9 research outputs found
Prevalence and molecular profiling of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) among healthy blood donors from different nationalities in Qatar
Background The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis. EBV is highly prevalent lymphotropic herpesvirus and has been linked to several malignancies. Transmission is generally by oral secretions, but can be through blood transfusions and organ transplantations. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence, viremia rates, and circulating genotypes of EBV in healthy blood donors in Qatar. Methods Blood samples from 673 blood donors of different nationalities residing in Qatar (mainly Qatar, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Pakistan, and India) were collected and tested for anti-EBV capsid (VCA; IgG & IgM), nuclear (EBNA; IgG), and early (EA-D; IgG) antigens. Avidity testing was determined when active infection was suspected. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat and subjected to EBV-DNA quantification using qRT-PCR. Genotyping was performed using nested-PCR targeting EBV-EBNA2 gene, and phylogeny by sequence analysis of the LMP-1 gene. Results 97.9% (673/659) of the samples were seropositive as indicated by the presence VCA-IgG, while 52.6% (354/673) had detectible EBV-DNA. EBV seroprevalence and viremia rates increased significantly with age. Genotyping of 51 randomly selected samples showed predominance of Genotype 1 (72.5%, 37/51) as compared to genotype 2 (3.5%), and mixed infections were detected in 4% of the samples. Sub-genotyping for these samples revealed that the Mediterranean strain was predominant (65.3%), followed by B95.8 prototype and North Carolina strains (12.2% each), and China1 strain (6%). Conclusion As a first study to evaluate EBV infection in highly diverse population in Qatar, where expatriates represent more than 85% of the population, our results indicated high seroprevalence and viremia rate of EBV in different nationalities, with genotype 1 and Mediterranean strain being predominant. Clinical significance of these finding have not been investigated and shall be evaluated in future studies. 1 2017 Smatti et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This work was made possible by UREP grant # (UREP18-001-3-001) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. We are grateful to: Ms. Enas Al Absi, Mr. Mohamed El Zowalaty and Mrs. Nadima Ali, and the following students: Mariam Nofal, Rana Al Disi and Soumaya Harche for their technical support. This work was made possible by UREP grant # (UREP18-001-3-001) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the author(s). This sample collection was approved by the Hamad Medical Center Research Committee (Protocol #13422/13).Scopu
Distribution of EBV LMP-1 sub-genotypes by donors’ nationalities.
<p>Distribution of EBV LMP-1 sub-genotypes by donors’ nationalities.</p
Demographic characteristics of the studied subjects (Total N = 673).
<p>Demographic characteristics of the studied subjects (Total N = 673).</p
EBV seroprevalence and viremia rates in the studied population (N = 673).
<p>EBV seroprevalence and viremia rates in the studied population (N = 673).</p
The correlation of EBV seroprevalence and viremia rates with the ages of donors.
<p><b>Both seroprevalence and viremia rates increased significantly with age</b>.</p
Phylogenetic tree of LMP-1 C-terminus amino acid sequences using neighbor-joining method and Kimura two-parameter algorithm.
<p>Phylogenetic tree of LMP-1 C-terminus amino acid sequences using neighbor-joining method and Kimura two-parameter algorithm.</p
Correlation between EBV serology and RT-PCR.
<p>Correlation between EBV serology and RT-PCR.</p
Interpretation of EBV serological pattens in immunocompetent individuals <sup>a</sup>.
<p>Interpretation of EBV serological pattens in immunocompetent individuals <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0189033#t001fn001" target="_blank"><sup>a</sup></a>.</p