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A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess HCV re-infection and primary infection. In 10 hepatitis cases defined as primary infection, 9 showed clinical hepatitis, and 1 case was subclinical; the interval between transfusion and elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels was 15-60 (37.9 + 13.9) days. 10/10 and 7/10 were persistently positive for anti-HCV and HCV RNA for more than 1 year respectively. Similarly, in 5 cases defined as re-infection, 4/5 showed clinical hepatitis, the interval between transfusion and elevation of ALT was 30-46 (34.8 +/- 6.4) days, and 5/5 and 3/5 were persistently positive for anti-HCV and HCV RNA for more than 1 year respectively. All 5 re-infected recipients showed abnormal ALT. In conclusion, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the aspect of the clinical figure, ALT abnormality, the duration of anti-HCV and HCV RNA etc. Resulting from primary or re-infection with HCV, suggesting that primary infection fail to induce a Protective immune response.

To investigate the prevalence of genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Taiwan, genotypes were identified in 122 (36 anti-HCV-positive blood donors, 44 anti-HCV-positive aborigines, 28 hemodialysis patients, and 14 patients with chronic liver diseases) of 280 subjects, using polymerase chain reaction by Okamoto's type-specific primer method. Type II was the dominant (66.7%) type among anti-HCV-positive blood donors, followed by type III and type IV with the same percentages (16.7%), while none of type I was detected. The prevalence of genotype distribution were 75.0%, 81.1%, and 64.3% for type II, 4.6%, 17.9%, and 21.4% for type III, 13.6%, 0%, and 7.1% for type IV, for the aborigines, hemodialysis, and chronic liver diseases groups, respectively. Four subjects revealed mixed infections by two different genotypes: two cases of II and III; and each one case of II and IV, and III and IV. Diverse genotype distributions in two hemodialysis groups disclose the existence of obvious regional differences even within a region. The results reveal the highest prevalence of type II as in Japan. However, there is a higher prevalence rate of type IV than in Japan.

A nested polymerase chain reaction was used to assess viraemia in blood transfusion recipients with no serological evidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (naive recipients) and in recipients with prior or existing HCV infection (infected recipients), who were transfused with HCV-positive blood. In 10 hepatitis cases in naive recipients, defined as primary infection, nine showed clinical hepatitis, and one was sub-clinical; the time between transfusion and elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels was 15-60 days (37.9 +/- 13.9). All 10 naive recipients showed abnormal ALT, and 10/10 and 7/10 were persistently positive for anti-HCV and HCV-RNA, respectively, for more than 1 year. Similarly, in five cases in previously infected recipients, defined as re-infection, 4/5 showed clinical hepatitis, the time to elevation of ALT was 30-46 days (34.8 +/- 6.4), and 5/5 and 3/5 were persistently positive for anti-HCV and HCV-RNA, respectively, for more than 1 year. All five infected recipients showed abnormal ALT. In conclusion, there was no significant difference (P = 0.05) in the frequency of the markers of infection resulting from primary or re-infection with HCV, suggesting that primary infection fails to induce a protective immune response.

We have constructed a plasmid vector system into which a segment of the Trypanosoma cruzi gene encoding the spliced leader (SL) has been inserted to drive expression of a downstream gene encoding bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). We used this construct to establish conditions that permit reproducible transfection of cultured T. cruzi epimastigotes where transfection was mediated by electroporation and measured by assaying expression of CAT. CAT activity was detected only in T. cruzi lysates from cells transfected with constructs containing a properly oriented SL gene; constructs in which the gene was inserted in reverse orientation did not express CAT. The optimal electric field strength, cell density and DNA concentration for efficient transfection were established. This and similar systems will permit genetic dissection of this parasite.

(1',2'-trans)-3-Phenyl-1-[2'-(N-pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexyl]pyrrolid-2 -ones (1 and 2) and their 3,4-dichlorophenyl analogues (4 and 5) were synthesized as lactam analogues of U-50,488 (I; a kappa-opiate analgesic developed by Upjohn Company). Compounds 1 and 2 were found to be oxidized by air, in the presence of a strong base, to the 3-hydroxylated derivative 3. Compound 4 gave slightly higher kappa-affinity (Ki = 10 nM) than I, with about half the kappa-selectivity (mu/kappa = 23). Compounds 1 and 3 showed weaker kappa-binding (Ki = 400 nM), with about the same kappa-selectivity as 4. Compound 5, a diastereomer of 4, gave significantly weaker and less selective kappa-binding than 4; likewise, 2 is a weaker and less selective kappa-binder than 1. The binding data of intermediate compounds having the basic skeleton of I seem to reflect the importance of lipophilicity and the detrimental effects of bulky substituents on the amide nitrogen. It is likely that the binding conformation of I at the opiate receptors approaches that of the lactam analogue 4.

Restriction fragments of HBV-DNA, cleaved by endonuclease HhaI, containing HBcAg gene were trimmed by BAL-31 exonuclease to remove different lengths of the precore sequence. They were inserted into plasmid pUR222 at EcoRI site through synthetic linker ligation. Transformants in E. coli BMH7118 showing different levels of HBcAg gene expression were screened and analyzed for their nucleotide sequences in the junction region both by Maxam and Gilbert's chemical degradation method and by M13 chain termination method. Results of sequence analysis of different transformants revealed a partial palindromic (loop and stem) structure, at -7 to -35 nucleotide with regard to ATG of the HBcAg gene as position +1, which has dramatic effect on the level of expression of the inserted gene using the same promoter, SD sequence and identical N-terminus. The amount of HBcAg synthesized differed from 9% in the high expressing plasmid to less than 0.01% of the total cell proteins in the low expressing transformants. The findings were compared to results obtained by other workers in studies of HBcAg expression in procaryotes and their significance in the expression of eucaryotic genes in procaryotic cells were discussed.