[sangkancil] PRO> Stealth virus; viteria & human disease

[yap chee seng <yapdalim@tm.net.my>]

Something new for information.





STEALTH VIRUS; VITERIA & HUMAN DISEASE
**************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.healthnet.org/programs/promed.html>

Date: Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 13:00:10 -0700
From: W. John Martin <wj_martin@hotmail.com>


I would like to increase awareness of the sequence data obtained from an
atypically structured African green monkey simian
cytomegalovirus-derived
"stealth virus." Three publications on this virus appeared in the April
1999 issue of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Copies of the
articles
are posted on the Web Site <http://www.ccid.org>. An additional paper in
this journal describes a stealth virus infected child with a spongiform
encephalopathy.

Brief summaries:

Stealth Adaptation of an African Green Monkey Simian Cytomegalovirus. 
The
prototype stealth virus lacks specific genes coding for the major
antigenic
targets recognized by anti-CMV cytotoxic T lymphocytes. It is
unquestionable that the virus came from an African green monkey simian
cytomegalovirus.

Bacterial-Related Sequences in a Simian Cytomegalovirus-Derived Stealth
Virus Culture. The stealth adapted virus retains and/or regains its
cytotoxic activity by assimilating additional genes that can come from
cellular sequences, and also from bacterial sequences. The recombination
of
viral and bacterial sequences has not been previously described. The
term
"viteria" has been coined for such organisms. This can explain aspects
of
stealth virus biology and transmission.

Melanoma Growth Stimulatory Activity (MGSA/GRO-alpha) Chemokine Genes
Incorporated into an African Green Monkey Simian Cytomegalovirus-Derived
Stealth Virus. Stealth viruses have the capacity to assimilate cellular
genes including genes with potential cancer causing capacity. An example
is
provided in which 3 copies of an MGSA-related gene have been
incorporated
adjacent to a region of the SCMV-derived stealth virus containing UL141,
UL144 and UL145 genes.

Stealth Virus Epidemic in the Mohave Valley: Severe Vacuolating
Encephalopathy in a Child Presenting with a Behavioral Disorder. This is
a
clinical paper showing that one can be stealth virally infected yet not
show clinical signs on regular neurological examination. This is
demonstrated by the case of an 8 year old child infected by the stealth
virus and originally thought to have had a behavioral problem. The child
lives in an area of the USA experiencing an outbreak of chronic
disabling
illnesses attributed to stealth viral infections.

I would welcome comments to <ccidlab@hotmail.com>

--
W. John Martin, M.D., Ph.D.
e-mail: wj_martin@hotmail.com

[Fascinating find.  Newly discovered virus, newly coined word, perhaps
even
some new thinking required. - Mod.CHC]
......................................................chc/es
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