title: Molecular surveillance of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) viruses circulating in Italy from May 2009 to February 2010: association between haemagglutinin mutations and clinical outcome.
abstract: Haemagglutinin sequences of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) viruses circulating in Italy were examined, focusing on amino acid changes at position 222 because of its suggested pathogenic relevance. Among 169 patients, the D222G substitution was detected in three of 52 (5.8%) severe cases and in one of 117 (0.9%) mild cases, whereas the D222E mutation was more frequent and evenly distributed in mild (31.6%) and severe cases (38.4%). A cluster of D222E viruses among school children confirms reported human-to-human transmission of viruses mutated at amino acid position 222.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanita - ISS), Rome, Italy. simona.puzelli@iss.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puzelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Facchini
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spagnolo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boros
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corcioli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trotta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagnarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezza
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pompa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oleari
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donatelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D058873:Pandemics; D011159:Population Surveillance; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006388:Hemagglutinins