title: Genotyping of varicella-zoster virus (vzv) wild-type strains isolated in the Czech Republic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monitoring of the varicella-zoster virus is becoming an important tool for analysis of the circulation of individual strains of VZV which differ not only at the genomic level, but show a variability in their clinical and epidemiological characteristics. Such data are not available on a large scale from the Czech population and could help understanding the epidemiological and evolutionary characteristics of the virus, as well as its potential for reinfection and increased pathogenesis in the population groups at higher risk for complications. The main aim of this study was detection and monitoring of wild-type or vaccine VZV strain isolates in the region of Eastern Bohemia and genotypic characterization of these isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 273 clinical samples were obtained from patients exhibiting symptoms of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection manifested as chickenpox or herpes zoster (HZ) treated in the Faculty Hospital of Charles University, Medical School in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Characterization of individual short VZV DNA sequences was performed utilizing restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), PCR and sequencing. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in open reading frames (ORF) 21, 22 and 50 were used to identify individual VZV strains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All clinical isolates (97 from varicella, 176 from herpes zoster) were VZV positive wild-type strains. Sequencing analysis showed that 89 isolates were of the European E1 genotype, 180 were of the European E2 genotype and 2 were identified as the Mosaic M1 strain. In addition, for the first time in this region two unusual genotypes were identified, both representing a combination of E1 and M2 strain specific SNPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our prospective VZV genotyping study which is the first to monitor the VZV epidemiological situation in the Czech Republic using such a large set of clinical specimens, has provided valuable epidemiological data and identified two unique VZV recombinants.
authors.affiliation: University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vanda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bostikova
authors.forename: Miloslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salavec
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smetana
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chlibek
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kosina
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prasil
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plisek
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Splino
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bostik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018153:Czech Republic; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral