1
|
Denison AM, Bhatnagar J, Jahan-Tigh RR, Fair P, Hale GL. Detection of coxsackievirus A6 in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsy specimens using immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR. J Clin Virol Plus 2021; 1:10.1016/j.jcvp.2021.100018. [PMID: 38481773 PMCID: PMC10936323 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcvp.2021.100018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), classically a childhood viral infection, has an atypical and severe clinical presentation in adults. Coxsackievirus A6 is a leading cause of atypical HFMD, but current diagnostic methods utilizing formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsy specimens often lack sensitivity and specificity. Methods Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsies from seven case patients with clinical and histopathological suspicion of atypical HFMD were evaluated by coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) immunohistochemistry, enterovirus-specific conventional reverse transcriptase-PCR with subsequent Sanger sequencing targeting the 5'UTR, and CVA6-specific real-time PCR targeting the VP1 gene. Results The CVA6-specific antibody demonstrated appropriate antigen distribution and staining intensity in keratinocytes in all cases. Conventional RT-PCR and sequencing also detected the presence of enterovirus, and CVA6-specific real-time RT-PCR analysis identified CVA6. Conclusion Applying these immunohistochemistry and molecular techniques to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, CVA6 was determined to be the causative infectious agent in seven cases of atypical hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julu Bhatnagar
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Richard R. Jahan-Tigh
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pamela Fair
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gillian L. Hale
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Downey RD, Russo SM, Hauger SB, Murphey DK, Marx G, Huynh T, Denison AM, Quirt R, Bailey A, Fernandez M. Identification of an Emergent Pathogen, Bartonella vinsonii, Using Next-Generation Sequencing in a Patient With Culture-Negative Endocarditis. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2021; 10:213-216. [PMID: 32092135 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Diagnosis and treatment of culture negative endocarditis remains a challenge. This report describes a rare cause of endocarditis in humans, Bartonella vinsonii, identified through next generation sequencing of plasma microbial cell-free DNA with confirmation of cardiac valve tissue infection through immunohistochemical staining and polymerase chain reaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarmistha B Hauger
- Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA.,Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Donald K Murphey
- Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA.,Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Grace Marx
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Thanhthao Huynh
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rachel Quirt
- Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Ann Bailey
- Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Marisol Fernandez
- Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA.,Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bhatnagar J, Gary J, Reagan-Steiner S, Estetter LB, Tong S, Tao Y, Denison AM, Lee E, DeLeon-Carnes M, Li Y, Uehara A, Paden CR, Leitgeb B, Uyeki TM, Martines RB, Ritter JM, Paddock CD, Shieh WJ, Zaki SR. Evidence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Replication and Tropism in the Lungs, Airways, and Vascular Endothelium of Patients With Fatal Coronavirus Disease 2019: An Autopsy Case Series. J Infect Dis 2021; 223:752-764. [PMID: 33502471 PMCID: PMC7928839 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to produce substantial morbidity and mortality. To understand the reasons for the wide-spectrum complications and severe outcomes of COVID-19, we aimed to identify cellular targets of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tropism and replication in various tissues. Methods We evaluated RNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded autopsy tissues from 64 case patients (age range, 1 month to 84 years; 21 COVID-19 confirmed, 43 suspected COVID-19) by SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For cellular localization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and viral characterization, we performed in situ hybridization (ISH), subgenomic RNA RT-PCR, and whole-genome sequencing. Results SARS-CoV-2 was identified by RT-PCR in 32 case patients (21 COVID-19 confirmed, 11 suspected). ISH was positive in 20 and subgenomic RNA RT-PCR was positive in 17 of 32 RT-PCR–positive case patients. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was localized by ISH in hyaline membranes, pneumocytes, and macrophages of lungs; epithelial cells of airways; and endothelial cells and vessel walls of brain stem, leptomeninges, lung, heart, liver, kidney, and pancreas. The D614G variant was detected in 9 RT-PCR–positive case patients. Conclusions We identified cellular targets of SARS-CoV-2 tropism and replication in the lungs and airways and demonstrated its direct infection in vascular endothelium. This work provides important insights into COVID-19 pathogenesis and mechanisms of severe outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julu Bhatnagar
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Correspondence: Julu Bhatnagar, PhD, Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop H18-SB, Atlanta, GA 30329-4027 ()
| | - Joy Gary
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sarah Reagan-Steiner
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lindsey B Estetter
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Suxiang Tong
- Respiratory Viruses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ying Tao
- Respiratory Viruses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Elizabeth Lee
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marlene DeLeon-Carnes
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Respiratory Viruses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anna Uehara
- Respiratory Viruses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Clinton R Paden
- Respiratory Viruses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Brooke Leitgeb
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Timothy M Uyeki
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Roosecelis B Martines
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jana M Ritter
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Wun-Ju Shieh
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sherif R Zaki
