title: Longitudinal analysis of hepatitis C virus infection and genetic drift of the hypervariable region.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Center SSDZ, Delft, Netherlands.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: van Doorn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Quint
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsiquaye
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voermans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paelinck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maertens
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schellekens
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral