Author/Editor		Logar, Katarina; Klemenc, Polona; Mrvič, Tatjana; Marin, Jožica
Title		Human metapneumovirus found in slinical materials of children with respiratory tract diseases
Translated title		Človeški metapnevmovirus, določen v kužninah otrok z boleznimi dihal
Type		članek
Source		Zdrav Vestn
Vol. and No.		Letnik 75, št. 10
Publication year		2006
Volume		str. 609-14
Language		eng
Abstract		Background Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was first recognized in the Netherlands in 2001. Since then it has been documented all over the world as a cause of human respiratory infections in all age groups. The objective of this study was to introduce and optimize an assay for detecting hMPV in clinical material of our patients. To date, there has not been a report that describes the detection of this virus in Slovenia. Methods A total of 58 specimens, randomly collected during 2003/2004 from the patients =< 19 years old with respiratory disease and 20 specimens collected in 1997 were tested for hMPV. Extraction of RNA from frozen specimens and subsequent single-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed. Human metapneumovirus amplicons were determined by electrophoresis in a 2% (w/v) agarose gel. Results Human metapneumovirus was detected in 13/58 (22%) specimens; 10/40 (25%) specimens were, from the upper and 3/18 (17%) from the lower respiratory tract. The mean age of infected patients was 3.2 ± 2.2 years. Out of 13 of the hMPV-positive specimens, 9 were positive also for another respiratory virus. Two of 20 (10%) archival specimens were hMPV-positive. Conclusions This study is the first report about hMPV in Slovenia. Human metapneumovirus was detected as the second most frequent virus after RSV in children < 3 years of age. The virus was not found in the specimens from the children younger than 2 months. Based on the hMPV-positive results in archival clinical material, it is suggested that hMPV had circulated in Slovenia before the time it was discovered.
Summary		Izhodišča Človeški metapnevmovirus (hMYV) so prvič odkrili na Nizozemskem leta 2001. V človeški populaciji virus kroži zagotovo mnogo dlje, saj so v shranjenih serumih iz leta 1958 uspeli dokazati protitelesa proti hMPV. Pozno so ga odkrili verjetno zato, ker se slabo in zelo počasi razmnožuje na celičnih kulturah, ki jih uporabljajo za diagnostiko drugih respiratornih virusov in ker je za njegovo optimalno razmnoževanje in vitro potreben tripsin, ki ga v zgodnjih raziskavah virusov, ki okužijo dihalne poti, niso uporabljali. Majhna skladnost v nukleotidnem zaporedju hMPV z drugimi sorodnimi virusi je tudi ovirala njegovo odkritje z enostavnim navzkrižnim pomnoževanjem z začetnimi oligonucukleotidi, oblikovanimi za pomnoževanje zaporedij že znanih virusov. Od odkritja hMPV pa do danes je bil virus opisan po vsem svetu kot eden izmed pomembnejših povzročiteljev okužb dihal pri ljudeh vseh starosti. Klinična slika okužbe s hMPV zelo spominja na okužbo z respiratornim sincicijskim virusom (RSV), zaradi česar je bil hMPV tudi morda spregledan. Od človeških patogenih virusov je hMPV najbolj podoben RSV. Oba sta paramiksovirusa, vendar hMPVzaradi večje genske sorodnosti in podobne ureditve genoma s ptičjim pnevmovirusorn uvrščamo v drug rod kot RSV, t. j. metapneumovirus. Predpostavljali smo, da je virus razširjen tudi v naši populaciji. Cilj študije je bil, da uvedemo in optimiziramo metodo za določanje hMPV v kužninah iz dihal ter ugotovimo, če virus kroži tudi pri nas in kako pogosto ter v kateri starostni skupini bolnikov se pojavlja. Želeli smo tudi ugotoviti, če je bil hMPV v naši populaciji že pred odkritjem leta 2002.
Descriptors		RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS PNEUMOVIRUS POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION VERO CELLS AGE FACTORS CHILD