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Fiorucci D, Meaccini M, Poli G, Stincarelli MA, Vagaggini C, Giannecchini S, Sutto-Ortiz P, Canard B, Decroly E, Dreassi E, Brai A, Botta M. Identification of Novel Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors of Zika Virus NS5 Protein Targeting MTase Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2437. [PMID: 38397115 PMCID: PMC10888717 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a positive-sense single-stranded virus member of the Flaviviridae family. Among other arboviruses, ZIKV can cause neurological disorders such as Guillain Barré syndrome, and it can have congenital neurological manifestations and affect fertility. ZIKV nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) is essential for viral replication and limiting host immune detection. Herein, we performed virtual screening to identify novel small-molecule inhibitors of the ZIKV NS5 methyltransferase (MTase) domain. Compounds were tested against the MTases of both ZIKV and DENV, demonstrating good inhibitory activities against ZIKV MTase. Extensive molecular dynamic studies conducted on the series led us to identify other derivatives with improved activity against the MTase and limiting ZIKV infection with an increased selectivity index. Preliminary pharmacokinetic parameters have been determined, revealing excellent stability over time. Preliminary in vivo toxicity studies demonstrated that the hit compound 17 is well tolerated after acute administration. Our results provide the basis for further optimization studies on novel non-nucleoside MTase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Fiorucci
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Micaela Meaccini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giulio Poli
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Alfreda Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy; (M.A.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Chiara Vagaggini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy; (M.A.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Priscila Sutto-Ortiz
- AFMB, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Cedex 09, 13288 Marseille, France; (P.S.-O.)
| | - Bruno Canard
- AFMB, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Cedex 09, 13288 Marseille, France; (P.S.-O.)
| | - Etienne Decroly
- AFMB, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Cedex 09, 13288 Marseille, France; (P.S.-O.)
| | - Elena Dreassi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Annalaura Brai
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
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Tozetto-Mendoza TR, Braz-Silva PH, Giannecchini S, Witkin SS. Editorial: Torquetenovirus: predictive biomarker or innocent bystander in pathogenesis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1283454. [PMID: 37828938 PMCID: PMC10565492 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1283454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tania Regina Tozetto-Mendoza
- Laboratory of Virology, School of Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Henrique Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology, School of Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Steven S. Witkin
- Laboratory of Virology, School of Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Stincarelli MA, Quagliata M, Di Santo A, Pacini L, Fernandez FR, Arvia R, Rinaldi S, Papini AM, Rovero P, Giannecchini S. SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activity of a short peptide derived from internal fusion peptide of S2 subunit of spike glycoprotein. Virus Res 2023; 334:199170. [PMID: 37422270 PMCID: PMC10384657 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a great concern in human population. To fight coronavirus emergence, we have dissected the conserved amino acid region of the internal fusion peptide in the S2 subunit of Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 to design new inhibitory peptides. Among the 11 overlapping peptides (9-23-mer), PN19, a 19-mer peptide, exhibited a powerful inhibitory activity against different SARS-CoV-2 clinical isolate variants in absence of cytotoxicity. The PN19 inhibitory activity was found to be dependent on conservation of the central Phe and C-terminal Tyr residues in the peptide sequence. Circular dichroism spectra of the active peptide exhibited an alpha-helix propensity, confirmed by secondary structure prediction analysis. The PN19 inhibitory activity, exerted in the first step of virus infection, was reduced after peptide adsorption treatment with virus-cell substrate during fusion interaction. Additionally, PN19 inhibitory activity was reduced by adding S2 membrane-proximal region derived peptides. PN19 showed binding ability to the S2 membrane proximal region derived peptides, confirmed by molecular modelling, playing a role in the mechanism of action. Collectively, these results confirm that the internal fusion peptide region is a good candidate on which develop peptidomimetic anti SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alfreda Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Santo
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pacini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Feliciana Real Fernandez
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Italy
| | - Rosaria Arvia
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Silvia Rinaldi
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy.
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Quagliata M, Stincarelli MA, Papini AM, Giannecchini S, Rovero P. Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2 of Conformationally Constrained Helical Peptides Derived from Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2. ACS Omega 2023; 8:22665-22672. [PMID: 37387789 PMCID: PMC10275481 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of vaccines, COVID-19 continues to be aggressive, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, the development of a specific therapeutic agent with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 is necessary. The infection pathway starts when the receptor binding domain of the viral spike protein interacts with the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which acts as a host receptor for the RBD expressed on the host cell surface. In this scenario, ACE2 analogs binding to the RBD and preventing the cell entry can be promising antiviral agents. Most of the ACE2 residues involved in the interaction belong to the α1 helix, more specifically to the minimal fragment ACE2(24-42). In order to increase the stability of the secondary structure and thus antiviral activity, we designed different triazole-stapled analogs, changing the position and the number of bridges. The peptide called P3, which has the triazole-containing bridge in the positions 36-40, showed promising antiviral activity at micromolar concentrations assessed by plaque reduction assay. On the other hand, the double-stapled peptide P4 lost the activity, showing that excessive rigidity disfavors the interaction with the RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department
of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University
of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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Martins Gonçalves T, Mitsue Saruhashi Shimabukuro P, Nakamura Hiraki KR, Braz-Silva PH, Giannecchini S, Kai-Wang To K, Taminato M, Borges de Morais R. Severe acute respiratory syndrome by influenza and factors associated with death in older adults: a population study. J Infect Dev Ctries 2023; 17:241-250. [PMID: 36897907 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.16801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Influenza is characterized by an acute viral infection, which can lead to severe conditions and death, especially in vulnerable populations, such as older adults. Therefore, we sought to analyze cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) due to influenza in older adults registered in Brazil and investigate the factors related to death due to this disease. METHODOLOGY This is a cross-sectional, population-based study that used secondary data from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (IESIS-Influenza). Older adults aged 60 years and above with laboratory diagnosis of influenza were included. RESULTS A total of 3,547 older adults with SARS due to influenza were included, out of which 1,185 cases with death as the outcome were identified. Among older adults with death as the outcome, 87.4% were not vaccinated against influenza. The main risk factors for death were invasive ventilatory support use, intensive care unit admission, brown skin color and dyspnea (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study described the profile of older adults with SARS due to influenza in Brazil. Factors associated with death in this population were identified. Moreover, the need to encourage compliance with vaccination among older adults is evident in order to prevent severe cases and unfavorable outcomes related to influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paulo Henrique Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Monica Taminato
- Paulista Nursing School, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Stincarelli MA, Rocca A, Antonelli A, Rossolini GM, Giannecchini S. Antiviral Activity of Oligonucleotides Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Genomic RNA Stem-Loop Sequences within the 3'-End of the ORF1b. Pathogens 2022; 11:1286. [PMID: 36365037 PMCID: PMC9696570 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased evidence shows vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibited no long-term efficacy and limited worldwide availability, while existing antivirals and treatment options have only limited efficacy. In this study, the main objective was the development of antiviral strategies using nucleic acid-based molecules. To this purpose, partially overlapped 6-19-mer phosphorothioate deoxyoligonucleotides (S-ONs) designed on the SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA stem-loop packaging sequences within the 3' end of the ORF1b were synthetized using the direct and complementary sequence. Among the S-ONs tested, several oligonucleotides exhibited a fifty percent inhibitory concentration antiviral activity ranging from 0.27 to 34 μM, in the absence of cytotoxicity. The S-ON with a scrambled sequence used in the same conditions was not active. Moreover, selected 10-mer S-ONs were tested using different infectious doses and against different SARS-CoV-2 variants, showing comparable antiviral activity that was abrogated when the central sequence was mutated. Experiments to evaluate the intracellular functional target localization of the S-ON inhibitory activity were also performed. Collectively the data indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 packaging region in the 3' end of the ORF1b may be a promising target candidate for further investigation to develop innovative nucleic-acid-based antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arianna Rocca
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Antonelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Gian Maria Rossolini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Florence Careggi University Hospital, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
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de Morais RB, Shimabukuro PMS, Gonçalves TM, Hiraki KRN, Braz-Silva PH, Giannecchini S, To KKW, Barbosa DA, Taminato M. Factors associated with death due to severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by influenza: Brazilian population study. J Infect Public Health 2022; 15:1388-1393. [PMID: 36370486 PMCID: PMC9605860 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Influenza infection is characterized by acute viral infection of high transmissibility. Worsening of the case can lead to the need for hospitalization, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and even death. Method This is a cross-sectional population-based study that used secondary database from the Brazilian Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System. Only cases of adults with diagnosis of influenza by RT-PCR and case evolution recorded were included. Results We identified 2,273 adults with SARS by influenza, 343 of which had death as an outcome. The main risk factors for death were lack of hospitalization, not having cough and age, both with p<0.001. In addition, without asthma, having black skin color, not receiving flu vaccine, having brown skin color and not having a sore throat (p≤ 0.005) were risk factors too. Conclusion Factors associated with death due to SARS caused by influenza in Brazil, risk factors and protective factors to death were identified. It was evident that those who did not receive the flu vaccine presented twice the risk of unfavorable outcome, reinforcing the need to stimulate adherence to vaccination adhering and propose changes in public policies to make influenza vaccines available to the entire population, in order to prevent severe cases and unfavorable outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richarlisson Borges de Morais
- Technical School of Health, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia, Brazil,Paulista Nursing School, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil,Correspondence to: Avenida Prof. Jose Inacio de Souza, s/n - Block 4 K - 5th Floor. Umuarama - Uberlândia (MG) – Brazil. Zip code: 38400-732
| | | | | | | | - Paulo Henrique Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil,Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Kelvin Kai Wang To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Monica Taminato
- Paulista Nursing School, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Gonçalves TM, Hiraki KRN, Shimabukuro PMS, Braz-Silva PH, Giannecchini S, To KK, Barbosa DA, Taminato M, de Morais RB. SÍNDROME RESPIRATÓRIA AGUDA GRAVE CAUSADA POR INFLUENZA E FATORES ASSOCIADOS AO ÓBITO EM IDOSOS NO BRASIL: ESTUDO POPULACIONAL. Braz J Infect Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2022.102604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Shimabukuro PMS, Gonçalves TM, de Morais RB, Hiraki KRN, Giannecchini S, To KK, Barbosa DA, da Silva PHB, Taminato M. FATORES ASSOCIADOS AO ÓBITO POR SÍNDROME RESPIRATÓRIA AGUDA GRAVE CAUSADA POR INFLUENZA: ESTUDO POPULACIONAL BRASILEIRO. Braz J Infect Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2022.102419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Stincarelli MA, Baj A, Guidotti B, Spezia PG, Novazzi F, Lucenteforte E, Tillati S, Focosi D, Maggi F, Giannecchini S. Plasma Torquetenovirus (TTV) microRNAs and severity of COVID-19. Virol J 2022; 19:79. [PMID: 35562762 PMCID: PMC9099037 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-022-01812-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Torquetenovirus (TTV), a widespread anellovirus recognized as the main component of the healthy human virome, displays viremia that is highly susceptible to variations in immune competence. TTV possesses microRNA (miRNA)-coding sequences that might be involved in viral immune evasion. Among TTV-encoded miRNAs, miRNA t1a, t3b, and tth8 have been found in biological fluids. Here, the presence of TTV DNA and TTV miRNAs in the plasma of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected subjects was investigated to monitor the possible association with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Methods Detection of TTV DNA and miRNA t1a, t3b, and tth8 was investigated in plasma samples of 56 SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects with a spectrum of different COVID-19 outcomes. TTV DNA and TTV miRNAs were assessed with a universal single step real-time TaqMan PCR assay and miRNA quantitative RT-PCR miRNA assay, respectively. Results The TTV DNA prevalence was 59%, whereas at least one TTV miRNA was found in 94% of the patients tested. miRNA tth8 was detected in 91% of subjects, followed by miRNAs t3b (64%) and miRNAt1a (30%). Remarkably, although TTV DNA was unrelated to COVID-19 severity, miRNA tth8 was significantly associated with the degree of disease (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2.04, 95% CI 1.14–3.63, for the subjects in the high severity group compared to those in the low severity group). Conclusions Our findings encourage further investigation to understand the potential role of TTV miRNAs in the different outcomes of COVID-19 at early and late stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alfreda Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Andreina Baj
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Bernardo Guidotti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Federica Novazzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Ersilia Lucenteforte
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56100, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Tillati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56100, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Focosi
- North-Western Tuscany Blood Bank, Pisa University Hospital, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134, Florence, Italy.
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Zerbinati RM, Palmieri M, Schwab G, Felix AC, Martinho H, Giannecchini S, To KK, Lindoso JAL, Romano CM, Braz‐Silva PH. Use of Saliva and RT-PCR Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern: Surveillance and Monitoring. J Med Virol 2022; 94:4518-4521. [PMID: 35524465 PMCID: PMC9347783 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Genomic surveillance has been applied since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to track the spread of virus, leading to characterization of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Variants of Concern (VOC). Although sequencing is the standard method, rapid molecular test for screening and surveillance of VOC is considered for detection. Furthermore, using alternative saliva as specimen collection, facilitates the implementation of a less invasive, self-collected sample. In this study, we applied a combinatory strategy of saliva collection and RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 VOC detection. Saliva samples from patients attending at a tertiary hospital with suspected COVID-19 were collected and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR reagent kit (PerkinElmer). Positive saliva samples were screened for SARS-CoV-2 VOC with previously described RT-PCR for Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants. Saliva samples were positive in 171 (53%) of 324 tested. A total of 108 (74%) from positive samples were also positive for VOC by RT-PCR screening. Those samples were found between January and August 2021. This approach allowed us to successfully use an alternative and complementary tool to genomic surveillance to monitoring the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 VOC in the studied population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Melim Zerbinati
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM‐52‐HCFMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
| | - Michelle Palmieri
- Department of StomatologyUniversity of São Paulo School of DentistrySão PauloBrazil
| | - Gabriela Schwab
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM‐52‐HCFMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
| | - Alvina Clara Felix
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM‐52‐HCFMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
| | | | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical MedicineUniversity of FlorenceFlorenceItaly
| | - Kelvin Kai‐Wang To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of MicrobiologyCarol Yu Centre for Infection, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Special Administrative RegionHong KongChina
| | - Jose Angelo Lauletta Lindoso
- Emílio Ribas Institute of Infectious DiseasesSão PauloBrazil
- Laboratory of Protozoology (LIM‐49‐HC‐FMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
- Department of Infectious DiseasesUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
| | - Camila Malta Romano
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM‐52‐HCFMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
| | - Paulo Henrique Braz‐Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM‐52‐HCFMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo School of MedicineSão PauloBrazil
- Department of StomatologyUniversity of São Paulo School of DentistrySão PauloBrazil
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12
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Schwab G, Palmieri M, Zerbinati RM, Sarmento DJS, Reis T, Ortega KL, Kano IT, Caixeta RAV, Hasséus B, Sapkota D, Junges R, Giannecchini S, Costa ALF, Jales SMCP, Lindoso JAL, Gallo CB, Braz-Silva PH. Lack of direct association between oral mucosal lesions and SARS-CoV- 2 in a cohort of patients hospitalised with COVID-19. J Oral Microbiol 2022; 14:2047491. [PMID: 35295979 PMCID: PMC8920376 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2022.2047491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 is a disease affecting various human organs and systems, in which the virus seeks to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors. These receptors are present in the oral cavity, but the direct relationship between such an interaction and possible oral manifestations of COVID-19 is still unclear. Aim The present study evaluated oral manifestations in a cohort of COVID-19 patients during the period of hospitalisation. Methods In total, 154 patients presenting moderate-to-severe forms of COVID-19 had their oral mucosa examined twice a week until the final outcome, either discharge or death. The oral alterations observed in the patients were grouped into Group 1 (pre-existing conditions and opportunistic oral lesions) and Group 2 (oral mucosal changes related to hospitalization). Results Oral lesions found in the patients of Group 1 are not suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection as they are mainly caused by opportunistic infections. On the other hand, oral alterations found in the patients of Group 2 were statistically (P < 0.001) related to intubation and longer period of hospitalisation. Conclusion It is unlikely that ulcerative lesions in the oral cavity are a direct manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 or a marker of COVID-19 progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Schwab
- Laboratory of Virology (Lim-52-hc-fmusp), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michelle Palmieri
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo M. Zerbinati
- Laboratory of Virology (Lim-52-hc-fmusp), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dmitry J. S. Sarmento
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Dentistry, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, Brazil
| | - Thais Reis
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karem L. Ortega
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Italo T. Kano
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael A. V. Caixeta
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bengt Hasséus
- Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Institute of Odontology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dipak Sapkota
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Roger Junges
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - André L. F. Costa
- Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Cruzeiro Do Sul University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sumatra M. C. P. Jales
- Division of Dentistry, Hospital Das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo – Hcfmusp, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José A. L. Lindoso
- Institute of Infectious Diseases Emilio Ribas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Protozoology (Lim-49-hc-fmusp), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Barros Gallo
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo H. Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (Lim-52-hc-fmusp), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Lazari LC, Zerbinati RM, Rosa-Fernandes L, Santiago VF, Rosa KF, Angeli CB, Schwab G, Palmieri M, Sarmento DJS, Marinho CRF, Almeida JD, To K, Giannecchini S, Wrenger C, Sabino EC, Martinho H, Lindoso JAL, Durigon EL, Braz-Silva PH, Palmisano G. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of saliva samples as a prognostic tool for COVID-19. J Oral Microbiol 2022; 14:2043651. [PMID: 35251522 PMCID: PMC8890567 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2022.2043651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Methods Results Conclusion
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C. Lazari
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo M. Zerbinati
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52-HC-FMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Livia Rosa-Fernandes
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunoparasitology, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Veronica Feijoli Santiago
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Klaise F. Rosa
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia B. Angeli
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Schwab
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52-HC-FMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michelle Palmieri
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dmitry J. S. Sarmento
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudio R. F. Marinho
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunoparasitology, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Janete Dias Almeida
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Kelvin To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Carsten Wrenger
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ester C. Sabino
- Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Herculano Martinho
- Centro de Ciencias Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | - José A. L. Lindoso
- Institute of Infectious Diseases Emílio Ribas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Protozoology (LIM-49-HC-FMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edison L. Durigon
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo H. Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52-HC-FMUSP), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Batista AM, Caetano MW, Stincarelli MA, Mamana AC, Zerbinati RM, Sarmento DJS, Gallottini M, Caixeta RAV, Medina-Pestana J, Hasséus B, Zanella L, Tozetto-Mendoza TR, Giannecchini S, Braz-Silva PH. Quantification of torque teno virus (TTV) DNA in saliva and plasma samples in patients at short time before and after kidney transplantation. J Oral Microbiol 2021; 14:2008140. [PMID: 34912500 PMCID: PMC8667915 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2021.2008140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several reports have proposed that the viral load of torque teno virus (TTV) in plasma is a biomarker of immune function in solid organ transplantation (SOT) and in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Additionally, for the latter one, TTV-DNA quantification in saliva has also been suggested. Aim to investigate the correlation between the TTV viral load and immune function in paired saliva and plasma samples in patients on kidney transplantation. Materials and Methods TTV-DNA viral load was quantified in paired samples of saliva and plasma from 71 patients before and a short-time after renal-transplantation by real-time PCR. Results The data obtained from 213 paired samples showed a slight consistency in the comparison between saliva and plasma, with prevalence of TTV-DNA being 58%, 52% and 60% in saliva samples and 60%, 73% and 90% in plasma samples before and at 15–20 and 45–60 days after transplantation, respectively. Additionally, a high TTV viral load was observed in plasma at 15–20 and 45–60 days after transplantation compared to that observed in saliva at the same time. Conclusions Overall, monitoring TTV-DNA in saliva samples could be an additional fast non-invasive option to assess the immune functionality in SOT populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mendes Batista
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus W. Caetano
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Stomatology, University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria A. Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ana C. Mamana
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Melim Zerbinati
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dmitry J. S. Sarmento
- Department of Stomatology, University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Oral Medicine, State University of Paraiba, Araruna, Brazil
| | - Marina Gallottini
- Department of Stomatology, University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael A. V. Caixeta
- Department of Stomatology, University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Medina-Pestana
- Division of Renal Transplantation, Kidney and Hypertension Hospital, Federal University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bengt Hasséus
- Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, University of Gothenburg Institute of Odontology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louise Zanella
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus – Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN - CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Tania R. Tozetto-Mendoza
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Paulo H. Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Stomatology, University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil
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15
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Marchi S, Montomoli E, Viviani S, Giannecchini S, Stincarelli MA, Lanave G, Camero M, Alessio C, Coluccio R, Trombetta CM. West Nile Virus Seroprevalence in the Italian Tuscany Region from 2016 to 2019. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070844. [PMID: 34357994 PMCID: PMC8308575 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although in humans West Nile virus is mainly the cause of mild or sub-clinical infections, in some cases a neuroinvasive disease may occur predominantly in the elderly. In Italy, several cases of West Nile virus infection are reported every year. Tuscany was the first Italian region where the virus was identified; however, to date only two cases of infection have been reported in humans. This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of antibodies against West Nile virus in the area of Siena Province to estimate the recent circulation of the virus. Human serum samples collected in Siena between 2016 and 2019 were tested for the presence of antibodies against West Nile virus by ELISA. ELISA positive samples were further evaluated using immunofluorescence, micro neutralization, and plaque reduction neutralization assays. In total, 1.9% (95% CI 1.2–3.1) and 1.4% (95% CI 0.8–2.4) of samples collected in 2016–2017 were positive by ELISA and immunofluorescence assay, respectively. Neutralizing antibodies were found in 0.7% (95% CI 0.3–1.5) of samples. Additionally, 0.9% (95% CI 0.4–1.7) and 0.65% (95% CI 0.3–1.45) of samples collected in 2018–2019 were positive by ELISA and immunofluorescence assay, respectively. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies was 0.5% (95% CI 0.2–1.3). Although no human cases of West Nile infection were reported in the area between 2016 and 2019 and virus prevalence in the area of Siena Province was as low as less than 1%, the active asymptomatic circulation confirms the potential concern of this emergent virus for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Marchi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.M.); (S.V.); (C.A.); (R.C.); (C.M.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Emanuele Montomoli
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.M.); (S.V.); (C.A.); (R.C.); (C.M.T.)
- VisMederi S.r.l., 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Simonetta Viviani
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.M.); (S.V.); (C.A.); (R.C.); (C.M.T.)
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Firenze, Italy; (S.G.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Maria A. Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Firenze, Italy; (S.G.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Gianvito Lanave
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (G.L.); (M.C.)
| | - Michele Camero
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (G.L.); (M.C.)
| | - Caterina Alessio
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.M.); (S.V.); (C.A.); (R.C.); (C.M.T.)
| | - Rosa Coluccio
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.M.); (S.V.); (C.A.); (R.C.); (C.M.T.)
- VisMederi S.r.l., 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Claudia Maria Trombetta
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.M.); (S.V.); (C.A.); (R.C.); (C.M.T.)
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16
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Najar B, Nardi V, Stincarelli MA, Patrissi S, Pistelli L, Giannecchini S. Screening of the essential oil effects on human H1N1 influenza virus infection: an in vitro study in MDCK cells. Nat Prod Res 2021; 36:3149-3152. [PMID: 34176386 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2021.1944137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Nineteen essential oils (EOs) obtained from different plants have been evaluated for their potential in vitro anti-H1N1 influenza virus efficacy. Both multivariate analyses and bivariate correlation were performed to better understand how the composition influences the activity. The results evidenced that for the laboratory distilled EOs both rosemary hybrids (S. x lavandulaceus and S. x mendizabalii) showed a good antiviral activity with low cytotoxic effect. Concerning the commercial ones: Eucalyptus globulus and Juniperus communis EOs exhibited virtuous effects on influenza virus. These results were confirmed by the multivariate analyses and only eucalyptol showed a positive correlation with cell viability. On the contrary, o-cymene and terpinolene correlated to the inhibitory effect. Rosemary hybrids, E. globulus and J. communis could be considered as promising candidate to develop new alternative anti-H1N1 natural agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma Najar
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valeria Nardi
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Samuele Patrissi
- Dipartimento Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Luisa Pistelli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Dipartimento Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
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17
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Najar B, Mecacci G, Nardi V, Cervelli C, Nardoni S, Mancianti F, Ebani VV, Giannecchini S, Pistelli L. Volatiles and Antifungal-Antibacterial-Antiviral Activity of South African Salvia spp. Essential Oils Cultivated in Uniform Conditions. Molecules 2021; 26:2826. [PMID: 34068756 PMCID: PMC8126244 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous emissions of S. dentata Aiton and S. scabra Thunb., as well as the essential oil (EO) composition of the cited species, together with S. aurea L., were investigated. The chemical profile of the first two species is reported here for the first time. Moreover, in vitro tests were performed to evaluate the antifungal activity of these EOs on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium solani. Secondly, the EO antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus pseudointermedius was examined, and their antiviral efficacy against the H1N1 influenza virus was assessed. Leaf volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as the EOs obtained from the arial part of Salvia scabra, were characterized by a high percentage of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (97.8% and 76.6%, respectively), mostly represented by an equal amount of germacrene D (32.8% and 32.7%, respectively). Both leaf and flower spontaneous emissions of S. dentata, as well as the EO composition, showed a prevalence of monoterpenes divided into a more or less equal amount of hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds. Interestingly, its EO had a non-negligible percentage of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (29.5%). S. aurea EO, on the contrary, was rich in sesquiterpenes, both hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds (41.5% and 33.5%, respectively). S. dentata EO showed good efficacy (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC): 0.5%) against M. canis. The tested EOs were not active against E. coli and S. aureus, whereas a low inhibition of S. dentata EO was observed on S. pseudointermedius (MIC = 10%). Once again, S. dentata EO showed a very good H1N1 inhibition; contrariwise, S. aurea EO was completely inactive against this virus. The low quantity of S. scabra EO made it impossible to test its biological activity. S. dentata EO exhibited interesting new perspectives for medicinal and industrial uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma Najar
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.M.); (V.N.); (L.P.)
| | - Giulia Mecacci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.M.); (V.N.); (L.P.)
| | - Valeria Nardi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.M.); (V.N.); (L.P.)
| | - Claudio Cervelli
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Corso Inglesi 508, 18038 Sanremo, Italy;
| | - Simona Nardoni
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.N.); (F.M.); (V.V.E.)
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.N.); (F.M.); (V.V.E.)
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceutical and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.N.); (F.M.); (V.V.E.)
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceutical and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Luisa Pistelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.M.); (V.N.); (L.P.)
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceutical and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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18
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Mamana AC, Stincarelli M, Sarmento DJDS, Mendes Batista A, Tozetto-Mendoza TR, Gallottini M, De Abreu Pestana JOM, Braz-Silva PH, Giannecchini S. Detection of polyomavirus microRNA-5p expression in saliva shortly after kidney transplantation. J Oral Microbiol 2021; 13:1898838. [PMID: 33796229 PMCID: PMC7971308 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2021.1898838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) of polyomavirus (PyV) are present in several biological fluids and are suggested to be relevant viral factors for monitoring its persistence. Aim: To evaluate the effect of an immunosuppressive regimen on the status of PyV-miRNA-5p in the oral cavity. Materials and Methods: The JCPyV, BKPyV, MCPyV miRNA-5p were investigated in paired saliva and plasma samples obtained from 23 patients before and shortly after renal-transplantation by using real-time RT-PCR. Results: Overall, within a short-time after transplantation, patients exhibited decreased numbers of leukocyte and lymphocyte as well as low levels of creatinine. During the clinical management of the patients, a significant amount of saliva samples were positive for JCPyV and BKPyV miRNA-5p (range: 26%-91%) compared to paired plasma samples (range: 9%-35%). Among the two polyomaviruses showing positive expression of miRNA-5p, BKPyV presented the highest positivity in saliva (91%) and MCPyV-miRNA-5p was constantly negative in both saliva and plasma samples. Compared to the time before transplantation, a significant reduction in the expression of JCPyV-miRNA-5p was observed in saliva samples obtained after transplantation. Conclusions: Altogether, these data suggest that additional investigations of polyomavirus miRNA-5p in saliva should be performed shortly after renal-transplantation to evaluate the potential role in early viral reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Mamana
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Alexandre Mendes Batista
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tânia Regina Tozetto-Mendoza
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marina Gallottini
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo Henrique Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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19
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Braz-Silva PH, Mamana AC, Romano CM, Felix AC, de Paula AV, Fereira NE, Buss LF, Tozetto-Mendoza TR, Caixeta RAV, Leal FE, Grespan RMZ, Bizário JCS, Ferraz ABC, Sapkota D, Giannecchini S, To KK, Doglio A, Mendes-Correa MC. Performance of at-home self-collected saliva and nasal-oropharyngeal swabs in the surveillance of COVID-19. J Oral Microbiol 2020; 13:1858002. [PMID: 33391631 PMCID: PMC7733974 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2020.1858002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 quickly spreads in the worldwide population, imposing social restrictions to control the infection, being the massive testing another essential strategy to break the chain of transmission. Aim: To compare the performance of at-home self-collected samples – saliva and combined nasal-oropharyngeal swabs (NOP) – for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a telemedicine platform for COVID-19 surveillance. Material and methods: We analyzed 201 patients who met the criteria of suspected COVID-19. NOP sampling was combined (nostrils and oropharynx) and saliva collected using a cotton pad device. Detection of SARS-COV-2 was performed by using the Altona RealStar® SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Kit 1.0. Results: There was an overall significant agreement (κ coefficient value of 0.58) between saliva and NOP. Considering results in either sample, 70 patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 were identified, with 52/70 being positive in NOP and 55/70 in saliva. This corresponds to sensitivities of 74.2% (95% CI; 63.7% to 83.1%) for NOP and 78.6% (95% CI; 67.6% to 86.6%) for saliva. Conclusion: Our data show the feasibility of using at-home self-collected samples (especially saliva), as an adequate alternative for SARS-CoV-2 detection. This new approach of testing can be useful to develop strategies for COVID-19 surveillance and for guiding public health decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo H Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana C Mamana
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila M Romano
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alvina C Felix
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson V de Paula
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Noeli E Fereira
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lewis F Buss
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tania R Tozetto-Mendoza
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael A V Caixeta
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio E Leal
- Department of Medicine, Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul, São Caetano Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Regina M Z Grespan
- Department of Medicine, Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul, São Caetano Do Sul, Brazil
| | - João C S Bizário
- Department of Medicine, Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul, São Caetano Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Andrea B C Ferraz
- Department of Medicine, Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul, São Caetano Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Dipak Sapkota
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Kelvin K To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Alain Doglio
- Laboratory MICORALIS (Microbiologie Orale, Immunité Et Santé) School of Dentistry, University of Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Maria C Mendes-Correa
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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20
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Neri L, Spezia PG, Suraci S, Macera L, Scribano S, Giusti B, Focosi D, Maggi F, Giannecchini S. Torque teno virus microRNA detection in cerebrospinal fluids of patients with neurological pathologies. J Clin Virol 2020; 133:104687. [PMID: 33176237 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Torque teno virus (TTV) is a widespread anellovirus that establishes persistent infections in humans and represents the most abundant component of the human virome. TTV encodes microRNAs (miRNA) which are found both in viremic and not viremic subjects being potentially ideal tools for the virus to evade the immune system response and to maintain chronic infection in the host. OBJECTIVE To investigate TTV-DNA loads and TTV-miRNAs expression in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from subjects under analysis for the assessment of neurological diseases. STUDY DESIGN Detection of TTV-DNA and TTV-miRNAs (e. g. miRNA t1a, t3b, and tth8) were carried out from CSF samples of 93 subjects with neurological diseases by using universal real-time PCR, real-time RT-PCR, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) analyses. RESULTS TTV-DNA was detected in 11 of 93 (12 %) CSFs with a mean TTV load of 155 copies/mL. Conversely, 29 CSF samples (31 %) were positive for at least one TTV-miRNA, while 15 (16 %) CSFs contained all the TTV-miRNAs examined. Overall, TTV-miRNA tth8 was detected in 62 % of samples, followed by TTV miRNA t3b (56 %), and t1a (29 %). Interestingly, TTV-miRNAs were found in CSF samples that were negative for the presence of TTV-DNA. Next-generation sequencing analysis carried out from 4 TTV-DNA negative CSF samples detected reads mapped in TTV-miRNA sequences region. CONCLUSIONS These results shed novel light on the relationship between TTV and the central nervous system and make compelling furthered studies for investigating the potential role of TTV-miRNAs in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Neri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Samuele Suraci
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lisa Macera
- Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Scribano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Betti Giusti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Focosi
- North-Western Tuscany Blood Bank, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, and Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, ASST dei Sette Laghi, Varese, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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21
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Riva V, Garbelli A, Brai A, Casiraghi F, Fazi R, Trivisani CI, Boccuto A, Saladini F, Vicenti I, Martelli F, Zazzi M, Giannecchini S, Dreassi E, Botta M, Maga G. Unique Domain for a Unique Target: Selective Inhibitors of Host Cell DDX3X to Fight Emerging Viruses. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9876-9887. [PMID: 32787106 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Emerging viruses like dengue, West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika can cause widespread viral epidemics. Developing novel drugs or vaccines against specific targets for each virus is a difficult task. As obligate parasites, all viruses exploit common cellular pathways, providing the possibility to develop broad-spectrum antiviral agents targeting host factors. The human DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3X is an essential cofactor for viral replication but dispensable for cell viability. Herein, we exploited the presence of a unique structural motif of DDX3X not shared by other cellular enzymes to develop a theoretical model to aid in the design of a novel class of highly selective inhibitors acting against such specific targets, thus limiting off-targeting effects. High-throughput virtual screening led us to identify hit compound 5, endowed with promising antienzymatic activity. To improve its aqueous solubility, 5 and its two enantiomers were synthesized and converted into their corresponding acetate salts (compounds 11, 12, and 13). In vitro mutagenesis and biochemical and cellular assays further confirmed that the developed molecules were selective for DDX3X and were able to suppress replication of West Nile and dengue viruses in infected cells in the micromolar range while showing no toxicity for uninfected cells. These results provide proof of principle for a novel strategy in developing highly selective and broad-spectrum antiviral molecules active against emerging and dangerous viral pathogens. This study paves the way for the development of larger focused libraries targeting such domain to expand SAR studies and fully characterize their mode of interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Riva
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare IGM-CNR "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Garbelli
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare IGM-CNR "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Annalaura Brai
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Federica Casiraghi
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare IGM-CNR "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberta Fazi
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Claudia I Trivisani
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Adele Boccuto
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Siena, Viale Bracci 16, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Saladini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Siena, Viale Bracci 16, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Ilaria Vicenti
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Siena, Viale Bracci 16, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Martelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale Morgnani 48, I-50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Maurizio Zazzi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Siena, Viale Bracci 16, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale Morgnani 48, I-50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Elena Dreassi
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy.,Biotechnology College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Biolife Science Building, Suite 333, 1900 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Giovanni Maga
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare IGM-CNR "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
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22
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Sapkota D, Søland TM, Galtung HK, Sand LP, Giannecchini S, To KKW, Mendes-Correa MC, Giglio D, Hasséus B, Braz-Silva PH. COVID-19 salivary signature: diagnostic and research opportunities. J Clin Pathol 2020; 74:jclinpath-2020-206834. [PMID: 32769214 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2020-206834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 (caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) epidemic started in Wuhan (Hubei Province, China) in mid-December 2019 and quickly spread across the world as a pandemic. As a key to tracing the disease and to implement strategies aimed at breaking the chain of disease transmission, extensive testing for SARS-CoV-2 was suggested. Although nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs are the most commonly used biological samples for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, they have a number of limitations related to sample collection and healthcare personnel safety. In this context, saliva is emerging as a promising alternative to nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 diagnosis and monitoring. Saliva collection, being a non-invasive approach with possibility for self-collection, circumvents to a great extent the limitations associated with the use of nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs. In addition, various salivary biomarkers including the salivary metabolomics offer a high promise to be useful for better understanding of COVID-19 and possibly in the identification of patients with various degrees of severity, including asymptomatic carriers. This review summarises the clinical and scientific basis for the potential use of saliva for COVID-19 diagnosis and disease monitoring. Additionally, we discuss saliva-based biomarkers and their potential clinical and research applications related to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipak Sapkota
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tine Merete Søland
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Kanli Galtung
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars Peter Sand
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Universita degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Toscana, Italy
| | - Kelvin K W To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Maria Cassia Mendes-Correa
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Giglio
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hasséus
- Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinic of Oral Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Paulo Henrique Braz-Silva
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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23
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Giannecchini S. Evidence of the Mechanism by Which Polyomaviruses Exploit the Extracellular Vesicle Delivery System during Infection. Viruses 2020; 12:v12060585. [PMID: 32471033 PMCID: PMC7354590 DOI: 10.3390/v12060585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that human viruses can hijack extracellular vesicles (EVs) to deliver proteins, mRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) and whole viral particles during viral persistence in the host. Human polyomavirus (PyV) miRNAs, which downregulate large T-antigen expression and target host factors, help the virus escape immune elimination and may have roles in the success of viral persistence/replication and the development of diseases. In this context, several investigations have detected PyV miRNAs in EVs obtained from cell culture supernatants after viral infection, demonstrating the ability of these vesicles to deliver miRNAs to uninfected cells, potentially counteracting new viral infection. Additionally, PyV miRNAs have been identified in EVs derived from the biological fluids of clinical samples obtained from patients with or at risk of severe PyV-associated diseases and from asymptomatic control healthy subjects. Interestingly, PyV miRNAs were found to be circulating in blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva samples from patients despite their PyV DNA status. Recently, the association between EVs and PyV viral particles was reported, demonstrating the ability of PyV viral particles to enter the cell without natural receptor-mediated entry and evade antibody-mediated neutralization or to be neutralized at a step different from that of the neutralization of naked whole viral particles. All these data point toward a potential role of the association between PyVs with EVs in viral persistence, suggesting that further work to define the implication of this interaction in viral reactivation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
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24
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Scribano S, Guerrini M, Arvia R, Guasti D, Nardini P, Romagnoli P, Giannecchini S. Archetype JC polyomavirus DNA associated with extracellular vesicles circulates in human plasma samples. J Clin Virol 2020; 128:104435. [PMID: 32442760 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) establishes a stable and successful interaction with the host, causing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunocompromised subjects. Recently, it has been reported that JCPyV, like other viruses, may exploit extracellular vesicles (EV) in cell cultures. OBJECTIVE To investigate the presence of JCPyV-DNA in EV circulating in human plasma obtained from patients at risk for PML. STUDY DESIGN JCPyV-DNA status was studied in EV obtained from 170 plasma samples collected from 120 HIV positive patients and 50 healthy donors. EV were extracted from plasma and characterized by Nanoparticle tracking analysis, by western blot for presence of tetraspanin CD63, CD81, annexin II, cythocrome C protein and, finally, by immunoelectron microscopy (IEM). Presence and quantitation of JCPyV-DNA were assessed with Multiplex real-time TaqMan PCR assay. RESULTS The JCPyV-DNA plasma prevalence in 120 HIV positive patients and 50 healthy donors was 28% and 4%, respectively. The investigation performed on well-characterized plasma EV reported JCPyV-DNA detection in 15 out of 36 (42%) of the viremic samples (14 were from HIV patients and 1 from healthy people) at a mean level of 23.5 copies/mL. The examination of EV selected samples reported the percentage of JCPyV-DNA in EV of 5.4% of the total viral load. Moreover, IEM reported the presence of JCPyV Vp1 antigen in plasma-derived EV. CONCLUSION The potential role of EV-associated JCPyV-DNA open new avenues and mechanistic insights into the molecular strategies adopted by this polyomavirus to persist in the host and spread to the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Scribano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mirko Guerrini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Rosaria Arvia
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Guasti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Patrizia Nardini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Romagnoli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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25
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Henrique Braz-Silva P, Pallos D, Giannecchini S, To KKW. SARS-CoV-2: What can saliva tell us? Oral Dis 2020; 27 Suppl 3:746-747. [PMID: 32311181 PMCID: PMC7264628 DOI: 10.1111/odi.13365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Henrique Braz-Silva
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora Pallos
- Department of Dentistry, University of Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, Shenzhen Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
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26
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Puzelli S, Di Martino A, Facchini M, Fabiani C, Calzoletti L, Di Mario G, Palmieri A, Affanni P, Camilloni B, Chironna M, D'Agaro P, Giannecchini S, Pariani E, Serra C, Rizzo C, Bella A, Donatelli I, Castrucci MR. Co-circulation of the two influenza B lineages during 13 consecutive influenza surveillance seasons in Italy, 2004-2017. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:990. [PMID: 31752738 PMCID: PMC6873537 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-4621-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since 1985, two antigenically distinct lineages of influenza B viruses (Victoria-like and Yamagata-like) have circulated globally. Trivalent seasonal influenza vaccines contain two circulating influenza A strains but a single B strain and thus provide limited immunity against circulating B strains of the lineage not included in the vaccine. In this study, we describe the characteristics of influenza B viruses that caused respiratory illness in the population in Italy over 13 consecutive seasons of virological surveillance, and the match between the predominant influenza B lineage and the vaccine B lineage, in each season. METHODS From 2004 to 2017, 26,886 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were registered in Italy, of which 18.7% were type B. Among them, the lineage of 2465 strains (49%) was retrieved or characterized in this study by a real-time RT-PCR assay and/or sequencing of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene. RESULTS Co-circulation of both B lineages was observed each season, although in different proportions every year. Overall, viruses of B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages caused 53.3 and 46.7% of influenza B infections, respectively. A higher proportion of infections with both lineages was detected in children, and there was a declining frequency of B/Victoria detections with age. A mismatch between the vaccine and the predominant influenza B lineage occurred in eight out of thirteen influenza seasons under study. Considering the seasons when B accounted for > 20% of all laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, a mismatch was observed in four out of six seasons. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA1 domain confirmed the co-circulation of both lineages and revealed a mixed circulation of distinct evolutionary viral variants, with different levels of match to the vaccine strains. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to the understanding of the circulation of influenza B viruses in Italy. We found a continuous co-circulation of both B lineages in the period 2004-2017, and determined that children were particularly vulnerable to Victoria-lineage influenza B virus infections. An influenza B lineage mismatch with the trivalent vaccine occurred in about two-thirds of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Puzelli
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy.
| | - Angela Di Martino
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Facchini
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Concetta Fabiani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Calzoletti
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Di Mario
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Annapina Palmieri
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Maria Chironna
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | | | | | - Elena Pariani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Rizzo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Bella
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Donatelli
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rita Castrucci
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
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27
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Brai A, Martelli F, Riva V, Garbelli A, Fazi R, Zamperini C, Pollutri A, Falsitta L, Ronzini S, Maccari L, Maga G, Giannecchini S, Botta M. DDX3X Helicase Inhibitors as a New Strategy To Fight the West Nile Virus Infection. J Med Chem 2019; 62:2333-2347. [PMID: 30721061 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Increased frequency of arbovirus outbreaks in the last 10 years represents an important emergence for global health. Climate warming, extensive urbanization of tropical regions, and human migration flows facilitate the expansion of anthropophilic mosquitos and the emerging or re-emerging of new viral infections. Only recently the human adenosinetriphosphatase/RNA helicase X-linked DEAD-box polypeptide 3 (DDX3X) emerged as a novel therapeutic target in the fight against infectious diseases. Herein, starting from our previous studies, a new family of DDX3X inhibitors was designed, synthesized, validated on the target enzyme, and evaluated against the West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Time of addition experiments after virus infection indicated that the compounds exerted their antiviral activities after the entry process, likely at the protein translation step of WNV replication. Finally, the most interesting compounds were then analyzed for their in vitro pharmacokinetic parameters, revealing favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion values. The good safety profile together with a good activity against WNV for which no treatments are currently available, make this new class of molecules a good starting point for further in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalaura Brai
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy.,Lead Discovery Siena S.r.l. , Castelnuovo Berardenga, I-53019 Siena , Italy
| | - Francesco Martelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , University of Florence , I-50134 Florence , Italy
| | - Valentina Riva
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, IGM-CNR , Via Abbiategrasso 207 , I-27100 Pavia , Italy
| | - Anna Garbelli
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, IGM-CNR , Via Abbiategrasso 207 , I-27100 Pavia , Italy
| | - Roberta Fazi
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy
| | - Claudio Zamperini
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy.,Lead Discovery Siena S.r.l. , Castelnuovo Berardenga, I-53019 Siena , Italy
| | - Alessandro Pollutri
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy
| | - Lucia Falsitta
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy
| | - Stefania Ronzini
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy
| | - Laura Maccari
- Lead Discovery Siena S.r.l. , Castelnuovo Berardenga, I-53019 Siena , Italy
| | - Giovanni Maga
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, IGM-CNR , Via Abbiategrasso 207 , I-27100 Pavia , Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , University of Florence , I-50134 Florence , Italy
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Dipartimento Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia , Università degli Studi di Siena , Via A. De Gasperi 2 , I-53100 Siena , Italy.,Lead Discovery Siena S.r.l. , Castelnuovo Berardenga, I-53019 Siena , Italy.,Biotechnology College of Science and Technology , Temple University , BioLife Science Building, Suite 333, 1900 North 12th Street , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19122 , United States
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Martelli F, Macera L, Spezia PG, Medici C, Pistello M, Guasti D, Romagnoli P, Maggi F, Giannecchini S. Torquetenovirus detection in exosomes enriched vesicles circulating in human plasma samples. Virol J 2018; 15:145. [PMID: 30236130 PMCID: PMC6149034 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-018-1055-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Torquetenovirus (TTV) belongs to Anelloviridae family, infects nearly all people indefinitely without causing overt disease establishing a fine and successful interaction with the host. Increasing evidence have shown some human viruses exploit extracellular vesicles thereby helping viral persistence in the host. Here, the presence of TTV in extracellular vesicles circulating in human plasma was investigated. METHODS TTV DNA was quantified in plasma-derived exosomes from 122 samples collected from 97 diseased patients and 25 healthy donors. Exosomes enriched vesicles (EEVs) were extracted from plasma and characterized by Nanoparticle tracking analysis, by western blot for presence of tetraspanin CD63, CD81 and annexin II protein and, finally, by electron microscopy (EM). Presence and quantitation of TTV DNA were assessed with an universal single step real-time TaqMan PCR assay. RESULTS Preliminary investigation showed that the human plasma extracted extracellular vesicles exhibited a main size of 70 nm, had concentration of 2.5 × 109/ml, and scored positive for tetraspanin CD63, CD81 and annexin II, typical characteristic of the exosomes vesicles. EEVs extracted from pooled plasma with TTV DNA viremia of 9.7 × 104 copies/ml showed to contain 6.3 × 102 TTV copies/ml, corresponding to 0.65% of total viral load. Important, TTV yield changed significantly following freezing/thawing, detergents and DNAse treatment of plasma before EEVs extraction. EEVs purified by sucrose-density gradient centrifugation and analysis of gradient fraction positive for exosomes marker CD63 harbored 102 TTV copies/ml. Moreover, EM evidenced the presence of TTV-like particles in EEVs. Successive investigation of plasma EEVs from 122 subjects (37 HIV-positive, 20 HCV infected, 20 HBV infected, 20 kidney transplant recipients, and 25 healthy) reported TTV DNA detection in 42 (34%) of the viremic samples (37 were from diseased patients and 5 from healthy people) at a mean level of 4.8 × 103 copies/ml. The examination of EEVs selected samples reported the presence of TTV genogroup 1, 3, 4 and 5, with genogroup 3 highly observed. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, although these observations should be confirmed by further studies, circulation of TTV particles in EEVs opens new avenues and mechanistic insights on the molecular strategies adopted by anelloviruses to persist in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Martelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, I-50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Lisa Macera
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.,Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Giorgio Spezia
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.,Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Medici
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Pistello
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.,Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Guasti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, I-50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Romagnoli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, I-50134, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, I-50134, Florence, Italy.
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Giacconi R, Maggi F, Macera L, Pistello M, Provinciali M, Giannecchini S, Martelli F, Spezia PG, Mariani E, Galeazzi R, Costarelli L, Iovino L, Galimberti S, Nisi L, Piacenza F, Malavolta M. Torquetenovirus (TTV) load is associated with mortality in Italian elderly subjects. Exp Gerontol 2018; 112:103-111. [PMID: 30223047 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
An age-related dysregulation of immune response, known as immunosenescence, contributes to increased susceptibility to infections, frailty and high risk of mortality in the elderly. Torquetenovirus (TTV), a circular, single-stranded DNA virus, is highly prevalent in the general population and it may persist in the organism, also in association with other viruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), causing chronic viremia. The relationship that TTV establishes with the immune system of infected hosts is not clear. It is known that TTV encodes microRNAs (miRNAs) that might contribute to immune evasion and that the highest viral loads are found in peripheral blood cells. Moreover, it is suspected that TTV infection lead to increased production of inflammatory mediators, thus playing a role in immunosenescence. We investigated the association of TTV load and miRNAs expression with inflammatory and immune markers and the influence of TTV load on mortality within a cohort of 379 elderly subjects who were followed up for 3 years. TTV DNA load in polymorphonuclear leukocytes was slightly positively correlated with age and negatively associated with serum albumin levels and NK cell activity. A marginal positive correlation between TTV DNA load, monocytes and IL-8 plasma levels was found in females and males respectively. TTV DNA copies ≥4.0 log represented a strong predictor of mortality (Hazard ratio = 4.78, 95% CI: 1.70-13.44, after adjusting for age, sex and the main predictors of mortality rate) and this association remained significant even after the CMV IgG antibody titer was included in the model (HR = 9.83; 95% CI: 2.48-38.97; N = 343 subjects). Moreover, multiple linear regression model showed that TTV miRNA-t3b of genogroup 3 was inversely associated with triglycerides, monocytes and C-reactive protein, and directly associated with IL6. Overall these findings suggest a role of TTV in immunesenescence and in the prediction of all-cause mortality risk in Italian elderly subjects. Further studies are needed to fully understand the pathogenic mechanisms of TTV infection during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robertina Giacconi
- Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, Scientific and Technological Pole, Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging (INRCA), Ancona, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lisa Macera
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Pistello
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Provinciali
- Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, Scientific and Technological Pole, Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging (INRCA), Ancona, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco Martelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Pietro Giorgio Spezia
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Erminia Mariani
- Laboratory of Immunorheumatology and Tissue Regeneration, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Galeazzi
- Clinical Laboratory & Molecular Diagnostics, INRCA-IRCCS, Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Costarelli
- Clinical Laboratory & Molecular Diagnostics, INRCA-IRCCS, Ancona, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Iovino
- Section of Hematology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Galimberti
- Section of Hematology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Nisi
- Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, Scientific and Technological Pole, Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging (INRCA), Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesco Piacenza
- Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, Scientific and Technological Pole, Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging (INRCA), Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Malavolta
- Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, Scientific and Technological Pole, Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging (INRCA), Ancona, Italy
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Martelli F, Mencarini J, Rocca A, Malva ND, Bartolozzi D, Giannecchini S. Polyomavirus microRNA in saliva reveals persistent infectious status in the oral cavity. Virus Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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31
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Martelli F, Giannecchini S. Polyomavirus microRNAs circulating in biological fluids during viral persistence. Rev Med Virol 2017; 27:e1927. [DOI: 10.1002/rmv.1927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Martelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine; University of Florence; Florence Italy
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Giovannelli I, Ciccone N, Vaggelli G, Malva ND, Torricelli F, Rossolini GM, Giannecchini S. Utility of droplet digital PCR for the quantitative detection of polyomavirus JC in clinical samples. J Clin Virol 2016; 82:70-75. [PMID: 27454232 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the standard molecular method for detection of polyomavirus JC (JCPyV) DNA reactivation in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients at risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Recently, digital PCR has shown potential benefits over qPCR in viral diagnostics. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay in assessing JCPyV-DNA status in clinical samples of patients at risk for PML. STUDY DESIGN JCPyV specific ddPCR was developed with primers/probes targeting Large T and the noncoding control region used in qPCR. The ddPCR accuracy of JCPyV-DNA quantification was investigated using serial dilutions of genomic JCPyV-DNA. The ddPCR JCPyV-DNA quantification and qPCR confirmation were performed on 150 CSF and 100 serum clinical samples. RESULTS Using genomic JCPyV-DNA, ddPCR was highly sensitive, repeatable and reproducible for both molecular targets. Using clinical samples, JCPyV-DNA was detected in 13% of CSF and in 50% of serum samples with limit of detection of 30 copies/ml. Among the 19 JCPyV-DNA-positive CSF detected using the ddPCR, 15 also tested positive with the qPCR. Among the 50 JCPyV-DNA-positive serum identified with ddPCR, 41 tested positive with qPCR. All the ddPCR-negative samples were negative when assessed using qPCR. Additionally, the mean JCPyV-DNA viral load obtained with ddPCR in all samples was not significantly different from that of qPCR. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that ddPCR is a highly sensitive alternative for measuring JCPyV-DNA that should be considered in clinical diagnostic testing of JCPyV-DNA in patients at risk of PML and other associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Giovannelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nunziata Ciccone
- Clinical Microbiology and Virology unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Guendalina Vaggelli
- Clinical Microbiology and Virology unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nunzia Della Malva
- Clinical Microbiology and Virology unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Gian Maria Rossolini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Clinical Microbiology and Virology unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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33
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Vignolini T, Macera L, Antonelli G, Pistello M, Maggi F, Giannecchini S. Investigation on torquetenovirus (TTV) microRNA transcriptome in vivo. Virus Res 2016; 217:18-22. [PMID: 26959653 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Torquetenovirus (TTV) is a widespread anellovirus that establishes persistent infections in human showing an increased viremia in immunosuppressed patients. TTV possesses microRNA (miRNA)-coding sequences that might be involved in viral immune evasion. Here, the presence of TTV DNA and miRNAs expression was investigated in plasma samples of 77 diseased (20 infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 18 infected with hepatitis B (HBV) virus, 18 infected with hepatitis C (HCV) virus, 21 solid organ transplanted) patients, and 25 healthy controls. TTV prevalence was significantly different in healthy controls (60%, 15/25) versus diseased patients (80%, 62/77), showing the highest TTV loads in transplant recipients. Genetic TTV analysis showed the highest prevalence of group 1, followed by groups 3, 4 and 5, and a lack of isolates of group 2. The expression of at least one TTV miRNAs of group 1, 3 and 5 was found in exosomes of plasma of the great majority of individuals (96%, 98/102 subjects) showing the higher prevalence of miRNAs of TTV group 3 (90%, 92/102), followed by miRNAs of group 1 (66%, 67/102), and miRNA of group 5 (49%, 50/102). TTV miRNAs expression and TTV viremia were not always directly correlated, and significant differences appeared in production of some TTV miRNAs between healthy controls and diseased patients. The reported TTV miRNAs status in exosomes encourages further investigation to understand their potential role in the expansion of anelloviruses upon immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziano Vignolini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lisa Macera
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - Guido Antonelli
- Pasteur Institute-Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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34
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Giovannelli I, Clausi V, Nukuzuma S, Della Malva N, Nosi D, Giannecchini S. Polyomavirus JC microRNA expression after infection in vitro. Virus Res 2016; 213:269-273. [PMID: 26763354 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2015.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The in vitro expression of the Polyomavirus JC (JCPyV) microRNAs, JC-miRNA-3p and -5p, at early time points post-infection was investigated. The expression of the JCPyV microRNAs was monitored in hematopoietic progenitor KG-1 cells and in kidney fibroblast-like COS-7 cells transformed with SV40 after infection with a JCPyV CY archetype viral clone. The JCPyV DNA viral load was low in KG-1 cells compared with that in COS-7 cells, which showed productive viral replication. The expression of the JCPyV microRNAs was observed from 12h after the viral infection of both cell types and in the exosomes present in their cell supernatant. Additionally, this study verified that the JCPyV microRNAs in the exosomes present in the supernatants produced by the infected cells might be carried into uninfected cells. These findings suggest that additional investigations of the expression of JCPyV microRNAs and their presence in exosomes are necessary to shed light on their regulatory role during viral reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Giovannelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Valeria Clausi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Souichi Nukuzuma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kobe Institute of Health, 4-6-5 Minatojima-Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Nunzia Della Malva
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Nosi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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35
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Rocca A, Martelli F, Delbue S, Ferrante P, Bartolozzi D, Azzi A, Giannecchini S. The JCPYV DNA load inversely correlates with the viral microrna expression in blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients at risk of PML. J Clin Virol 2015; 70:1-6. [PMID: 26305810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2015.06.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In light of their regulatory role, changes in the expression of Polyomavirus JC (JCPyV) microRNAs may be relevant for virus reactivation and the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). OBJECTIVES To investigate the presence of JCPyV-DNA and JCPyV microRNA expression in clinical specimens of patients at risk for PML. STUDY DESIGN The JCPyV-DNA and microRNA status was assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma from 100 HIV patients, in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 14 HIV PML patients and in PBMCs and plasma from 50 healthy controls using Multiplex real-time PCR and JCPyV miRNA-J1-3p and -5p stem-loop RT-PCR. The JCPyV-DNA microRNA-expressing region was also sequenced. RESULTS A positive JCPyV-DNA status was more prevalent in HIV patients (67%, 67/100) compared to healthy controls (18%, 9/50). Among these, 46% and 42% of the HIV patients and 18% and 0% of the healthy controls were positive based on PBMC and plasma determinations, respectively. PBMC JCPyV microRNA positivity was observed in 22 out of 46 (48%) JCPyV+ HIV patients and in 3 out of 9 (33%) JCPyV+ healthy controls. Moreover, JCPyV microRNAs in exosomes were found in 6 out of 100 (6%) HIV plasma samples, in 12 out of 50 (24%) healthy samples, in 6 out of 14 (43%) serum samples, and in 3 out of 5 (60%) HIV PML CSF samples. Of note, the JCPyV-DNA load was inversely correlated with expression of the viral microRNA. The JCPyV microRNA genomic expression region showed a different combination of three mutations. CONCLUSIONS The low levels of JCPyV microRNA expression in HIV patients with high JCPyV-DNA prevalence observed in this study highlight the potential clinical relevance of JCPyV microRNAs in PML risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Rocca
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco Martelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Serena Delbue
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Ferrante
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Bartolozzi
