Serological and molecular study of hepatitis E virus among illegal blood donors.

AIM: To investigate the seroprevalence and molecular characteristics of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the illegal blood donors (IBDs) of central China in the early 1990s. METHODS: A total of 546 blood samples were collected from the IBDs in Maanshan city, a questionnaire was completed by each subject, detailing the age, sex, and periods of blood or plasma donation. Anhui Province and tested for the anti-HEV antibodies. The seropositive samples were subjected to nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and sequencing to analyze HEV partial genome. RESULTS: The prevalence of IgG and IgM HEV antibody in IBDs was 22.7% and 1.8%, and genotype 4 was the dominant circulating HEV type in IBDs. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was significantly related to sex (OR = 4.905, P = 0.004) and increased with age (OR = 2.78, P = 0.022), which ranged from 13.0% in those < 40 years old to 30.6% among older persons aged > 60 years. Moreover, frequency of blood donation was significantly associated with HEV seropositivity (OR = 2.06, P = 0.006). HEV partial sequences of ORF2 and obtained 3 sequences in serum samples of 10 IBDs which developed HEV specific IgM. CONCLUSION: This study helps define one of the possible routes of transmission of sporadic HEV infection and provides guidance to screen HEV in the blood donors so as to guarantee safe blood banks in China.

[Molecular analysis on non-O1 and non-O139 Vibrio cholerae isolates].

OBJECTIVE: According to results from the two-month consecutive surveillance program in Maanshan, six suspected cases of non-O1 non-O139 Vibrio (V.) cholerae infection, were found that called for identification of pathogens as well as molecular-epidemiological analysis to determine the aggregation of the epidemic situation. METHODS: Biochemical and serotype identification, hemolysis test, and drug sensitive test were used to detect the drug resistance spectrum. Real-time PCR and conventional PCR were used to detect the presence of V. cholerae specific genes, virulent genes and its related genes, including ompW, ctx, tcpA, toxR, hlyA, zot, ace, rstR and gIII(CTX). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to analyze the molecular type of strains. RESULTS: All the six isolates of non-O1 non-O139 V. cholerae were identified by biochemical and serologic tests, and appeared to be ß hemolytic. Twelve out of the 14 kinds of drugs showed 100% sensitive. All isolates were positive of ompW gene by real-time PCR, but negative for ctx, tcpA, zot, ace, rstR and gIII(CTX). Five of the six isolates were positive for toxR and hlyA, except for strain 1001434446. All strains had different PFGE types, but two strains had similar types. All strains had a low similarity compared to the toxigenic V. cholerae. CONCLUSION: Six cases of non-O1 and non-O139 nontoxigenic V. cholerae infection appeared in the same period. Along with epidemiological information, we noticed that these cases had a sporadic nature, but frequently appeared in the same area. We got the impression that public health measurements should be strengthened, with special attention paid to those diarrhea outbreaks caused by non-O1/non-O139 strains since V. cholerae had appeared in low incidence.

[Isolation and characterization of Shewanella spp. from patients of food poisoning].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the isolates of Shewanella spp. from specimens of food poisoning based on biological and biochemical analysis. METHODS: Strains were obtained from the investigation on two food poisoning episodes in September and October, 2007 in Ma'anshan city, Anhui province. In accordance with the national standard protocol (GB/T 4789), all specimens were enriched and isolated on selective medium, and the suspected strains were identified by the VITEK-32 and API20E systems. For Shewanella spp. identified by the biochemical system, more characteristics were analyzed using auxiliary biochemical, growth, hemolytic and drug-resistance tests. DNAs of Shewanella spp. were extracted, 16S rDNA was PCR amplified and sequenced with universal 16S rDNA primers. Phylogenetic tree was constructed with MEGA 4.0. RESULTS: After enrichment, all specimens were inoculated to selective medium and Shewanella spp. strains were isolated from 8 samples with single colony on both TCBS and BP media. The characteristics of growth in the Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) agar appeared to have had hydrogen sulfide production but no gas production or positive oxidase. No Shewanella spp. strain was detected in WS, SS and EMB media. The 8 strains were identified as Shewanella algae (S. algae) or Shewanella putrefaciens (S. putrefaciens) by VITEK-32, as S. putrefaciens by API20E system. No other enteropathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Proteus vulgaris or Staphylococcus aureus, were detected from those 8 samples. From 16S rDNA phylogenetic trees, 7 out of 8 Shewanella spp. were identified as S. algae, 1 as S. putrefaciens. CONCLUSION: Strains of Shewanella spp. were isolated from samples of the food poisoning episodes, providing a possible clue to investigate the role of Shewanella spp. on food poisoning.

The association between the genetic polymorphism of HLA-DQA1, DQB1, and DRB1 and serum alanine aminotransferase levels in chronic hepatitis C in the Chinese population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To investigate a possible association between HLA genes with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and evaluate whether the HLA-DQA1, DQB1, and DRB1 genes could influence the development of liver damage in chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: A total of 145 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (36 patients with persistently normal ALT values; 109 patients with elevated ALT levels) and 160 uninfected healthy controls were examined for HLA-DQA1, DQB1, and DRB1 molecules by using polymerase chain reaction-sequencing based typing (PCR-SBT). RESULTS: Among the patients chronically infected with HCV, the frequencies of DQA1*0501, DQB1*0301, and DRB1*0401 alleles were significantly increased in the normal ALT group compared with those with abnormal ALT levels, whereas that of DQB1*0201 was significantly lower. As compared to uninfected healthy controls, DQA1*0501, DQB1*0301, and DRB1*0401 allele frequencies were also statistically higher in the normal ALT group, whereas that of DQB1*0201 was the inverse. The haplotype frequencies of DQA1*0301-DQB1*0301, DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301, and DRB1*1101-DQB1*0301 were found to be significantly higher in the normal ALT group. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that female sex, and the DQB1*0301 allele and DRB1*0401 allele were independently associated with normal ALT values, whereas DQB1*0201 allele was the inverse. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that particular HLA alleles may have an influence on the serum ALT level of chronic HCV infection as a host genetic factor in the Chinese population. The DQA1*0501, DQB1*0301, and DRB1*0401 alleles, and the DQA1*0301-DQB1*0301, DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301, and DRB1*1101-DQB1*0301 haplotypes seem to be associated with low hepatitis activity; whereas DQB1*0201 allele is closely correlated with the progression of liver injury in chronic HCV infection.