title: Adenoviruses in lymphocytes of the human gastro-intestinal tract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Persistent adenoviral shedding in stools is known to occur past convalescence following acute adenoviral infections. We wished to establish the frequency with which adenoviruses may colonize the gut in normal human subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of adenoviral DNA in intestinal specimens obtained at surgery or autopsy was tested using a nested PCR method. The amplified adenoviral DNA sequences were compared to each other and to known adenoviral species. Lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) were isolated from the specimens and the adenoviral copy numbers in the CD4+ and CD8+ fractions were determined by quantitative PCR. Adenoviral gene expression was tested by amplification of adenoviral mRNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intestinal tissue from 21 of 58 donors and LPLs from 21 of 24 donors were positive for the presence of adenoviral DNA. The majority of the sequences could be assigned to adenoviral species E, although species B and C sequences were also common. Multiple sequences were often present in the same sample. Forty-one non-identical sequences were identified from 39 different tissue donors. Quantitative PCR for adenoviral DNA in CD4+ and CD8+ fractions of LPLs showed adenoviral DNA to be present in both cell types and ranged from a few hundred to several million copies per million cells on average. Active adenoviral gene expression as evidenced by the presence of adenoviral messenger RNA in intestinal lymphocytes was demonstrated in 9 of the 11 donors tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adenoviral DNA is highly prevalent in lymphocytes from the gastro-intestinal tract indicating that adenoviruses may be part of the normal gut flora.
authors: Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Transfusion Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors: Soumitra
authors: S
authors: Roy
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Calcedo
authors: Angelica
authors: A
authors: Medina-Jaszek
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Keough
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Peng
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013347:Subcellular Fractions