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Powassan virus (POWV) is a flavivirus of the tick-borne encephalitis serogroup that causes a rare and potentially life-threatening neuroinvasive disease. Viral transmission occurs during zoonotic spillover from mammals by the bite of an infected tick in endemic regions of North America. The number of reported POWV cases has recently increased in the United States. We report a fatal case of POWV meningoencephalomyelitis in Northern Wisconsin following a documented tick bite. Histologic examination of the brain demonstrated widespread intraparenchymal and perivascular lymphohistocytic infiltration, microglial nodule formation, and marked neuronal degeneration, most severely involving the substantia nigra, anterior horn of spinal cord and cerebellum. Although no viral inclusions were seen in routine light microscopy, electron microscopy identified multiple neurons containing cytoplasmic clusters of virus particles ∼50 nm in diameter. POWV infection was confirmed using immunohistochemical analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. This report demonstrates in detail regional central nervous system involvement and ultrastructural characteristics of Powassan viral particles by transmission electron microscopy, while highlighting the utility of evaluating fixed autopsy tissues in cases of unexplained meningoencephalomyelitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Yu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Eduard Matkovic
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
| | - Sarah Reagan-Steiner
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
| | - Rebecca Osborn
- Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Shahriar M Salamat
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Denison AM, Leitgeb B, Obadiah JM, Schwindt A, Ladd-Wilson SG, Paddock CD, Matkovic E. Rickettsia honei Infection in a Traveler Returning From India. Open Forum Infect Dis 2020; 8:ofaa636. [PMID: 33575421 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a case of Rickettsia honei infection in a US tourist returning from India and the Himalayas. This case highlights a need for awareness of various Rickettsia species endemic to India and the importance for physicians to consider rickettsial diseases in returning travelers with eschar or rash-associated febrile illnesses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Brooke Leitgeb
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Anne Schwindt
- Multnomah County Health Department, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Eduard Matkovic
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Reagan-Steiner S, Gary J, Matkovic E, Ritter JM, Shieh WJ, Martines RB, Werner AK, Lynfield R, Holzbauer S, Bullock H, Denison AM, Bhatnagar J, Bollweg BC, Patel M, Evans ME, King BA, Rose DA, Baldwin GT, Jones CM, Krishnasamy V, Briss PA, Weissman DN, Meaney-Delman D, Zaki SR, Jatlaoui T, Koumans E, Kiernan E, Petersen E, Karwowski MP, Valentin-Blasini L, Blount BC, Cummings KJ, Ghinai I, Feder K, Wells EV, Turabelidze G, Byers P, Tanz LJ, Navarette KA, Ramadugu K, Dewart C, Miller J, Squires K, Marsden L, Fields CA. Pathological findings in suspected cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI): a case series. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2020; 8:1219-1232. [DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(20)30321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
7
|
Cherry CC, Denison AM, Kato CY, Thornton K, Paddock CD. Diagnosis of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses in U.S. Travelers Returning from Africa, 2007-2016. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 99:136-142. [PMID: 29848404 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFGRs), such as African tick bite fever (ATBF), are among the most commonly diagnosed diseases for ill travelers returning from southern Africa. We summarized demographic, clinical, and diagnostic features of imported SFGR cases in U.S. travelers returning from Africa who had laboratory specimens submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnosis of SFGR was performed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay, immunohistochemical staining, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or culture. Cases were defined as probable SFGR, confirmed SFGR, or confirmed ATBF. Clinical and epidemiological categorical variables were described as counts and proportions; continuous variables were described using geometric mean titers, median, and range. One hundred and twenty-seven patients satisfied laboratory criteria for confirmed or probable SFGR. Fever was the most common symptom (N = 88; 69%), followed by ≥ 1 eschars (N = 70; 55%). Paired serums were submitted for 36 patients (28%); 12 patients (33%) had nonreactive initial serum sample but converted to a titer ≥ 64 with the convalescent sample. Twenty-seven patients (21%) had infection with Rickettsia africae based on PCR analysis of eschar swab (N = 8) or biopsy (N = 23). Fifteen patients had eschar biopsy or swab samples and serum sample(s) submitted together; 9 (60%) had PCR-positive eschar results and nonreactive acute serology. Health-care providers should consider SFGR when evaluating patients for a febrile illness with eschar and compatible foreign travel history. Polymerase chain reaction testing of eschar biopsies or swabs provides a confirmed diagnosis in early stages of disease; eschar swabs or biopsies are an underutilized diagnostic technique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cara C Cherry
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Cecilia Y Kato
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Katrina Thornton
- Epidemiology Elective Program, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Reagan-Steiner S, Simeone R, Simon E, Bhatnagar J, Oduyebo T, Free R, Denison AM, Rabeneck DB, Ellington S, Petersen E, Gary J, Hale G, Keating MK, Martines RB, Muehlenbachs A, Ritter J, Lee E, Davidson A, Conners E, Scotland S, Sandhu K, Bingham A, Kassens E, Smith L, St. George K, Ahmad N, Tanner M, Beavers S, Miers B, VanMaldeghem K, Khan S, Rabe I, Gould C, Meaney-Delman D, Honein MA, Shieh WJ, Jamieson DJ, Fischer M, Zaki SR. Evaluation of Placental and Fetal Tissue Specimens for Zika Virus Infection - 50 States and District of Columbia, January-December, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017. [PMID: 28640798 PMCID: PMC5657799 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6624a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
9
|
Rollin DC, Paddock CD, Pritt BS, Cunningham SA, Denison AM. Genotypic analysis of Tropheryma whipplei from patients with Whipple disease in the Americas. J Clin Pathol 2017; 70:891-895. [PMID: 28385924 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2017-204382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Tropheryma whipplei, the agent of Whipple disease, causes a rare bacterial disease that may be fatal if not treated. The classical form of the disease includes diarrhoea, weight loss, arthritis, endocarditis and neurological manifestations. Genotyping studies done in Europe, Africa and Asia showed high genetic diversity with no correlation between genotypes and clinical features, but contributed to a better understanding of the epidemiology of the disease. More than 70 genotypes have been described. No similar assessment of T. whipplei in the USA and the Caribbean has been performed. In this study, we describe genetic analysis of DNA from histopathological samples obtained from 30 patients from the Americas with Whipple disease and compare the genotypes with those previously identified. Complete genotypes were obtained from 18 patients (60%). Only 4 genotypes were previously described, and 14 were newly reported, confirming the diversity of T. whipplei strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominique C Rollin
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bobbi S Pritt
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Scott A Cunningham
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Herrick KL, Pena SA, Yaglom HD, Layton BJ, Moors A, Loftis AD, Condit ME, Singleton J, Kato CY, Denison AM, Ng D, Mertins JW, Paddock CD. Rickettsia parkeri Rickettsiosis, Arizona, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 22:780-5. [PMID: 27089251 PMCID: PMC4861524 DOI: 10.3201/eid2205.151824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the United States, all previously reported cases of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis have been linked to transmission by the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum). Here we describe 1 confirmed and 1 probable case of R. parkeri rickettsiosis acquired in a mountainous region of southern Arizona, well beyond the recognized geographic range of A. maculatum ticks. The likely vector for these 2 infections was identified as the Amblyomma triste tick, a Neotropical species only recently recognized in the United States. Identification of R. parkeri rickettsiosis in southern Arizona demonstrates a need for local ecologic and epidemiologic assessments to better understand geographic distribution and define public health risk. Education and outreach aimed at persons recreating or working in this region of southern Arizona would improve awareness and promote prevention of tickborne rickettsioses.
Collapse
|
11
|
Paddock CD, Sanders JH, Denison AM, Muehlenbachs A, Zaki SR. Routine argyrophil techniques detect Rickettsia rickettsii in tissues of patients with fatal Rocky Mountain spotted fever. J Histotechnol 2016; 39:116-122. [PMID: 32636574 DOI: 10.1080/01478885.2016.1196868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia rickettsii, a bacterial tickborne pathogen that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), stains poorly or not at all with conventional tissue Gram techniques, and contemporary visualization of the pathogen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues has relied almost entirely on immunohistochemical staining methods that are generally limited to specialized research laboratories or national reference centers. To our knowledge, previously described argyrophil-based histochemical techniques have not successfully detected rickettsiae in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. To investigate the ability of standard silver impregnation techniques to demonstrate the occurrence and distribution of R. rickettsii in tissues of patients with RMSF confirmed by molecular and immunohistochemical methods, three widely recognized and commercially available silver impregnation methods (Warthin-Starry, Steiner, and Dieterle's) were applied to various tissues obtained at autopsy from 10 patients with fatal RMSF. R. rickettsii bacteria were demonstrated in one or more tissues of all patients, using each of the argyrophil-based methods, and appeared as small, dark brown-to-black lanceolate rods, often in pairs and occasionally surrounded by a faint halo. Rickettsiae were identified most consistently in small arteries and arterioles of liver, kidney, and leptomeninges, and were localized predominantly to the cytoplasm of endothelial cells and less often within the internal elastic lamella and smooth muscle of the media. This validation of argyrophilic techniques to detect R. rickettsii demonstrates the utility of inexpensive core histochemical methods in the diagnosis of infectious agents in pathology specimens and may have utility in certain resource-limited settings where RMSF is endemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jeanine H Sanders
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Atis Muehlenbachs
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sherif R Zaki
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Straily A, Feldpausch A, Ulbrich C, Schell K, Casillas S, Zaki SR, Denison AM, Condit M, Gabel J, Paddock CD. Notes from the Field:Rickettsia parkeriRickettsiosis — Georgia, 2012–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016; 65:718-9. [DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6528a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
13
|
Romer Y, Nava S, Govedic F, Cicuttin G, Denison AM, Singleton J, Kelly AJ, Kato CY, Paddock CD. Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in different ecological regions of Argentina and its association with Amblyomma tigrinum as a potential vector. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 91:1156-60. [PMID: 25349376 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri, a newly recognized tick-borne pathogen of humans in the Americas, is a confirmed cause of spotted fever group rickettsiosis in Argentina. Until recently, almost all cases of R. parkeri rickettsiosis in Argentina have originated from the Paraná River Delta, where entomological surveys have identified populations of R. parkeri-infected Amblyomma triste ticks. In this report, we describe confirmed cases of R. parkeri rickettsiosis from Córdoba and La Rioja provinces, which are located several hundred kilometers inland, and in a more arid ecological region, where A. triste ticks do not occur. Additionally, we identified questing A. tigrinum ticks naturally infected with R. parkeri in Córdoba province. These data provide evidence that another human-biting tick species serves as a potential vector of R. parkeri in Argentina and possibly, other countries of South America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yamila Romer
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Santiago Nava
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Francisco Govedic
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Gabriel Cicuttin
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amy M Denison
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Joseph Singleton
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Aubree J Kelly
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Cecilia Y Kato
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Paddock CD, Denison AM, Lash RR, Liu L, Bollweg BC, Dahlgren FS, Kanamura CT, Angerami RN, Pereira dos Santos FC, Brasil Martines R, Karpathy SE. Phylogeography of Rickettsia rickettsii genotypes associated with fatal Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 91:589-97. [PMID: 24957541 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, is among the deadliest of all infectious diseases. To identify the distribution of various genotypes of R. rickettsii associated with fatal RMSF, we applied molecular typing methods to samples of DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens obtained at autopsy from 103 case-patients from seven countries who died of RMSF. Complete sequences of one or more intergenic regions were amplified from tissues of 30 (29%) case-patients and revealed a distribution of genotypes consisting of four distinct clades, including the Hlp clade, regarded previously as a non-pathogenic strain of R. rickettsii. Distinct phylogeographic patterns were identified when composite case-patient and reference strain data were mapped to the state and country of origin. The phylogeography of R. rickettsii is likely determined by ecological and environmental factors that exist independently of the distribution of a particular tick vector.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R Ryan Lash
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lindy Liu
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Brigid C Bollweg
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - F Scott Dahlgren
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristina T Kanamura
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo N Angerami
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabiana C Pereira dos Santos
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roosecelis Brasil Martines
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Núcleo de Anatomica Patológia, Centro de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Denison AM, Amin BD, Nicholson WL, Paddock CD. Detection of Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, and Rickettsia akari in skin biopsy specimens using a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Clin Infect Dis 2014; 59:635-42. [PMID: 24829214 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, and Rickettsia akari are the most common causes of spotted fever group rickettsioses indigenous to the United States. Infected patients characteristically present with a maculopapular rash, often accompanied by an inoculation eschar. Skin biopsy specimens are often obtained from these lesions for diagnostic evaluation. However, a species-specific diagnosis is achieved infrequently from pathologic specimens because immunohistochemical stains do not differentiate among the causative agents of spotted fever group rickettsiae, and existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays generally target large gene segments that may be difficult or impossible to obtain from formalin-fixed tissues. METHODS This work describes the development and evaluation of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection of these 3 Rickettsia species from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) skin biopsy specimens. RESULTS The multiplex PCR assay was specific at discriminating each species from FFPE controls of unrelated bacterial, viral, protozoan, and fungal pathogens that cause skin lesions, as well as other closely related spotted fever group Rickettsia species. CONCLUSIONS This multiplex real-time PCR demonstrates greater sensitivity than nested PCR assays in FFPE tissues and provides an effective method to specifically identify cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rickettsialpox, and R. parkeri rickettsiosis by using skin biopsy specimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Denison
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch
| | - Bijal D Amin
- Department of Pathology, Division of Surgical Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - William L Nicholson
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gao R, Bhatnagar J, Blau DM, Greer P, Rollin DC, Denison AM, Deleon-Carnes M, Shieh WJ, Sambhara S, Tumpey TM, Patel M, Liu L, Paddock C, Drew C, Shu Y, Katz JM, Zaki SR. Cytokine and chemokine profiles in lung tissues from fatal cases of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1): role of the host immune response in pathogenesis. Am J Pathol 2013; 183:1258-1268. [PMID: 23938324 PMCID: PMC7119452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pathological studies on fatal cases caused by 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 virus (2009 pH1N1) reported extensive diffuse alveolar damage and virus infection predominantly in the lung parenchyma. However, the host immune response after severe 2009 pH1N1 infection is poorly understood. Herein, we investigated viral load, the immune response, and apoptosis in lung tissues from 50 fatal cases with 2009 pH1N1 virus infection. The results suggested that 7 of the 27 cytokines/chemokines showed remarkably high expression, including IL-1 receptor antagonist protein, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-β, and interferon-inducible protein-10 in lung tissues of 2009 pH1N1 fatal cases. Viral load, which showed the highest level on day 7 of illness onset and persisted until day 17 of illness, was positively correlated with mRNA levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-β, interferon-inducible protein-10, and regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted. Apoptosis was evident in lung tissues stained by the TUNEL assay. Decreased Fas and elevated FasL mRNA levels were present in lung tissues, and cleaved caspase-3 was frequently seen in pneumocytes, submucosal glands, and lymphoid tissues. The pathogenesis of the 2009 pH1N1 virus infection is associated with viral replication and production of proinflammatory mediators. FasL and caspase-3 are involved in the pathway of 2009 pH1N1 virus-induced apoptosis in lung tissues, and the disequilibrium between the Fas and FasL level in lung tissues could contribute to delayed clearance of the virus and subsequent pathological damages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongbao Gao
- Department of Influenza, State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, Chinese National Influenza Center, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Julu Bhatnagar
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dianna M Blau
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Patricia Greer
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dominique C Rollin
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Marlene Deleon-Carnes
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Wun-Ju Shieh
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Suryaprakash Sambhara
- Immunology and Pathogenesis Branch, the Influenza Division, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Terrence M Tumpey
- Immunology and Pathogenesis Branch, the Influenza Division, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Mitesh Patel
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lindy Liu
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christopher Paddock
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Clifton Drew
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yuelong Shu
- Department of Influenza, State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, Chinese National Influenza Center, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jacqueline M Katz
- Immunology and Pathogenesis Branch, the Influenza Division, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sherif R Zaki
- Department of Influenza, State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, Chinese National Influenza Center, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bhatnagar J, Jones T, Blau DM, Shieh WJ, Paddock CD, Drew C, Denison AM, Rollin DC, Patel M, Zaki SR. Localization of pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus RNA in lung and lymph nodes of fatal influenza cases by in situ hybridization: new insights on virus replication and pathogenesis. J Clin Virol 2012; 56:232-7. [PMID: 23246358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2012.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Revised: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A (pH1N1) virus has caused substantial morbidity and mortality globally and continues to circulate. Although pH1N1 viral antigens have been demonstrated in various human tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC), cellular localization of pH1N1 RNA in these tissues has largely remained uninvestigated. OBJECTIVES To examine the distribution of pH1N1 RNA in tissues of fatal cases in order to understand the virus tissue tropism, replication and disease pathogenesis. STUDY DESIGN Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded autopsy tissues from 21 patients with confirmed pH1N1 infection were analyzed by influenza A IHC and by in situ hybridization (ISH) using DIG-labeled sense (detects viral RNA) and antisense probes (detects positive-stranded mRNA and cRNA) targeting the nucleoprotein gene of pH1N1 virus. RESULTS pH1N1 RNA was localized by ISH in 57% of cases while viral antigens were detected by IHC in 76%. However, in cases with a short duration of illness (1-3 days), more cases (69%) were positive by ISH than IHC (62%). Strong ISH staining was detected by antisense probes in the alveolar pneumocytes of the lungs, mucous glands and in lymph nodes. IHC staining of viral antigens was demonstrated in the lung pneumocytes and mucous glands, but no immunostaining was detected in any of the lymph nodes examined. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates cellular localization of positive-stranded pH1N1 RNA in the lungs, mucous glands and lymph nodes that suggests viral replication in these tissues. The novel ISH assay can be a useful adjunct for the detection of pH1N1 virus in tissues and for pathogenesis studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julu Bhatnagar
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rostad CA, McElroy AK, Hilinski JA, Thompson MP, Drew CP, Denison AM, Zaki SR, Mahle WT, Rogers J, Abramowsky CR, Shehata B. Bartonella henselae-mediated disease in solid organ transplant recipients: two pediatric cases and a literature review. Transpl Infect Dis 2012; 14:E71-81. [PMID: 22862881 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3062.2012.00774.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Revised: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Bartonella henselae, the etiologic agent of cat-scratch disease, causes a well-defined, self-limited syndrome of fever and regional lymphadenopathy in immunocompetent hosts. In immunocompromised hosts, however, B. henselae can cause severe disseminated disease and pathologic vasoproliferation known as bacillary angiomatosis (BA) or bacillary peliosis. BA was first recognized in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. It has become more frequently recognized in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, but reports of pediatric cases remain rare. Our review of the literature revealed only one previously reported case of BA in a pediatric SOT recipient. We herein present 2 pediatric cases, one of which is the first reported case of BA in a pediatric cardiac transplant recipient, to our knowledge. In addition, we review and summarize the literature pertaining to all cases of B. henselae-mediated disease in SOT recipients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Rostad
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Ferdinands JM, Denison AM, Dowling NF, Jost HA, Gwinn ML, Liu L, Zaki SR, Shay DK. A pilot study of host genetic variants associated with influenza-associated deaths among children and young adults. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 17:2294-302. [PMID: 22172537 PMCID: PMC3311214 DOI: 10.3201/eid1712.111002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-producing MBL2 genotypes may have increased risk for MRSA co-infection. We compared the prevalence of 8 polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor and mannose-binding lectin genes among 105 children and young adults with fatal influenza with US population estimates and determined in subanalyses whether these polymorphisms were associated with sudden death and bacterial co-infection among persons with fatal influenza. No differences were observed in genotype prevalence or minor allele frequencies between persons with fatal influenza and the reference sample. Fatal cases with low-producing MBL2 genotypes had a 7-fold increased risk for invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) co-infection compared with fatal cases with high- and intermediate-producing MBL2 genotypes (odds ratio 7.1, 95% confidence interval 1.6–32.1). Limited analysis of 2 genes important to the innate immune response found no association between genetic variants and fatal influenza infection. Among children and young adults who died of influenza, low-producing MBL2 genotypes may have increased risk for MRSA co-infection.
Collapse
|
20
|
Blau DM, Denison AM, Bhatnagar J, DeLeon-Carnes M, Drew C, Paddock C, Shieh WJ, Zaki SR. Fatal infectious diseases during pandemic (H1N1) 2009 outbreak. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 17:2069-70. [PMID: 22099101 PMCID: PMC3310566 DOI: 10.3201/eid1711.110429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
21
|
Paddock CD, Liu L, Denison AM, Bartlett JH, Holman RC, Deleon-Carnes M, Emery SL, Drew CP, Shieh WJ, Uyeki TM, Zaki SR. Myocardial injury and bacterial pneumonia contribute to the pathogenesis of fatal influenza B virus infection. J Infect Dis 2012; 205:895-905. [PMID: 22291193 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jir861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Influenza B virus infection causes rates of hospitalization and influenza-associated pneumonia similar to seasonal influenza A virus infection and accounts for a substantial percentage of all influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths among those aged <18 years; however, the pathogenesis of fatal influenza B virus infection is poorly described. METHODS Tissue samples obtained at autopsy from 45 case patients with fatal influenza B virus infection were evaluated by light microscopy and immunohistochemical assays for influenza B virus, various bacterial pathogens, and complement components C4d and C9, to identify the cellular tropism of influenza B virus, characterize concomitant bacterial pneumonia, and describe the spectrum of cardiopulmonary injury. RESULTS Viral antigens were localized to ciliated respiratory epithelium and cells of submucosal glands and ducts. Concomitant bacterial pneumonia, caused predominantly by Staphylococcus aureus, was identified in 38% of case patients and occurred with significantly greater frequency in those aged >18 years. Pathologic evidence of myocardial injury was identified in 69% of case patients for whom cardiac tissue samples were available for examination, predominantly in case patients aged <18 years. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that bacterial pneumonia and cardiac injury contribute to fatal outcomes after infection with influenza B virus and that the frequency of these manifestations may be age related.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Schrenzel MD, Tucker TA, Stalis IH, Kagan RA, Burns RP, Denison AM, Drew CP, Paddock CD, Rideout BA. Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in 3 wildlife species, San Diego, California, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2011; 17:747-9. [PMID: 21470480 DOI: 10.3201/eid1706.101355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
23
|
Schrenzel MD, Tucker TA, Stalis IH, Kagan RA, Burns RP, Denison AM, Drew CP, Paddock CD, Rideout BA. Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in 3 wildlife species, San Diego, California, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2011. [PMID: 21470480 PMCID: PMC3377413 DOI: 10.3201/eid1704.101355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
|
24
|
Denison AM, Blau DM, Jost HA, Jones T, Rollin D, Gao R, Liu L, Bhatnagar J, Deleon-Carnes M, Shieh WJ, Paddock CD, Drew C, Adem P, Emery SL, Shu B, Wu KH, Batten B, Greer PW, Smith CS, Bartlett J, Montague JL, Patel M, Xu X, Lindstrom S, Klimov AI, Zaki SR. Diagnosis of influenza from respiratory autopsy tissues: detection of virus by real-time reverse transcription-PCR in 222 cases. J Mol Diagn 2011; 13:123-8. [PMID: 21354045 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2010.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2010] [Revised: 09/02/2010] [Accepted: 09/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent influenza pandemic, caused by a novel H1N1 influenza A virus, as well as the seasonal influenza outbreaks caused by varieties of influenza A and B viruses, are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. Few studies have evaluated the utility of real-time reverse transcription-PCR to detect influenza virus RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues obtained at autopsy. In this work, respiratory autopsy tissues from 442 suspect influenza cases were tested by real-time reverse transcription-PCR for seasonal influenza A and B and 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) viruses and the results were compared to those obtained by immunohistochemistry. In total, 222 cases were positive by real-time reverse transcription-PCR, and of 218 real-time, reverse transcription-PCR-positive cases also tested by immunohistochemistry, only 107 were positive. Although formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues can be used for diagnosis, frozen tissues offer the best chance to make a postmortem diagnosis of influenza because these tissues possess nucleic acids that are less degraded and, as a consequence, provide longer sequence information than that obtained from fixed tissues. We also determined that testing of all available respiratory tissues is critical for optimal detection of influenza virus in postmortem tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Denison
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Shieh WJ, Blau DM, Denison AM, Deleon-Carnes M, Adem P, Bhatnagar J, Sumner J, Liu L, Patel M, Batten B, Greer P, Jones T, Smith C, Bartlett J, Montague J, White E, Rollin D, Gao R, Seales C, Jost H, Metcalfe M, Goldsmith CS, Humphrey C, Schmitz A, Drew C, Paddock C, Uyeki TM, Zaki SR. 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1): pathology and pathogenesis of 100 fatal cases in the United States. Am J Pathol 2010; 177:166-75. [PMID: 20508031 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In the spring of 2009, a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged in North America and spread worldwide to cause the first influenza pandemic since 1968. During the first 4 months, over 500 deaths in the United States had been associated with confirmed 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) [2009 H1N1] virus infection. Pathological evaluation of respiratory specimens from initial influenza-associated deaths suggested marked differences in viral tropism and tissue damage compared with seasonal influenza and prompted further investigation. Available autopsy tissue samples were obtained from 100 US deaths with laboratory-confirmed 2009 H1N1 virus infection. Demographic and clinical data of these case-patients were collected, and the tissues were evaluated by multiple laboratory methods, including histopathological evaluation, special stains, molecular and immunohistochemical assays, viral culture, and electron microscopy. The most prominent histopathological feature observed was diffuse alveolar damage in the lung in all case-patients examined. Alveolar lining cells, including type I and type II pneumocytes, were the primary infected cells. Bacterial co-infections were identified in >25% of the case-patients. Viral pneumonia and immunolocalization of viral antigen in association with diffuse alveolar damage are prominent features of infection with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus. Underlying medical conditions and bacterial co-infections contributed to the fatal outcome of this infection. More studies are needed to understand the multifactorial pathogenesis of this infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wun-Ju Shieh
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS G-32, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Denison AM, Thompson HA, Massung RF. IS1111 insertion sequences of Coxiella burnetii: characterization and use for repetitive element PCR-based differentiation of Coxiella burnetii isolates. BMC Microbiol 2007; 7:91. [PMID: 17949485 PMCID: PMC2104537 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-7-91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2007] [Accepted: 10/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coxiella burnetii contains the IS1111 transposase which is present 20 times in the Nine Mile phase I (9Mi/I) genome. A single PCR primer that binds to each IS element, and primers specific to a region approximately 500-bp upstream of each of the 20 IS1111 elements were designed. The amplified products were characterized and used to develop a repetitive element PCR genotyping method. RESULTS Isolates Nine Mile phase II, Nine Mile RSA 514, Nine Mile Baca, Scottish, Ohio, Australian QD, Henzerling phase I, Henzerling phase II, M44, KAV, PAV, Q238, Q195 and WAV were tested by PCR and compared to 9Mi/I. Sequencing was used to determine the exact differences in isolates which lacked specific IS elements or produced PCR products of differing size. From this data, an algorithm was created utilizing four primer pairs that allows for differentiation of unknown isolates into five genomic groups. Additional isolates (Priscilla Q177, Idaho Q, Qiyi, Poker Cat, Q229 and Q172) and nine veterinary samples were characterized using the algorithm which resulted in their placement into three distinct genomic groups. CONCLUSION Through this study significant differences, including missing elements and sequence alterations within and near IS element coding regions, were found between the isolates tested. Further, a method for differentiation of C. burnetii isolates into one of five genomic groups was created. This algorithm may ultimately help to determine the relatedness between known and unknown isolates of C. burnetii.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Denison
- Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
The O-antigen-encoding region in the genomes of 14 isolates of Coxiella burnetii was examined by PCR. Five phase I isolates (Nine Mile clone 7, KAV, Ohio, Henzerling RSA 343, Q173) were analyzed and no deletions were detected. Two other isolates of unknown phase (Scottish, WAV) were examined, but no deletions were detected. In contrast, RSA 514 and three phase II isolates (Nine Mile phase II clone 4, Nine Mile phase II clone 1, Nine Mile Baca) contained large deletions, and the latter two were further characterized by DNA sequencing. Three other phase II isolates (Henzerling RSA 331, M44, Australian QD) contained no apparent deletions. Reactivity to phase I- and phase II-specific antibodies by immunofluorescence assay was used to further characterize isolates. Selected ORFs in Australian QD and M44 DNA were sequenced to detect mutations, and no significant changes were found. Australian QD RNA was examined by reverse transcriptase-PCR specific to the four ORFs hypothesized to encode the O-antigen sugar virenose, which this isolate has been shown to lack, as well as one that is predicted to encode part of the O-antigen ABC transporter. Each of these five genes was found to be expressed.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Antibodies, Bacterial/metabolism
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Coxiella burnetii/genetics
- Coxiella burnetii/immunology
- Coxiella burnetii/isolation & purification
- Coxiella burnetii/physiology
- DNA, Bacterial/chemistry
- DNA, Bacterial/genetics
- Enzymes/genetics
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct
- Gene Expression
- Genome, Bacterial
- Molecular Sequence Data
- O Antigens/biosynthesis
- O Antigens/genetics
- O Antigens/immunology
- Open Reading Frames
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- RNA, Bacterial/biosynthesis
- RNA, Bacterial/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Sequence Deletion
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Denison
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Reeves WK, Loftis AD, Sanders F, Spinks MD, Wills W, Denison AM, Dasch GA. Borrelia, Coxiella, and Rickettsia in Carios capensis (Acari: Argasidae) from a brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) rookery in South Carolina, USA. Exp Appl Acarol 2006; 39:321-9. [PMID: 16821092 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-006-9012-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2006] [Accepted: 06/01/2006] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Argasid ticks are vectors of viral and bacterial agents of humans and animals. Carios capensis, a tick of seabirds, infests the nests of brown pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis, and other ground nesting birds along the coast of South Carolina. This tick is associated with pelican nest abandonment and could pose a threat to humans visiting pelican rookeries if visitors are exposed to ticks harboring infectious agents. We collected ticks from a pelican rookery on Deveaux Bank, South Carolina and screened 64 individual ticks, six pools of larvae, and an egg mass for DNA from Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiella, and Rickettsia by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing. Ticks harbored DNA from "Borrelia lonestari", a novel Coxiella sp., and three species of Rickettsia, including Rickettsia felis and two undescribed Rickettsia spp. DNA from the Coxiella and two undescribed Rickettsia were detected in unfed larvae that emerged in the laboratory, which implies these agents are transmitted vertically by female ticks. We partially characterize the novel Coxiella by molecular means.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Will K Reeves
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS G-13, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Denison AM, Clapper B, Dybvig K. Avoidance of the host immune system through phase variation in Mycoplasma pulmonis. Infect Immun 2005; 73:2033-9. [PMID: 15784544 PMCID: PMC1087440 DOI: 10.1128/iai.73.4.2033-2039.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2004] [Revised: 10/26/2004] [Accepted: 11/24/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase-variable lipoproteins are commonly found in Mycoplasma species. Mycoplasma pulmonis contains a family of extensively studied phase- and size-variable lipoproteins encoded by the vsa locus. The Vsa surface proteins vary at a high frequency, the in vivo significance of which has yet to be determined. We investigated the role of Vsa phase variation in respect to tissue tropism and avoidance of the immune system in the mouse host. Mycoplasmas were cultured 3, 14, and 21 days postinoculation from the nose, lung, trachea, liver, and spleen of experimentally infected C57BL/6 (wild-type), C57BL/6-RAG-1-/- (RAG-/-), and C57BL/6-inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-/- (iNOS-/-) mice. In wild-type and iNOS-/- mice, a large number of Vsa variants were seen by 21 days postinoculation. In contrast, little Vsa variation occurred in all tissues of RAG-/- mice. Analysis of isolates from 14 days postinoculation revealed less variation of the Vsa proteins in iNOS-/- mice than in the wild type. Western blot analysis of isolates from each strain of mouse demonstrated that Vsa phase variation occurred independently of size variation, indicating no obvious selection pressure for size variants. Additionally, these experiments provided no evidence that mycoplasmas producing particular Vsa proteins adhered only to specific tissues. The data strongly indicate that Vsa phase variation is a mechanism for avoidance of the immune system with no obvious contribution to tissue tropism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Denison
- Department of Genetics, KAUL, Room 720, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0024, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Simmons WL, Denison AM, Dybvig K. Resistance of Mycoplasma pulmonis to complement lysis is dependent on the number of Vsa tandem repeats: shield hypothesis. Infect Immun 2004; 72:6846-51. [PMID: 15557605 PMCID: PMC529130 DOI: 10.1128/iai.72.12.6846-6851.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Vsa proteins are associated with the virulence of the murine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma pulmonis. The antigens consist of a conserved N-terminal region that is combined with one of several different variable C-terminal regions comprised of tandem repeats. M. pulmonis strains that produce VsaA with about 40 tandem repeats do not adhere to polystyrene or erythrocytes and are highly resistant to complement killing. Strains that produce VsaA with three tandem repeats adhere strongly to polystyrene and erythrocytes and are highly susceptible to complement killing. We report here that the resistance to complement lysis was not due to a lack of activation of the complement cascade. Isolation and analysis of M. pulmonis strains that produced Vsa proteins other than VsaA (VsaG and VsaI) with either long or short repeat regions indicated that adherence to polystyrene and resistance to complement were dependent on the length of the repeat region but not on the Vsa type. Furthermore, M. pulmonis Vsa variants were susceptible to the polypeptide pore-forming molecule gramicidin D, independent of the Vsa type and length. Collectively, the data indicate the Vsa proteins nonspecifically mediate M. pulmonis surface interactions and function to sterically hinder access of complement to the mycoplasma cell membrane while permitting access of smaller molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Warren L Simmons
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 720 South 20th Street, Kaul Room 720, Birmingham, AL 35294-0024, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
Site-specific DNA invertible elements often control the production of bacterial surface proteins that are subject to phase variation (ON/OFF switching). Inversion of the DNA element occurs as a result of the reciprocal exchange of DNA catalysed by a specialized enzyme (recombinase) that acts at specific sites. By continually switching the orientation of the invertible element in the chromosome, and consequently the production of the variable protein(s), the cell population remains continually responsive to environmental change such as immunological challenge. In addition to phase-variable surface proteins, Mycoplasma pulmonis has a family of phase-variable restriction-modification enzymes. We report here that a single recombinase in M. pulmonis, HvsR, catalyses independent DNA inversions at non-homologous loci, causing variations in surface lipoproteins and in the DNA recognition sequence specificity of restriction enzymes. Thus, HvsR is a site-specific DNA recombinase with dual substrate specificity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ramakrishnan Sitaraman
- Departments of Genomics and Pathobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|