Anti-human cytomegalovirus effects of breast milk.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Numazaki.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Breast-fed infants are susceptible to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection via breast milk. In our previous study, HCMV was isolated more frequently from breast milk at later than one month after delivery than from colostrum or early breast milk. To clarify the role of milk cells and whey in vertical infection by breast feeding, we separated breast milk into milk cells and whey and examined each fraction for the presence of HCMV. We collected breast milk from mothers who breast-fed their infants (aged from 3 days to 2 months). The breast milk was centrifuged and separated into the middle layer (layer of milk whey) and the pellet (containing milk cells). We attempted to isolate HCMV from whey and to detect HCMV immediate early (IE) DNA in both milk whey and cells. HCMV was isolated from 7 out of 35 (20.0%) whey samples and HCMV IE DNA was detected from 15 out of 35 (42.9%) whey and/or milk cells. Detection rates of HCMV IE DNA in the whey layer and milk cells were 39.1% (25 out of 64) and 17.2% (11 out of 64), respectively. HCMV IE DNA was not detected in colostrum, but was detected in breast milk samples one month after delivery. Therefore, cell-free HCMV shed into milk whey may have a more important role in vertical infection by breast milk than cell-associated HCMV in the milk.
Chlamydia pneumoniae causes pneumonia and other respiratory infections in children, adolescents and adults. We tried to evaluate the diagnostic value of detection of serum antibodies by ELISA for C. pneumoniae infections in Japanese children. Serum IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies to C. pneumoniae were determined by the microimmunofluorescence (MIF) test. Serum IgG and IgA antibodies were also determined by ELISA test kits. Results obtained by ELISA were compared with those obtained by MIF test. IgG antibody to C. pneumoniae was detected in 135 (39.5%) by ELISA and in 125 (36.5%) by MIF out of 342 sera from Japanese infants and children without respiratory infections (aged from 2 months old to 15 years old). IgA antibody to C. pneumoniae was detected in 129 (37.7%) by ELISA and in 117 (34.2%) by MIF out of 342 sera tested. Of 342 specimens 113 were IgG-positive by ELISA and MIF (sensitivity: 90.4%, specificity: 89.9%, r = 0.853). Of 342 sera 28 had IgG antibody titers of 1:256 and none had titers 1:512 or higher by MIF. Of 28 infants and children a total of nine were less than 4 years of age. On the other hand, of 342 specimens 99 were IgA-positive by ELISA and MIF (sensitivity: 84.6%, specificity: 86.7%, r = 0.769). Of 342 sera 16 had IgA antibody titers of 1:256 or higher by MIF. Of 16 infants and children, ten were less than 4 years of age. ELISA had excellent sensitivity and specificity relative to MIF test for detection of IgC and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae. It was suggested that C. pneumoniae infection in Japanese infants and children under 4 years of age was not infrequent.
We measured anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) specific antibody titers by means of a newly-developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using an anti-C. pneumoniae specific antibody detection reagent. The clinical usefulness of this method was hereby evaluated. The IgG, IgA and IgM titers in 418 serum specimens obtained from patients with respiratory tract infections were measured by this new ELISA method, and the results were compared with the titers determined for the same specimens with the micro immunofluorescence (Micro-IF) method. The results showed good correlation coefficients for IgG, IgA and IgM. The two assay methods showed high agreement rates for positivity and for negativity. Specimens which did not yield the same results with the ELISA method and the Micro-IF method were subjected to analysis by the Western blot method, and the rates of agreement with the ELISA results were high. In addition, the child (0 approximately 15 yrs old; n = 122) and adult (16 approximately 90 yrs old; n = 133) cases were classified on the basis of being antigen-positive or antigen-negative at the initial examination, and their antibody-positive rates were determined. The adults showed no statistically significant differences in the antibody-positive rates for either IgG or IgA antibodies as a function of the pretreatment antigen status. However, the children showed statistically significant (p < 0.001) differences in the antibody-positive rates for both IgG and IgA antibodies as a function of the antigen status in the antigen-positive group compared with the rates in the antigen-negative group. Furthermore, the IgM-positive rates for the children were high in the antigen-positive group compared with the rates in the antigen-negative group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The IgM-positive rates in the adults were also significantly (p < 0.05) different between the antigen-positive group and the antigen-negative group. The Micro-IF method was applied to 34 specimens from antigen-positive patients, and 22 specimens were found to show an IgG titer of > or = 512 or an IgM titer of > or = 16. The diagnoses of these patients were acute respiratory disease in sixteen, pneumonia in four. Application of the ELISA-method to those 22 specimens showed all of them to exhibit IgG absorbance of > or = 0.6 and IgA absorbance of 0.2. The results described above indicate the clinical usefulness of our new ELISA method for the detection of antibodies specific for C. pneumoniae. The significance of this ELISA method for serological diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infections and the criteria for diagnosis of acute infections were also discussed.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
To elucidate whether Chlamydia trachomatis and C. pneumoniae infections occur to a significant extent in monocytes-macrophages, the human monocytic cell line, U-937, was infected with C. trachomatis L2 or C. pneumoniae TW-183. Chlamydial DNA and genus-specific antigens of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in epitopes of the chlamydial cell wall were detected from C. trachomatis L2-inoculated monocytes over a period of 150 days after inoculation and from the C. pneumoniae TW-183-inoculated cells during a period of 14 days. C. trachomatis-infected U-937 cells expressed significantly lower levels of CD4+, CD45RA+, CD11b+ and CD33+ cells, determined by flow cytometry, than control uninoculated cells on the seventh day after inoculation and they expressed a slightly increased level of CD4+ cells and lower levels of CD45RA+ and CD11b+ cells on the 14th day after inoculation. C. pneumoniae-infected U-937 cells expressed significantly lower levels of CD4+, CD45RA+, CD11b+ and CD33+ cells than controls on the seventh day after inoculation and an increased level of CD4+ and a lower level of CD45RA+ cells on the 14th day after inoculation. Unlike infection with C. trachomatis L2 strain, chronic persistent infection with C. pneumoniae appears not to occur in monocytes-macrophages.
We tried to detect human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA in CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes from fourteen infants with HCMV hepatitis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. HCMV was isolated from their urine and anti-HCMV IgM antibody was detected in their sera. One set of primers were designed from a region--a major immediate early (IE) gene. We detected HCMV IE DNA in the specimens obtained from six infants. HCMV IE DNA was detected from CD4+ cells in two cases and from CD8+ cells in one. In three cases, HCMV IE DNA was detected from both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. We also studied the relationship between HCMV infection and serum levels of cytokines. We determined serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) which were associated with the activation of T lymphocytes by enzyme immunoassay. In the acute phase of HCMV infection, titers of sIL-2R were correlated with serum levels of liver enzymes in some cases. IL-4 and TNF-alpha activities were not detected in sera. It is likely that expression of viral genome on T lymphocytes as well as activities of some cytokines are associated with active HCMV infection.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Reactivation of latent or persistent human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of monocytes or macrophages occurs under immunosuppressive conditions. We investigated the effect of glycyrrhizin (GL), cyclosporin A (CsA), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the viral DNA synthesis and antigen expression of HCMV in U-937 and MRC-5 cells. Although GL inhibited the viral antigen expression of HCMV in human monocytic cell line U-937 and human embryonic lung cell line MRC-5 in the study, as determined by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assay, immediate early HCMV DNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction. CsA or TNF had no inhibitory effect on HCMV in U-937 or MRC-5 cells. The HCMV infection model with U-937 or MRC-5 cells is of use for clarifying not only the mechanism of persistent infection but also the anti-HCMV effect of chemical agents.
Perinatal human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection often involves the hepatobiliary tract, but infected individuals usually remain asymptomatic. We investigated the role of CD8+ lymphocytes in 13 infants with liver dysfunction associated with perinatal HCMV infection. In three patients more than 40% of CD8+ cells were positive for HCMV immediate early antigen (IEA) and late antigen (LA) by flow cytometry after selection of T lymphocytes subpopulations. In the other 10 infants, 20% to 30% of CD8+ cells were positive for HCMV IEA and LA. HCMV IE DNA was detected in CD8+ cells from one infant, in CD4+ cells from one infant, and in both CD4+ and CD8+ cells from three infants. HCMV infection of CD8+ cells may play an important role in the process of perinatal primary infection.
