{"title":"Evaluation of the analytical performance of the MAGLUMI HEV IgM and IgG assays for automated detection of HEV antibodies and comparison with the microplate Wantai assay.","authors":"Daying Geng, Yihua Zhu, Hongwei Zhang, Kun Liu, Shuguang Chen, Zhonggang Fang, Zhiqiang Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03187-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03187-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection screening and diagnosis are critical for controlling the HEV epidemic. Serological testing for anti-HEV IgM and IgG is widely used to diagnose acute and past HEV infections, respectively. This study aims to evaluate the analytical performances of the MAGLUMI HEV IgM and IgG assays for detection of HEV antibodies and comparison with the microplate Wantai assay.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We assessed the precision, cross-reactivity, and interference of the MAGLUMI HEV IgM and IgG assays, as well as their agreement rates with the Wantai HEV IgM and IgG assays. Method comparison included in total 775 samples from 405 patients with suspected HEV infection and 86 asymptomatic blood donors. Among them, the HEV infection status of 136 individuals was confirmed through HEV RNA results, including 39 cases of acute infection, 3 cases of convalescence, and 94 cases of non-infected individuals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The within-run and between-day imprecision for the MAGLUMI HEV IgM assay ranged from 1.54% to 3.71%, while for the MAGLUMI HEV IgG assay, it ranged from 0.00% to 4.35%. No cross-reactivity was observed in either assay. The positive and negative agreement rates between the MAGLUMI and Wantai IgM assay were 98.61% and 99.31%, respectively. The positive and negative agreement rates between the MAGLUMI and Wantai IgG assay were 94.95% and 97.20%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, the analytical performance of the MAGLUMI HEV IgM and IgG assays is good, with reactivities comparable to those of the Wantai HEV IgM and IgG assays. However, due to the limited availability of HEV RNA detection results and lack of HEV genotype information, this study could not effectively evaluate the clinical performance of the reagent, and further studies with HEV RNA determination and genotyping are needed for a clinical validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"EBV DNA load and cytokines guide risk-stratified treatment in pediatric EBV-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.","authors":"Longlong Xie, Xuedan Jiang, Xiao Li, Xun Li, Xiangyu Wang, Haipeng Yan, Haixia Yang, Ting Luo, Zhenghui Xiao, Meiyu Yang, Xiulan Lu","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03182-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03182-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Our study aims to investigate the dynamic changes in plasma/serum EBV-DNA levels and the cytokines IL-10 and IFN-γ during early chemotherapy. This will help predict refractory EBV-HLH and guide more personalized treatment strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective, single-centre cohort investigation included 117 EBV-HLH; out of these, 48 had comprehensive paired data before and after induction treatment. The median age was 3.86 years. Patients were classified based on pre-treatment plasma/serum EBV-DNA levels into high-load (≥ 5.51 × 10<sup>4</sup> copies/mL) and low-load cohorts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with high plasma/serum EBV-DNA loads demonstrated a higher prevalence of DIC (20.00% vs. 3.51%, OR = 7.15) at baseline. After a two-week treatment period, the decline in EBV-DNA was strongly correlated with reductions in IFN-γ (r = 0.443, P = 0.002) and IL-10 (r = 0.540, P < 0.001). Interestingly, in this study, we also found that children with a double-positive status (EBV+/IFN-γ + or EBV+/IL-10+) did not have the worst prognosis two weeks after initial treatment. However, children with HLH who are EBV (+) but cytokine (-) have a lower proportion of partial responses. Similarly, most children with HLH who are plasma or serum EBV-negative but cytokine-positive are also in the non-response period.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the early stages of treatment, monitoring plasma/serum free EBV-DNA, as well as IL-10 or IFN-γ indicators, and stratifying patients is an effective method to identify children with EBV-HLH who are prone to refractory disease. This approach is of great significance for guiding their subsequent treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Chronic hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of extrahepatic malignancies: an updated review of epidemiology, mechanisms, and clinical implications.","authors":"Zhongda Chen, Haiwen Zhuang, Jin Zhang, Yong Zhang, Sanrong Xu, Qing Zhou","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03186-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03186-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects nearly 300 million people worldwide and remains a leading cause of the global cancer burden. While its causal relationship with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is well established, accumulating epidemiological and mechanistic evidence suggests that HBV may also contribute to the development of extrahepatic malignancies, including gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, lymphoid, and respiratory cancers. Cohort studies and meta-analyses consistently report an increased risk in individuals infected with HBV, but causality remains controversial due to confounding factors such as coinfection, lifestyle factors, and genetic susceptibility. Possible mechanisms include viral DNA integration into the host genome, HBV X protein (HBx)-mediated activation of oncogenic signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt, Wnt), epigenetic modifications, and alterations in the immune microenvironment that promote tumor immune evasion. Advances in biomarker discovery, imaging technologies, and antiviral and targeted therapies offer opportunities for early detection and improved management of HBV-related cancers. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic strategies, and treatment approaches of HBV-related extrahepatic malignancies, as well as the current controversies, with the aim of guiding future research and clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of a nano-emulsion and evaluation of its intradermal adjuvant function of Swine Influenza H3N2 Vaccine.","authors":"Zhuoyu Ruan, Bihua Deng, Wenzhu Yin, Fang Ma, Yu Lu, Haiyan Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03184-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03184-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intradermal (ID) immunization is a potent vaccination strategy, but its potential is limited by the lack of adjuvants that can effectively enhance immune responses while minimizing local skin reactogenicity.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To develop and evaluate a novel composite nano-emulsion adjuvant, designated VP, for enhancing the efficacy of intradermal vaccination against swine influenza virus (SIV).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A novel adjuvant VP, formulated with squalene, sea buckthorn oil, and the TLR3 agonist Poly(I: C), was designed. Its physicochemical properties (particle size, zeta potential, viscosity) were characterized. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the VP-adjuvanted inactivated H3N2 vaccine were systematically evaluated in mice, comparing intradermal (ID) and intramuscular (IM) routes. Assessments included humoral immunity (serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) IgG/HAI titers, duration), cellular immunity (splenic T cell subsets, cytokine profiles), and protection against homologous viral challenge (viral load, lung pathology, weight loss). Local skin reactogenicity and inflammatory responses were also investigated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The VP adjuvant exhibited a potent immune-stimulatory effect, comparable to commercial adjuvants. The VP/H3N2 formulation formed a stable nano-emulsion with an average particle size of ~ 137 nm, a near-neutral surface charge, and low viscosity (~ 1.3cP), facilitating antigen transport to skin-draining lymph nodes. Immunization induced a robust, Th1-biased immune response characterized by high IgG2a/IgG1 ratios and elevated IFN-γ secretion. Notably, the VP-adjuvanted vaccine elicited the highest proportions of IFN-γ⁺ CD4⁺, IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺and memory-type CD44⁺ CD4⁺ T cells among all experimental groups. ID administration was superior to IM, yielding significantly higher and more durable serum/BALF antibody titers and longer-lasting immunity. VP-adjuvanted vaccination provided protection against challenge, with minimal lung pathology and markedly reduced viral loads. Crucially, ID immunization with VP elicited only a moderate, transient local inflammatory response with rapid absorption and no significant adverse skin reactions. Mechanistic studies revealed that VP functioned by upregulating key chemokines (e.g., CX3CL1, CCL19) at the injection site, significantly enhancing antigen uptake by dendritic cells in vitro, and promoting targeted antigen delivery to draining lymph nodes in vivo.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study successfully developed a novel composite nano-emulsion adjuvant, VP, which demonstrated high efficacy in intradermal SIV vaccination by potently enhancing both humoral and cellular immunity, providing durable protection, and maintaining an acceptable safety profile. The adjuvant mechanism involves enhanced local immune activation, promotion of Dendritic cells (DCs) phagocytosis, and improved lymphoi","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virology JournalPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1186/s12985-026-03191-5
Rui-Jun Yang, Min Wang, Jia-Ling You, Lei Lyu, Shi-Teng Huang, Bing-Dong Zhan
{"title":"Genetic insights into dabie bandavirus from a clinical case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Longyou County, China.","authors":"Rui-Jun Yang, Min Wang, Jia-Ling You, Lei Lyu, Shi-Teng Huang, Bing-Dong Zhan","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03191-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03191-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To conduct an epidemiological investigation on a case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) reported in Longyou County, Zhejiang Province in April 2025, and to perform nucleic acid detection and genetic characterization of Dabie bandavirus (DBV) in the patient's serum sample, aiming to provide scientific evidence and technical support for local SFTS prevention and control.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An epidemiological investigation was conducted on the case. Serum samples from the confirmed case and close contacts, as well as related vector host specimens, were collected. DBV-specific nucleic acid was detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The viral genome was amplified by RT-PCR and subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Professional computer software (SeqMan Ultra 17.2, Clustal X 2.1, BioEdit V7.2.6.1, and MEGA V7.0.26, etc.) was used for nucleotide and amino acid sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, and calculation of genetic distances and homology percentages.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The case had a history of tick bite and no history of travel outside the area. Fluorescence quantitative PCR detection showed that only the case's serum sample was positive for DBV nucleic acid, while serum samples from close contacts and related vector host specimens were all negative for DBV nucleic acid. After amplification and sequencing, the three fragments L, M, and S were successfully obtained. Genetic evolution analysis showed that they belonged to genotypes L (C), M (C), and S (A), respectively. Compared with the closest reference strain HZ2023-16 in the phylogenetic tree, the nucleotide homologies of the L, M, NS, and NP genes were 99.74%, 99.53%, 99.66%, and 99.19%, respectively, and the amino acid homologies were 100%, 99.72%, 99.66%, and 99.59%, respectively. Compared with the type C reference strain AHL/China/2011 (L(C)/M(C)/S(D)), the nucleotide homologies of the L, M, NS, and NP genes were 96.87%, 96%, 93.76%, and 95.66%, respectively, and the amino acid homologies were 99.42%, 98.51%, 98.29%, and 99.18%, respectively. Compared with the type A reference strain JX23XSH (L(A)/M(A)/S(A)), the nucleotide homologies of the L, M, NS, and NP genes were 96.24%, 95.97%, 95.35%, and 97.02%, respectively, and the amino acid homologies were 99.52%, 98.14%, 99.32%, and 99.18%, respectively. The average genetic distances of the L, M, and S genes compared with the HZ2023-16 reference strain were 0.003, 0.005, and 0.005, respectively; compared with the type C reference strain AHL/China/2011 (L(C)/M(C)/S(D)), they were 0.031, 0.04, and 0.053, respectively; compared with the type A reference strain JX23XSH (L(A)/M(A)/S(A)), they were 0.038, 0.04, and 0.038, respectively. Amino acid variation analysis showed that compared with the reference strains, this strain had 0-12 amino acid substitutions in the L protein (e.g., V68I, A140V), 3-20 substitutions in the M protein (e.g., D15","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virology JournalPub Date : 2026-05-05DOI: 10.1186/s12985-026-03179-1
Sibnarayan Datta, Sidhartha Hazari, Partha K Chandra, Maria Samara, Bret Poat, Feyza Gunduz, William C Wimley, Hansjorg Hauser, Mario Koster, Christophe Lamaze, Luis A Balart, Robert F Garry, Srikanta Dash
{"title":"Retraction Note: Mechanism of HCV's resistance to IFN-α in cell culture involves expression of functional IFN-α receptor 1.","authors":"Sibnarayan Datta, Sidhartha Hazari, Partha K Chandra, Maria Samara, Bret Poat, Feyza Gunduz, William C Wimley, Hansjorg Hauser, Mario Koster, Christophe Lamaze, Luis A Balart, Robert F Garry, Srikanta Dash","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03179-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12985-026-03179-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13141335/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virology JournalPub Date : 2026-05-03DOI: 10.1186/s12985-026-03180-8
Mingshuang Lai, Lexin Zhang, Rongji Lai, Qin Du, Shilin Li, Jinsheng Liu, Baoren He, Bin Li, Limin Chen
