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A total of 202 serum and stool samples from acute hepatitis patients attending the Fever Hospital of Alexandria, Egypt, have been studied to reveal markers of hepatitis virus infection. Anti-HAV IgM were detected in 21 out of 202 sera (10.4%), whereas 201 sera (99.5%) had anti-HAV IgG. The first age attack was in the class-age 0-9 years with 64.7% of anti-HAV IgM positive sera. Among 202 patients, anti-hepatitis E IgG (sample/over cut off > 1.0) was identified in 90 patients (44.5%). The anti-HEV seropositivity ranged from 17.6% to 60.0% in the different age groups, with the highest level in the class-age 20 29 years. Anti-hepatitis E IgM were identified in 49 patients with the first age attack in the class-age 10-19 years (39.4%). HAV RNA was identified by nested PCR in 7 samples out of 15, whereas HEV RNA was present in 4 out of 75 stool samples. Direct DNA sequence of the latter PCR products confirmed the presence of the HEV genome; comparison of the sequences of the isolates from Egypt with those in data banks revealed the highest homology to the Burma strain. Our data confirm that HAV and HEV are common causes of acute sporadic hepatitis in Alexandria but with different peak age positivity. Occasionally, but not infrequently, dual infections (HAV-HEV and HEV-enteric viruses) were also found. The risk analysis indicates that patients living in rural areas are exposed to a higher risk of hepatitis E infection compared to the urban population, whereas the presence of anti-HEV IgG was significantly associated with consumption of common village water and use of indoor dry pit and oral therapy for schistosomiasis.

A total of 202 serum and stool samples from acute hepatitis patients attending the Fever Hospital of Alexandria, Egypt, have been studied to reveal markers of hepatitis virus infection. Anti-HAV IgM were detected in 21 out of 202 sera (10.4%), whereas 201 sera (99.5%) had anti-HAV IgG. The first age attack was in the class-age 0-9 years with 64.7% of anti-HAV IgM positive sera. Among 202 patients, anti-hepatitis E IgG (sample/over cut off1.0) was identified in 90 patients (44.5%). The anti-HEV seropositivity ranged from 17.6% to 60.0% in the different age groups, with the highest level in the class-age 20 29 years. Anti-hepatitis E IgM were identified in 49 patients with the first age attack in the class-age 10-19 years (39.4%). HAV RNA was identified by nested PCR in 7 samples out of 15, whereas HEV RNA was present in 4 out of 75 stool samples. Direct DNA sequence of the latter PCR products confirmed the presence of the HEV genome; comparison of the sequences of the isolates from Egypt with those in data banks revealed the highest homology to the Burma strain. Our data confirm that HAV and HEV are common causes of acute sporadic hepatitis in Alexandria but with different peak age positivity. Occasionally, but not infrequently, dual infections (HAV-HEV and HEV-enteric viruses) were also found. The risk analysis indicates that patients living in rural areas are exposed to a higher risk of hepatitis E infection compared to the urban population, whereas the presence of anti-HEV IgG was significantly associated with consumption of common village water and use of indoor dry pit and oral therapy for schistosomiasis.

Several human and animal cell lines have been used to grow hepatitis E virus. The strain SAR-55 was adapted only on PLF/PLC/5 cell line without any visible cytopathic effect. The growth of the SAR-55 was monitored by examining the positive and the negative strands of HEV-RNA. Stool samples, obtained from hospitalised acute hepatitis patients at the Fever Hospital of Alexandria (Egypt), were used to confirm the susceptibility of PLF/PLC/5 cells. After more than one-week's cultivation, three stool samples out of 17 IgM anti-HEV positive and 1 from 52 IgG anti-HEV positive patients showed a specific RT-PCR amplification product. The nucleotide sequences of the methyltransferase region of the genome in the isolates revealed the maximum homology with Burma strain with several point mutations.

Hepatitis A virus is a member of the Picornaviridae family and is a principal agent of acute hepatitis worldwide, causing from mild to severe illness. Although the incidence of hepatitis A is in decline, the risk of this disease is still high in the Mediterranean area. Detection of hepatitis A in the environment is difficult because this virus needs a prolonged incubation in cell culture, therefore we used an antigen capture PCR (AC-PCR) followed by a hybridization on membrane to identify HAV in wastewater samples. The raw sewage, concentrated by ultrafiltration, showed 8 positive samples out of 10 (80%), while after the oxidation step of the sewage, 2 out of 10 (20%) and 3 out of 10 (30%) were found positive respectively after concentration by electronegative (HAWP Millipore) and electropositive (1MDS Cuno-Div.) membranes. In the final effluent the positivity was 1 out of 10 (10%) for the electronegative membranes and 3 out of 10 (30%) for the electropositive membranes. Our results indicate: i) the possibility of HAV to cross the wastewater treatment plant and contaminate water and food (such as mussels); ii) PCR-hybridization as a rapid method for HAV identification in the environment.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with benign cutaneous or mucosal lesions and with malignant tumours, but none of the HPV types has so far been related to skin tags. Skin biopsy specimens from 49 Caucasian patients suffering from the presence of multiple soft fibromas were analysed by means of dot blot hybridization and by polymerase chain reaction assays aimed at detecting all known HPV types. The results revealed the presence of HPV DNA type 6/11 in 88% of the skin tags examined. This result supports the hypothesis that HPV plays a part in the progression of cutaneous soft fibromas, as previously reported for laryngeal papillomas.

Urine samples from 211 community children (3-7 years age), from 33 HIV type-1 infected children and from 56 HIV-negative children were collected and analyzed for the presence of BK virus (BKV) DNA by PCR. PCR amplifications were carried out using primers specific for the BKV structural region VP1. We also investigated the distribution of BKV subtypes by a restriction fragment polymorphism assay (RFLP). We demonstrated BKV DNA in 3.8% of 211 community children with a higher prevalence of subtype I. In HIV-1 positive children we detected BKV DNA in 2 urine samples (6%) out of 33, both belonging to subtype I. The HIV-negative cluster did not show any positivity to BKV DNA. The results confirm a more frequent primary BKV infection in children of 3-5 years of age and a higher prevalence in hospitalized children affected by HIV-1. The most relevant finding was that among both the community and HIV-1 positive children the subtype I was the most frequently detected.

Keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum is an uncommon keratoacanthoma of unknown etiology. We report a case suggesting a possible etiological role for a papillomavirus. Etretinate was an effective treatment.A 65-year-old woman had keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum of the antero-inferior aspect of the lower third of the right leg for 5 years. Fifteen years earlier, an infection had occurred at the same site after a trauma and was treated by oral antibiotics. Surgical exeresis was difficult due to the wide spread of the lesion. Etretinate given at an initial dose of 1 mg/kg/d for 6 weeks then reduced by half for 2 months led to nearly complete cure.Keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum, verrucous carcinoma and epidermal carcinoma have some histological characteristics in common, suggesting a possible common etiological agent which could be certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). In our case etretinate provided cure, possibly due to its antitumoral activity and perhaps due to its antiviral activity. The presence of koilocytes suggested HPV infection which was confirmed by PCR. This test does not however provide proof of the etiological role of HPV. We are currently studying the presence of HPV in keratoacanthomas and their possible etiological role.

The antiviral activity of methisoprinol was investigated under different conditions using a strain of hepatitis A virus (HAV), that shows a strong cytopathic effect on the Frp/3 cell line 7-9 days post-infection. Treatment of Frp/3 at a dose range of 125-1200 micrograms/ml had no toxic effect and showed a dose dependent inhibition of the HAV replication cycle. At the methisoprinol dose of 500 micrograms/ml the cytopathic effect was completely abolished and HAV antigen production reduced by 50% as measured by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and commercial enzyme-linked assay (ELISA). The virus yield was virtually abolished at the highest dose employed (1000 micrograms/ml).

The addition of low levels (40 ng/ml) of the synthetic double-stranded polyribonucleotide poly I:C to lysates of interferon-treated L-cells resulted in a strong inhibition (70 to 75%) of the in vitro translation of mengovirus RNA. Under these conditions, the rates of incorporation of [35S]methionine or formyl-[35S]methionine were depressed to a comparable extent. The sequences of mengovirus RNA recognized by ribosomes of interferon-treated cells at initiation of translation were compared with those present in initiation complexes formed by ribosomes of untreated controls. Fingerprint analysis revealed that the same sequences of mengovirus RNA were protected against nuclease attack by the 80S and the 40S initiation complexes formed in vitro in lysates of control or interferon-treated L-cells. Mengovirus RNA-coded proteins were labeled at their N-terminal end with formyl-[35S]methionine and digested to completion with trypsin. The resulting fragments were separated by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. Two different formyl-[35S]methionine-labeled N termini were resolved. Further analyses supported the notion that the two radioactive peaks originated in the initiation of translation at two different sites. This pattern did not change when mengovirus RNA was translated in lysates of interferon-treated cells.

The axial force and effective torsional stiffness versus axial elongation are investigated analytically and experimentally for a beam of circular cross section and made of an incompressible material that can sustain large elastic deformation. An approach based on a strain energy function identical to that used in linear elasticity, except with its strain components replaced by those of some finite-deformation tensor, would be expected to provide only limited predictive capability for this large-strain problem. Indeed, such an approach based on Green strain components (commonly referred to as the geometrically nonlinear theory of elasticity) incorrectly predicts a change in volume and predicts the wrong trend regarding the experimentally determined axial force and effective torsional stiffness. On the other hand, use of the same strain energy function, only with the Hencky logarithmic strain components, correctly predicts constant volume and provides excellent agreement with experimental data for lateral contraction, tensile force, and torsional stiffness—even when the axial elongation is large. For strain measures other than Hencky, the strain energy function must be modified to consistently account for large strains. For comparison, theoretical curves derived from a modified Green strain energy function are added. This approach provides results identical to those of the Neo-Hookean formulation for incompressible materials yielding fair agreement with the experimental results for coupled tension and torsion. An alternative approach, proposed in the present paper and based on a modified Almansi strain energy function, provides very good agreement with experimental data and is somewhat easier to manage than the Hencky strain energy approach.

A fast-growing strain of human hepatitis A virus was selected and characterized. The virus has the unusual property of developing a strong cytopathic effect in tissue culture in 7 to 10 days. Sequences of the viral genome were cloned into recombinant plasmids with the double-stranded replicative form as a template for the reverse transcription of cDNA. Restriction analysis and direct sequencing indicate that this strain is different from that described by Ticehurst et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80:5885-5889, 1983) in the region that presumptively codes for the major capsid protein VP1, but both isolates have conserved large areas of homology in the untranslated 5'-terminal sequences of the genome.