Glycyrrhizin (GL) has an inhibitory effect on several viruses including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). In addition, some therapeutic and prophylactic effects on chronic active viral hepatitis have been claimed for GL. In this study, 0.2% GL dissolved in saline (2 mg/ml GL), supplemented with 2% glycine and 0.1% cysteine (Stronger Neo-Minophagen C, SNMC) was administered intravenously in a dose of 50 ml/day for a period of more than one week to three infants with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection who exhibited abnormal liver function or hepatomegaly. Liver function had become normal at the end of the course of SNMC. These findings suggest that GL might have therapeutic effects on liver dysfunction associated with CMV infections.
The diagnostic value of amplified enzyme immunoassay (IDEIA Chlamydia test) was compared with that of standard tissue culture in specimens obtained from pediatric patients. Of 286 clinical specimens, chlamydial antigen was detected in 34 by IDEIA Chlamydia. Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 30 specimens and C. pneumoniae from one specimen. IDEIA had excellent sensitivity and specificity relative to cell culture.
Several diagnostic assays for neonatal and infantile chlamydial infections, isolation with tissue culture, antigen detection by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (IDEIA Chlamydia test), a nonisotopic DNA probe (Gen-Probe PACE 2 assay), serum IgM antibody detection by EIA (SeroELISA Chlamydia TRUE IgM), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were evaluated. Of 210 clinical specimens (170 nasopharyngeal and 40 conjunctival swabs) from 53 neonates and 102 infants with respiratory insufficiency and respiratory tract infections which were suspected to be associated chlamydial infection, chlamydial antigens were detected in 30 by IDEIA Chlamydia. Of these 30 samples, C. trachomatis was isolated from 27 specimens. Samples from 15 neonates and 6 infants were culture-positive and IDEIA Chlamydia-positive. Of 30 samples, 27 were tested with PCR and 8 with DNA probe. Twenty-three of 27 specimens were positive with PCR, while only one specimen was positive with DNA probe. EIA can be used for the diagnosis and screening of neonatal and infantile chlamydial infections.
Carnitine metabolism was studied in 16 pediatric patients with various infections under the treatment with cefditoren pivoxil (CDTR-PI) in granular form. Pivalic acid released from pivaloyloxymethyl ester of the drug was metabolized to pivaloylcarnitine. As results, an increase in urinary carnitine excretion (predominantly as pivaloylcarnitine) and, a decrease in free carnitine concentration and a high acyl/free carnitine ratio in serum (plasma) were observed during the treatment. When the dosing was terminated, pivaloylcarnitine in plasma and then in urine disappeared, and the concentration of free carnitine, acyl/free carnitine ratio returned to the normal range. No carnitine-related side effects were observed throughout the study.
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in immunocompromized hosts sometimes occurs as a result of reactivation. Cells of the monocyte-macrophage linkage are suggested to be a site of latency and persistence for HCMV. The human monocytic cell line U937 was infected with the AD169 strain and a clinical isolate of HCMV. The expression of surface antigens on the cells was assessed by flow cytometry. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect viral DNA from infected cells. CMV immediate early antigen, early antigen, and late antigen (LA) were detected from both clinical isolate- and AD169-inoculated U937 cells by flow cytometry. CMV DNA which code major immediate early gene (US3) and LA gene (US14) were detected from the clinical isolate-inoculated U937 over a period of 31 days as tested by PCR. These U937 cells proliferated as well as uninfected U937 cell, but only a small number of AD169-inoculated U937 cells survived after 14 days of inoculation. Interleukin-2 activities were detected in the media on days 24-40 after inoculation with AD169. This chronic CMV infection model of U937 might be utilized to study the mechanisms of persistence and reactivation.
Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), C. psittaci, and C. pneumoniae are now well established as pathogens of respiratory infections including pneumonia. Serum samples from 223 infants and children with pneumonia, 31 patients with adult inclusion conjunctivitis, 16 parents of babies with neonatal inclusion conjunctivitis and others were tested for IgM antibodies to Chlamydiae. Diagnostic kits for chlamydial IgM antibodies (SeroELISA and IPAzyme) have been also evaluated for their diagnostic value. It was found that detection of specific IgM antibodies with SeroELISA has a diagnostic value in chlamydial pneumonias.