tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS One. 2017 Oct 19;12(10):e0185893. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185893. eCollection 2017.
[h=1]Molecular epidemiology of influenza B virus among hospitalized pediatric patients in Northern Italy during the 2015-16 season.[/h] Piralla A[SUP]1[/SUP], Lunghi G[SUP]2[/SUP], Ruggiero L[SUP]3[/SUP], Girello A[SUP]1[/SUP], Bianchini S[SUP]3[/SUP], Rovida F[SUP]1[/SUP], Caimmi S[SUP]4[/SUP], Marseglia GL[SUP]4[/SUP], Principi N[SUP]3[/SUP], Baldanti F[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Esposito S[SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]6[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] The influenza B viruses belong to two lineages distinguished by their genetic and antigenic characteristics, which are referred to as the Yamagata and Victoria lineages, designated after their original isolates, B/Yamagata/16/88 and B/Victoria/2/87. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the molecular characteristics of influenza B viruses circulating in a region of Northern Italy, Lombardia, during the influenza season of 2015-2016.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] Influenza B virus was detected using a respiratory virus panel of assays and an influenza B-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction. The complete influenza B hemagglutinin (HA) gene was amplified and sequenced directly from clinical specimens. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using nucleotide sequences.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] A total of 71 hospitalized pediatric patients were influenza B positive. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the great majority of influenza B strains (66/71, 93.0%) belonged to the Victoria-lineage and were antigenically like vaccine strain (B/Brisbane/60/2008) included only in the quadrivalent vaccine. In the detected influenza B strains, a series of amino acid changes were observed in the antigenic regions: I117V, V124A, N129D, V146I, N197D, T199A, and A202T. However, only 2 amino acid changes were observed in the HA regions involved in receptor binding or in antibody recognition.
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] All the influenza B strains identified in this study belonged to the influenza B Victoria lineage not included in the trivalent vaccine commonly used by the general population during the 2015-2016 influenza season in Italy. This indicates that protection against influenza B infection in the vaccinated population was in general very poor during the 2015-2016 influenza season.
PMID: 29049310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185893
[h=1]Molecular epidemiology of influenza B virus among hospitalized pediatric patients in Northern Italy during the 2015-16 season.[/h] Piralla A[SUP]1[/SUP], Lunghi G[SUP]2[/SUP], Ruggiero L[SUP]3[/SUP], Girello A[SUP]1[/SUP], Bianchini S[SUP]3[/SUP], Rovida F[SUP]1[/SUP], Caimmi S[SUP]4[/SUP], Marseglia GL[SUP]4[/SUP], Principi N[SUP]3[/SUP], Baldanti F[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Esposito S[SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]6[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] The influenza B viruses belong to two lineages distinguished by their genetic and antigenic characteristics, which are referred to as the Yamagata and Victoria lineages, designated after their original isolates, B/Yamagata/16/88 and B/Victoria/2/87. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the molecular characteristics of influenza B viruses circulating in a region of Northern Italy, Lombardia, during the influenza season of 2015-2016.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] Influenza B virus was detected using a respiratory virus panel of assays and an influenza B-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction. The complete influenza B hemagglutinin (HA) gene was amplified and sequenced directly from clinical specimens. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using nucleotide sequences.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] A total of 71 hospitalized pediatric patients were influenza B positive. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the great majority of influenza B strains (66/71, 93.0%) belonged to the Victoria-lineage and were antigenically like vaccine strain (B/Brisbane/60/2008) included only in the quadrivalent vaccine. In the detected influenza B strains, a series of amino acid changes were observed in the antigenic regions: I117V, V124A, N129D, V146I, N197D, T199A, and A202T. However, only 2 amino acid changes were observed in the HA regions involved in receptor binding or in antibody recognition.
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] All the influenza B strains identified in this study belonged to the influenza B Victoria lineage not included in the trivalent vaccine commonly used by the general population during the 2015-2016 influenza season in Italy. This indicates that protection against influenza B infection in the vaccinated population was in general very poor during the 2015-2016 influenza season.
PMID: 29049310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185893