Longitudinal analysis of hepatitis C virus infection and genetic drift of the hypervariable region.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in a cohort of chimpanzees were studied retrospectively. All animals had been inoculated intravenously with materials derived from a single-source chimpanzee plasma implicated in non-A, non-B hepatitis, prepared by extensive ultracentrifugation. Anti-HCV and HCV RNA were monitored by the confirmatory line immunoassay and by an RNA-capture polymerase chain reaction method, respectively. In a chronically infected chimpanzee, HCV RNA was detectable after 32 days and throughout the acute phase, dropped transiently below detection level, and became detectable again. In 3 other chimpanzees with acute resolving infections, HCV RNA was detected 7-11 days after inoculation and became permanently undetectable after alanine aminotransferase normalization. Various anti-HCV profiles were detected among the chimpanzees. Analysis of the hypervariable region in E2/NS1 in 7 chimpanzees suggested genome stability on transmission, revealed different mutation frequencies during chronic infection, and suggested the importance of immune selection during chronic HCV infection.
van Doorn
L J
LJ
Diagnostic Center SSDZ, Delft, Netherlands.
Quint
W
W
Tsiquaye
K
K
Voermans
J
J
Paelinck
D
D
Kos
T
T
Maertens
G
G
Schellekens
H
H
Murray
K
K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D004279:DNA, Viral