Piero C. Balduzzi

Genital herpesvirus infection. Diagnosis and significance.

Abstract Herpesvirus type 2 was isolated from genital lesions of 15 patients whose average age was 19 years. All complained of pain and urinary symptoms related to the location of the lesions on the vulva and vagina. Other venereal diseases, particularly gonorrhea and syphilis, were associated with the viral infection in 7 of the 15 patients. Non—Group A Beta streptococcus or Phthirus pubis was found in 5 other patients. Abnormal papanicolaou smears suggesting dysplastic or atypical lesions of the cervix were found in 5 patients. However, 69.5 per cent of patients with cytologically diagnosed herpesvirus infection were found to have abnormal Papanicolaou smears, prior to the diagnosis of herpesvirus infection. The report emphasizes the ease and rapidity with which herpesvirus can be isolated. A greater effort should be made to identify those patients who have genital herpesvirus infection.

Genital herpesvirus (Type II) strain differences

Abstract Herpesvirus Type II was isolated from genital lesions of 18 patients. Two distinct strain differences were noted within these Type II isolates. The cytopathic effects produced by one patients virus strain in WI-38 and HeLa cell cultures were distinctly different from all other isolates. No clinical significance can be attributed to this biologic difference at this time.

Effect of 8-Azaguanine on Encephalomyocarditis Virus Multiplication.

Summary The effect of azaG on EMC virus multiplication was investigated. It was found that the analog induces a delay in the onset of virus growth and slows the growth rate. This effect seems to be independent of host cells macromolecular synthesis, and indirect evidence suggests that it is also independent of incorporation into viral RNA. There is evidence that the synthesis of various virus-directed proteins may be primarily affected. It is suggested that an azaG-substi-tuted GTP cofactor may interfere in the transfer capacity of s-RNA. This hypothesis could explain the ability of azaG to inhibit EMC replication at low intracellular concentration of azaG products as it would be expected in azaG-R cells which lack IMP-GMP pyrophosphorylases. A known secondary mechanism for the formation of azaG nucleotides could provide sufficient amounts of an azaG-cofactor to inhibit viral multiplication in this system.

Effect of Purine Analogs on Encephalomyocarditis and Vaccinia Virus Growth in Analog Sensitive and Resistant Cells.

Summary The effect of 2 purine analogs, 2,6-diaminopurine (DP) and 8-azaguanine (AZA) on the multiplication of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) and vaccinia viruses in analog-sensitive and -resistant strain L cells has been investigated. It was shown that DP and AZA inhibit the multiplication of both viruses in analog-sensitive cells. DP does not inhibit the replication of EMC and vaccinia viruses in DP-resistant cells. The mechanism of cellular resistance to this analog might prevent the inhibitory action of DP on viral replication. On the other hand, AZA inhibits virus growth in AZA-resistant cells as well as in analog-sensitive cells. The mechanism of cell resistance is not effective in protecting viral replication from the inhibitory effect of the analog. It is suggested that the cell resistance to AZA may be at a step following ribophosphorylation and that virus-specific RNA synthesis might be affected by the antimetabolite, whereas cellular RNA synthesis is not significantly inhibited by the analog nucleotide.

Correlations between clinical and laboratory findings in virus infection of the female genital tract

Abstract In a 4 year period, 137 specimens with requests for isolation of herpesvirus from the genital tracts of 125 female patients were received. Included in these specimens were 19 amniotic fluid samples from 12 pregnant patients with known genital herpesvirus infection. Fifty-four positive isolations were obtained from lower genital tract sites in 46 patients. The greatest percentage of positive isolations were from the vulva. Only 4 of 22 specimens from cervical lesions were positive for virus isolation; 3 of these isolates (from 3 pregnant patients) were cytomegalovirus strains. The number of specimens and the number of positive isolations from each genital tract site are presented along with a discussion of the value of genital tract viral isolations. Particular reference is made to the number of patients with cervical cytologic atypia related to herpesvirus infection.

Growth of SE polyoma virus in primary and established cell cultures.

Summary Propagation of SE polyoma virus in 4 different cell systems in vitro has been studied. Mouse embryo cells support multiplication of this virus with CPE. Growth occurs to a lesser extent in L cells without CPE, while it does not take place in HeLa and rabbit cells.