Biomaterial Database

The JC and BK human polyoma viruses appear to be recent introductions to some South American Indian tribes: there is no serological evidence of cross-reactivity with the simian polyoma virus SV40. 1998

E O Major, and J V Neel

Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

In an effort to understand the unusual cytogenetic damage earlier encountered in the Yanomama Indians, plasma samples from 425 Amerindians representing 14 tribes have been tested for hemagglutination inhibition antibodies to the human JC polyoma virus and from 369 Amerinds from 13 tribes for hemagglutination inhibition antibodies to the human BK polyoma virus. There is for both viruses highly significant heterogeneity between tribes for the prevalence of serum antibody titers >/=1/40, the pattern of infection suggesting that these two viruses only relatively recently have been introduced into some of these tribes. Some of these samples, from populations with no known exposure to the simian polyoma virus SV40, also were tested for antibodies to this virus by using an immunospot assay. In contrast to the findings of Brown et al. (Brown, P., Tsai, T. & Gajdusek, D. C. (1975) Am. J. Epidemiol. 102, 331-340), none of the samples was found to possess antibodies to SV40. In addition, no significant titers to SV40 were found in a sample of 97 Japanese adults, many of whom had been found to exhibit elevated titers to the JC and BK viruses. This study thus suggests that these human sera contain significant antibody titers to the human polyoma viruses JC and BK but do not appear to contain either cross-reactive antibodies to SV40 or primary antibodies resulting from SV40 infection.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007197	Indians, Central American	Members of indigenous Central American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, Central American,Indigenous Central Americans,American Amerind, Central,American Indian, Central,American, Indigenous Central,Amerind, Central American,Central American Amerind,Central American Amerinds,Central American Indian,Central American Indians,Central American, Indigenous,Indian, Central American,Indigenous Central American
D007199	Indians, South American	Members of indigenous South American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, South American,Indigenous South Americans,American Amerind, South,American Indian, South,American, Indigenous South,Americans, Indigenous South,Amerind, South American,Indian, South American,Indigenous South American,South American Amerind,South American Amerinds,South American Indian,South American Indians,South American, Indigenous,South Americans, Indigenous
D007564	Japan	A country in eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. The capital is Tokyo.	Bonin Islands
D007577	JC Virus	A species of POLYOMAVIRUS, originally isolated from the brain of a patient with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The patient's initials J.C. gave the virus its name. Infection is not accompanied by any apparent illness but serious demyelinating disease can appear later, probably following reactivation of latent virus.	Human Polyomavirus JC,JC polyomavirus,Polyomavirus, JC,John Cunningham Virus,Polyomavirus hominis 2,Polyomavirus JC, Human,Virus, John Cunningham
D001739	BK Virus	A species of POLYOMAVIRUS apparently infecting over 90% of children but not clearly associated with any clinical illness in childhood. The virus remains latent in the body throughout life and can be reactivated under certain circumstances.	BK polyomavirus,Human Polyomavirus BK,Polyomavirus, BK,Polyomavirus hominis 1,Polyomavirus BK, Human
D002489	Central America	A region of southern NORTH AMERICA extending from the southern border of MEXICO to the northern border of COLOMBIA. It separates the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean and is linked to SOUTH AMERICA by the Isthmus of Panama.
D003429	Cross Reactions	Serological reactions in which an antiserum against one antigen reacts with a non-identical but closely related antigen.	Cross Reaction,Reaction, Cross,Reactions, Cross
D005006	Ethnicity	A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships.	Ethnic Groups,Nationality,Ethnic Group,Nationalities
D006385	Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests	Serologic tests in which a known quantity of antigen is added to the serum prior to the addition of a red cell suspension. Reaction result is expressed as the smallest amount of antigen which causes complete inhibition of hemagglutination.	Hemagglutination Inhibition Test,Inhibition Test, Hemagglutination,Inhibition Tests, Hemagglutination,Test, Hemagglutination Inhibition,Tests, Hemagglutination Inhibition
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man