Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months

A.M. Fonceca; A. Chopra; A. Levy; P.S. Noakes; M.W.-P. Poh; N.L. Bear; S. Prescott; M.L. Everard

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173738

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Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months

Journal article

Open access

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Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months

A.M. Fonceca, A. Chopra, A. Levy, P.S. Noakes, M.W.-P. Poh, N.L. Bear, S. Prescott and M.L. Everard

PLOS ONE, Vol.12(4), e0173738

04/2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173738

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Abstract

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.

Details

Title: Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months
Authors/Creators: A.M. Fonceca (Author/Creator) - The University of Western Australia
A. Chopra (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
A. Levy (Author/Creator) - Pathwest Laboratory Medicine
P.S. Noakes (Author/Creator) - The Kids Research Institute Australia
M.W.-P. Poh (Author/Creator) - The University of Western Australia
N.L. Bear (Author/Creator) - Child and adolescent health service (CAHS), Department of Health, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia.
S. Prescott (Author/Creator) - The University of Western Australia
M.L. Everard (Author/Creator) - The University of Western Australia
Publication Details: PLOS ONE, Vol.12(4), e0173738
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Identifiers: 991005542701207891
Copyright: © 2017 Fonceca et al.
Murdoch Affiliation: Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 1 Clinical & Life Sciences; 1.104 Virology - General; 1.104.975 Respiratory Viral Infections
Web Of Science research areas: Immunology
ESI research areas: Immunology