As an effort to understand the effect of diabetes on the increasing rate of COVID-19 infection, we embarked upon a detailed statistical analysis of various datasets that include COVID-19 infection and mortality rate, ...As an effort to understand the effect of diabetes on the increasing rate of COVID-19 infection, we embarked upon a detailed statistical analysis of various datasets that include COVID-19 infection and mortality rate, diabetes and diseases that may contribute to the severity and risk factor of diabetes in individuals and this impact on COVID-19 and the mortality rate. These diseases include respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Equally significant is the statistical analysis on ethnicity, age, and sex on COVID-19 infection as well as mortality rate. Their possible contributions to increasing the severity and risk factor of diabetes as a risk to mortality to individuals who have COVID-19. Objectives: The ultimate objectives of this investigation are as follow: 1) Is there a risk factor of diabetes on COVID-19 infection and increasing mortality rate? 2) To what extent do other disease conditions that include, obesity, heart failure, and respiratory diseases influence the severity and risk factor of diabetes on increasing COVID-19 infection and mortality rate? 3) To what extent does age, race, and gender increase the mortality of COVID-19 and increase the severity and risk factor of diabetes on COVID-19 mortality rate? 4) How and why COVID-19 virus increases the risk of diabetes in children? 5) Diabetes and COVID-19: Who is most at Risk? Lastly, understanding the misconception of COVID-19 and diabetes.展开更多
Infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 as an important respiratory disease with high fatality rates of 40%—60%. Despite the increased number of cases over subsequent ye...Infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 as an important respiratory disease with high fatality rates of 40%—60%. Despite the increased number of cases over subsequent years, the number of pediatric cases remained low. A review of studies conducted from June 2012 to April 19, 2016 reported 31 pediatric MERS-CoV cases. In this paper, we present the clinical and laboratory features of seven patients with pediatric MERS. Five patients had no underlying medical illnesses, and three patients were asymptomatic. Of the seven cases, four (57%) patients sought medical advice within 1-7 days from the onset of symptoms. The three other patients (43%) were asymptomatic and were in contact with patients with confirmed diagnosis of MERS-CoV. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (57%), cough (14%), shortness of breath (14%), vomiting (28%), and diarrhea (28%). Two (28.6%) patients had platelet counts of < 150 ×10^9/L, and one patient had an underlying end-stage renal disease. The remaining patients presented with normal blood count, liver function, and urea and creatinine levels. The documented MERS-CoV Ct values were 32 38 for four of the seven cases. Two patients (28.6%) had abnormal chest radiographic findings of bilateral infiltration. One patient (14.3%) required ventilator support, and two patients (28.6%) required oxygen supplementation. All the seven patients were discharged without complications.展开更多
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can be transmitted from one person to another.Earlier strains have only been mild viruses,but the current form,known as coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),has become a deadly...Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can be transmitted from one person to another.Earlier strains have only been mild viruses,but the current form,known as coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),has become a deadly infection.The outbreak originated in Wuhan,China,and has since spread worldwide.The symptoms of COVID-19 include a dry cough,sore throat,fever,and nasal congestion.Antimicrobial drugs,pathogen–host interaction,and 2 weeks of isolation have been recommended for the treatment of the infection.Safe operating procedures,such as the use of face masks,hand sanitizer,handwashing with soap,and social distancing,are also suggested.Moreover,travel bans for cities,states,and countries have been put in place,along with lockdowns to control the outbreak.Travel restrictions,mask use,sanitizer or soap use,and avoidance of touching the face and nose have produced encouraging results,whereas the effectiveness of antibiotics has not been proved.The results of isolation for the recovery of infected people have also been promising.Travel bans and lockdowns have caused a slump in economies,and unemployment has risen sharply,resulting in an increase in mental health cases globally.To date,vaccines have been developed and are in use in certain countries,but following standard operating procedures remain critical.The countries following the guidelines can eradicate this virus.New Zealand was the rst country to eliminate the virus from their territory.展开更多
We describe the first genome isolation of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) in Kenya. This fatal zoonotic pathogen was first described in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2012. Epidemiological and m...We describe the first genome isolation of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) in Kenya. This fatal zoonotic pathogen was first described in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2012. Epidemiological and molecular evidence revealed zoonotic transmission from camels to humans and between humans. Currently, MERS-CoV is classified by the WHO as having high pandemic potential requiring greater surveillance. Previous studies of MERS-CoV in Kenya mainly focused on site-specific and archived camel and human serum samples for antibodies. We conducted active nationwide cross-sectional surveillance of camels and humans in Kenya, targeting both nasal swabs and plasma samples from 1,163 camels and 486 humans collected from January 2016 to June 2018. A total of 792 camel plasma samples were positive by ELISA. Seroprevalence increased with age, and the highest prevalence was observed in adult camels(82.37%, 95%confidence interval(CI) 79.50–84.91). More female camels were significantly seropositive(74.28%, 95% CI 71.14–77.19)than male camels(P \ 0.001)(53.74%, 95% CI 48.48–58.90). Only 11 camel nasal swabs were positive for MERS-CoV by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genome sequences showed that Kenyan MERSCoV clustered within sub-clade C2, which is associated with the African clade, but did not contain signature deletions of orf4 b in African viruses. None of the human plasma screened contained neutralizing antibodies against MERS-CoV. This study confirms the geographically widespread occurrence of MERS-CoV in Kenyan camels. Further one-health surveillance approaches in camels, wildlife, and human populations are needed.展开更多
The emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus （MERS-CoV） in 2012 brought back memories of the occurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus （SARS-CoV） in 2002. More than 1500 MERS-CoV...The emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus （MERS-CoV） in 2012 brought back memories of the occurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus （SARS-CoV） in 2002. More than 1500 MERS-CoV cases were recorded in 42 months with a case fatality rate （CFR） of 40%. Meanwhile, 8000 cases of SARS-CoV were confirmed in six months with a CFR of 10%. The clinical presentation of MERS-CoV ranges from mild and non-specific presentation to progressive and severe pneumonia. No predictive signs or symptoms exist to differentiate MERS-CoV from community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized patients. An apparent heterogeneity was observed in transmission. Most MERS-CoV cases were secondary to large outbreaks in healthcare settings. These cases were secondary to community-acquired cases, which may also cause family outbreaks. Travel-associated MERS infection remains low. However, the virus exhibited a clear tendency to cause large outbreaks outside the Arabian Peninsula as exemplified by the outbreak in the Republic of Korea. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about MERS-CoV and highlight travel-related issues.展开更多
The papain-like protease(PL^(pro)) of Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) has proteolytic,deubiquitinating,and de ISGylating activities.The latter two are involved in the suppression of the antivira...The papain-like protease(PL^(pro)) of Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) has proteolytic,deubiquitinating,and de ISGylating activities.The latter two are involved in the suppression of the antiviral innate immune response of the host cell.To contribute to an understanding of this process,we present here the X-ray crystal structure of a complex between MERS-CoV PL^(pro) and human ubiquitin(Ub) that is devoid of any covalent linkage between the two proteins.Five regions of the PL^(pro) bind to two areas of the Ub.The C-terminal five residues of Ub,RLRGG,are similar to the P5–P1 residues of the polyprotein substrates of the PL^(pro) and are responsible for the major part of the interaction between the two macromolecules.Through sitedirected mutagenesis,we demonstrate that conserved Asp165 and non-conserved Asp164 are important for the catalytic activities of MERS-CoV PL^(pro).The enzyme appears not to be optimized for catalytic efficiency; thus,replacement of Phe269 by Tyr leads to increased peptidolytic and deubiquitinating activities.Ubiquitin binding by MERS-CoV PL^(pro) involves remarkable differences compared to the corresponding complex with SARS-CoV PL^(pro).The structure and the mutational study help understand common and unique features of the deubiquitinating activity of MERS-CoV PL^(pro).展开更多
BACKGROUND Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum nucleoside antiviral drug with multimodal mechanisms of action,which supports its longevity and quality as a clinical resource.It has been widely administered for measles and c...BACKGROUND Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum nucleoside antiviral drug with multimodal mechanisms of action,which supports its longevity and quality as a clinical resource.It has been widely administered for measles and coronavirus infections.Despite the large amount of data concerning the use of ribavirin alone or in combination for measles,severe acute respiratory syndrome,Middle East respiratory syndrome,and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outbreaks,the conclusions of these studies have been contradictory.Underlying reasons for these discrepancies include possible study design inaccuracies and failures and misinterpretations of data,and these potential confounds should be addressed.AIM To determine the confounding factors of ribavirin treatment studies and propose a therapeutic scheme for COVID-19.METHODS PubMed database was searched over a period of five decades utilizing the terms“ribavirin”alone or combined with other compounds in measles,severe acute respiratory syndrome,Middle East respiratory syndrome,and COVID-19 infections.The literature search was performed and described according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Articles were considered eligible when they reported on ribavirin dose regimens and/or specified outcomes concerning its efficacy and/or possible adverseeffects.In vitro and animal studies were also retrieved.A chapter on ribavirin’s pharmacology was included as well.RESULTS In addition to the difficulties and pressures of an emerging pandemic,there is the burden of designing and conducting well-organized,double-blind,randomized controlled trials.Many studies have succumbed to specific pitfalls,one of which was identified in naturally ribavirin-resistant Vero cell lines in in vitro studies.Other pitfalls include study design inconsistent with the well-established clinical course of disease;inappropriate pharmacology of applied treatments;and the misinterpretation of study results with misconceived generalizations.A comprehensive treatment for COVID-19 is proposed,documented by thorough,longterm investigation of ribavirin regimens in coronavirus infections.CONCLUSION A comprehensive treatment strictly tailored to distinct disease stages was proposed based upon studies on ribavirin and coronavirus infections.展开更多
SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19.Since its outbreak in December 2019,COVID-19 has swept the globe.By 17 July 2020,the World Health Organization(WHO)had confirmed 13?119?239 cases and 573?752 deaths,and th...SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19.Since its outbreak in December 2019,COVID-19 has swept the globe.By 17 July 2020,the World Health Organization(WHO)had confirmed 13?119?239 cases and 573?752 deaths,and the numbers are still rising.Current evidence shows that COVID-19 is lower than severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome in terms of severity and mortality risk,although the infections are particularly more severe in patients with underlying medical conditions.The bulk of COVID-19 patients had close contact with confirmed cases,but an exact origin and specific transmission for COVID-19 are still unknown.As there is no approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19 infection,proper prevention and control practices are essential to control the infection.To have an insight view of COVID-19,we summarized and compared the etiology,clinical manifestations,diagnosis,treatment,and prevention measures of COVID-19,severe acute respiratory syndrome,and Middle East respiratory syndrome.展开更多
目的通过免疫信息学方法预测针对中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒(MERS-CoV)的T/B细胞抗原表位。方法从NCBI获取S蛋白序列后,运用MEGA11进行多序列比对及系统发育树构建,Expasy Protparam分析其理化性质,SOPMA预测其二级结构。随后对S蛋白建模...目的通过免疫信息学方法预测针对中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒(MERS-CoV)的T/B细胞抗原表位。方法从NCBI获取S蛋白序列后,运用MEGA11进行多序列比对及系统发育树构建,Expasy Protparam分析其理化性质,SOPMA预测其二级结构。随后对S蛋白建模并进行模型验证。再通过NetCTL-1.2、NetMHC pan EL 4.1和IEDB预测杀伤性T细胞(CTL)表位,NetMHCⅡpan-4.0、IFNepitope和IL-4pred预测辅助性T细胞表位(HTL),ABCpred和BepiPred-2.0预测线性B细胞表位(LBL),ElliPro工具预测构象B细胞表位(CBL)。最后对上述预测得到的线性表位进行抗原性、致敏性和毒性预测。结果S蛋白序列保守性较高,且来自不同国家的100个MERS-CoV S蛋白可以装进同一系统进化枝。理化性质分析结果显示,S蛋白亲水性总平均值为-0.078,在哺乳动物网织红细胞中半衰期约为30 h。模型验证结果显示构建的S蛋白模型是合理的。从S蛋白中预测得到具有抗原性、无致敏性和无毒性的CTL表位2个、HTL表位2个,LBL表位15个。ElliPro工具预测得到的CBL表位5个。结论MERS-CoV的S蛋白是亲水性的稳定蛋白;综合多种生物信息学方法可以预测得到T/B细胞抗原表位,对开发针对MERS-CoV的多肽疫苗具有重要借鉴意义。展开更多
文摘As an effort to understand the effect of diabetes on the increasing rate of COVID-19 infection, we embarked upon a detailed statistical analysis of various datasets that include COVID-19 infection and mortality rate, diabetes and diseases that may contribute to the severity and risk factor of diabetes in individuals and this impact on COVID-19 and the mortality rate. These diseases include respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Equally significant is the statistical analysis on ethnicity, age, and sex on COVID-19 infection as well as mortality rate. Their possible contributions to increasing the severity and risk factor of diabetes as a risk to mortality to individuals who have COVID-19. Objectives: The ultimate objectives of this investigation are as follow: 1) Is there a risk factor of diabetes on COVID-19 infection and increasing mortality rate? 2) To what extent do other disease conditions that include, obesity, heart failure, and respiratory diseases influence the severity and risk factor of diabetes on increasing COVID-19 infection and mortality rate? 3) To what extent does age, race, and gender increase the mortality of COVID-19 and increase the severity and risk factor of diabetes on COVID-19 mortality rate? 4) How and why COVID-19 virus increases the risk of diabetes in children? 5) Diabetes and COVID-19: Who is most at Risk? Lastly, understanding the misconception of COVID-19 and diabetes.
文摘Infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 as an important respiratory disease with high fatality rates of 40%—60%. Despite the increased number of cases over subsequent years, the number of pediatric cases remained low. A review of studies conducted from June 2012 to April 19, 2016 reported 31 pediatric MERS-CoV cases. In this paper, we present the clinical and laboratory features of seven patients with pediatric MERS. Five patients had no underlying medical illnesses, and three patients were asymptomatic. Of the seven cases, four (57%) patients sought medical advice within 1-7 days from the onset of symptoms. The three other patients (43%) were asymptomatic and were in contact with patients with confirmed diagnosis of MERS-CoV. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (57%), cough (14%), shortness of breath (14%), vomiting (28%), and diarrhea (28%). Two (28.6%) patients had platelet counts of < 150 ×10^9/L, and one patient had an underlying end-stage renal disease. The remaining patients presented with normal blood count, liver function, and urea and creatinine levels. The documented MERS-CoV Ct values were 32 38 for four of the seven cases. Two patients (28.6%) had abnormal chest radiographic findings of bilateral infiltration. One patient (14.3%) required ventilator support, and two patients (28.6%) required oxygen supplementation. All the seven patients were discharged without complications.
文摘Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can be transmitted from one person to another.Earlier strains have only been mild viruses,but the current form,known as coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),has become a deadly infection.The outbreak originated in Wuhan,China,and has since spread worldwide.The symptoms of COVID-19 include a dry cough,sore throat,fever,and nasal congestion.Antimicrobial drugs,pathogen–host interaction,and 2 weeks of isolation have been recommended for the treatment of the infection.Safe operating procedures,such as the use of face masks,hand sanitizer,handwashing with soap,and social distancing,are also suggested.Moreover,travel bans for cities,states,and countries have been put in place,along with lockdowns to control the outbreak.Travel restrictions,mask use,sanitizer or soap use,and avoidance of touching the face and nose have produced encouraging results,whereas the effectiveness of antibiotics has not been proved.The results of isolation for the recovery of infected people have also been promising.Travel bans and lockdowns have caused a slump in economies,and unemployment has risen sharply,resulting in an increase in mental health cases globally.To date,vaccines have been developed and are in use in certain countries,but following standard operating procedures remain critical.The countries following the guidelines can eradicate this virus.New Zealand was the rst country to eliminate the virus from their territory.
基金funded by Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (SAJC201313 and SAJC201605)External Cooperation Program of CAS (153211KYSB20160001)National Science and Technology Major Project (2018ZX0101004)
文摘We describe the first genome isolation of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) in Kenya. This fatal zoonotic pathogen was first described in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2012. Epidemiological and molecular evidence revealed zoonotic transmission from camels to humans and between humans. Currently, MERS-CoV is classified by the WHO as having high pandemic potential requiring greater surveillance. Previous studies of MERS-CoV in Kenya mainly focused on site-specific and archived camel and human serum samples for antibodies. We conducted active nationwide cross-sectional surveillance of camels and humans in Kenya, targeting both nasal swabs and plasma samples from 1,163 camels and 486 humans collected from January 2016 to June 2018. A total of 792 camel plasma samples were positive by ELISA. Seroprevalence increased with age, and the highest prevalence was observed in adult camels(82.37%, 95%confidence interval(CI) 79.50–84.91). More female camels were significantly seropositive(74.28%, 95% CI 71.14–77.19)than male camels(P \ 0.001)(53.74%, 95% CI 48.48–58.90). Only 11 camel nasal swabs were positive for MERS-CoV by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genome sequences showed that Kenyan MERSCoV clustered within sub-clade C2, which is associated with the African clade, but did not contain signature deletions of orf4 b in African viruses. None of the human plasma screened contained neutralizing antibodies against MERS-CoV. This study confirms the geographically widespread occurrence of MERS-CoV in Kenyan camels. Further one-health surveillance approaches in camels, wildlife, and human populations are needed.
文摘The emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus （MERS-CoV） in 2012 brought back memories of the occurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus （SARS-CoV） in 2002. More than 1500 MERS-CoV cases were recorded in 42 months with a case fatality rate （CFR） of 40%. Meanwhile, 8000 cases of SARS-CoV were confirmed in six months with a CFR of 10%. The clinical presentation of MERS-CoV ranges from mild and non-specific presentation to progressive and severe pneumonia. No predictive signs or symptoms exist to differentiate MERS-CoV from community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized patients. An apparent heterogeneity was observed in transmission. Most MERS-CoV cases were secondary to large outbreaks in healthcare settings. These cases were secondary to community-acquired cases, which may also cause family outbreaks. Travel-associated MERS infection remains low. However, the virus exhibited a clear tendency to cause large outbreaks outside the Arabian Peninsula as exemplified by the outbreak in the Republic of Korea. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about MERS-CoV and highlight travel-related issues.
基金supported by the European Commission through its "SILVER" project (contract no.HEALTHF3-2010-260644)the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)support by the DFG Cluster of Excellence "Inflammation at Interfaces" (EXC 306)
文摘The papain-like protease(PL^(pro)) of Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) has proteolytic,deubiquitinating,and de ISGylating activities.The latter two are involved in the suppression of the antiviral innate immune response of the host cell.To contribute to an understanding of this process,we present here the X-ray crystal structure of a complex between MERS-CoV PL^(pro) and human ubiquitin(Ub) that is devoid of any covalent linkage between the two proteins.Five regions of the PL^(pro) bind to two areas of the Ub.The C-terminal five residues of Ub,RLRGG,are similar to the P5–P1 residues of the polyprotein substrates of the PL^(pro) and are responsible for the major part of the interaction between the two macromolecules.Through sitedirected mutagenesis,we demonstrate that conserved Asp165 and non-conserved Asp164 are important for the catalytic activities of MERS-CoV PL^(pro).The enzyme appears not to be optimized for catalytic efficiency; thus,replacement of Phe269 by Tyr leads to increased peptidolytic and deubiquitinating activities.Ubiquitin binding by MERS-CoV PL^(pro) involves remarkable differences compared to the corresponding complex with SARS-CoV PL^(pro).The structure and the mutational study help understand common and unique features of the deubiquitinating activity of MERS-CoV PL^(pro).
文摘BACKGROUND Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum nucleoside antiviral drug with multimodal mechanisms of action,which supports its longevity and quality as a clinical resource.It has been widely administered for measles and coronavirus infections.Despite the large amount of data concerning the use of ribavirin alone or in combination for measles,severe acute respiratory syndrome,Middle East respiratory syndrome,and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outbreaks,the conclusions of these studies have been contradictory.Underlying reasons for these discrepancies include possible study design inaccuracies and failures and misinterpretations of data,and these potential confounds should be addressed.AIM To determine the confounding factors of ribavirin treatment studies and propose a therapeutic scheme for COVID-19.METHODS PubMed database was searched over a period of five decades utilizing the terms“ribavirin”alone or combined with other compounds in measles,severe acute respiratory syndrome,Middle East respiratory syndrome,and COVID-19 infections.The literature search was performed and described according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Articles were considered eligible when they reported on ribavirin dose regimens and/or specified outcomes concerning its efficacy and/or possible adverseeffects.In vitro and animal studies were also retrieved.A chapter on ribavirin’s pharmacology was included as well.RESULTS In addition to the difficulties and pressures of an emerging pandemic,there is the burden of designing and conducting well-organized,double-blind,randomized controlled trials.Many studies have succumbed to specific pitfalls,one of which was identified in naturally ribavirin-resistant Vero cell lines in in vitro studies.Other pitfalls include study design inconsistent with the well-established clinical course of disease;inappropriate pharmacology of applied treatments;and the misinterpretation of study results with misconceived generalizations.A comprehensive treatment for COVID-19 is proposed,documented by thorough,longterm investigation of ribavirin regimens in coronavirus infections.CONCLUSION A comprehensive treatment strictly tailored to distinct disease stages was proposed based upon studies on ribavirin and coronavirus infections.
文摘SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19.Since its outbreak in December 2019,COVID-19 has swept the globe.By 17 July 2020,the World Health Organization(WHO)had confirmed 13?119?239 cases and 573?752 deaths,and the numbers are still rising.Current evidence shows that COVID-19 is lower than severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome in terms of severity and mortality risk,although the infections are particularly more severe in patients with underlying medical conditions.The bulk of COVID-19 patients had close contact with confirmed cases,but an exact origin and specific transmission for COVID-19 are still unknown.As there is no approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19 infection,proper prevention and control practices are essential to control the infection.To have an insight view of COVID-19,we summarized and compared the etiology,clinical manifestations,diagnosis,treatment,and prevention measures of COVID-19,severe acute respiratory syndrome,and Middle East respiratory syndrome.
文摘目的通过免疫信息学方法预测针对中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒(MERS-CoV)的T/B细胞抗原表位。方法从NCBI获取S蛋白序列后,运用MEGA11进行多序列比对及系统发育树构建,Expasy Protparam分析其理化性质,SOPMA预测其二级结构。随后对S蛋白建模并进行模型验证。再通过NetCTL-1.2、NetMHC pan EL 4.1和IEDB预测杀伤性T细胞(CTL)表位,NetMHCⅡpan-4.0、IFNepitope和IL-4pred预测辅助性T细胞表位(HTL),ABCpred和BepiPred-2.0预测线性B细胞表位(LBL),ElliPro工具预测构象B细胞表位(CBL)。最后对上述预测得到的线性表位进行抗原性、致敏性和毒性预测。结果S蛋白序列保守性较高,且来自不同国家的100个MERS-CoV S蛋白可以装进同一系统进化枝。理化性质分析结果显示,S蛋白亲水性总平均值为-0.078,在哺乳动物网织红细胞中半衰期约为30 h。模型验证结果显示构建的S蛋白模型是合理的。从S蛋白中预测得到具有抗原性、无致敏性和无毒性的CTL表位2个、HTL表位2个,LBL表位15个。ElliPro工具预测得到的CBL表位5个。结论MERS-CoV的S蛋白是亲水性的稳定蛋白;综合多种生物信息学方法可以预测得到T/B细胞抗原表位,对开发针对MERS-CoV的多肽疫苗具有重要借鉴意义。
