Physical maps of varicella-zoster virus DNA derived with 11 restriction enzymes.

Varicella-zoster virus DNA was digested with 11 restriction endonucleases, and the resulting fragments were separated on agarose gels. Terminal fragments were identified by lambda exonuclease digestion. Physical maps were then constructed using a combination of double restriction enzyme digestion and hybridization to cloned BamHI fragments to place the remaining fragments in order.

The relationship of hepatitis B e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and titer of hepatitis B surface antigen with ongoing liver injury in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of circulating viral markers with ongoing liver disease in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was significantly more likely to be associated with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity than was anti-HBe in a group of 102 HBsAg carriers (p less than 0.0001). Within this group, 57 carriers were analyzed for HBeAg, DNA polymerase, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titer, and the relation of each with abnormal ALT was determined. Both HBeAg and elevated DNA polymerase were much more likely to reflect abnormal ALT (p less than 0.00001 and 0.0006, respectively) than did HBsAg titer. Unlike previous studies, higher titers of HBsAg would not be demonstrated in healthy carriers when compared to HBsAg carriers with chronic elevation of ALT; nor were differences in titer appreciated between chronic active and chronic persistent hepatitis. The potential significance of these findings is discussed.

Restriction endonuclease analysis of varicella-zoster vaccine virus and wild-type DNAs.

The DNA from several clinical isolates of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were compared with the DNA from the vaccine strain VZV using three restriction endonucleases: BamHI, BgII, and HpaI. When electrophoresed through an agarose gel, the vaccine DNA digestion pattern was significantly different from the digestion patterns of the wild-type DNAs. Variations in the digestion pattern of the separate clinical isolates were also observed.

Varicella-zoster virus transformation of hamster embryo cells.

Varicella-zoster virus infection of primary hamster embryo cells resulted in oncogenic transformation. These transformed cells exhibited virus-specific antigens by immunofluorescence and developed surface Fc receptors. They induced aggressive fibrosarcomas when injected into inbred hamsters. The tumour-bearing hamsters develop antibodies to varicella-zoster antigens.

Hepatitis B e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and infection of household contacts with hepatitis B virus.

To determine if the presence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and elevated DNA polymerase activity in the serum of chronic HBeAg carriers indicate increased contagiousness in a household setting, the household contacts of 74 carriers were prospectively evaluated for serologic evidence of hepatitis B infection. Thirty of the HBsAg carriers had HBeAg and 44 had anti-HBe. Twenty-eight HBeAg-positive carriers regularly demonstrated elevated DNA polymerase when serially drawn serum samples were analyzed. None of the anti-HBE-positive carriers demonstrated elevation of DNA polymerase activity. Both household contacts of HBeAg-positive and anti-HBe-positive carriers demonstrated serologic evidence of hepatitis B infection (HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc). However, infection was significantly more frequent among spouses and sexual partners of carriers who had either HBeAg (P less than 0.001) or elevated DNA polymerase activity (P less than 0.001). Thus, the data indicate that a particular subpopulation of spouses and sexual partners of hepatitis B carriers are at significantly greater risk for acquiring infection.

A partial characterization of hepatitis B e antigen.

Partially purified hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAG) was prepared by ultracentrifugation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and molecular sieve chromatography of sera obtained from asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen. The antigenic specificity of the HBeAG preparations was investigated further with affinity chromatography. The results indicated that HBeAG is distinct and separable from DNA polymerase activity. Columns coupled with either goat IgG prepared from antiserum to human IgG or antibody to HBeAg bound all detectable HBeAg and bound 31% and 100% of the IgG, respectively, from a partially purified HBeAg preparation. Rate zonal sucrose sedimentation and molecular sieve and ion-exchange chromatography indicated a variability in molecular weight and charge; this finding suggested a heterogenous population of immunoreactivities containing HBeAg. Our preliminary results suggest the existence of an HBeAg-IgG complex.

Filtration and immunoprecipitation in the elimination of DNA polymerase activity associated with bacterial contamination of sera positive for hepatitis B e antigen and its corresponding antibody.

Samples of serum inoculated with Escherichia coli and serum that became contaminated with bacteria after exposure to a laboratory atmosphere demonstrated elevated DNA polymerase activity. The levels of activity were well within the range of values found in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive samples. The bacterial polymerase activity was markedly reduced by a single passage of serum samples through a 0.22-micron Millipore filter prior to analysis. Repeated filtration did not result in a substantial further decrease in polymerase activity. In sera that were heavily contamined with E. coli, however, filtration was not successful in reducing bacteria-associated polymerase activity to a base-line uncontaminated level. In such instances double antibody immunoprecipitation proved effective in elimination of bacterial activity. When bacterial contamination of serum samples is a possibility, specimens should be subjected to either Millipore filtration or immunoprecipitation prior to analysis, particularly when correlation of DNA polymerase activity with HBeAg and its corresponding antibody is attempted.

Discordant e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and Dane particle responses in two patients representing an index case-contact case pair with hepatitis B virus infection.

Discordant results for e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and Dane particle frequency were noted in the sera of two patients representing an index case-contact case pair with chronic aggressive hepatitis B. The lack of correlation between presence of e antigen and the infecting viral strain, as well as the strong relationship of e antigen to persistent and significant viremia, emphasize the role of the host's immune response in the expression of this antigen.

Isolation of herpes simplex virus from the cerebrospinal fluid in viral meningitis.

Two cases of meningitis are reported in which the etiologic diagnosis was established by isolation of herpes simplex virus from the cerebrospinal fluid. Both patients were afebrile and had bradycardia when the cultures were obtained, and one patient had been thought to have leukemic meningitis. This experience added to that of others in the literature indicates the value of culture for herpes simplex virus in the cerebrospinal fluid.