Non-A, non-B hepatitis: is there more than a single blood-borne strain?
Fourteen chimpanzees were challenged with the Hutchinson strain inoculum that has been shown by many workers to produce non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis associated with characteristic cytoplasmic ultrastructural changes observable by electron microscopy. Nine of these animals had a history of definite NANB hepatitis induced by seven different human viral isolates; all of these animals resisted rechallenge. The five animals without a history of NANB hepatitis all developed definite histological changes associated with NANB hepatitis after challenge. Homologous rechallenge with a 100-fold higher infectivity titer was carried out in five of the nine chimpanzees. Cytoplasmic ultrastructural changes developed after challenge in two of these animals; the remaining three had evidence of possible mild reinfection on the basis of liver histopathology or mild elevations of transaminase or both. We conclude that most, if not all, blood-borne NANB isolates belong to a single class of agents and that this virus produces immunity to rechallenge, but this immunity may be overwhelmed by high-dose inocula.
D000818:Animals; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000382:microbiology*; D007109:Immunity; D008099:Liver / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D013045:Species Specificity