MARV-infected bats infested with bat flies up to 43 days post exposure. In flies inoculated intra-coelomically with MARV and tested on days 0-29 post inoculation, only those assayed on day 0 and day 7 after inoculation were positive by q-RT-PCR, but the virus concentration was consistent with that of the inoculum. Bats remained MARV-seronegative up to 38 days after infestation and exposure to inoculated flies. The first filial generation pupae and flies collected at different times during the experiments were all negative by q-RT-PCR. Of 1693 nycteribiid flies collected from a wild ERB colony in Mahune Cave, South Africa where the enzootic transmission of MARV occurs, only one (0.06%) tested positive for the presence of MARV RNA. Our findings seem to demonstrate that bat flies do not play a significant role in the transmission and enzootic maintenance of MARV. However, ERBs eat nycteribiid flies; thus, the mechanical transmission of the virus through the exposure of damaged mucous membranes and/or skin to flies engorged with contaminated blood cannot be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz T. Pawęska
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Petrus Jansen van Vuren
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Nadia Storm
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
| | - Alan Kemp
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
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24
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Hulseberg CE, Kumar R, Di Paola N, Larson P, Nagle ER, Richardson J, Hanson J, Wauquier N, Fair JN, Makuwa M, Mulembakani P, Muyembe-Tamfum JJ, Schoepp RJ, Sanchez-Lockhart M, Palacios GF, Kuhn JH, Kugelman JR. Molecular analysis of the 2012 Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. Cell Rep Med 2021; 2:100351. [PMID: 34467242 PMCID: PMC8385243 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) is one of four ebolaviruses known to cause disease in humans. Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreaks occurred in 2007-2008 in Bundibugyo District, Uganda, and in 2012 in Isiro, Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The 2012 BVD outbreak resulted in 38 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection, 13 of whom died. However, only 4 BDBV specimens from the 2012 outbreak have been sequenced. Here, we provide BDBV sequences from seven additional patients. Analysis of the molecular epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics of the 2012 outbreak with these additional isolates challenges the current hypothesis that the outbreak was the result of a single spillover event. In addition, one patient record indicates that BDBV's initial emergence in Isiro occurred 50 days earlier than previously accepted. Collectively, this work demonstrates how retrospective sequencing can be used to elucidate outbreak origins and provide epidemiological contexts to a medically relevant pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Hulseberg
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Raina Kumar
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Nicholas Di Paola
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Peter Larson
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Elyse R. Nagle
- National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Joshua Richardson
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jarod Hanson
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Nadia Wauquier
- Metabiota, Inc., Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Joseph N. Fair
- Metabiota, Inc., Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Maria Makuwa
- Metabiota, Inc., Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | | | - Randal J. Schoepp
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Mariano Sanchez-Lockhart
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Gustavo F. Palacios
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jens H. Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Kugelman
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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25
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Iba T, Levy JH, Levi M. Viral-induced inflammatory coagulation disorders: Preparing for another epidemic. Thromb Haemost 2021; 122:8-19. [PMID: 34331297 PMCID: PMC8763450 DOI: 10.1055/a-1562-7599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A number of viral infectious diseases have emerged or reemerged from wildlife vectors that have generated serious threats to global health. Increased international traveling and commerce increase the risk of transmission of viral or other infectious diseases. In addition, recent climate changes accelerate the potential spread of domestic disease. The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an important example of the worldwide spread, and the current epidemic will unlikely be the last. Viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Dengue and Lassa fevers, may also have the potential to spread worldwide with a significant impact on public health with unpredictable timing. Based on the important lessons learned from COVID-19, it would be prudent to prepare for future pandemics of life-threatening viral diseases. Among the various threats, this review focuses on the coagulopathy of acute viral infections since hypercoagulability has been a major challenge in COVID-19, but represents a different presentation compared to viral hemorrhagic fever. However, both thrombosis and hemorrhage are understood as the result of thromboinflammation due to viral infections, and the role of anticoagulation is important to consider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiaki Iba
- Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - J H Levy
- Anesthesiology and Critcal Care, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Marcel Levi
- Department of Gastroenterology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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26
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Escandón K, Rasmussen AL, Bogoch II, Murray EJ, Escandón K, Popescu SV, Kindrachuk J. COVID-19 false dichotomies and a comprehensive review of the evidence regarding public health, COVID-19 symptomatology, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, mask wearing, and reinfection. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:710. [PMID: 34315427 PMCID: PMC8314268 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06357-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Scientists across disciplines, policymakers, and journalists have voiced frustration at the unprecedented polarization and misinformation around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several false dichotomies have been used to polarize debates while oversimplifying complex issues. In this comprehensive narrative review, we deconstruct six common COVID-19 false dichotomies, address the evidence on these topics, identify insights relevant to effective pandemic responses, and highlight knowledge gaps and uncertainties. The topics of this review are: 1) Health and lives vs. economy and livelihoods, 2) Indefinite lockdown vs. unlimited reopening, 3) Symptomatic vs. asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, 4) Droplet vs. aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, 5) Masks for all vs. no masking, and 6) SARS-CoV-2 reinfection vs. no reinfection. We discuss the importance of multidisciplinary integration (health, social, and physical sciences), multilayered approaches to reducing risk ("Emmentaler cheese model"), harm reduction, smart masking, relaxation of interventions, and context-sensitive policymaking for COVID-19 response plans. We also address the challenges in understanding the broad clinical presentation of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. These key issues of science and public health policy have been presented as false dichotomies during the pandemic. However, they are hardly binary, simple, or uniform, and therefore should not be framed as polar extremes. We urge a nuanced understanding of the science and caution against black-or-white messaging, all-or-nothing guidance, and one-size-fits-all approaches. There is a need for meaningful public health communication and science-informed policies that recognize shades of gray, uncertainties, local context, and social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Escandón
- School of Medicine, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
| | - Angela L Rasmussen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Isaac I Bogoch
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eleanor J Murray
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Karina Escandón
- Department of Anthropology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Saskia V Popescu
- Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Jason Kindrachuk
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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27
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Duarte-Neto AN, Teixeira TA, Caldini EG, Kanamura CT, Gomes-Gouvêa MS, Dos Santos ABG, Monteiro RAA, Pinho JRR, Mauad T, da Silva LFF, Saldiva PHN, Dolhnikoff M, Leite KRM, Hallak J. Testicular pathology in fatal COVID-19: A descriptive autopsy study. Andrology 2021; 10:13-23. [PMID: 34196475 PMCID: PMC8444746 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multi-organ damage is a common feature of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, going beyond the initially observed severe pneumonia. Evidence that the testis is also compromised is growing. OBJECTIVE To describe the pathological findings in testes from fatal cases of COVID-19, including the detection of viral particles and antigens, and inflammatory cell subsets. MATERIALS AND METHODS Postmortem testicular samples were obtained by percutaneous puncture from 11 deceased men and examined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for RNA detection and by light and electron microscopy (EM) for SARS-CoV-2. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the SARS-CoV-2 N-protein and lymphocytic and histiocytic markers was also performed. RESULTS Eight patients had mild interstitial orchitis, composed mainly of CD68+ and TCD8+ cells. Fibrin thrombi were detected in five cases. All cases presented congestion, interstitial edema, thickening of the tubular basal membrane, decreased Leydig and Sertoli cells with reduced spermatogenesis, and strong expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) in vessels. IHC detected SARS-Cov-2 antigen in Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, and fibroblasts in all cases. EM detected viral particles in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts, endothelium, Sertoli and Leydig cells, spermatids, and epithelial cells of the rete testis in four cases, while RT-PCR detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in three cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The COVID-19-associated testicular lesion revealed a combination of orchitis, vascular changes, basal membrane thickening, Leydig and Sertoli cell scarcity, and reduced spermatogenesis associated with SARS-CoV-2 local infection that may impair hormonal function and fertility in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaro N Duarte-Neto
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago A Teixeira
- Departamento de Cirurgia, Disciplina de Urologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elia G Caldini
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Michele S Gomes-Gouvêa
- Departamento de Gastroenterologia (LIM-07), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Angela B G Dos Santos
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata A A Monteiro
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João R R Pinho
- Departamento de Gastroenterologia (LIM-07), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais Mauad
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz F F da Silva
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Serviço de Verificação de Óbitos da Capital, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo H N Saldiva
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marisa Dolhnikoff
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Katia R M Leite
- Departamento de Cirurgia, Disciplina de Urologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jorge Hallak
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Cirurgia, Disciplina de Urologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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28
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Horvatits T, Wißmann JE, Johne R, Groschup MH, Gadicherla AK, Schulze Zur Wiesch J, Eiden M, Todt D, Reimer R, Dähnert L, Schöbel A, Horvatits K, Lübke R, Wolschke C, Ayuk F, Rybczynski M, Lohse AW, Addo MM, Herker E, Lütgehetmann M, Steinmann E, Pischke S. Hepatitis E virus persists in the ejaculate of chronically infected men. J Hepatol 2021; 75:55-63. [PMID: 33484776 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are prevalent worldwide. Various viruses have been detected in the ejaculate and can outlast the duration of viremia, indicating replication beyond the blood-testis barrier. HEV replication in diverse organs, however, is still widely misunderstood. We aimed to determine the occurrence, features and morphology of HEV in the ejaculate. METHODS The presence of HEV in testis was assessed in 12 experimentally HEV-genotype 3-infected pigs. We further tested ejaculate, urine, stool and blood from 3 chronically HEV genotype 3-infected patients and 6 immunocompetent patients with acute HEV infection by HEV-PCR. Morphology and genomic characterization of HEV particles from various human compartments were determined by HEV-PCR, density gradient measurement, immune-electron microscopy and genomic sequencing. RESULTS In 2 of the 3 chronically HEV-infected patients, we observed HEV-RNA (genotype 3c) in seminal plasma and semen with viral loads >2 logs higher than in the serum. Genomic sequencing showed significant differences between viral strains in the ejaculate compared to stool. Under ribavirin-treatment, HEV shedding in the ejaculate continued for >9 months following the end of viremia. Density gradient measurement and immune-electron microscopy characterized (enveloped) HEV particles in the ejaculate as intact. CONCLUSIONS The male reproductive system was shown to be a niche of HEV persistence in chronic HEV infection. Surprisingly, sequence analysis revealed distinct genetic HEV variants in the stool and serum, originating from the liver, compared to variants in the ejaculate originating from the male reproductive system. Enveloped HEV particles in the ejaculate did not morphologically differ from serum-derived HEV particles. LAY SUMMARY Enveloped hepatitis E virus particles could be identified by PCR and electron microscopy in the ejaculate of immunosuppressed chronically infected patients, but not in immunocompetent experimentally infected pigs or in patients with acute self-limiting hepatitis E.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Horvatits
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany.
| | - Jan-Erik Wißmann
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Reimar Johne
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department Biological Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany; Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Ashish K Gadicherla
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department Biological Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany
| | - Martin Eiden
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany; Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Daniel Todt
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Bochum, Germany; European Virus Bioinformatics Center (EVBC), Jena, Germany
| | - Rudolph Reimer
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Dähnert
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany; Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Anja Schöbel
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Karoline Horvatits
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rabea Lübke
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christine Wolschke
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Francis Ayuk
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Meike Rybczynski
- University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ansgar W Lohse
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany
| | - Marylyn M Addo
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany
| | - Eva Herker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marc Lütgehetmann
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eike Steinmann
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany; Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sven Pischke
- I. Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with the Sections Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems and Heidelberg Partner sites, Germany
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Fairhead J, Leach M, Millimouno D. Spillover or endemic? Reconsidering the origins of Ebola virus disease outbreaks by revisiting local accounts in light of new evidence from Guinea. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:bmjgh-2021-005783. [PMID: 33893144 PMCID: PMC8074560 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James Fairhead
- Department of Anthropology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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30
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Schiffman Z, Liu G, Cao W, Zhu W, Emeterio K, Qiu X, Banadyga L. The Ferret as a Model for Filovirus Pathogenesis and Countermeasure Evaluation. ILAR J 2021; 61:62-71. [PMID: 33951727 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) has long been a popular animal model for evaluating viral pathogenesis and transmission as well as the efficacy of candidate countermeasures. Without question, the ferret has been most widely implemented for modeling respiratory viruses, particularly influenza viruses; however, in recent years, it has gained attention as a novel animal model for characterizing filovirus infections. Although ferrets appear resistant to infection and disease caused by Marburg and Ravn viruses, they are highly susceptible to lethal disease caused by Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo, and Reston viruses. Notably, unlike the immunocompetent rodent models of filovirus infection, ferrets are susceptible to lethal disease caused by wild-type viruses, and they recapitulate many aspects of human filovirus disease, including systemic virus replication, coagulation abnormalities, and a dysregulated immune response. Along with the stringency with which they reproduce Ebola disease, their relatively small size and availability make ferrets an attractive choice for countermeasure evaluation and pathogenesis modeling. Indeed, they are so far the only small animal model available for Bundibugyo virus. Nevertheless, ferrets do have their limitations, including the lack of commercially available reagents to dissect host responses and their unproven predictive value in therapeutic evaluation. Although the use of the ferret model in ebolavirus research has been consistent over the last few years, its widespread use and utility remains to be fully proven. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the ferret models of filovirus infection and perspective on their ongoing use in pathogenesis modeling and countermeasure evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Schiffman
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.,Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Guodong Liu
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Wenguang Cao
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Wenjun Zhu
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Karla Emeterio
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.,Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Xiangguo Qiu
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Logan Banadyga
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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31
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Bozman CM, Fallah M, Sneller MC, Freeman C, Fakoli LS, Shobayo BI, Dighero-Kemp B, Reilly CS, Kuhn JH, Bolay F, Higgs E, Hensley LE. Increased Likelihood of Detecting Ebola Virus RNA in Semen by Using Sample Pelleting. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:1239-1241. [PMID: 33755000 PMCID: PMC8007310 DOI: 10.3201/eid2704.204175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus RNA can reside for months or years in semen of survivors of Ebola virus disease and is probably associated with increased risk for cryptic sexual transmission of the virus. A modified protocol resulted in increased detection of Ebola virus RNA in semen and improved disease surveillance.
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32
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Ubiquitin Ligase SMURF2 Interacts with Filovirus VP40 and Promotes Egress of VP40 VLPs. Viruses 2021; 13:v13020288. [PMID: 33673144 PMCID: PMC7918931 DOI: 10.3390/v13020288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Filoviruses Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg (MARV) are devastating high-priority pathogens capable of causing explosive outbreaks with high human mortality rates. The matrix proteins of EBOV and MARV, as well as eVP40 and mVP40, respectively, are the key viral proteins that drive virus assembly and egress and can bud independently from cells in the form of virus-like particles (VLPs). The matrix proteins utilize proline-rich Late (L) domain motifs (e.g., PPxY) to hijack specific host proteins that contain WW domains, such as the HECT family E3 ligases, to facilitate the last step of virus–cell separation. We identified E3 ubiquitin ligase Smad Ubiquitin Regulatory Factor 2 (SMURF2) as a novel interactor with VP40 that positively regulates VP40 VLP release. Our results show that eVP40 and mVP40 interact with the three WW domains of SMURF2 via their PPxY motifs. We provide evidence that the eVP40–SMURF2 interaction is functional as the expression of SMURF2 positively regulates VLP egress, while siRNA knockdown of endogenous SMURF2 decreases VLP budding compared to controls. In sum, our identification of novel interactor SMURF2 adds to the growing list of identified host proteins that can regulate PPxY-mediated egress of VP40 VLPs. A more comprehensive understanding of the modular interplay between filovirus VP40 and host proteins may lead to the development of new therapies to combat these deadly infections.
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33
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Persistence of Ebola virus in semen among Ebola virus disease survivors in Sierra Leone: A cohort study of frequency, duration, and risk factors. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003273. [PMID: 33566817 PMCID: PMC7875361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual transmission chains of Ebola virus (EBOV) have been verified and linked to EBOV RNA persistence in semen, post-recovery. The rate of semen persistence over time, including the average duration of persistence among Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors, is not well known. This cohort study aimed to analyze population estimates of EBOV RNA persistence rates in semen over time, and associated risk factors in a population of survivors from Sierra Leone. METHODS AND FINDINGS In this cohort study from May 2015 to April 2017 in Sierra Leone, recruitment was conducted in 2 phases; the first enrolled 100 male participants from the Western Area District in the capital of Freetown, and the second enrolled 120 men from the Western Area District and from Lungi, Port Loko District. Mean age of participants was 31 years. The men provided semen for testing, analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) for the presence of EBOV RNA. Follow-up occurred every 2 weeks until the endpoint, defined as 2 consecutive negative qRT-PCR results of semen specimen testing for EBOV RNA. Participants were matched with the Sierra Leone EVD case database to retrieve cycle threshold (Ct) values from the qRT-PCR analysis done in blood during acute disease. A purposive sampling strategy was used, and the included sample composition was compared to the national EVD survivor database to understand deviations from the general male survivor population. At 180 days (6 months) after Ebola treatment unit (ETU) discharge, the EBOV RNA semen positive rate was 75.4% (95% CI 66.9%-82.0%). The median persistence duration was 204 days, with 50% of men having cleared their semen of EBOV RNA after this time. At 270 days, persistence was 26.8% (95% CI 20.0%-34.2%), and at 360 days, 6.0% (95% CI 3.1%-10.2%). Longer persistence was significantly associated with severe acute disease, with probability of persistence in this population at 1 year at 10.1% (95% CI 4.6%-19.8%) compared to the probability approaching 0% for those with mild acute disease. Age showed a dose-response pattern, where the youngest men (≤25 years) were 3.17 (95% CI 1.60, 6.29) times more likely to be EBOV RNA negative in semen, and men aged 26-35 years were 1.85 (95% CI 1.04, 3.28) times more likely to be negative, than men aged >35 years. Among participants with both severe acute EVD and a higher age (>35 years), persistence remained above 20% (95% CI 6.0%-50.6%) at 1 year. Uptake of safe sex recommendations 3 months after ETU discharge was low among a third of survivors. The sample was largely representative of male survivors in Sierra Leone. A limitation of this study is the lack of knowledge about infectiousness. CONCLUSIONS In this study we observed that EBOV RNA persistence in semen was a frequent phenomenon, with high population rates over time. This finding will inform forthcoming updated recommendations on risk reduction strategies relating to sexual transmission of EBOV. Our findings support implementation of a semen testing program as part of epidemic preparedness and response. Further, the results will enable planning of the magnitude of testing and targeted counseling needs over time.
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34
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Atypical Ebola Virus Disease in a Nonhuman Primate following Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Is Associated with Glycoprotein Mutations within the Fusion Loop. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.01438-20. [PMID: 33436428 PMCID: PMC7844533 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01438-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus remains a global threat to public health and biosecurity, yet we still know relatively little about its pathogenesis and the complications that arise following recovery. With nearly 20,000 survivors from the 2013–2016 West African outbreak, as well as over 1,000 survivors of the recent outbreak in the DRC, we must consider the consequences of virus persistence and recrudescent disease, even if they are rare. Ebola virus (EBOV) is responsible for numerous devastating outbreaks throughout Africa, including the 2013–2016 West African outbreak as well as the two recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of which is ongoing. Although EBOV disease (EVD) has typically been considered a highly lethal acute infection, increasing evidence suggests that the virus can persist in certain immune-privileged sites and occasionally lead to EVD recrudescence. Little is understood about the processes that contribute to EBOV persistence and recrudescence, in part because of the rarity of these phenomena but also because of the absence of an animal model that recapitulates them. Here, we describe a case of EBOV persistence associated with atypical EVD in a nonhuman primate (NHP) following inoculation with EBOV and treatment with an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail. Although this animal exhibited only mild signs of acute EVD, it developed severe disease 2 weeks later and succumbed shortly thereafter. Viremia was undetectable at the time of death, despite abundant levels of viral RNA in most tissues, each of which appeared to harbor a distinct viral quasispecies. Remarkably, sequence analysis identified a single mutation in glycoprotein (GP) that not only resisted antibody-mediated neutralization but also increased viral growth kinetics and virulence. Overall, this report represents the most thoroughly characterized case of atypical EVD in an NHP described thus far, and it provides valuable insight into factors that may contribute to EBOV persistence and recrudescent disease.
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35
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Teixeira TA, Oliveira YC, Bernardes FS, Kallas EG, Duarte-Neto AN, Esteves SC, Drevet JR, Hallak J. Viral infections and implications for male reproductive health. Asian J Androl 2021; 23:335-347. [PMID: 33473014 PMCID: PMC8269834 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_82_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral infections have haunted humankind since times immemorial. Overpopulation, globalization, and extensive deforestation have created an ideal environment for a viral spread with unknown and multiple shedding routes. Many viruses can infect the male reproductive tract, with potential adverse consequences to male reproductive health, including infertility and cancer. Moreover, some genital tract viral infections can be sexually transmitted, potentially impacting the resulting offspring's health. We have summarized the evidence concerning the presence and adverse effects of the relevant viruses on the reproductive tract (mumps virus, human immunodeficiency virus, herpes virus, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C viruses, Ebola virus, Zika virus, influenza virus, and coronaviruses), their routes of infection, target organs and cells, prevalence and pattern of virus shedding in semen, as well as diagnosis/testing and treatment strategies. The pathophysiological understanding in the male genital tract is essential to assess its clinical impact on male reproductive health and guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago A Teixeira
- Androscience, Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, São Paulo 04534-011, SP, Brazil.,Division of Urology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil.,Men's Health Study Group, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, SP, Brazil.,Division of Urology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Amapa, Macapa 68903-419, AP, Brazil
| | - Yasmin C Oliveira
- Androscience, Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, São Paulo 04534-011, SP, Brazil.,Division of Urology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Amapa, Macapa 68903-419, AP, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Bernardes
- Androscience, Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, São Paulo 04534-011, SP, Brazil.,Division of Urology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil.,Men's Health Study Group, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, SP, Brazil
| | - Esper G Kallas
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Amaro N Duarte-Neto
- BIAS - Brazilian Image Autopsy Study Group, Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Sandro C Esteves
- ANDROFERT, Andrology and Human Reproduction Clinic, Campinas 13075-460, SP, Brazil.,Department of Surgery (Division of Urology), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-968, SP, Brazil.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Joël R Drevet
- GReD Institute, CNRS-INSERM-Université Clermont Auvergne, Faculty of Medicine, Clermont-Ferrand 63000, France
| | - Jorge Hallak
- Androscience, Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, São Paulo 04534-011, SP, Brazil.,Division of Urology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil.,Men's Health Study Group, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, SP, Brazil.,Reproductive Toxicology Unit, Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
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36
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A Novel Ebola Virus VP40 Matrix Protein-Based Screening for Identification of Novel Candidate Medical Countermeasures. Viruses 2020; 13:v13010052. [PMID: 33396288 PMCID: PMC7824103 DOI: 10.3390/v13010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Filoviruses, such as Ebola virus and Marburg virus, are of significant human health concern. From 2013 to 2016, Ebola virus caused 11,323 fatalities in Western Africa. Since 2018, two Ebola virus disease outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo resulted in 2354 fatalities. Although there is progress in medical countermeasure (MCM) development (in particular, vaccines and antibody-based therapeutics), the need for efficacious small-molecule therapeutics remains unmet. Here we describe a novel high-throughput screening assay to identify inhibitors of Ebola virus VP40 matrix protein association with viral particle assembly sites on the interior of the host cell plasma membrane. Using this assay, we screened nearly 3000 small molecules and identified several molecules with the desired inhibitory properties. In secondary assays, one identified compound, sangivamycin, inhibited not only Ebola viral infectivity but also that of other viruses. This finding indicates that it is possible for this new VP40-based screening method to identify highly potent MCMs against Ebola virus and its relatives.
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37
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Fuentes-Prior P. Priming of SARS-CoV-2 S protein by several membrane-bound serine proteinases could explain enhanced viral infectivity and systemic COVID-19 infection. J Biol Chem 2020; 296:100135. [PMID: 33268377 PMCID: PMC7834812 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.015980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has already caused over a million deaths worldwide, and this death toll will be much higher before effective treatments and vaccines are available. The causative agent of the disease, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, shows important similarities with the previously emerged SARS-CoV-1, but also striking differences. First, SARS-CoV-2 possesses a significantly higher transmission rate and infectivity than SARS-CoV-1 and has infected in a few months over 60 million people. Moreover, COVID-19 has a systemic character, as in addition to the lungs, it also affects the heart, liver, and kidneys among other organs of the patients and causes frequent thrombotic and neurological complications. In fact, the term "viral sepsis" has been recently coined to describe the clinical observations. Here I review current structure-function information on the viral spike proteins and the membrane fusion process to provide plausible explanations for these observations. I hypothesize that several membrane-associated serine proteinases (MASPs), in synergy with or in place of TMPRSS2, contribute to activate the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Relative concentrations of the attachment receptor, ACE2, MASPs, their endogenous inhibitors (the Kunitz-type transmembrane inhibitors, HAI-1/SPINT1 and HAI-2/SPINT2, as well as major circulating serpins) would determine the infection rate of host cells. The exclusive or predominant expression of major MASPs in specific human organs suggests a direct role of these proteinases in e.g., heart infection and myocardial injury, liver dysfunction, kidney damage, as well as neurological complications. Thorough consideration of these factors could have a positive impact on the control of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Fuentes-Prior
- Molecular Bases of Disease, Biomedical Research Institute (IIB) Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
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38
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Rghei AD, van Lieshout LP, Santry LA, Guilleman MM, Thomas SP, Susta L, Karimi K, Bridle BW, Wootton SK. AAV Vectored Immunoprophylaxis for Filovirus Infections. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5:tropicalmed5040169. [PMID: 33182447 PMCID: PMC7709665 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed5040169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Filoviruses are among the deadliest infectious agents known to man, causing severe hemorrhagic fever, with up to 90% fatality rates. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa resulted in over 28,000 infections, demonstrating the large-scale human health and economic impact generated by filoviruses. Zaire ebolavirus is responsible for the greatest number of deaths to date and consequently there is now an approved vaccine, Ervebo, while other filovirus species have similar epidemic potential and remain without effective vaccines. Recent clinical success of REGN-EB3 and mAb-114 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based therapies supports further investigation of this treatment approach for other filoviruses. While efficacious, protection from passive mAb therapies is short-lived, requiring repeat dosing to maintain therapeutic concentrations. An alternative strategy is vectored immunoprophylaxis (VIP), which utilizes an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to generate sustained expression of selected mAbs directly in vivo. This approach takes advantage of validated mAb development and enables vectorization of the top candidates to provide long-term immunity. In this review, we summarize the history of filovirus outbreaks, mAb-based therapeutics, and highlight promising AAV vectorized approaches to providing immunity against filoviruses where vaccines are not yet available.
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39
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Li H, Xiao X, Zhang J, Zafar MI, Wu C, Long Y, Lu W, Pan F, Meng T, Zhao K, Zhou L, Shen S, Liu L, Liu Q, Xiong C. Impaired spermatogenesis in COVID-19 patients. EClinicalMedicine 2020; 28:100604. [PMID: 33134901 PMCID: PMC7584442 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current study aimed to determine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male fertility. METHODS This is a single-center, hospital-based observational study that included autopsied testicular and epididymal specimens of deceased COVID-19 male patients (n=6) and recruited recovering COVID-19 inpatients (n=23) with an equal number of age-matched controls, respectively. We performed histopathological examinations on testicular and epididymal specimens, and also performed TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry. Whereas, we investigated the semen specimen for sperm parameters and immune factors. FINDINGS Autopsied testicular and epididymal specimens of COVID-19 showed the presence of interstitial edema, congestion, red blood cell exudation in testes, and epididymides. Thinning of seminiferous tubules was observed. The number of apoptotic cells within seminiferous tubules was significantly higher in COVID-19 compared to control cases. It also showed an increased concentration of CD3+ and CD68+ in the interstitial cells of testicular tissue and the presence of IgG within seminiferous tubules. Semen from COVID-19 inpatients showed that 39.1% (n=9) of them have oligozoospermia, and 60.9% (n=14) showed a significant increase in leucocytes in semen. Decreased sperm concentration, and increased seminal levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 compared to control males were observed. INTERPRETATION Impairment of spermatogenesis was observed in COVID-19 patients, which could be partially explained as a result of an elevated immune response in testis. Additionally, autoimmune orchitis occurred in some COVID-19 patients. Further research on the reversibility of impairment and developing treatment are warranted. FUNDING This study was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of China Plan, Hubei Science and Technology Plan, National Key Research and Development Program of China, HUST COVID-19 Rapid Response Call, China and National Natural Science Foundation of China; these funding bodies are public institutions, and they had no role in study conception, design, interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honggang Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
- Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Sanyang Road 128, Wuhan 430013, China
| | - Xingyuan Xiao
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Avenue 1277, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Mohammad Ishraq Zafar
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Chunlin Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The No.1 Hospital of Wuhan, Zhongshan Avenue 215, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yuting Long
- Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Sanyang Road 128, Wuhan 430013, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Pathology, Kindstar Global, Gaoxin Avenue 666, Wuhan 430075, China
| | - Feng Pan
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Avenue 1277, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Tianqing Meng
- Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Sanyang Road 128, Wuhan 430013, China
| | - Kai Zhao
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Liquan Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shiliang Shen
- Department of Pathology, Kindstar Global, Gaoxin Avenue 666, Wuhan 430075, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Chengliang Xiong
- Institute of Reproductive Health/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, China
- Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Sanyang Road 128, Wuhan 430013, China
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40
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Payne K, Kenny P, Scovell JM, Khodamoradi K, Ramasamy R. Twenty-First Century Viral Pandemics: A Literature Review of Sexual Transmission and Fertility Implications in Men. Sex Med Rev 2020; 8:518-530. [PMID: 32713674 PMCID: PMC7378513 DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The 21st century has seen a series of viral pandemics that have collectively infected millions of individuals. To understand factors that may contribute to viral spread and address long-term health sequelae for survivors, it is important to review evidence regarding viral presence in semen, sexual transmission potential, and possible effects on fertility. AIM To review the current literature regarding the sexual transmissibility of recent viral pandemics and their effects on semen parameters and fertility. We review evidence for the following viruses: Ebola, Zika, West Nile, pandemic influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and SARS-corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS A literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. References from identified articles were searched and included, if appropriate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measure of this study was reviewing of peer-reviewed literature. RESULTS Both the Ebola virus and Zika virus are present in semen, but only the Zika virus shows consistent evidence of sexual transmission. Current evidence does not support the presence of the West Nile virus, pandemic influenza, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2 in semen. The Zika virus appears to alter semen parameters in a way that diminishes fertility, but the effect is likely time limited. The West Nile virus and SARS have been associated with orchitis in a small number of case reports. Viruses that cause febrile illness, such as pandemic influenza, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2, are associated with decreased sperm count and motility and abnormal morphology. SARS and SARS-CoV-2 may interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors present in the testes, which could impact spermatogenesis. CONCLUSIONS We have reported the presence in semen, sexual transmission potential, and fertility side effects of recent viral pandemics. Overall, semen studies and fertility effects are highly understudied in viral pandemics, and rigorous study on these topics should be undertaken as novel pandemics emerge. Payne K, Kenny P, Scovell JM, et al. Twenty-First Century Viral Pandemics: A Literature Review of Sexual Transmission and Fertility Implications for Men. Sex Med Rev 2020;8:518-530.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Payne
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter Kenny
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jason M Scovell
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Urology, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kajal Khodamoradi
- Department of Urology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ranjith Ramasamy
- Department of Urology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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Zhang J, Saad R, Taylor EW, Rayman MP. Selenium and selenoproteins in viral infection with potential relevance to COVID-19. Redox Biol 2020; 37:101715. [PMID: 32992282 PMCID: PMC7481318 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Selenium is a trace element essential to human health largely because of its incorporation into selenoproteins that have a wide range of protective functions. Selenium has an ongoing history of reducing the incidence and severity of various viral infections; for example, a German study found selenium status to be significantly higher in serum samples from surviving than non-surviving COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, a significant, positive, linear association was found between the cure rate of Chinese patients with COVID-19 and regional selenium status. Moreover, the cure rate continued to rise beyond the selenium intake required to optimise selenoproteins, suggesting that selenoproteins are probably not the whole story. Nonetheless, the significantly reduced expression of a number of selenoproteins, including those involved in controlling ER stress, along with increased expression of IL-6 in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells in culture suggests a potential link between reduced selenoprotein expression and COVID-19-associated inflammation. In this comprehensive review, we describe the history of selenium in viral infections and then go on to assess the potential benefits of adequate and even supra-nutritional selenium status. We discuss the indispensable function of the selenoproteins in coordinating a successful immune response and follow by reviewing cytokine excess, a key mediator of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19, and its relationship to selenium status. We comment on the fact that the synthetic redox-active selenium compound, ebselen, has been found experimentally to be a strong inhibitor of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease that enables viral maturation within the host. That finding suggests that redox-active selenium species formed at high selenium intake might hypothetically inhibit SARS-CoV-2 proteases. We consider the tactics that SARS-CoV-2 could employ to evade an adequate host response by interfering with the human selenoprotein system. Recognition of the myriad mechanisms by which selenium might potentially benefit COVID-19 patients provides a rationale for randomised, controlled trials of selenium supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, PR China
| | - Ramy Saad
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK; Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, BN2 5BE, UK
| | - Ethan Will Taylor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
| | - Margaret P Rayman
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK.
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Iversen PL, Kane CD, Zeng X, Panchal RG, Warren TK, Radoshitzky SR, Kuhn JH, Mudhasani RR, Cooper CL, Shurtleff AC, Nasar F, Sunay MM, Duplantier AJ, Eaton BP, Zumbrun EE, Bixler SL, Martin S, Meinig JM, Chiang CY, Sanchez-Lockhart M, Palacios GF, Kugelman JR, Martins KA, Pitt ML, Crozier I, Saunders DL. Recent successes in therapeutics for Ebola virus disease: no time for complacency. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2020; 20:e231-e237. [PMID: 32563280 PMCID: PMC7302789 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30282-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The PALM trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo identified a statistically significant survival benefit for two monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics in the treatment of acute Ebola virus disease; however, substantial gaps remain in improving the outcomes of acute Ebola virus disease and for the survivors. Ongoing efforts are needed to develop more effective strategies, particularly for individuals with severe disease, for prevention and treatment of viral persistence in immune-privileged sites, for optimisation of post-exposure prophylaxis, and to increase therapeutic breadth. As antibody-based approaches are identified and advanced, promising small-molecule antivirals currently in clinical stage development should continue to be evaluated for filovirus diseases, with consideration of their added value in combination approaches with bundled supportive care, their penetration in tissues of interest, the absence of interaction with glycoprotein-based vaccines, and filoviral breadth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L Iversen
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Christopher D Kane
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Xiankun Zeng
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Rekha G Panchal
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Travis K Warren
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Sheli R Radoshitzky
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Rajini R Mudhasani
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Christopher L Cooper
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Amy C Shurtleff
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Farooq Nasar
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Melek Me Sunay
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Allen J Duplantier
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Brett P Eaton
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Zumbrun
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Sandra L Bixler
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Shannon Martin
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - J Matthew Meinig
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Chih-Yuan Chiang
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Mariano Sanchez-Lockhart
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Gustavo F Palacios
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Kugelman
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Karen A Martins
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Margaret L Pitt
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Ian Crozier
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - David L Saunders
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
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van der Kuyl AC, Berkhout B. Viruses in the reproductive tract: On their way to the germ line? Virus Res 2020; 286:198101. [PMID: 32710926 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Studies of vertebrate genomes have indicated that all species contain in their chromosomes stretches of DNA with sequence similarity to viral genomes. How such 'endogenous' viral elements (EVEs) ended up in host genomes is usually explained in general terms such as 'they entered the germ line at some point during evolution'. This seems a correct statement, but is also rather imprecise. The vast number of endogenous viral sequences suggest that common routes to the 'germ line' may exist, as relying on chance alone may not easily explain the abundance of EVEs in modern mammalian genomes. An increasing number of virus types have been detected in human semen and a growing number of studies have reported on viral infections that cause male infertility or subfertility and on viral infections that threaten in vitro fertilisation practices. Thus, it is timely to survey the pathway(s) that viruses can use to gain access to the human germ line. Embryo transfer and semen quality studies in livestock form another source of relevant information because virus infection during reproduction is clearly unwanted, as is the case for the human situation. In this review, studies on viruses in the male and female reproductive tract and in the early embryo will be discussed to propose a plausible viral route to the mammalian germ line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoinette Cornelia van der Kuyl
