Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 105, Issue 11 , Pages 895-910, 2006

Subtyping of Influenza A Isolates in Taiwan—2003 to 2004

  • Shih-Cheng Chang

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Guang-Wu Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Chang Gung Bioinformatics Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chee-Keng Mok

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Kuo-Chien Tsao

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Clinical Virology Laboratory, Department of Clinical Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chung-Guei Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Clinical Virology Laboratory, Department of Clinical Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ya-Ling Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Clinical Virology Laboratory, Department of Clinical Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shin-Ru Shih

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Clinical Virology Laboratory, Department of Clinical Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Shin-Ru Shih, Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan

Received 18 October 2005; received in revised form 13 February 2006; accepted 2 May 2006.

Article Outline

Background/Purpose

Some isolated influenza strains are untypable. The possibility that a novel and potentially lethal strain, such as H5 virus, might be one of these untypable strains remains a major concern. This study investigated the nature of untypable influenza strains in Taiwan.

Methods

Subtyping for unsubtyped isolates was conducted by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using different primer sets. Sequence determination and comparison, and characterization of viral growth rate were performed.

Results

Analysis of viral re-cultures with the different primer sets for RT-PCR revealed that all isolates were of the H3N2 subtype. All isolates resembled A/Fujian/411/02 (H3N2), and were genetically distinct from N2 of A/chicken/Taiwan/1209/03 (H5N2) on phylogenetic analysis. Real-time RT-PCR quantification of viral loads in the 16 clinical isolates revealed that negative results were partially caused by low RNA levels in the culture fluid. Comparison of replication kinetics in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells of recent influenza A H3N2 isolates showed that some Fujian-like isolates from 2003 to 2004 had significantly lower growth rate than Panama-like isolates from 2002.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that some recent isolates may replicate poorly in tissue culture and fail to be typed by current methodology.

Key Words:  influenza A H3N2 virus , low growth rate , MDCK cells , unsubtyped , viral loads

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PII: S0929-6646(09)60175-3

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(09)60175-3

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 105, Issue 11 , Pages 895-910, 2006

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