Isolation and genome-wide evolutionary analysis of a type Ⅲ WU polyomavirus strain / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To isolate and culture WU polyomavirus (WUPyV), and to analyze the genome-wide evolutionary patterns, homology and population dynamics.Methods:Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the nasopharyngeal aspirate samples of hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Beijing Friendship Hospital during 2020 to 2022. Primary human airway epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface were used to isolate and culture WUPyV. Whole genome sequence of the isolated strain was obtained by Sanger sequencing. For phylogenetic and evolutionary dynamics analysis, the whole genome was compared with the published whole genome sequences in GenBank database.Results:The detection rate of WUPyV was 4.7% (31/659) during 2020 to 2022, and a clinical strain BJ0593 of WUPyV type Ⅲc was successfully isolated. The homology of the whole genome and gene fragments of WUPyV was high. The average evolutionary rate of VP2 gene was about 1.256×10 -4 substitution/site every year, and the population dynamics of WUPyV tended to be flat in the last decade. Conclusions:This study successfully isolated a clinical WUPyV type Ⅲ strain for the first time, which provided the basis for further investigation on the molecular evolution and pathogenicity of WUPyV.

Primary human airway epithelial cell cultures: an update on technique and application in virology / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Well-differentiated primary human airway epithelial cell culture (HAE), an organotypic human airway culture system, has been increasingly used as a linkage between researches conducted on animal models and humans.In this review, we focus on progress in technological development and its application in virology.The following aspects are covered in this review: (1)Structure and function of the normal airway, (2)Role of respiratory epithelial cells in pulmonary innate immunity, (3)Development of primary human airway epithelial cell cultures, (4)Application of primary human airway epithelial cell cultures in virology.

Isolation and identification of human influenza virus from a stale respiratory tract specimen with human airway epithelial cells / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To investigate the possibility of using well-differentiated human airway epithelial cells (HAE) to isolate and identify human influenza A virus from a stale respiratory tract specimen.Methods The stale specimen used in this study was a nasopharyngeal swab specimen collected from a patient with unexplained pneumonia in Qinghai in 2010.It was positive for influenza A virus (H3N2) RNA, but negative for hemagglutination.Equal amount of the specimen was inoculated on HAE and on Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells for virus isolation and passage.Cytopathic effects were observed daily after inoculation.Hemagglutination inhibition test was performed at every passage.Electron microscope was used to observe viral morphology.Viral genome was sequenced, followed by molecular evolutionary analysis.Results No progeny virus was isolated in MDCK cells, while a influenza A virus subtype H3N2 strain [A/Qinghai/178/2010(H3N2)] was isolated in HAE with a typical morphology and cytopathic effect of influenza A infection.The hemagglutination inhibition activity was 1∶16.Results of the molecular evolutionary analysis of viral genome showed that the influenza A virus (H3N2) strain was highly homologous to the A/Nanjing/1655/2010(H3N2) strain, which was isolated during the 2010 influenza pandemic in Nanjing.Conclusion HAE can be used for isolation and identification of virus from stale respiratory tract specimens.It is more sensitive than MDCK cells with regard to human influenza virus isolation.

Effect of High-Insulin on MUC4, MUC5AC, and MUC5B Expression in Airway Epithelial Cells

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Insulin is a peptide hormone that regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood to skeletal muscles. Insulin has been reported to be closely related to cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine disease. However, the effect of insulin on production of major mucins in human airway epithelial cells has not been reported. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between high levels of insulin and mucin in human airway epithelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study analyzed the effect of high level of insulin on MUC4, MUC5AC, and MUC5B expression using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in human airway epithelial cells. RESULTS: In human NCI-H292 airway epithelial cells, high level of insulin significant increased MUC4, MUC5AC, and MUC5B mRNA expression and glycoprotein production. In the primary cultures of normal nasal epithelial cells, high level of insulin also increased MUC4, MUC5AC, and MUC5B expression. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that insulin plays a role in control of mucus hypersecretion in human airway epithelial cells.