- Infectious disease unit, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberta Azzi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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Clausi V, Giannecchini S, Magnani E, Repice A, Mechi C, Martelli F, Azzi A, Massacesi L. Markers of JC virus infection in patients with multiple sclerosis under natalizumab therapy. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2015; 2:e58. [PMID: 25610882 PMCID: PMC4299884 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000000058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the frequency of JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) infection and anti-JCPyV antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis under natalizumab therapy. Methods: Presence of anti-JCPyV antibodies and JCPyV DNA was analyzed in 39 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis undergoing natalizumab therapy. Anti-JCPyV antibodies were evaluated in serum by a 2-step virus-like particle-based ELISA assay (Stratify), and JCPyV DNA was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, plasma, and urine by quantitative PCR. The anti-JCPyV antibodies were evaluated in serum samples collected at the same time or later than those collected for DNA analysis. Results: JCPyV DNA was detected in 59% of patients, and anti-JCPyV antibodies were present in 67%. JCPyV DNA occurred more often in blood than in urine. Anti-JCPyV antibodies were observed in 70% of the JCPyV-infected patients, and JCPyV DNA was detected in 50% of the patients without anti-JCPyV antibodies. When JCPyV DNA was investigated in blood and urine the frequency of infection was higher than previously described. Conclusion: Under these experimental conditions, with respect to the observed frequency of JCPyV infection, the sensitivity of the anti-JCPyV antibody assay was lower than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Clausi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Eliana Magnani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Repice
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudia Mechi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco Martelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberta Azzi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Luca Massacesi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (V.C., S.G., F.M., A.A.) and Department of Neurosciences, Drugs and Child Health (E.M., L.M.), University of Florence; and Neurology 2 Division (A.R., C.M., L.M.), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
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37
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Diotti RA, Mancini N, Clementi N, Sautto G, Moreno GJ, Criscuolo E, Cappelletti F, Man P, Forest E, Remy L, Giannecchini S, Clementi M, Burioni R. Cloning of the first human anti-JCPyV/VP1 neutralizing monoclonal antibody: epitope definition and implications in risk stratification of patients under natalizumab therapy. Antiviral Res 2014; 108:94-103. [PMID: 24909571 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2014.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
JC virus (JCPyV) has gained novel clinical importance as cause of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare demyelinating disease recently associated to immunomodulatory drugs, such as natalizumab used in multiple sclerosis (MS) cases. Little is known about the mechanisms leading to PML, and this makes the need of PML risk stratification among natalizumab-treated patients very compelling. Clinical and laboratory-based risk-stratification markers have been proposed, one of these is represented by the JCPyV-seropositive status, which includes about 54% of MS patients. We recently proposed to investigate the possible protective role of neutralizing humoral immune response in preventing JCPyV reactivation. In this proof-of-concept study, by cloning the first human monoclonal antibody (GRE1) directed against a neutralizing epitope on JCPyV/VP1, we optimized a robust anti-JCPyV neutralization assay. This allowed us to evaluate the neutralizing activity in JCPyV-positive sera from MS patients, demonstrating the lack of correlation between the level of anti-JCPyV antibody and anti-JCPyV neutralizing activity. Relevant consequences may derive from future clinical studies induced by these findings; indeed the study of the serum anti-JCPyV neutralizing activity could allow not only a better risk stratification of the patients during natalizumab treatment, but also a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to PML, highlighting the contribution of peripheral versus central nervous system JCPyV reactivation. Noteworthy, the availability of GRE1 could allow the design of novel immunoprophylactic strategies during the immunomodulatory treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Antonia Diotti
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicasio Mancini
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
| | - Nicola Clementi
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sautto
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Guisella Janett Moreno
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Criscuolo
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Cappelletti
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Petr Man
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eric Forest
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA, CNRS, UJF, Grenoble, France
| | - Louise Remy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA, CNRS, UJF, Grenoble, France
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Massimo Clementi
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Burioni
- Laboratorio di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
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Stincarelli M, Arvia R, De Marco MA, Clausi V, Corcioli F, Cotti C, Delogu M, Donatelli I, Azzi A, Giannecchini S. Reassortment ability of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus with circulating human and avian influenza viruses: public health risk implications. Virus Res 2013; 175:151-4. [PMID: 23639426 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2013.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Exploring the reassortment ability of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (A/H1N1pdm09) influenza virus with other circulating human or avian influenza viruses is the main concern related to the generation of more virulent or new variants having implications for public health. After different coinfection experiments in human A549 cells, by using the A/H1N1pdm09 virus plus one of human seasonal influenza viruses of H1N1 and H3N2 subtype or one of H11, H10, H9, H7 and H1 avian influenza viruses, several reassortant viruses were obtained. Among these, the HA of H1N1 was the main segment of human seasonal influenza virus reassorted in the A/H1N1pdm09 virus backbone. Conversely, HA and each of the three polymerase segments, alone or in combination, of the avian influenza viruses mainly reassorted in the A/H1N1pdm09 virus backbone. Of note, A/H1N1pdm09 viruses that reassorted with HA of H1N1 seasonal human or H11N6 avian viruses or carried different combination of avian origin polymerase segments, exerted a higher replication effectiveness than that of the parental viruses. These results confirm that reassortment of the A/H1N1pdm09 with circulating low pathogenic avian influenza viruses should not be misjudged in the prediction of the next pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stincarelli
- Virology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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39
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Giannecchini S, Wise HM, Digard P, Clausi V, Del Poggetto E, Vesco L, Puzelli S, Donatelli I, Azzi A. Packaging signals in the 5'-ends of influenza virus PA, PB1, and PB2 genes as potential targets to develop nucleic-acid based antiviral molecules. Antiviral Res 2011; 92:64-72. [PMID: 21741410 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2011.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Revised: 06/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study a 15-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide (S-ON) derived from the packaging signal in the 5' end of segment 1 (PB2) of influenza A virus (designated 5-15b) proved markedly inhibitory to virus replication. Here we investigated whether analogous inhibitory S-ONs targeting the 5' end of segments 2 (PB1) and 3 (PA) could be identified and whether viral resistance to S-ONs can be developed. Similar to our earlier result, 20-mer S-ONs reproducing the 5' ends of segments 2 or 3 (complementary to the 3'-coding regions of PB1 and PA, respectively) exerted a powerful antiviral activity against a variety of influenza A virus subtypes in MDCK cells. Serial passage of the A/Taiwan/1/86 H1N1 strain in the presence of S-ON 5-15b or its antisense as5-15b analogue showed that mutant viruses with reduced susceptibility to the S-ON could indeed be generated, although the resistant viruses displayed reduced replicative fitness. Sequencing the resistant viruses identified mutations in the PB1, PB2, PA and M1 genes. Introduction of these changes into the A/PR/8/34 H1N1 strain by reverse genetics, suggested that alterations to RNA function in the packaging regions of segments 2 and 3 were important in developing resistance to S-ON inhibition. However, many of the other sequence changes induced by S-ON treatment were markedly deleterious to virus fitness. We conclude that packaging signals in the influenza A virus polymerase segments provide feasible targets for nucleic acid-based antivirals that may be difficult for the virus to evade through resistance mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Virology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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40
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Giannecchini S, Clausi V, Di Trani L, Falcone E, Terregino C, Toffan A, Cilloni F, Matrosovich M, Gambaryan AS, Bovin NV, Delogu M, Capua I, Donatelli I, Azzi A. Molecular adaptation of an H7N3 wild duck influenza virus following experimental multiple passages in quail and turkey. Virology 2010; 408:167-73. [PMID: 20947115 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2010.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2010] [Revised: 07/20/2010] [Accepted: 09/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the molecular adaptation of influenza viruses during natural interspecies transmission, we performed a phenotypic and genotypic analysis of a low-pathogenic duck H7N3 influenza virus after experimental passages in turkey and quail. Results obtained showed differences in the HA receptor-binding and in NA enzyme activities in viruses recovered after passages in quail, compared to those obtained from passages in turkey. Sequencing of the HA, NA and genes of internal proteins of the viruses obtained from quail and turkey, identified several amino acid substitutions in comparison with the progenitor virus. Of note, in the quail-adapted viruses the emergence of a 23-amino acid deletion in the stalk of the NA and the introduction of a glycosylation site in the HA were a reminiscence of changes typically observed in nature confirming a potential role of the quail in the adaptation of wild birds viruses to domestic poultry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Virology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy.
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41
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Cilloni F, Toffan A, Giannecchini S, Clausi V, Azzi A, Capua I, Terregino C. Increased pathogenicity and shedding in chickens of a wild bird-origin low pathogenicity avian influenza virus of the H7N3 subtype following multiple in vivo passages in quail and turkey. Avian Dis 2010; 54:555-7. [PMID: 20521693 DOI: 10.1637/8919-050809-reg.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In order to investigate viral adaptation mechanisms to poultry, we performed serial in vivo passages of a wild bird low pathogenicity avian influenza isolate of the H7N3 subtype (A/mallard/Italy/33/01) in three different domestic species (chicken, turkey, and Japanese quail). The virus under study was administered via natural routes at the dose of 10(6) egg infective dose50/ 0.1 ml to chickens, turkeys, and quails in order to investigate the clinical susceptibility and the shedding levels after infection. Multiple in vivo passages of the virus were performed by serially infecting groups of five naive birds of each species, with samples collected from a previously infected group. Quails and turkeys were susceptible to infection for 10 serial passages, whereas chickens were susceptible to two cycles of infection only. Infection of chicken with the quail- and turkey-adapted viruses showed an increased pathogenicity and/or shedding, causing more severe clinical signs and/or higher levels of viral excretion compared to the original strain. The data obtained herein suggest that infection of selected avian species may facilitate the adaptation of avian influenza viruses originating from the wild bird reservoir to chicken. This is the first time turkey has been shown to act as a species in which a virus from the wild reservoir can increase its replication activity in other domestic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Cilloni
- AOIE/FAO National Reference Laboratory for Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Viale del'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
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42
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Giannecchini S, Campitelli L, Bandini G, Donatelli I, Azzi A. Characterization of human H1N1 influenza virus variants selected in vitro with zanamivir in the presence of sialic acid-containing molecules. Virus Res 2007; 129:241-5. [PMID: 17765996 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2007.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2007] [Revised: 07/20/2007] [Accepted: 07/21/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of influenza virus resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors is a main concern for their clinical use. In an attempt to reproduce in vivo selective conditions where influenza virus resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors can occur the zanamivir selection of an A/H1N1 influenza virus strain was carried out in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells performed in the presence or absence of sialic acid-containing inhibitor analogues that act as virus decoy receptors. The zanamivir-selected variants passaged in the presence of sialic acid-containing molecules resembling the human-like virus receptor lost the ability to bind red blood cells. Furthermore, whereas all zanamivir-selected variants exhibited a robust reduction in susceptibility to zanamivir in plaque assays only those obtained after extensive passages acquired a powerful neuraminidase enzyme resistance to zanamivir and oseltamivir. Evidence that balanced neuraminidase and hemagglutinin activities mediated by mutations induced during selection could play a role in the decrease of virus replication susceptibility to zanamivir is reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Virology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy.
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43
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Giannecchini S, Pistello M, Isola P, Matteucci D, Mazzetti P, Freer G, Bendinelli M. Role of Env in resistance of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cats to superinfection by a second FIV strain as determined by using a chimeric virus. J Virol 2007; 81:10474-85. [PMID: 17634241 PMCID: PMC2045460 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01064-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A more or less pronounced resistance to superinfection by a second strain of the infecting virus has been observed in many lentivirus-infected hosts. We used a chimeric feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), designated FIVchi, containing a large part of the env gene of a clade B virus (strain M2) and all the rest of the genome of a clade A virus (a p34TF10 molecular clone of the Petaluma strain modified to grow in lymphoid cells), to gain insights into such resistance. FIVchi was infectious and moderately pathogenic for cats and in vitro exhibited the neutralization specificity of the env donor. The experiments performed were bidirectional, in that cats preinfected with either parental virus were challenged with FIVchi and vice versa. The preinfected animals were partially or completely protected relative to what was observed in naïve control animals, most likely due, at least in part, to the circumstance that in all the preinfecting/challenge virus combinations examined, the first and the second virus shared significant viral components. Based on the proportions of complete protection observed, the role of a strongly matched viral envelope appeared to be modest and possibly dependent on the time interval between the first and the second infection. Furthermore, complete protection and the presence of measurable neutralizing antibodies capable of blocking the second virus in vitro were not associated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 37 I-56127 Pisa, Italy
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44
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Giannecchini S, D'Ursi AM, Esposito C, Scrima M, Zabogli E, Freer G, Rovero P, Bendinelli M. Antibodies generated in cats by a lipopeptide reproducing the membrane-proximal external region of the feline immunodeficiency virus transmembrane enhance virus infectivity. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2007; 14:944-51. [PMID: 17596431 PMCID: PMC2044484 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00140-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The immunogenicity of a lipoylated peptide (lipo-P59) reproducing the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the transmembrane glycoprotein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was investigated with cats. In the attempt to mimic the context in which MPER is located within intact virions, lipo-P59 was administered in association with membrane-like micelles. Analyses showed that in this milieu, lipo-P59 had a remarkable propensity to be positioned at the membrane interface, displayed a large number of ordered structures folded in turn helices, and was as active as lipo-P59 alone at inhibiting FIV infectivity in vitro. The antibodies developed differed from the ones previously obtained by immunizing cats with the nonlipoylated version of the peptide (G. Freer, S. Giannecchini, A. Tissot, M. F. Bachmann, P. Rovero, P. F. Serres, and M. Bendinelli, Virology 322:360-369, 2004) in epitope specificity and in the fact that they bound FIV virions. However, they too lacked virus-neutralizing activity and actually enhanced FIV infectivity for lymphoid cell cultures. It is concluded that the use of MPER-reproducing oligopeptides is not a viable approach for vaccinating against FIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
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45
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D'Ursi AM, Giannecchini S, Esposito C, Alcaro MC, Sichi O, Armenante MR, Carotenuto A, Papini AM, Bendinelli M, Rovero P. Development of antiviral fusion inhibitors: short modified peptides derived from the transmembrane glycoprotein of feline immunodeficiency virus. Chembiochem 2006; 7:774-9. [PMID: 16566046 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200500390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a naturally occurring pathogen that causes an AIDS-like syndrome in domestic cats and is a valuable model system by which criteria for antiviral vaccines and drugs development can be tested. The cell-entry step of the lentivirus life cycle is regarded as a promising target for the development of new generation inhibitors. We have previously described potent in vitro anti-FIV activity associated with a synthetic octapeptide, termed C8 (Ac-Trp-Glu-Asp-Trp-Val-Gly-Trp-Ile-NH2), containing the Trp-rich motif of FIV transmembrane glycoprotein, which shares a common structural framework with the corresponding molecule of HIV and appears to play a similar role in cell entry. In this report, in an attempt to develop simpler potential fusion inhibitors to be tested in vivo, we describe further studies focused on synthetic peptide analogues of C8. Since C8 inhibitory activity is dependent upon the Trp motif, we systematically replaced these residues with bulky and/or aromatic natural and unnatural amino acids, in order to develop a rational structure-activity relationship. Furthermore, the amino acids located between the Trp residues, which are not crucial for inhibitory activity, were replaced by simple alkyl spacers of appropriate length. Design, NMR structural analysis, in vitro anti-FIV activity in lymphoid cell cultures, and serum stability of these new analogues are reported. The final results indicate that a simpler hexapeptide (Ac-Nal2-Ape-Nal2-Ape-Nal2-Ile-NH2; Nal2 = 3-naphthalen-2-yl-L-alanine, Ape = 5-aminopentanoic acid), almost entirely made up of unnatural amino acid residues, has markedly increased enzymatic stability, while maintaining strong antiviral potency in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria D'Ursi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
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46
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Esposito C, D'Errico G, Armenante MR, Giannecchini S, Bendinelli M, Rovero P, D'Ursi AM. Physicochemical characterization of a peptide deriving from the glycoprotein gp36 of the feline immunodeficiency virus and its lipoylated analogue in micellar systems. Biochim Biophys Acta 2006; 1758:1653-61. [PMID: 16905114 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2006.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2006] [Revised: 05/19/2006] [Accepted: 06/20/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
P59 is the Trp-rich 20-mer peptide ((767)L-G(786)), partial sequence of the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the FIV gp36. It has potent antiviral activity, possibly due to a mechanism that inhibits the fusion of the virus with the cell membranes. In the hypothesis that a lipophilic tail could enhance the adhesion of P59 to the membrane so improving its antiviral activity, we synthesized its lipoylated analogue lipo-P59. Fluorescence, CD and NMR investigations in membrane mimicking environments (such as SDS and DPC micelles) were aimed to assess the potential of the lipo-P59 lipophilic tail to affect the biophysical and conformational behaviour of the peptide. In vitro inhibitory assays using lymphoid cell cultures to check the antiviral activity of peptides were also performed. The data show that the biophysical properties and the conformational preferences of the peptides are not dramatically affected by the hydrophobic tail, suggesting that the lipopeptide is capable of preserving all the biophysical peculiarities. Similarly, antiviral experimental data show that the membrane-anchored lipo-P59 peptide is also effective in inhibiting virus replication. Moreover, the lipophilic tail allows P59 to preserve its antiviral activity even in conditions in which the non lipoylated peptide is devoid of activity. In accordance with the unusual high Trp presence, the peptides confirm the preference to be positioned on the membrane interface. Furthermore, the data point out a peculiarity of interaction of the peptides with SDS as compared with DPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Esposito
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
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47
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Giannecchini S, Campitelli L, Calzoletti L, De Marco MA, Azzi A, Donatelli I. Comparison of in vitro replication features of H7N3 influenza viruses from wild ducks and turkeys: potential implications for interspecies transmission. J Gen Virol 2006; 87:171-175. [PMID: 16361429 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.81187-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous work, it was shown that turkey H7N3 influenza viruses, presumably derived ‘in toto’ from interspecies transmission of duck viruses in Northern Italy, had only 2 aa differences in haemagglutinin and a few amino acid differences as well as a 23 aa deletion in neuraminidase compared with duck viruses. Here, the replication of these duck and turkey viruses in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells was investigated with respect to virus–cell fusion and viral elution from red blood cells. Duck viruses showed similar receptor-binding properties to turkey viruses but possessed a higher pH of fusion activation than the turkey viruses. Conversely, turkey viruses were not able to elute from red blood cells. These data confirm that neuraminidase-stalk deletion impairs the release of virions from cells and also confirm existence of naturally occurring viruses with different pH fusion activities, raising the possibility that these features may play a role in the evolution of influenza viruses in different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Virology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, I-50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Laura Campitelli
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Calzoletti
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alberta Azzi
- Virology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, I-50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Isabella Donatelli
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore Sanità, Rome, Italy
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48
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Giannecchini S, Alcaro MC, Isola P, Sichi O, Pistello M, Papini AM, Rovero P, Bendinelli M. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Plasma Load Reduction by a Retroinverso Octapeptide Reproducing the Trp-Rich Motif of the Transmembrane Glycoprotein. Antivir Ther 2005. [DOI: 10.1177/135965350501000505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Trp-rich motif (TrpM) of the transmembrane glycoprotein (TM) of lentiviruses is an attractive domain on which to design new potential cell entry peptide inhibitors. We recently demonstrated that an octapeptide reproducing the TrpM of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), designated C8, broadly inhibited this virus in vitro and that the retroinverso analogue of this peptide (riC8) was almost as inhibitory and exhibited features suggestive of a much increased stability. Here, we demonstrated that riC8 is indeed highly stable, maintaining its concentration unchanged for at least 24 h in cat serum in vitro. Furthermore, once inoculated into cats, riC8 produced no major acute toxic effects and exhibited satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties. Finally, we report the results of a short-term monotherapy experiment in chronically FIV-infected cats showing that riC8 is well tolerated and also has substantial antiviral activity in vivo. In particular, the mean viral load of riC8-treated animals declined progressively with increasing time of treatment, whereas that of control animals given C8 or solvent alone did not. These results provide the first evidence that clinically useful inhibition of virus replication with a small peptide derived from a functional domain of the TM of a lentivirus can be achieved in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giannecchini
- Retrovirus Centre and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Present address: Department of Public Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Claudia Alcaro
- Laboratory of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Patrizia Isola
- Retrovirus Centre and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Olimpia Sichi
- Retrovirus Centre and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Pistello
- Retrovirus Centre and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Papini
- Laboratory of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Laboratory of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mauro Bendinelli
- Retrovirus Centre and Virology Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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49
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Hosie MJ, Klein D, Binley JM, Dunsford TH, Jarrett O, Neil JC, Knapp E, Giannecchini S, Matteucci D, Bendinelli M, Hoxie JA, Willett BJ. Vaccination with an inactivated virulent feline immunodeficiency virus engineered to express high levels of Env. J Virol 2005; 79:1954-7. [PMID: 15650222 PMCID: PMC544106 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.79.3.1954-1957.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An inactivated virus vaccine was prepared from a pathogenic isolate of feline immunodeficiency virus containing a mutation that eliminated an endocytic sorting signal in the envelope glycoprotein, increasing its expression on virions. Cats immunized with inactivated preparations of this modified virus exhibited strong titers of antibody to Env by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Evidence of protection following challenge demonstrated the potential of this approach to lentiviral vaccination.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Cat Diseases/prevention & control
- Cat Diseases/virology
- Cats
- Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control
- Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/virology
- Gene Products, env/genetics
- Gene Products, env/immunology
- Gene Products, env/metabolism
- Genetic Engineering/methods
- Humans
- Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline/genetics
- Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline/immunology
- Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline/pathogenicity
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Mutation
- Neutralization Tests
- Vaccination/veterinary
- Vaccines, Inactivated/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Inactivated/genetics
- Vaccines, Inactivated/immunology
- Viral Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Viral Vaccines/genetics
- Viral Vaccines/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret J Hosie
- Retrovirus Research Laboratory, Institute of Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Rd., Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom.
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50
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Maggi F, Tempestini E, Lanini L, Andreoli E, Fornai C, Giannecchini S, Vatteroni M, Pistello M, Marchi S, Ciccorossi P, Specter S, Bendinelli M. Blood levels of TT virus following immune stimulation with influenza or hepatitis B vaccine. J Med Virol 2005; 75:358-65. [PMID: 15602718 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Torque Teno virus (TTV) has been demonstrated to be present persistently in the blood of healthy individuals without evidence that it causes any disease process. The levels of TTV vary in patients co-infected with other viruses and there has been considerable speculation as to whether TTV contributes to pathogenesis by other viruses or if the varying levels might be related to immune activation in the host. In the present study, the load of TTV was examined in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following immunization of subjects with either influenza (a recall antigen) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) (a new antigenic exposure). The results overall did not indicate a significant change in TTV titers over a 90 day observation period; however, when TTV genogroup was taken into consideration there was an increase in viral load in plasma at some time points for subjects persistently infected with genogroup 3. While this was observed in both influenza and HBV immunized subjects, the effect was more profound in HBV vaccination. Thus, it appears that exposure to a new antigen rather than a recall antigen may stimulate TTV replication more effectively. The data further suggest that investigating the interactions between TTV and its host might require to examine specifically each TTV genogroup separately in order to determine if certain TTV types have any role in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Maggi
- Virology Section and Retrovirus Center, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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