Address of Corresponding Author

Intervirology 2005;48:97-103 (DOI: 10.1159/000081735)

  Key Words

• Nonpolio enterovirus
• Aseptic meningitis
• Serotyping
• Cytopathic effects

  Abstract

Objectives: We attempted to characterize nonpolio enteroviruses recovered from Korean patients with aseptic meningitis. Methods: We performed RT-PCR on the 5'-nontranslated region using clinical specimens. Infectious clinical isolates were amplified by infecting Vero cells with RT-PCR-positive clinical specimens. We then investigated the direct effect in primary neuronal cells or cardiomyocytes following virus infection. Results: Total 12 clinical isolates were subtypically analyzed by both RT-PCR/sequencing comparison of the VP-1 region and neutralization assay. 43-2, 43-2S, 57 and 58 were found to be coxsackievirus B1 (CVB1), 312 to be CVB5, 14-2S and 327 to be echovirus 6, 165 to be echovirus 9, 337 to be echovirus 11, and 270 to be echovirus 30. All the clinical isolates tested showed profound cytotoxicity to various degrees in the primary neuronal cells within 24 h postinfection at 10 MOI. By contrast, a significant cytopathic effect was observed in the primary cardiomyocytes at 3-5 days postinfection at 50 MOI. Conclusions: The present study suggests that the clinical isolates recovered from Korean patients belonged to different CVB or echovirus serotypes and that these viruses showed diversities in their virulence in primary neuronal cells and cardiomyocytes.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Heuiran Lee
Department of Microbiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine
CPO Box 145
Seoul (Korea)
Tel. +82 2 3010 4286, Fax +82 2 485 2320, E-Mail heuiran@amc.seoul.kr

  Article Information

C.H. Joo and J. Ahn contributed equally to this work.

Received: June 16, 2003
Accepted after revision: March 13, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 32