title: Immunosuppression with cyclosporine during the incubation period of experimental woodchuck hepatitis virus infection increases the frequency of chronic infection in adult woodchucks.
abstract: The immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine was given to adult woodchucks during acute experimental infection with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). All 17 woodchucks given WHV alone or with a vehicle resolved the infection (i.e., zero chronicity), but when cyclosporine was given throughout the incubation and acute phases of infection (0-12 or 14 weeks; n = 12), the rate of chronic infection increased to 92%. When cyclosporine was given only during the incubation period (0-4 weeks; n = 10) or only during the acute phase of infection (2-12 weeks; n = 9), the rates increased to 50% and 55%, respectively. However, when the drug was given after the acute phase (8-18 weeks; n = 9), the chronic infection rate (11%) did not differ from that in untreated and vehicle controls. Immune responses inhibited by cyclosporine are important in resolution of acute WHV infection and occur mainly during the first 8 weeks. Immunosuppression of these responses for even short intervals during incubation (e.g., 0-4 weeks) increases the risk of chronicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Rockville, MD 20852.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cote
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Korba
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hornbuckle
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Tennant
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gerin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015613:Hepadnaviridae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008392:Marmota
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine