Human Rotavirus Infection: Pathogenesis and Pathology

Abstract

AbstractDuodenal mucosa and feces from 12 children with an acute non‐bacterial gastroenteritis were electron‐microscopically examined. In the study of the duodenal mucosa, many virus particles were seen in the distended cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum of epithelial cells from the three patients who were biopsied within 72 hours from the onset of symptoms. Almost all virus particles had a highly electron‐dense core and were surrounded by a moderately dense double shelled capsid zone about 70 nm in diameter. However, particles without the outer shell capsid zone and particles without a core were also present. Matrices of viroplasm were often found close to the endoplasmic reticulum. These matrices were surrounded by many virus particles at various mature stages, and sometimes contained electron‐dense cores about 40 nm in diameter.In the study of the feces, the extracts of feces from all 12 children contained numerous virus particles. The morphological appearance of the virus particles observed in the feces and duodenal mucosa was identical. In this study, the morphological and morphogenetic resemblance of human rotavirus to other animal rotavirus was emphasized.