[ genetic diversity and phylogenetic characteritics of rotavirus VP4[P] genotypes in children with acute diarrhea]

Acute gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. Rotaviruses are recognized as the most common etiologic factors of gastroenteritis. In this study, we determined the epidemiologic features, clinical symptoms and molecular structure of rotavirus VP4[P] genotypes in children with acute diarrhea in Bahrami Hospital in Tehran Iran, during 2009 for justifying the routine use of rotavirus vaccines in children. One hundred fifty fecal samples from 150 children with acute diarrhea in Bahrami Pediatric Hospital in Tehran, Iran were collected from January to December 2009. The patients' mean age was 20.90+18.19 years [ranging from 1 month to 14 years]. Fecal samples were transported on ice to the laboratory of virology department of Pasture Institute of Iran. The demographic and clinical data for each case were entered in an author-devised questionnaire. Group A rotavirus was detected by dsRNA-PAGE. Subsequently, rotavirus genotyping [VP4] was performed by semi-nested multiple RT-PCR and the phylogenetic tree of the Rotavirus nucleotides was constructed. The data were analyzed by statistical tests including Wilcoxon signed and Mann-Whitney U. Rotavirus was isolated in 19.3% of the samples, more than 90% of which had long RNA patterns. The predominant genotype [VP4] was P[8] [86%] and other genotypes respectively were P[6] [6.9%] and P[4] [6.9%]. A high prevalence of the P[8] genotype was found to be the cause of acute diarrhea. The analysis of P[8] genotype sequence showed a high level of similarity of the virus in this study with those of other Asian countries

Comparison of enzyme immunoassay, immunochromatography, and RNA-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis for diagnosis of rotavirus infection in children with acute gastroenteritis

Human rotavirus is a major etiologic agent for infantile diarrhea worldwide. It is responsible for up to 3.3 million deaths per year in children in developing countries. Various rapid and sensitive techniques have been developed to readily diagnose rotavirus gastroenteritis. In the present study, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of immunochromatography and RNA-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis [PAGE] methods with enzyme immunoassay [EIA] for diagnosis of group A rotavirus infection in 200 stool samples from children younger than 5 years old with acute gastroenteritis. Rotavirus was detected in 57 [28.5%] samples by EIA, 52 [26%] samples by ICG and 52 [26%] samples by RNA-PAGE. There was no significant difference between the three methods [P=0.8] nor between EIA and ICG [P=0.57] and EIA and RNA-PAGE [P=0.57]. Furthermore, in comparing these methods with age variables, the present study found that the sensitivity and specificity of ICG and RNA-PAGE compared with EIA were 87.7%, 98.6% and 91.2%, and 100%, respectively [P>0.05]. Results of the present study demonstrate that the sensitivity and specificity rates for ICG and RNA-PAGE were as high as EIA. It seems that all the three methods are reliable and suitable for detection of group A rotavirus infection in children affected by enteric diseases

Acute aseptic meningitis and encephalitis with viral etiology in children from Tehran

The incidence of aseptic meningitis and encephalitis in relation to neurotropic viruses was studied in 430 children <14 years of age, from September 1992 to October 1996 in Tehran. Enterovirus was isolated from CSF in 15% of patients with acute aseptic meningitis and all isolates were typed as coxsackievirus types B5 [95%] and B4 [5%]. The highest incidence of enteroviral meningitis [42.5%] was in children under 12 months of age. We found an incidence of meningitis and meningoencephalitis due to mumps-virus [48%] in children under 14 years old. The incidence peak was 5-9 year old in children. The overall rate of infection in boys was three times higher than that in girls. The highest rates of enteroviral meningitis and mumps-virus meningitis and encephalitis were 50% in the summer and 53.5% in the spring [p<0.001], respectively. In this study, Herpes simplex virus type-1, Varicella Zoster virus and measles virus were determined to be the etiologic viral agents of acute encephalitis in 6 children<10 years of age. Our study indicates that mumps virus and enterovirus are important causative agents of aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalitis among children in Tehran

Immunity of children and adult females to rubella virus infection in Tehran

A serological survey was carried out to determine rubella immunity among 272 children and 1375 women in the reproductive age group in Tehran during 1993-95. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, based on measurement of anti-rubella virus IgG, we found an immunity of 92.7% in newborns, 57.2% in children and 94.9% in women. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of rubella IgG antibody with age [p<0.001]. No significant sex difference was seen. The socio-economic status of the study population from two maternity clinics in the North [with higher socio-economic status] and South of Tehran was a factor in the distribution of anti-rubella IgG, showing significant difference in immunity [p<0.005]. Since about 95% of the young adult female population were immune to rubella virus infection, it follows that the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome should be low in this city

survey of cytomegalovirus infection in children and childbearing women in Iran

The incidence of cytomegalovirus [CMV] infection was studied among 426 children [< 14 years] and 950 women in childbearing age [14 - 45 years] during 1992-94 in Tehran. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], based on measurement of anti-CMV IgG, we found an incidence of 89.7% in children and 98.9% in women, respectively. There was a significant increase in incidence with age [P< 0.005] and no significant sex difference. The socio-economic status of the population under study from the two maternity clinics in north and south of Tehran showed no significant difference in CMV infection. Since 98.5% of young women entering childbearing years were sero-positive for CMV, it is concluded that there is a low risk of fetal infection