Amino acid tandem repeats within a late viral gene define the central variable region of African swine fever virus
VIROLOGY
Authors: Irusta, PM; Borca, MV; Kutish, GF; Lu, Z; Caler, E; Carrillo, C; Rock, DL
Abstract
The central variable region (CVR) of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) genome is contained within the 9-RL open reading frame (ORF). ORF 9-RL of the ASFV isolate Malawi Lil-20/1 predicts a protein of 614 amino acids with amino- and carboxy-terminal hydrophobic regions and a centrally located hydrophilic region. The CVR of the genome, located centrally within this ORF, is 372 bp and contains a 132-bp direct repeat. The translated CVR within ORF 9-RL contains 31 tandem tetramers, predominantly NADT, NANT, NVDT, and, in a few cases, CAST, GAST, or CADT. In vitro translation of 9-RL yielded a 94-kDa protein that was strongly reactive with convalescent pig serum while monospecific 9-RL antiserum identified a late viral protein of 94 kDa in ASFV-infected macrophages. The protein, detected by immunofluorescence staining with 9-RL antiserum, was distributed homogeneously throughout the cytoplasm of infected Vero cells. 9-RL protein size varied among different viral isolates and among cell-culture-adapted viruses. Protein size increased proportionately with the degree of cell culture adaptation and was directly correlated with the size of the CVR present within the ORF (300 - 500 bp). Analysis of the number and composition of tandem tetramers present within the CVR of a given ASFV isolate may prove useful for identifying and/or grouping ASFV isolates. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.
Socio-demographic characteristics of patients with diagnosed functional dyspepsia
PRZEGLAD GASTROENTEROLOGICZNY
Authors: Piotrowicz, Grazyna; Stepien, Beata; Rydzewska, Grazyna
Abstract
Introduction: The term "dyspepsia" comes from the Greek words "dys' and 'peptin", which maen "ill digestion" or indigestion, although this set of symptoms in the adult clinic has little to do with the digestion or absorption process, and refers more to ailments related to the upper section of the gastrointestinal tract. Aim: Assessment of the frequency of functional dyspepsia diagnosis, the characteristics of the group and an attempt to identify the accompanying symptoms, assessment of histological lesions and an attempt to answer question about the efficiency of anti-secretory and eradication therapy. Material and methods: The study involved patients reporting for gastrofiberscopic examination due to dyspeptic ailments. A total of 230 patients were examined, including 140 women and 90 men, above 18 years of age. They underwent endoscopic examination, and a selected group with functional dyspepsia (FD), analysed using the 'Gast' questionnaire, underwent eradication therapy or proton pump inhibitors. Statistical analysis involved x(2) and Fischer's test. Results: The study involved 230 individuals with dyspeptic disorders. The largest age group was 46-60 years. These patients reported due to their ailments mostly in autumn and winter. The differentiated group with FD included 53 patients (23% of the clinical population). 69.8% of the FD group was infected with Helicobacter pylori (with 81.2% of the whole population, respectively). Individuals with FD reported improvement more often after being administered drugs to decrease gastric secretion, more often declared post-elementary education and suffered from non-gastric ailments yet still described their state of health as good. No positive therapeutic effect of eradication was noticed during the 6-month observation. Conclusions: Due to the very high ratio of subjects with functional dyspepsia, also observed in the study sample, and the influence of civilization progress, we should expect increasing frequency of occurrence of this problem.