Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a very important public health concern in many developing countries where epidemics of hepatitis E are common. Sporadic cases of clinical hepatitis E not only occur in these countries but also occur uncommonly in patients with no known epidemiological exposure to HEV in industrialized countries. The source of infection in industrialized countries is unknown but it has been suggested that animals might serve as a reservoir for HEV in both settings. We recently identified and characterized an HEV strain (swine HEV) that infects large numbers of pigs in the United States. To assess the potential of pigs to serve as a global reservoir of HEV, we measured the prevalence of HEV antibodies in pigs in two countries where hepatitis E is endemic and two countries where it is not. Swine herds in all four countries contained many pigs that were seropositive for IgG anti-HEV, although the percentage of seropositive pigs varied greatly from herd to herd. A very limited number of pig handlers in the two endemic countries were also tested and most of them were found to be seropositive for HEV. The results from this study suggest that hepatitis E is enzootic in pigs regardless of whether HEV is endemic in the respective human population. J. Med. Virol. 59:297-302, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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BackgroundAdult stem cells have been widely investigated in bioengineering approaches for tissue repair therapy. We evaluated the clinical value and safety of the application of cultured bone marrow-derived allogenic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating skin wounds in a canine model.HypothesisTopical allogenic MSC transplantation can accelerate the closure of experimental full-thickness cutaneous wounds and attenuate local inflammation.AnimalsAdult healthy beagle dogs (n = 10; 3–6 years old; 7.2–13.1 kg) were studied.MethodsFull-thickness skin wounds were created on the dorsum of healthy beagles, and allogenic MSCs were injected intradermally. The rate of wound closure and the degree of collagen production were analysed histologically using haematoxylin and eosin staining and trichrome staining. The degree of cellular proliferation and angiogenesis was evaluated by immunocytochemistry using proliferating cell nuclear antigen-, vimentin- and α-smooth muscle actin-specific antibodies. Local mRNA expression levels of interleukin-2, interferon-γ, basic fibroblast growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-2 were evaluated by RT-PCR.ResultsCompared with the vehicle-treated wounds, MSC-treated wounds showed more rapid wound closure and increased collagen synthesis, cellular proliferation and angiogenesis. Moreover, MSC-treated wounds showed decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-2 and interferon-γ) and wound healing-related factors (basic fibroblast growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-2).Conclusion and clinical importanceTopical transplantation of MSCs results in paracrine effects on cellular proliferation and angiogenesis, as well as modulation of local mRNA expression of several factors related to cutaneous wound healing.RésuméContexteLes cellules souches adultes ont été largement étudiées dans les approches de bio-ingénierie pour la thérapie de réparation tissulaire. Nous évaluons l'efficacité clinique et la sécurité de l'application de cellules souches mésenchymateuses allogéniques en culture dérivées de moelle osseuse (MSCs) pour le traitement de plaies cutanées dans un modèle canin.HypothèseLa transplantation de MSC allogénique topique peut accélérer la fermeture en toute épaisseur de plaies cutanées expérimentales et atténuer l'inflammation locale.SujetsDes chiens beagles adultes sains (n = 10; 3–6 ans; 7.2–13.1 kg) ont été étudiés.MéthodesDes plaies cutanées en pleine épaisseur ont été crées sur la face dorsale des beagles sains et des MSCs allogènes ont été injectées par voie intradermique. Le taux de cicatrisation et le degré de production de collagène ont été analysés sur le plan histologique par colorations à l'hématoxyline et éosine et par trichrome. Le degré de prolifération cellulaire et d'angiogénèse ont été évalués par immunohistochimie à l'aide d'anticorps spécifiques d'antigène nucléaire de prolifération cellulaire, de vimentine et d'actine de muscle lisse α. Les taux d'expression local d'ARNm d'interleukine-2, d'interféron-γ, du facteur de croissance basique de ...

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