Genome analysis of adenovirus type 7 and adenovirus type 11.

PURPOSE: To study the epidemiology of adenovirus type 7 (Ad 7) conjunctivitis and adenovirus type 11 (Ad 11) conjunctivitis in the Japanese population by determining the genome type and sub-genome type.
METHODS: For Ad 7, we used 12 strains from patients with acute viral conjunctivitis and one strain from a patient with pneumonia. For Ad 11, we used 17 strains from patients with acute viral conjunctivitis and 3 strains from patients with cystitis. For Ad 7 genome typing, we used 11 DNA restriction endonucleases (REs) recognizing 6-or 7-base pair sequences, and for Ad 11 genome typing, we used 7 REs. For Ad 7 and Ad 11 sub-genome typing, we used Taq I and Hinf I that recognize 4- or 5-base pair sequences.
RESULTS: The 13 Ad 7 strains all belonged to the same genome type and sub-genome type (Ad 7dH1T1). Adenovirus type 11 strains showed six genome types, with Ad 11p being the most frequent strain. Fifteen Ad 11p strains showed three sub-genome types, but none was the same as the prototype.
CONCLUSIONS: Adenovirus type 7 seemed quite stable and an epidemic may occur again. On the other hand, Ad 11 showed several different types. This finding suggests that Ad 11 did not cause an epidemic in Japan during the first half of the 1990s.