title: Serological and antigenical findings indicating pestivirus in man.
abstract: An epidemiological survey for pestivirus was undertaken in Zambia and Europe, in view of the recent serological findings obtained by previous studies in Europe with humans. Collected sera were tested for anti-bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) specific antibodies by IIF and Western Blotting. Of those individuals tested (n = 1272), 15.3% showed a seropositive reaction to the BVDV. Anti-BVDV antibody prevalence in immuno-depressed patients (e.g. HIV positive) was investigated. A higher prevalence was revealed in HIV patients suffering from chronic diarrhoea and in those having developed AIDS Related Complex (ARC). Our of 212 persons tested for pestivirus isolation, a non cytopathic virus strain was detected in 2 buffy coat samples using IIF with a specific anti-BVDV serum. The isolation could be repeated three times during 31 days in one person. The virus was identified as a pestivirus with radioimmuno-precipitation assays and IIF-flow cytometry. A doublet of 120 kD was identified only in cell lysates, indicating a non-structural protein. In order to rule out cross reactivity 30 sera from Hepatitis C seropositive patients were tested against the isolate by IIF-flow cytometry. No antigen-specific binding could be observed. These findings indicated the occurrence of a pestivirus in man and might suggest a relationship with a pestivirus of animal origin.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Special Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giangaspero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vacirca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buettner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vanopdenbosch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muyldermans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D003429:Cross Reactions; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D015531:Radioimmunoprecipitation Assay; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014036:Togaviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014709:Vero Cells; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral