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Bufavirus (BuV) is a newly discovered human parvovirus that has been detected in some countries. The current study was designed to understand the epidemic of BuV in China. Totally 1877 fecal specimens were collected from pediatric and adult patients with acute diarrhea in two large hospitals from 2010 to 2014. BuV was detected in 0.5% (9/1877) of the fecal samples by PCR and subsequent sequencing. The positive patients had a wide age range from 1 month through 60 years (median 24 years old) and 6 were male. A geographic specific pattern was obvious, with significantly higher frequency of BuV presented in Northern than in Southern China. Four BuV-1 and five BuV-3 were determined. Mixed-infections of BuV with sapovirus and novavirus were found in 2 cases, respectively. A temporal clustering was identified, with most positive detection focused in the cold weather. These findings have expanded the current knowledge on the geographic boundaries of BuV circulation.

The present study aimed to detect the role of 3, 4-dihydroxyl-phenyl lactic acid (DLA) during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced myocardial injury with emphasis on the underlying mechanism of DLA antioxidant. Male Spragu-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to left descending artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. Treatment with DLA ameliorated myocardial structure and function disorder, blunted the impairment of Complex I activity and mitochondrial function after I/R. The results of 2-D fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis revealed that DLA prevented the decrease in NDUFA10 expression, one of the subunits of Complex I. To find the target of DLA, the binding affinity of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) to DLA and DLA derivatives with replaced two phenolic hydroxyls was detected using surface plasmon resonance and bilayer interferometry. The results showed that DLA could activate SIRT1 after I/R probably by binding to this protein, depending on phenolic hydroxyl. Moreover, the importance of SIRT1 to DLA effectiveness was confirmed through siRNA transfection in vitro. These results demonstrated that DLA was able to prevent I/R induced decrease in NDUFA10 expression, improve Complex I activity and mitochondrial function, eventually attenuate cardiac structure and function injury after I/R, which was possibly related to its ability of binding to and activating SIRT1.

The epidemiology and clinical features of the Saffold cardiovirus (SAFV) remain ambiguous. The present study was designed to systematically and intensively investigate the epidemiological features of SAFV in pediatric patients in China. Three cohorts of pediatric patients were recruited from 2009 to 2012. Cohort 1 comprised patients with acute respiratory tract infections. Cohort 2 comprised patients with diarrhea. Cohort 3 comprised hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) patients. A total of 115 patients (1.6%) among 6052 (17/1647, 12/2013, and 86/2392 in cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were SAFV-positive. The samples from 82 SAFV-positive patients were successfully sequenced, and four genotypes were identified: 8 SAFV-1, 41 SAFV-2, 29 SAFV-3, and 4 SAFV-6. A significantly higher detection rate was found in the HFMD patients than in other two cohorts (both P <0.001). A higher frequency of severe clinical outcome and nervous system manifestation were also observed in the SAFV-positive HFMD patients. Additionally, 6 (3.5%) cerebrospinal fluid and 7 (2.2%) serum samples from the HFMD-associated encephalitis patients were SAFV-positive. Based on the VP1 sequences, all four genotypes displayed distinct geographical clustering. SAFV infection might be associated with a wide clinical spectrum and contribute to HFMD.

Human rhinovirus-C (HRV-C) has been increasingly detected in patients with acute respiratory diseases (ARDs). Prolonged surveillance was performed on children with ARD to investigate the molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of HRV in Chongqing, China. Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) were collected from hospitalized children with ARD during 2009-2012. HRV-C was genotyped by sequencing the VP4/VP2 coding region. Among the 1,567 NPAs obtained, 223 (14.2%) were HRV positive, and 75.3% of these 223 NPAs were co-infected with other viruses. HRV-A (54.7%) and HRV-C (39.9%) accounted for the majority of HRV infections. Logistic regression models demonstrated significant associations between HRV-A, HRV-C, and asthma attacks, as well as between HRV-C and wheezing. A phylogenetic tree showed that HRV-C2 was the predominant type of HRV-C, followed by HRV-C43, HRV-C1, and HRV-C17. Three novel genotypes were proposed on the basis of a low identity with the known HRVs. Our results showed that HRV-A and HRV-C were the predominant types of HRV infection, and HRV-C showed a high genetic variation in Chongqing, China. HRV infection was associated with asthma attacks and wheezing; furthermore, HRV infections played a minor role in causing severe pneumonia. This knowledge provides information for the prevention and control of HRV associated with ARDs.