An Asian reflection on Inauguration Sermon of Pope Benedict XVI

Tissa Balasuriya 성공회대학교 신학연구소 2005 Madang: Journal of Contextual Theology Vol.3 No.-

An Asian reflection on Inauguration Sermon of Pope Benedict XVI

Tissa Balasuriya 한국민중신학회 2005 Madang: Journal of Contextual Theology Vol.3 No.-

Equine Arteritis Virus Does Not Induce Interferon Production in Equine Endothelial Cells: Identification of Nonstructural Protein 1 as a Main Interferon Antagonist

Go, Yun Young,Li, Yanhua,Chen, Zhenhai,Han, Mingyuan,Yoo, Dongwan,Fang, Ying,Balasuriya, Udeni B. R. Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2014 BioMed research international Vol.2014 No.-

<P>The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of equine arteritis virus (EAV) on type I interferon (IFN) production. Equine endothelial cells (EECs) were infected with the virulent Bucyrus strain (VBS) of EAV and expression of IFN-<I><I>β</I></I> was measured at mRNA and protein levels by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and IFN bioassay using vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the green fluorescence protein (VSV-GFP), respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR results showed that IFN-<I><I>β</I></I> mRNA levels in EECs infected with EAV VBS were not increased compared to those in mock-infected cells. Consistent with quantitative RT-PCR, Sendai virus- (SeV-) induced type I IFN production was inhibited by EAV infection. Using an IFN-<I><I>β</I></I> promoter-luciferase reporter assay, we subsequently demonstrated that EAV nsps 1, 2, and 11 had the capability to inhibit type I IFN activation. Of these three nsps, nsp1 exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect. Taken together, these data demonstrate that EAV has the ability to suppress the type I IFN production in EECs and nsp1 may play a critical role to subvert the equine innate immune response.</P>

Allelic Variation in <i>CXCL16</i> Determines CD3 ⁺ T Lymphocyte Susceptibility to Equine Arteritis Virus Infection and Establishment of Long-Term Carrier State in the Stallion

Sarkar, Sanjay,Bailey, Ernest,Go, Yun Young,Cook, R. Frank,Kalbfleisch, Ted,Eberth, John,Chelvarajan, R. Lakshman,Shuck, Kathleen M.,Artiushin, Sergey,Timoney, Peter J.,Balasuriya, Udeni B. R. Public Library of Science 2016 PLoS genetics Vol.12 No.12

<▼1><P>Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory, systemic, and reproductive disease of horses and other equid species. Following natural infection, 10–70% of the infected stallions can become persistently infected and continue to shed EAV in their semen for periods ranging from several months to life. Recently, we reported that some stallions possess a subpopulation(s) of CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocytes that are susceptible to <I>in vitro</I> EAV infection and that this phenotypic trait is associated with long-term carrier status following exposure to the virus. In contrast, stallions not possessing the CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocyte susceptible phenotype are at less risk of becoming long-term virus carriers. A genome wide association study (GWAS) using the Illumina Equine SNP50 chip revealed that the ability of EAV to infect CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocytes and establish long-term carrier status in stallions correlated with a region within equine chromosome 11. Here we identified the gene and mutations responsible for these phenotypes. Specifically, the work implicated three allelic variants of the equine orthologue of <I>CXCL16</I> (<I>EqCXCL16</I>) that differ by four non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions (XM_00154756; c.715 A → T, c.801 G → C, c.804 T → A/G, c.810 G → A) within exon 1. This resulted in four amino acid changes with EqCXCL16S (XP_001504806.1) having Phe, His, Ile and Lys as compared to EqCXL16R having Tyr, Asp, Phe, and Glu at 40, 49, 50, and 52, respectively. Two alleles (<I>EqCXCL16Sa</I>, <I>EqCXCL16Sb</I>) encoded identical protein products that correlated strongly with long-term EAV persistence in stallions (P<0.000001) and are required for <I>in vitro</I> CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocyte susceptibility to EAV infection. The third (<I>EqCXCL16R</I>) was associated with <I>in vitro</I> CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocyte resistance to EAV infection and a significantly lower probability for establishment of the long-term carrier state (viral persistence) in the male reproductive tract. <I>EqCXCL16Sa</I> and <I>EqCXCL16Sb</I> exert a dominant mode of inheritance. Most importantly, the protein isoform EqCXCL16S but not EqCXCL16R can function as an EAV cellular receptor. Although both molecules have equal chemoattractant potential, EqCXCL16S has significantly higher scavenger receptor and adhesion properties compared to EqCXCL16R.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Author Summary</B></P><P>A variable proportion of EAV infected stallions (10–70%) may become persistently infected and continuously shed the virus exclusively in their semen after recovery from acute infection. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that stallions with the CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocyte susceptibility phenotype to <I>in vitro</I> EAV infection are at higher risk of becoming persistently infected carriers compared to those that lack this phenotype. Here genetic and experimental studies were used to demonstrate that <I>CXCL16</I> in the horse codes for two proteins, one associated with resistance and the other associated with susceptibility of CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocytes to EAV infection. The two proteins are the result of four nucleotide substitutions in exon 1 of the equine <I>CXCL16</I> gene. These alleles determine the outcome of <I>in vitro</I> infection of CD3<SUP>+</SUP> T lymphocytes with EAV and are strongly associated with the establishment and maintenance of long-term carrier state in stallions. <I>In vitro</I> studies demonstrated that one form of CXCL16 protein (CXCL16S) is one of the cellular receptors for EAV and has higher scavenger activity and adhesion ability as compared to the form of the protein associated with resistance (CXCL16R).</P></▼2>

