Presence of Two Distinct Types of Rotavirus in Infants and Young Children Hospitalized with Acute Gastroenteritis in Mexico City, 1977

Abstract

Between December 1976 and January 1978, infection with rotavirus was detected by electron microscopy in 61 (25%) of 242 infants and young children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis at two hospitals in Mexico City. This type of infection was more frequent in autumn than in winter. The presence of virus could also be detected by the electrophoretic pattern of its segmented, double-standed ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the stool samples taken from 52 (85%) of the 61 patients who were shown by electron microscopic examination to excrete rotavirus. Two distinct patterns, previously called 2s and 21, were observed, which were distinguishable by the relative migration of the second, 10th, and 11th viral RNA segments in gel electrophoresis; the 21 pattern was observed much more frequently than with the 2s pattern.

Human viral gastroenteritis

“…These 11 segments can be separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) (103,182), using the method of Laemmli (212). Different rotavirus isolates frequently exhibit differences in the electrophoretic mobilities of their 11 segments.…”

“…Attempts have been made to characterize and classify human rotaviruses based on their electrophoretic mobilities. However, the variation has been too great, except for two patterns of electrophoretic mobility that have been distinguished (103,182). These are the "short" pattern and the "long" pattern, in which gene segments 10 and 11 migrate more slowly, creating a short pattern, or more rapidly, creating a long pattern, in the polyacrylamide gels (103,182).…”

“…However, the variation has been too great, except for two patterns of electrophoretic mobility that have been distinguished (103,182). These are the "short" pattern and the "long" pattern, in which gene segments 10 and 11 migrate more slowly, creating a short pattern, or more rapidly, creating a long pattern, in the polyacrylamide gels (103,182). To study the problem of genetic relatedness among various electropherotypes, Flores et al (115) prepared singlestranded RNA probes for hybridization to gene segments which consist of dsRNA.…”

Two Distinct Electrophoretic Migration Patterns of RNA Segments of Human Rotaviruses Prevalent in Japan in Relation to Their Serotypes

“…On the basis of differences in the migration of RNA segments on gels, Espejo et al have demonstrated the presence of two distinct RNA patterns among human rotaviruses obtained from different epidemics (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Most recently, the existence of a correlation between the RNA patterns of human rotaviruses and their serotypes (subgroups) has been demonstrated (6).…”

Eletroferótipos de rotavírus em crianças com e sem quadros de gastroenterite

“…Nos casos humanos consideram-se ainda dois tipos eletroféróticos definidos pelos segmentos 10 e 11 e designados por "longo" e "curto", conforme a extensão de migração daqueles segmentos no gei 5,7,14 . Podem encontrar-se padrões com segmentos adicionais, caracterizando possíveis infecções mistas 1,18 .…”