TY - JOUR
T1 - Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months
AU - Fonceca, Angela Mary
AU - Chopra, Abha
AU - Levy, Avram
AU - Noakes, Paul Stanton
AU - Poh, Matthew Wee Peng
AU - Bear, Natasha Leanne
AU - Prescott, Susan
AU - Everard, Mark Lloyd
PY - 2017/4/1
Y1 - 2017/4/1
N2 - Background Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease amongst infants, and continues to cause annual epidemics of respiratory disease every winter worldwide. Demonstrating placental transmission of viable RSV in human samples is a major paradigm shift in respiratory routes considered likely for RSV transmission. Methods Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to identify RSV present in cord blood mononucleocytes (CBM). CBMs testing positive for RSV were treated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), PHA and nitric oxide (NO) or PHA, NO and palivizumab, and co-cultured with HeLa cell monolayers. Subsequent immuno-staining for RSV was used to visualize infective viral plaques. Results RSV was detected in 26 of 45 samples (57.7%) by ddPCR. CBM's collected in winter were more likely to test positive for RSV (17/21 samples, risk = 80%, OR = 7.08; 95% CI 1.80± 27.80; p = 0.005) compared to non-winter months (9/24 samples, 37.5%). RSV plaques were observed in non-Treated and treated co-cultured HeLa monolayers. Conclusions Demonstrating active RSV in CBMs suggests in utero transmission of infective virus to the fetus without causing overt disease. This is likely to have an important impact on immune development as well as future virus-host interactions, thereby warranting further investigation.
AB - Background Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease amongst infants, and continues to cause annual epidemics of respiratory disease every winter worldwide. Demonstrating placental transmission of viable RSV in human samples is a major paradigm shift in respiratory routes considered likely for RSV transmission. Methods Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to identify RSV present in cord blood mononucleocytes (CBM). CBMs testing positive for RSV were treated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), PHA and nitric oxide (NO) or PHA, NO and palivizumab, and co-cultured with HeLa cell monolayers. Subsequent immuno-staining for RSV was used to visualize infective viral plaques. Results RSV was detected in 26 of 45 samples (57.7%) by ddPCR. CBM's collected in winter were more likely to test positive for RSV (17/21 samples, risk = 80%, OR = 7.08; 95% CI 1.80± 27.80; p = 0.005) compared to non-winter months (9/24 samples, 37.5%). RSV plaques were observed in non-Treated and treated co-cultured HeLa monolayers. Conclusions Demonstrating active RSV in CBMs suggests in utero transmission of infective virus to the fetus without causing overt disease. This is likely to have an important impact on immune development as well as future virus-host interactions, thereby warranting further investigation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85018168849&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0173738
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0173738
M3 - Article
C2 - 28437435
AN - SCOPUS:85018168849
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 12
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
IS - 4
M1 - e0173738
ER -