Further evaluation and validation of a commercially available competitive ELISA (cELISA) for the detection of antibodies specific to equine arteritis virus (EAV)

Pfahl, K.,Chung, C.,Singleton, M. D.,Shuck, K. M.,Go, Y. Y.,Zhang, J.,Campos, J.,Adams, E.,Adams, D. S.,Timoney, P. J.,Balasuriya, U. B. R. BMJ Group Group Ltd 2016 The Veterinary record Vol.178 No.4

<P>The purpose of this study was to further evaluate and validate two commercially available equine arteritis virus (EAV) competitive ELISAs (original and enhanced cELISAs) using archived equine sera from experimentally inoculated animals and field sera submitted for laboratory diagnosis. First, the original and subsequently enhanced cELISAs were compared with the virus neutralisation test (VNT) using a panel of archived serum samples from experimentally inoculated animals. Then, the enhanced cELISA was compared with the VNT using a large panel of archived serum samples. The total number of equine sera tested was 3255, which included sera against 25 different EAV strains. The study confirmed that the enhanced cELISA was more sensitive than the original cELISA. Based on testing sera from experimentally inoculated animals and field sera, the enhanced cELISA had an estimated sensitivity (98.9 percent and 99.6 percent, respectively) and specificity (98.3 percent and 98.7 percent, respectively). The currently marketed enhanced VMRD EAV antibody cELISA test kit (VMRD Inc., Pullman, Washington, USA) has high sensitivity and specificity relative to the VNT. Based on the findings of this study, the authors would propose that the enhanced cELISA should be considered as an alternative approved method to the VNT for the detection of antibodies to EAV.</P>

Evaluation and Clinical Validation of Two Field-Deployable Reverse Transcription-Insulated Isothermal PCR Assays for the Detection of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus

Go, Y.Y.,Kim, Y.S.,Cheon, S.,Nam, S.,Ku, K.B.,Kim, M.,Cho, N.H.,Park, H.,Alison Lee, P.Y.,Lin, Y.C.,Tsai, Y.L.,Thomas Wang, H.T.,Balasuriya, U.B.R. American Society for Investigative Pathology and t 2017 The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics Vol.19 No.6

<P>Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is an emerging zoonotic viral respiratory disease that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. In 2015, the largest MERS outbreak outside of the Middle East region occurred in the Republic of Korea. The rapid nosocomial transmission of MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Korean health care settings highlighted the importance and urgent need for a rapid and reliable on-site diagnostic assay to implement effective control and preventive measures. Here, the evaluation and validation of two newly developed reverse transcription insulated isothermal PCR (RT-iiPCR) methods targeting the ORF1a and upE genes of MERS-CoV are described. Compared with World Health Organization recommended singleplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) assays, both RT-iiPCR assays had comparable analytical sensitivity for the detection of MERS-CoV RNA in tissue culture fluid and in sputum samples spiked with infectious virus. Furthermore, clinical evaluation was performed with sputum samples collected from subjects with acute and chronic respiratory illnesses, including patients infected with MERS-CoV. The overall agreement values between the two RT-iiPCR assays and the reference RT-qPCR assays were 98.06% (95% CI, 94.43%-100%; K = 0.96) and 99.03% (95% CI, 95.88%-100%; K = 0.99) for ORF1a and upE assays, respectively. The ORF1a and upE MERS-CoV RT-iiPCR assays coupled with a field deployable system provide a platform for a highly sensitive and specific on-site tool for diagnosis of MERS-CoV infections.</P>