Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of transmissible gastroenteritis virus strain VET-16, isolated from piglets in Vietnam.

Porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) is a major pathogen that causes viral enteritis and severe diarrhea in newborn piglets. TGEV strains have been isolated in the USA, Europe, and China, and their molecular characteristics are well known. However, there have been few reports of molecular analysis of TGEV strains isolated in Southeast Asia. In 2016, we isolated TGEV strain VET-16 from fecal samples collected from piglets in Vietnam and determined its complete genome sequence by Sanger sequencing. We found that, while the full genome of the VET-16 strain was 92.4-99.9% identical to those of other TGEV strains, the ORF3 gene showed very little sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the VET-16 strain belongs to the Purdue subgroup. Comparison of the predicted amino acid (aa) sequence of the spike protein of strain VET-16 with those of other TGEV strains revealed three aa substitutions (V378L, S379T, and D380N) and a 3-aa insertion (F383_F387insWEK) in antigenic site D of the VET-16 strain. Also, a single aa deletion (∆F1413) was found in the transmembrane domain of the spike gene of VET-16. Like the ORF3 gene from the TGEV Miller M60 vaccine strain, the VET-16 strain has a large deletion (∆725 nt) in the ORF3 gene. Previous studies have suggested that these mutations in the spike and ORF3 genes might be associated with a reduction in pathogenicity. The data from this study will facilitate further genetic analysis and research into the evolution of TGEV in pigs in Vietnam.

Evidence for the circulation of genotype 4 Eurasian avian-like lineage swine H1N1 influenza A viruses on Korean swine farms, obtained using a newly developed one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay.

Genotype 4 (G4) Eurasian avian-like lineage swine H1N1 influenza A viruses, which are reassortants containing sequences from the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus lineage, triple-reassortant-lineage internal genes, and EA-lineage external genes, have been reported in China since 2013. These have been predominant in pig populations since 2016 and have exhibited pandemic potential. In this study, we developed a one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay targeting the M, HA1, and PB2 genes to detect G4 and related EA H1N1 viruses, with detection limits of 1.5 × 101 copies/µL and 1.15 × 10-2 ng/µL for the purified PCR products and RNA templates, respectively. The specificity of the detection method was confirmed using various influenza virus subtypes. When the one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay was applied to swine respiratory samples collected between 2020 and 2022 in Korea, a virus related to G4 EA H1N1 strains was detected. Phylogenetic analysis based on portions of all eight genome segments showed that the positive sample contained HA, NA, PB2, NS, and NP genes closely related to those of G4 EA H1N1 viruses, confirming the ability of our assay to accurately detect G4 EA H1N1 viruses in the field.

DDX4 (DEAD box polypeptide 4) colocalizes with cancer stem cell marker CD133 in ovarian cancers.

DDX4 (DEAD box polypeptide 4), characterized by the conserved motif Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD), is an RNA helicase which is implicated in various cellular processes involving the alteration of RNA secondary structure, such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly. DDX4 is known to be a germ cell-specific protein and is used as a sorting marker of germline stem cells for the production of oocytes. A recent report about DDX4 in ovarian cancer showed that DDX4 is overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and disrupts a DNA damage-induced G2 checkpoint. We investigated the relationship between DDX4 and ovarian cancer stem cells by analyzing the expression patterns of DDX4 and the cancer stem cell marker CD133 in ovarian cancers via tissue microarray. Both DDX4 and CD133 were significantly increased in ovarian cancer compared to benign tumors, and showed similar patterns of expression. In addition, DDX4 and CD133 were mostly colocalized in various types of ovarian cancer tissues. Furthermore, almost all CD133 positive ovarian cancer cells also express DDX4 whereas CD133-negative cells did not possess DDX4, suggesting a strong possibility that DDX4 plays an important role in cancer stem cells, and/or can be used as an ovarian cancer stem cell marker.

Significant simultaneous changes in serum CA19-9 and CA125 due to prolonged torsion of mature cystic teratoma of the ovary.

Mature cystic teratoma is a common benign neoplasm of the ovary. Complications occur in approximately 20% of cases. Clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and imaging studies can assist in making a diagnosis of ovarian torsion of mature cystic teratoma. Furthermore, serum tumor markers may be helpful for diagnosing mature cystic teratoma and its torsion and, thus, can lead to early surgical intervention. A 56-year-old woman presented with a huge pelvic mass and pelvic pain. Serum CA19-9, CA125, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were abnormally elevated at >700 U/ml, 282.5 U/ml, and 3.94 U/ml, respectively. The tumor was surrounded by extensive adhesions and showed inflammatory changes. The serum levels of these markers returned to normal levels after surgery.

Characterization and Spike Gene Analysis of a Candidate Attenuated Live Bovine Coronavirus Vaccine.

The bovine coronavirus (BCoV) KBR-1 strain, obtained from calf diarrhea samples collected in 2017, belongs to group GIIa. To attenuate this strain, it was subcultured continuously (up to 79 times) in HRT-18 cells, followed by 80-120 passages in MDBK cells. The KBR-1-p120 strain harvested from MDBK cells at passage 120 harbored 13 amino acid mutations in the spike gene. Additionally, the KBR-1-p120 strain showed a high viral titer and cytopathogenic effects in MDBK cells. Seven-day-old calves (negative for BCoV antigen and antibodies) that did not consume colostrum were orally inoculated with the attenuated candidate strain (KBR-1-p120), or with KBR-1 passaged 10 times (KBR-1-p10) in HRT-18 cells. Calves inoculated with KBR-1-p10 had a low diarrhea score, and BCoV RNA was detected at 3-7 days post-inoculation (DPI). The virus was also present in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum at autopsy; however, calves inoculated with KBR-1-p120 had low levels of BCoV RNA in feces at 4-6 DPI, and no diarrhea. In addition, an extremely small amount of BCoV RNA was present in the jejunum and ileum at autopsy. The small intestines of calves inoculated with KBR-1-p120 were emulsified and used to infect calves two more times, but pathogenicity was not recovered. Therefore, the KBR-1-p120 strain has potential as a live vaccine candidate.

Innate antiviral responses against Shaan virus infection in HEK293, A549 and MARC-145 cells and limited role of viperin against Shaan virus replication.

The Shaan virus is a new paramyxovirus species recently isolated from an insectivorous bat. Therefore, its replication characteristics remain unclear. We used transcriptome analysis and molecular experiments to examine host cell responses in human A549, HEK293, and monkey MARC-145 cell lines infected with the Shaan virus (ShaV/B16-40). Transcriptome data showed that Shaan virus infection induced innate immune responses associated with defense mechanisms against viral infection in all infected host cells. In real-time RT-PCR, IFN-α, -ß and -λ1 were significantly upregulated in response to infection with Shaan virus in A549 and HEK-293 cells. However, the expression of IFN-α and -λ1 did not change in MARC-145 infected cells, while IFN-ß significantly increased compared to the control in all the infected cell lines. In DEG analysis, the viperin expression pattern by Shaan virus infection varied depending on the host cell types or their origins. Viperin was highly induced at the RNA level by Shaan virus infection, and viperin protein expression was detected by western blotting. Although viperin, an ISG, has broad inhibitory effects on a range of viral pathogens, viperin knockdown or knock-in in the infected cells indicated that this protein did not markedly affect Shaan virus replication. Interestingly, these effects were independent of CMPK2 expression, which is beneficial for the antiviral effects of viperin. Therefore, the present results suggest that Shaan virus might have a strategy to evade the antiviral effect of viperin or not be significantly affected by viperin.

Phylogenetic Analysis of G and P Genotypes of Bovine Group A Rotavirus Strains Isolated from Diarrheic Vietnam Cows in 2017 and 2018.

This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of G- and P-type bovine RVAs (BoRVAs) prevalent in Vietnam. Between 2017 and 2018, the prevalence of BoRVAs detected in diarrhea samples from 8 regions was as low as 1.9% (11/582). The prevalence of the G-type was 45.5% for G6 and 18.2% for G10; however, 36.3% remain unidentified. Interestingly, all BoRVAs were investigated as P[11], and there was no diversity within this P-type. Geographically, the G6 and G10 types were not identified in any specific area; rather, they occurred in both Northern and Southern Vietnam. G6P[11] and G10P[11], which are combined G- and P-types, were identified in 71.4% and 28.6% of BoRVA-positive samples, respectively. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the G6-type detected in Vietnamese cows is similar to strains derived from China, Japan, and Korea, whereas the G10 type is closely related to the Chinese strain. In addition, the P11 strain detected in Vietnamese cows is similar to the Spanish and Chinese strains. The BoRVA-positive rate was higher in cows aged less than 2 months (3.2%, 3/94) than in those aged 2 months or more (1.6%, 8/488). In summary, we detected the presence of G6P11 and G10P11 BoVRAs on Vietnamese cow farms, and found that they were more predominant in young calves than in older cows.

Exploring the Effect of a Nature-based Virtual Reality Environment on Stress in Adolescents.

Adolescent mental health is a growing public health issue, with 30% of teens reporting increased stress and 20% of adolescents suffering from depression. Given the scarcity and lack of scalability of mental health services available, the use of self-administered, evidence-based technologies to support adolescent mental health is both timely and imperative. We conducted a mixed-methods pilot study with 31 adolescents ages 14-19 (m = 17.97) to explore the self-administration of a nature-based virtual reality tool. Participant use of the VR environment ranged from 1 to 10 sessions (m = 6.6) at home over a 2-week period while reporting their daily stress and mood levels. All participants completed all of the study protocols, indicating our protocol was feasible and the VR environment engaging. Post-study interviews indicated that most participants found the VR tool to be relaxing and helpful with stress. The themes of Calm Down, Relaxation, and Escape emerged to articulate the participants' experiences using the VR environment. Additionally, participants provided rich data regarding their preferences and activity in the VR environment as well as its effect on their emotional states. Although the sample size was insufficient to determine the impact on depression, we found a significant reduction in momentary stress as a result of using the VR tool. These preliminary data inform our own virtual reality environment design, but also provide evidence of the potential for self-administered virtual reality as a promising tool to support adolescent mental health.

Differential expressions of stromal cell-derived factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in the placental bed of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the differential expression of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α)/CXCR4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the third trimester placental bed of normotensive controls and preeclamptic patients. METHODS: Placental bed tissues were collected from 15 patients with preeclampsia (PE) and 15 gestational-matched normotensive controls at the time of their cesarean delivery. Placental bed expressions of SDF-1α, CXCR4 and VEGF were evaluated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: No statistical difference was found between the PE and the normotensive control group with respect to their age and parity, gravidity and body mass index. The placental bed expressions of SDF-1α/CXCR4 and VEGF were significantly decreased in the PE group compared with the normotensive control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed decreased expressions of SDF-1α/CXCR4 and VEGF in the third trimester placental bed of pregnancies with PE. This result suggests that decreased expressions of SDF-1α/CXCR4 and VEGF in the placental bed could be associated with the pathogenesis of PE.

Tumor Angiogenesis as a Prognostic Assay for Patients with Colorectal

The growth and maintenance of solid tumors are dependent on new capillary ingrowth:a process called "angiogenesis." Thus, after a new tumor has attained a smallsize of a few millimeters in diameter(about 106 cells), further expansion of the tumor-cell population requires the induction of new capillary blood vessels. These new vessels also increase the opportunity for hematogenous or lymph node metastasis. Thus this study was designed to examine the microvessel count at the invasive margin in colorectal carcinoma to determine how angiogenesis correlates with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis. Paraffinembedded tissues from 127 patients with primary colorectal carcinomas that had been completely removed were retrieved and analyzed for angiogenesis. Vessels were immunostained with anti-factor VIII polyclonal antibody, and areas with the most discrete microvessels were counted in a 200 x field, which were defined as angiogenesis score(AS). The mean AS for anti-factor VIII antibody in this study was 55+/-08; therefore, cases were classified into two subgroups : AS high group(n=67), for which AS was greater than 55 and AS low group(n=60), for which AS was equal to 55 or less. There were no significant intergroup difference regarding sex ratio, histologic grade, depth of invasion, or lymphatic invasion. AS was, however, significantly related to tumor size, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis, and liver metastasis(P=0.000, P=0.001, P=0.021, and P=0.004, respectively). The incidence of high AS group in Antler-Coller D was significantly greater than that in Antler-Coller A and B, and Antler-Coller C(P<0.05, respectively). The recurrence rate in high AS group was 32.0%, which was, though statistically insignificant, higher than that in low AS group(17.2%). The 3 year survival rates of high AS group were significantly (P=0.004 both for overall cases and curatively-resected ones) worse than those of low AS group. This study suggests that the growth of colorectal carcinoma is dependent on ingrowth of new blood vessels, and that angiogenesis assessed by the microvessel count using immunohistochemical stains is an important predictor of tumor behavior and may identify patients at higher risk for recurrence and early death.

Comparison of Sutureless Anastomosis Using the ValtracTM Biofragmentable Anastomosis Ring with Conventional Manual Suture Anastomosis in Enterocolic Surgery

No abstract available.