{"title":"ZDHHC11-mediated palmitoylation of viral envelope protein restricts dengue virus replication: implication for the development of universal anti-flavivirus therapeutic strategies.","authors":"Mingshuang Lai, Lexin Zhang, Rongji Lai, Qin Du, Shilin Li, Jinsheng Liu, Baoren He, Bin Li, Limin Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03180-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03180-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Palmitoylation is a key post-translational modification regulating viral replication, yet its regulatory mechanism in Dengue virus (DENV) infection remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying regulatory function of palmitoylation and zinc finger Asp-His-His-Cys (ZDHHC) proteins in DENV replication and identify palmitoylated DENV proteins. We explored the function of palmitoylation in DENV replication using the palmitoylation inhibitor 2-bromopalmitate (2BP) and enhancer palmitic acid (PA), combined with qRT-PCR, western blot, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, co-immunoprecipitation, and acyl-biotin exchange (ABE) assays. We found that 2BP promoted DENV replication, while PA inhibited it. Further analyses showed that 2BP and PA exerted no significant effects on DENV adsorption, internalization, or the interactions between E protein and the structural proteins prM/C that are essential for viral assembly. ABE assays verified that the DENV E protein is palmitoylated, with no such modification detected in prM and C proteins. Mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis further revealed that the DENV E protein is palmitoylated at three cysteine residues: Cys74, Cys302, and Cys333. ZDHHC11, a characterized regulator of Zika virus E protein palmitoylation, directly interacted with DENV E protein and catalyzed its palmitoylation. Functionally, knockdown of ZDHHC11 enhanced DENV replication, while overexpression suppressed it. These findings deepen our understanding of flavivirus-host interaction mechanisms and provide a theoretical basis for the development of broad-spectrum anti-flavivirus therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virology JournalPub Date : 2026-05-02DOI: 10.1186/s12985-026-03177-3
Ayman Azhary, Alaa Mohammed, Mihad Almomen, Nooh Mohamed Hajhamed, Mogeeb Kabashi, Esra Abdallah Abdalwahed Mahgoub, Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Mawahib Ahmed, Basmah F Alharbi, Emmanuel Edwar Siddig
{"title":"Seroprevalence and Demographic Distribution of Blood-Borne Viral Infections among Hemodialysis Patients in Sudan: A Multicenter Study from Conflict-Affected Khartoum State.","authors":"Ayman Azhary, Alaa Mohammed, Mihad Almomen, Nooh Mohamed Hajhamed, Mogeeb Kabashi, Esra Abdallah Abdalwahed Mahgoub, Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Mawahib Ahmed, Basmah F Alharbi, Emmanuel Edwar Siddig","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03177-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03177-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Blood-borne viral infections pose considerable health challenges to patients undergoing hemodialysis. This multicenter study evaluated the prevalence and demographic distribution of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV infections among hemodialysis patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cross-sectional study included 940 hemodialysis patients from fifteen facilities in Khartoum State, Sudan from July 2025 to November 2025. The outcomes of the serological tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) antibodies, and anti-HIV antibodies, conducted via standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, were acquired from the Public Health Laboratory (PHL), Khartoum State. Data was analyzed with R software (version 4.4.2).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence rates were 7.1% for HBsAg, 12.2% for anti-HCV, and 0.6% for HIV. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) exhibited significant variability across dialysis centers (p<0.001), with higher rates observed in certain facilities. No notable correlations between infection status and age or gender were detected. Co-infections were rare.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Blood-borne viral infections persist as a significant issue in Sudanese hemodialysis facilities, emphasizing the imperative for consistent infection control measures such as routine blood screening for transfusion. Targeted interventions at high-prevalence centers are essential for decreasing transmission and enhancing patient outcomes.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virology JournalPub Date : 2026-05-02DOI: 10.1186/s12985-026-03181-7
Hailong Yuan, Lijuan Liu, Gang Chen, Jianli Xu, Kaile Zhang, Ruixue Yang, Chunxia Han, Jia Hou, Ming Jiang
{"title":"Longitudinal TCR repertoire profiling predicts refractory cytomegalovirus reactivation after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.","authors":"Hailong Yuan, Lijuan Liu, Gang Chen, Jianli Xu, Kaile Zhang, Ruixue Yang, Chunxia Han, Jia Hou, Ming Jiang","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03181-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03181-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Haplo-HSCT). While T cells are crucial for controlling CMV, the dynamic characteristics of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and their predictive value for refractory CMV reactivation remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to longitudinally monitor the TCR repertoire in Haplo-HSCT patients to identify features associated with CMV reactivation and to explore predictive biomarkers for refractory and recurrent CMV disease.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We enrolled 164 Haplo-HSCT patients, of which a subset of 28 was prospectively monitored for TCR repertoire dynamics via multiplex PCR and high-throughput sequencing. Patients were stratified into control (no reactivation, n = 10), acute phase (first reactivation, n = 18), and resolution phase (after clearance, n = 18) groups. CMV-specific TCRs were identified by database matching.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The incidence of CMV reactivation was 48.17% (79/164). CMV reactivation induced significant perturbations in TCR repertoire architecture, characterized by increased CDR3 clonality, reduced clonotype distribution evenness, and a decreased number of unique Clonotypes (all P < 0.05) compared to controls, indicating a state of oligoclonal expansion. This skewed architecture persisted even after viral clearance, suggesting delayed CMV-specific immune reconstitution. Consistent with this, patients with CMV reactivation had significantly lower CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell counts compared to those without reactivation (P = 0.003). Longitudinal analysis revealed that impaired CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell recovery preceded CMV reactivation. Patients with secondary reactivation (6/18) exhibited reduced diversity of V-J gene pairings (lower Shannon index, P < 0.05) and significant downregulation of specific TRBV28/TRBJ1-1 and TRBV6-1/TRBJ2-7 combinations. Crucially, lower abundance and total frequency of CMV-specific TCRs at initial reactivation predicted secondary reactivation (P < 0.05) and were correlated with a longer disease course. Four patients who failed letermovir prophylaxis lacked CMV-specific TCRs in their top clonotypes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The abundance of CMV-specific TCRs is a key predictor of refractory CMV reactivation post-Haplo-HSCT. Longitudinal TCR profiling offers a promising strategy for risk stratification, potentially guiding more personalized preemptive therapies.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virology JournalPub Date : 2026-04-29DOI: 10.1186/s12985-026-03174-6
Bangzhu Mo, Yanlin Zhang, Yukai Gong, Yi Shi, Chunbao Xie
{"title":"Epidemiologic burden, clinical attribution, and implications for immunization strategies of HPV infection among males in Sichuan, China: a large-sample cross-sectional study.","authors":"Bangzhu Mo, Yanlin Zhang, Yukai Gong, Yi Shi, Chunbao Xie","doi":"10.1186/s12985-026-03174-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03174-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study aimed to explore the prevalence, genotyping, and the complex association between HPV infection and genitourinary disorders in male patients from Sichuan Province, providing a basis for developing targeted HPV prevention strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted on 7,534 male patients who attended Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between July 2020 and July 2023. HPV genotyping was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 3,226 HPV-positive male patients, the overall infection rate was 42.8%. Of these, 29.5% were mono-infected, and 13.3% had multiple infections. HPV types 6, 11, 16, 52, and 43 were the most prevalent, with single infections predominating. In terms of vaccine-related multiple infections (bivalent, quadrivalent, and 9-valent HPV vaccines), the highest infection rates occurred in the ≤ 20 and > 60-year groups, while the lowest was seen in the 51-60-year group (P < 0.05). Co-infections between HPV-16, HPV-52, and HPV-59, as well as HPV-6 and HPV-11, were particularly frequent. Among patients diagnosed with warts, balanitis, rash, dermatitis, urethritis, prostatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and other conditions, HPV detection rates were 26.2%, 64.1%, 35.0%, 28.9%, 28.7%, 39.3%, 28.0%, and 35.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). Low-risk HPV types 6/11 were predominant in patients with warts (87.6%), while balanitis was more common with single high-risk infections (40.7%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study developed a three-dimensional model of age, HPV type, and disease risk in male patients in Sichuan, highlighting the high prevalence of HPV infection in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147782664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}