Table Of ContentAPPLIED
VIROLOGY RESEARCH
Volume 3
New Diagnostic Procedures
APPLIED VIROLOGY RESEARCH
Editor-in-Chief: Edouard Kurstak, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Series Editors: R. G. Marusyk, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
F. A. Murphy, University of California, Davis, California
M. H. v. Van Regenmortel, Institute of Molecular and
Cellular Biology, Strasbourg, France
Volume 1 NEW VACCINES AND CHEMOTHERAPY
Edited by Edouard Kurstak, R. G. Marusyk,
F. A. Murphy, and M. H. V. Van Regenmortel
Volume 2 VIRUS VARIABILITY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, AND CONTROL
Edited by Edouard Kurstak, R. G. Marusyk,
F. A. Murphy, and M. H. V. Van Regenmortel
Volume 3 NEW DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
Edited by Edouard Kurstak, R. G. Marusyk,
F. A. Murphy, and M. H. V. Van Regenmortel
A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of each
new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual shipment. For further
information please contact the publisher.
APPLIED
VIROLOGY RESEARCH
Volume 3
New Diagnostic Procedures
Edited by
Edouard Kurstak
University of Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
R. G. Marusyk
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
F. A. Murphy
University of California
Davis, California
and
M. H. V. Van Regenmortel
Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Strasbourg, France
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
New diagnost1c procedures I edited by Edouard Kurstak ... [et al.l.
p. em. -- <Applied virology research ; v. 3>
Includes bibl1ographical references and 1ndex.
ISBN 978-I-4757-9267-6 ISBN 978-1-4757-9265-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-9265-2
1. Virus diseases--Molecular diagnosis. I. Kurstak, Edouard.
II. Series.
[DNLM, 1. Virus Diseases--dlagnosis. W1 AP516R v.3 1994 I WC 500
N5324 1994]
RC114.5.N49 1994
616.9'25075--dc20
DNLM/DLC
for Library of Congress 94-26646
CIP
ISBN 978-1-4757-9267-6
© 1994 Springer Science+B usiness Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Publishiog Corporation in 1994
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover I st edition 1994
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission from the Publisher
Contributors
Perffi Arstila • Department of Virology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu
13, SF-20520 Turku, Finland
Robert D. 0. Devine • Provincial Laboratory of Public Health, University of
Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2J2
Lars G. Fogerstam • Pharmacia Biosensor AB, 5-751 82 Uppsala, Sweden
Thomas R. Gingeras • Baxter Diagnostics, Inc., Life Sciences Research
Laboratory, P. 0. Box 91042, San Diego, California, U.S. A. 92191--0492
M. Hayami • Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 606 Kyoto, Japan
Pirkko Heino • Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Walter Hinderer • Biotest AG, Research Department, Landsteinerstr. 5,
Dreieich, Germany
A. Hossain • Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
M-L. Huhtala • Labsystems Research Laboratories Oy, SF-0080, Helsinki,
Finland
V. Hukkanen • Department of Virology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
X. lmai • Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 606 Kyoto, Japan
S. Kontio • Labsysterns Research Laboratories Oy, SF-0080, Helsinki, Finland
M. Korkolainen • Labsystems Research Laboratories Oy, SF--0080, Helsinki,
Finland
Christine Kurstak • Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
v
vi CONTRIBUTORS
Edouard Kurstak • Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Deborah Y. Kwoh • Baxter Diagnostics, Inc., Life Sciences Research
Laboratory, P. 0. Box 91042, San Diego, California, U.S. A. 92191--0492
A. N6N6nen • Labsystems Research Laboratories Oy, SF--0080, Helsinki,
Finland
Gerald Schochetman • Division of HIV I AIDS, Centers for Disease Control,
United States Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services,
Atlanta, Georgia
Gunter Siegl • Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Immunology,
Frohbergstr. 3, St. Gallen, Switzerland
John J. Sninsky • Department of Infectious Diseases, PCR Division, Cetus
Corporation, Emeryville, California
Daniele Van Beers • Hopital Universitaire Brugman, Universite Libre de
Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
Christian Vandenvelde • Hopital Universitaire Brugman, Universite Libre de
Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
L. Wray • Probe Diagnostics, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, U.S. A.
60064-3500
Preface to the Series
Viral diseases contribute significantly to human morbidity and mortality and
cause severe economic losses by affecting livestock and crops in all countries.
Even with the preventive measures taken in the United States, losses caused by
viral diseases annually exceed billions of dollars. Five million people worldwide
die every year from acute gastroenteritis, mainly of rotavirus origin, and more
than one million children die annually from measles. In addition, rabies and viral
hepatitis continue to be diseases of major public health concern in many
countries of the Third World, where nearly 300 million people are chronically
infected with hepatitis B virus. The recent discovery of acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is caused by a retrovirus, mobilized
health services and enormous resources. This virus infection and its epidemic
development clearly demonstrate the importance of applied virology research
and the limits of our understanding of molecular mechanisms of viral
pathogenicity and immunogenicity.
The limitations of our knowledge and understanding of viral diseases extend
to the production of safe and reliable vaccines, particularly for genetically
unstable viruses, and to antiviral chemotherapy. The number of antiviral drugs
currently available is still rather limited, despite extensive research efforts. The
main problem is finding compounds that selectively inhibit virus replication
without producing toxic effects on cells. Indeed, the experimental efficacy of
several drugs, for example, new nucleoside derivatives, some of which are
analogues of acyclovir, makes it clear that antiviral chemotherapy must come of
age because many new compounds show promise as antiviral agents. In the field
of antiviral vaccine production, molecular biologists are using a wide variety of
new techniques and tools, such as genetic engineering technology, to refine our
understanding of molecular pathogenicity of viruses and of genetic sequences
responsible for virulence. Identification of genes that induce virulence is vital to
the construction of improved antiviral vaccines.
Novel types of vaccines are presently receiving particular attention. For
example, the protein that carries the protective epitopes of hepatitis B virus,
which is produced by expressing the appropriate viral gene in yeast or in
mammalian cell systems, is now available.
Another group of new vaccines are produced by using viruses as vectors for
the expression of genes. Vaccines for rabies, influenza, respiratory syncytial
disease, hepatitis B, herpes infection, and AIDS, which are based on greatly
enhanced expression of the viral genes in vectors are being tested. Also of
interest is baculovirus, an insect cell vector system now used in the development
of recombinant DNA vaccines for a variety of important human and animal virus
vii
viii PREFACE TO THE SERIES
diseases. This system yields very large quantities of properly processed and
folded proteins from the rabies, hepatitis B, AIDS, and Epstein-Barr viruses,
among others.
The synthetic peptides, which act as specific immunogens, have also received
attention as new antiviral vaccines. The recent experimental performance of new
synthetic peptides of foot-and-mouth disease virus, as well as peptide-based
vaccines for pQliovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis B, and Venezuelan equine
encephalitis virus, gives strong support for this group of specific immunogens.
However, testing of these synthetic peptide vaccines is in the early stages and
future research will have to answer several questions about their safety, efficacy,
and immune responses.
Current attempts at developing synthetic vaccines are based either on
recombinant DNA technology or on chemical-peptide synthesis. Several virus
proteins have been produced in bacterial, yeast, or animal cells through the use
of recombinant DNA technology, while live vaccines have been produced by
introducing relevant genes into the genome of several virus vectors. By using
solid-phase peptide synthesis, it has been possible to obtain peptides that mimic
the antigenic determinants of viral proteins, that elicit a protective immunity
against several viruses. Both the chemical and the recombinant approaches have
led to the development of experimental vaccines. It should become clear within a
few years which approach will lead to vaccines superior to the ones in use today.
The recent development of monoclonal antibody production techniques and
enzyme immunoassays permits their application in virology research; diagnosis
of viral diseases, and vaccine assessment and standardization. These techniques
are useful at different stages in the development of vaccines, mainly in the
antigenic characterization of infectious agents with monoclonal antibodies, in
assessment schemes in research and clinical assays, and in production.
This new series, entitled Applied Virology Research, is intended to promote
the publication of overviews on new virology research data, which will include
within their scope such subjects as vaccine production, antiviral chemo- and
immunotherapy, diagnostic kits, reagent production, and instrumentation for
automation interfaced with computers for rapid and accurate data processing.
We sincerely hope that Applied Virology Research will serve a large
audience of virologists, immunologists, geneticists, biochemists, chemists, and
molecular biologists, as well as specialists of vaccine production and experts of
health services involved in the control and treatment of viral diseases of man,
animals and plants. This series will also be of interest to all diagnostic
laboratories, specialists, and physicians dealing with infectious diseases.
Edouard Kurstak
Montreal, Canada
Preface to Volume 3
In the first two volumes of this series, emphasis was given to the development of
new vaccines and antiviral chemical compounds and to virus variability and the
epidemiology and control of viral diseases.
Not long ago, the best that a clinician could hope for in the way of a "rapid"
result from a virus diagnostic laboratory was a tentative positive result based on
a serological screening test or a immunofluorescent stain preparation. Reports
from the laboratory often carried the statement "Further Report to Follow''.
Accompanied by a deluge of articles, a revolution in diagnostic methodology
has taken place. Based largely on the application of the polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) to the detection of viral genomic material, and a multitude of
variations of the technique, it is now possible for the diagnostic virology
laboratory to issue definitive results on a specimen within a few hours after the
specimen has been received. This volume is devoted to the latest diagnostic
technology for virus diseases, in particular molecular methodologies.
The editors' appreciation is due to the staff of Plenum Publishing
Corporation for their patience and efforts in the production of this series, and in
particular, this volume.
E. Kurstak
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
R. G. Marusyk
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
F. A. Murphy
Davis, California, U. S. A.
M. H. V. Van Regenmortel
Strasbourg, France
ix