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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44
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Di Paola N, Sanchez-Lockhart M, Zeng X, Kuhn JH, Palacios G. Viral genomics in Ebola virus research. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 18:365-378. [PMID: 32367066 PMCID: PMC7223634 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-0354-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Filoviruses such as Ebola virus continue to pose a substantial health risk to humans. Advances in the sequencing and functional characterization of both pathogen and host genomes have provided a wealth of knowledge to clinicians, epidemiologists and public health responders during outbreaks of high-consequence viral disease. Here, we describe how genomics has been historically used to investigate Ebola virus disease outbreaks and how new technologies allow for rapid, large-scale data generation at the point of care. We highlight how genomics extends beyond consensus-level sequencing of the virus to include intra-host viral transcriptomics and the characterization of host responses in acute and persistently infected patients. Similar genomics techniques can also be applied to the characterization of non-human primate animal models and to known natural reservoirs of filoviruses, and metagenomic sequencing can be the key to the discovery of novel filoviruses. Finally, we outline the importance of reverse genetics systems that can swiftly characterize filoviruses as soon as their genome sequences are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Di Paola
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Mariano Sanchez-Lockhart
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Xiankun Zeng
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Gustavo Palacios
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
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45
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Grobusch MP, van der Fluit KS, Stijnis C, De Pijper CA, Hanscheid T, Gautret P, Schlagenhauf P, Goorhuis A. Can dengue virus be sexually transmitted? Travel Med Infect Dis 2020; 38:101753. [PMID: 32473313 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
It has been well documented that Zika virus (ZIKV) can be sexually transmitted. Dengue virus (DENV) shows many similarities with ZIKV; both belong to the genus Flavivirus and share the same main vector route of transmission. Moreover, they share overall architectural features on a molecular level, with a highly similar structure and distinctive insertions, deletions and mutations of their respective E proteins, and it has been suggested that they use a common pathophysiological pathway. In view of similarities with other sexually transmissible viruses, the question arises as to whether DENV could also be sexually transmissible. Limited animal model data do not suggest otherwise. The presence of dengue virus in - and human-to-human, non-vector transmission from - various bodily fluids other than semen or vaginal secretions has been documented anecdotally. Several anecdotal reports described prolonged presence of DENV in semen, urine and vaginal secretions. In 2019, two cases of likely sexual transmission were reported from Spain and South Korea, respectively. We discuss the evidence for and against a relevant DENV sexual transmission potential, highlight controversies and propose a future research agenda on this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin P Grobusch
- Centre of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Karin S van der Fluit
- Centre of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis Stijnis
- Centre of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A De Pijper
- Centre of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Hanscheid
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Philippe Gautret
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France; IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Patricia Schlagenhauf
- University of Zürich Centre for Travel Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Travellers' Health, Department of Public and Global Health, Institute for Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Abraham Goorhuis
- Centre of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Ristanović ES, Kokoškov NS, Crozier I, Kuhn JH, Gligić AS. A Forgotten Episode of Marburg Virus Disease: Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1967. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2020; 84:e00095-19. [PMID: 32404328 PMCID: PMC7233485 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00095-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1967, several workers involved in poliomyelitis vaccine development and production fell ill at three different locations in Europe with a severe and often lethal novel disease associated with grivets (Chlorocebus aethiops) imported from Uganda. This disease was named Marburg virus disease (MVD) after the West German town of Marburg an der Lahn, where most human infections and deaths had been recorded. Consequently, the Marburg episode received the most scientific and media attention. Cases that occurred in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, were also described in commonly accessible scientific literature, although they were less frequently cited than those pertaining to the Marburg infections. However, two infections occurring in a third location, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, have seemingly been all but forgotten. Due in part to their absence in commonly used databases and in part to the fact that they were written in languages other than English, the important articles describing this part of the outbreak are very rarely cited. Here, we summarize this literature and correct published inaccuracies to remind a younger generation of scientists focusing on Marburg virus and its closest filoviral relatives of this important historical context. Importantly, and unfortunately, the three episodes of infection of 1967 still represent the best in-depth clinical look at MVD in general and in the context of "modern" medicine (fully resourced versus less-resourced capacity) in particular. Hence, each individual case of these episodes holds crucial information for health care providers who may be confronted with MVD today.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ian Crozier
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research supported by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Ana S Gligić
- Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak," Belgrade, Serbia
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Jacob ST, Crozier I, Fischer WA, Hewlett A, Kraft CS, Vega MADL, Soka MJ, Wahl V, Griffiths A, Bollinger L, Kuhn JH. Ebola virus disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2020; 6:13. [PMID: 32080199 PMCID: PMC7223853 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-0147-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and frequently lethal disease caused by Ebola virus (EBOV). EVD outbreaks typically start from a single case of probable zoonotic transmission, followed by human-to-human transmission via direct contact or contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated fomites. EVD has a high case-fatality rate; it is characterized by fever, gastrointestinal signs and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Diagnosis requires a combination of case definition and laboratory tests, typically real-time reverse transcription PCR to detect viral RNA or rapid diagnostic tests based on immunoassays to detect EBOV antigens. Recent advances in medical countermeasure research resulted in the recent approval of an EBOV-targeted vaccine by European and US regulatory agencies. The results of a randomized clinical trial of investigational therapeutics for EVD demonstrated survival benefits from two monoclonal antibody products targeting the EBOV membrane glycoprotein. New observations emerging from the unprecedented 2013-2016 Western African EVD outbreak (the largest in history) and the ongoing EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have substantially improved the understanding of EVD and viral persistence in survivors of EVD, resulting in new strategies toward prevention of infection and optimization of clinical management, acute illness outcomes and attendance to the clinical care needs of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shevin T Jacob
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Global Health Security Department, Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ian Crozier
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research supported by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - William A Fischer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Angela Hewlett
- Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Colleen S Kraft
- Microbiology Section, Emory Medical Laboratory, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marc-Antoine de La Vega
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Moses J Soka
- Partnership for Ebola Virus Disease Research in Liberia, Monrovia Medical Units ELWA-2 Hospital, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Victoria Wahl
- National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Anthony Griffiths
- Department of Microbiology and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura Bollinger
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
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Le Tortorec A, Matusali G, Mahé D, Aubry F, Mazaud-Guittot S, Houzet L, Dejucq-Rainsford N. From Ancient to Emerging Infections: The Odyssey of Viruses in the Male Genital Tract. Physiol Rev 2020; 100:1349-1414. [PMID: 32031468 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00021.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The male genital tract (MGT) is the target of a number of viral infections that can have deleterious consequences at the individual, offspring, and population levels. These consequences include infertility, cancers of male organs, transmission to the embryo/fetal development abnormalities, and sexual dissemination of major viral pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus. Lately, two emerging viruses, Zika and Ebola, have additionally revealed that the human MGT can constitute a reservoir for viruses cleared from peripheral circulation by the immune system, leading to their sexual transmission by cured men. This represents a concern for future epidemics and further underlines the need for a better understanding of the interplay between viruses and the MGT. We review here how viruses, from ancient viruses that integrated the germline during evolution through old viruses (e.g., papillomaviruses originating from Neanderthals) and more modern sexually transmitted infections (e.g., simian zoonotic HIV) to emerging viruses (e.g., Ebola and Zika) take advantage of genital tract colonization for horizontal dissemination, viral persistence, vertical transmission, and endogenization. The MGT immune responses to viruses and the impact of these infections are discussed. We summarize the latest data regarding the sources of viruses in semen and the complex role of this body fluid in sexual transmission. Finally, we introduce key animal findings that are relevant for our understanding of viral infection and persistence in the human MGT and suggest future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Le Tortorec
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Giulia Matusali
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Dominique Mahé
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Florence Aubry
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Séverine Mazaud-Guittot
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Laurent Houzet
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nathalie Dejucq-Rainsford
- University of Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
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Han Z, Dash S, Sagum CA, Ruthel G, Jaladanki CK, Berry CT, Schwoerer MP, Harty NM, Freedman BD, Bedford MT, Fan H, Sidhu SS, Sudol M, Shtanko O, Harty RN. Modular mimicry and engagement of the Hippo pathway by Marburg virus VP40: Implications for filovirus biology and budding. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008231. [PMID: 31905227 PMCID: PMC6977764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg (MARV) are members of the Filoviridae family, which continue to emerge and cause sporadic outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates. Filoviruses utilize their VP40 matrix protein to drive virion assembly and budding, in part, by recruitment of specific WW-domain-bearing host proteins via its conserved PPxY Late (L) domain motif. Here, we screened an array of 115 mammalian, bacterially expressed and purified WW-domains using a PPxY-containing peptide from MARV VP40 (mVP40) to identify novel host interactors. Using this unbiased approach, we identified Yes Associated Protein (YAP) and Transcriptional co-Activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) as novel mVP40 PPxY interactors. YAP and TAZ function as downstream transcriptional effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway that regulates cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. We demonstrate that ectopic expression of YAP or TAZ along with mVP40 leads to significant inhibition of budding of mVP40 VLPs in a WW-domain/PPxY dependent manner. Moreover, YAP colocalized with mVP40 in the cytoplasm, and inhibition of mVP40 VLP budding was more pronounced when YAP was localized predominantly in the cytoplasm rather than in the nucleus. A key regulator of YAP nuclear/cytoplasmic localization and function is angiomotin (Amot); a multi-PPxY containing protein that strongly interacts with YAP WW-domains. Interestingly, we found that expression of PPxY-containing Amot rescued mVP40 VLP egress from either YAP- or TAZ-mediated inhibition in a PPxY-dependent manner. Importantly, using a stable Amot-knockdown cell line, we found that expression of Amot was critical for efficient egress of mVP40 VLPs as well as egress and spread of authentic MARV in infected cell cultures. In sum, we identified novel negative (YAP/TAZ) and positive (Amot) regulators of MARV VP40-mediated egress, that likely function in part, via competition between host and viral PPxY motifs binding to modular host WW-domains. These findings not only impact our mechanistic understanding of virus budding and spread, but also may impact the development of new antiviral strategies. By screening an array of 115 mammalian WW-domains with the PPxY motif from MARV VP40 (mVP40), we identified YAP1 and TAZ, transcriptional effectors of the Hippo pathway, as mVP40 interactors, and demonstrated that ectopically expressed YAP1 or TAZ inhibited budding of mVP40 virus-like particles (VLPs) in a WW-domain/PPxY dependent manner. Angiomotin (Amot), a multi-PPxY containing regulator of YAP1 nuclear/cytoplasmic localization and function, rescued mVP40 VLP egress from either YAP1- or TAZ-mediated inhibition in a PPxY-dependent manner. Indeed, endogenous Amot expression was critical for egress of mVP40 VLPs and authentic MARV. In sum, we have revealed a link between the Hippo pathway and filovirus egress by identifying negative (YAP/TAZ) and positive (Amot) regulators of MARV VP40-mediated egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziying Han
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Shantoshini Dash
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Cari A. Sagum
- Department of Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Smithville, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gordon Ruthel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Chaitanya K. Jaladanki
- Department of Physiology and Mechanobiology Institute at National University of Singapore, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, IMCB, and Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Corbett T. Berry
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael P. Schwoerer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Nina M. Harty
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bruce D. Freedman
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mark T. Bedford
- Department of Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Smithville, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hao Fan
- Department of Physiology and Mechanobiology Institute at National University of Singapore, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, IMCB, and Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Sachdev S. Sidhu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marius Sudol
- Department of Physiology and Mechanobiology Institute at National University of Singapore, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, IMCB, and Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Olena Shtanko
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ronald N. Harty
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kajihara M, Hang'ombe BM, Changula K, Harima H, Isono M, Okuya K, Yoshida R, Mori-Kajihara A, Eto Y, Orba Y, Ogawa H, Qiu Y, Sawa H, Simulundu E, Mwizabi D, Munyeme M, Squarre D, Mukonka V, Mweene A, Takada A. Marburgvirus in Egyptian Fruit Bats, Zambia. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:1577-1580. [PMID: 31146800 PMCID: PMC6649326 DOI: 10.3201/eid2508.190268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We detected Marburg virus genome in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) captured in Zambia in September 2018. The virus was closely related phylogenetically to the viruses that previously caused Marburg outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This finding demonstrates that Zambia is at risk for Marburg virus disease.
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