Avtor/Urednik     Saksida, Ana; Jakopin, Nina; Jelovšek, Mateja; Knap, Nataša; Fajs, Luka; Lusa, Lara; Lotrič-Furlan, Stanka; Bogovič, Petra; Arnež, Maja; Strle, Franc; Avšič-Županc, Tatjana
Naslov     Virus RNA load in patients with tick-borne encephalitis, Slovenia
Tip     članek
Vol. in št.     Letnik 24, št. 7
Leto izdaje     2018
Obseg     str. 1315-1323
ISSN     1080-6040 - Emerging infectious diseases
Jezik     eng
Abstrakt     We determined levels of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus (TBEV) RNA in serum samples obtained from 80 patients during the initial phase of TBE in Slovenia. For most samples, levels were within the range of 3-6 log10 copies RNA/mL. Levels were higher in female patients than in male patients, but we found no association between virus load and several laboratory and clinical parameters, including severity of TBE. However, a weak humoral immune response was associated with a more severe disease course, suggesting that inefficient clearance of virus results in a more serious illness. To determine whether a certain genetic lineage of TBEV had a higher virulence potential, we obtained 56 partial envelope protein gene sequences by directly sequencing reverse transcription PCR products from clinical samples of patients. This method provided a large set of patient-derived TBEV sequences. We observed no association between phylogenetic clades and virus load or disease severity.
Proste vsebinske oznake     tick-borne encephalitis
virus RNA load
Slovenia
encefalitis
virusna RNA obremenitev
Slovenija