Application of hexon gene sequencing of adenovirus in pathogen detection of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis / 中华实验眼科杂志

ABSTRACT

Background Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis is a common eye disease,and adenovirus is one of the common pathogens.The hexon protein,one main capsid protein of the virus,is an important target of antibody binding.Thus,sequencing the coding region of the hexon protein is an important way for adenovirus fast typing.Objective This study was to complete a molecular epidemiology survey of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis and investigate its association with adenovirus in Shanghai area by sequencing the coding region of hexon protein.Methods Two hundred and fourteen sacconjunctival swab specimens were collected from 214 patients with suspicious epidemic keratoconjunctivitis who visited Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center and the clinical sites supervised by the Shanghai Prevention and Monitoring Office of Acute Hemerragic Conjunctivitis under the informed consent from January 2010 to December 2012.DNA was extracted from the specimens and then the 140 bp conserved sequence in hexon protein coding region was amplified by PCR initially to determine an adenovirus pathogen.Furtherly,956 bp conserved sequence of the hexon codind district was sequencied to clarify the serotype of adenovirus in the adenovirus-positive specimens.Results 50.93％ patients (109/214) were detected to be adenovirus-positive by generic PCR,in which AdV1 + was in 4 patiens,AdV2+ was in 33 patients,AdV3+ was in 15 patients,AdV4+ was in 12 patients,AdV8+ was in 19 patiens,AdV19+ was in 15 patients,AdV37+ was in 8 patients.The subgenus D adenoviruses,including AdV8+,AdV19+ and AdV37+ often resulted in corneal inflammation,pseudomembranous conjunctivitis and preauricular lymph nodes;while subgenus B adenovirus induced much frequent tract infection and less corneal response.Conclusions PCR-sequence of conserved region of hexon protein coding district is applicable for the detection and serotyping of adenovirus in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis.