Influence of Nutrition on Viral Evolution

VIRAL EVOLUTION AS DRIVEN BY HOST NUTRITIONAL SELECTIVE FACTORS - INFLUENCE OF DIETARY OXIDATIVE STRESS

The endemic juvenile cardiomyopathy known as Keshan disease occurs in regions of China with poor selenium nutrition, but a role for an infectious agent was suggested by seasonal changes in disease incidence. Mice fed a selenium-deficient diet suffered more heart damage than normal mice when infected with a myocarditic coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3/20). Increased heart damage was also observed when CVB3/20 was inoculated into vitamin E-deficient mice. Feeding diets deficient in either vitamin E or selenium allowed an amyocarditic coxsackievirus (CVB3/0) to become myocarditic. When CVB3/0 was harvested from deficient mice, passed through HeLa cells and inoculated into normal (non-deficient) mice, it retained its increased cardiovirulence. Virus obtained from the selenium- deficient mice contained six nucleotide changes in the genome compared with the input strain. This is the first report of a nutritional deficiency driving changes in a viral genome. Host nutritional status could have important public health implications for the spread of influenza, hepatitis, polio and perhaps even AIDS.

Author: LEVANDER OA, ARS, NUTR REQUIREMENTS & FUNCT LAB, BELTSVILLE HUMAN NUTR RES CTR, USDA, BELTSVILLE, MD
Source: FOOD CHEMISTRY 1996 SEP;57(1):47-49

How to Better Understand Your HCV Viral Load Tests
Although they have very similar sounding names, learn why qualitative Hepatitis C tests and quantitative Hepatitis C tests have some important differences.

Anti-Aging Strategy May Help HCV Liver Transplant Recipients
Find out about a molecular biology discovery that has led to a new understanding about the general health decline that can follow a liver transplant.

Working With Your Liver's Clock Benefits Hepatitis C
While most of us check the time throughout the day to stay on schedule, few realize that the liver also has a timed agenda. By heeding your liver's innate clock, those with Hepatitis C can help relieve some of the extra burden on this multitasking organ.