To further examine the diversity of human polyomaviruses, we have utilized a combinatorial approach comprised of initial degenerate primer-based PCR identification and phylogenetic analysis of nonhuman primate (NHP) polyomavirus species, followed by polyomavirus-specific serological analysis

of human sera. Using this approach we identified twenty novel NHP polyomaviruses: nine in great apes (six in chimpanzees, two in gorillas and one in orangutan), five in Old World monkeys and six in New World monkeys. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that only four of the nine chimpanzee GW786034 polyomaviruses (six novel and three previously identified) had known close human counterparts. To determine whether the remaining chimpanzee polyomaviruses had potential human counterparts, the major viral capsid proteins (VP1) of four chimpanzee polyomaviruses were expressed in E. coli for use as antigens in enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Human serum/plasma samples from both Cote d’Ivoire and Germany showed frequent seropositivity for the four viruses. Antibody pre-adsorption-based ELISA excluded the possibility

that reactivities resulted from binding to known human polyomaviruses. Vactosertib Together, these results support the existence of additional polyomaviruses circulating within the human population that are genetically and serologically related to existing chimpanzee polyomaviruses.”
“Background Despite the growing epidemic of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), no valid measure of patients’ health status (symptoms, function, and quality of life) exists. We evaluated the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), a validated measure of HF with reduced EF, in patients with HFpEF.\n\nMethods and Results Using a prospective HF registry, we dichotomized patients into HF with reduced EF (EF 40) and HFpEF (EF50). The associations between New York Heart Association class, a commonly used criterion standard, and KCCQ Overall Birinapant clinical trial Summary and Total Symptom domains were evaluated using Spearman correlations and 2-way ANOVA with differences between patients with HF with reduced EF and

HFpEF tested with interaction terms. Predictive validity of the KCCQ Overall Summary scores was assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves for death and all-cause hospitalization. Covariate adjustment was made using Cox proportional hazards models. Internal reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s . Among 849 patients, 200 (24%) had HFpEF. KCCQ summary scores were strongly associated with New York Heart Association class in both patients with HFpEF (r=-0.62; P<0.001) and HF with reduced EF (r=-0.55; P=0.27 for interaction). One-year event-free rates by KCCQ category among patients with HFpEF were 0 to 25=13.8%, 26 to 50=59.1%, 51 to 75=73.8%, and 76 to 100=77.8% (log rank P<0.001), with no significant interaction by EF (P=0.37).