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Electrophoretic study of the genome of human rotavirus from Maceió, Brazil
Abstract:
Rotaviruses were detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in 53 (13.3%) of 397 fecal samples from children with acute gastroenteritis in the city of Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic (PAGE) patterns characteristic of rotavirus double-stranded RNA were detected in 51 (96.2%) of the 53 EIA-positive samples. Of the RNA-positive samples, 1 (2%) was classified as subgroup 1 (short profile), 49 (96%) as subgroup 2 (long profile) and 1 (2%) could not be classified because of the absence of bands 10 and 11. The strains of subgroup 2 showed a great degree of electrophoretic heterogeneity and could be divided into several subcategories. Two samples showed splitting of one of the genome segments. PAGE, a very sensitive method capable of identifying rotavirus RNA genomes, has demonstrated that human rotaviruses detected in Maceió present many differences in RNA electrophoretic patterns.
Insights
Rotaviruses were detected in children with acute gastroenteritis in Brazil using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). PAGE revealed significant diversity in rotavirus RNA patterns among the identified strains.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute gastroenteritis is a significant health concern in children worldwide.
- Rotaviruses are a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in infants and young children.
- Understanding the genetic diversity of circulating rotavirus strains is crucial for disease control and vaccine development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detect and characterize rotaviruses in children with acute gastroenteritis in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
- To analyze the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) profiles of rotavirus strains using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE).
- To assess the genetic heterogeneity of human rotaviruses in this region.
Main Methods:
- Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was used for the initial detection of rotaviruses in fecal samples.
- Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was employed to analyze the dsRNA genome profiles of rotavirus-positive samples.
- Rotavirus subgroups were determined based on PAGE patterns (short or long profile).
Main Results:
- Rotaviruses were detected in 13.3% (53/397) of fecal samples from children with acute gastroenteritis.
- PAGE confirmed rotavirus dsRNA in 96.2% (51/53) of EIA-positive samples.
- The majority of strains belonged to subgroup 2 (96%), exhibiting significant electrophoretic heterogeneity and diverse RNA patterns, with some samples showing unique genomic segment variations.
Conclusions:
- Human rotaviruses circulating in Maceió, Brazil, show considerable diversity in their RNA electrophoretic patterns.
- PAGE is a sensitive method for identifying rotavirus RNA genomes and revealing strain variations.
- The findings highlight the importance of molecular characterization for epidemiological surveillance of rotaviruses.