Serological and histological findings in infection and transmission of GBV-C/HGV to macaques.
Seven healthy macaques were inoculated with the GBV-C/HGV-RNA serum from a non-A-E hepatitis patient. The serology and pathology of the liver in the animals were observed. The results indicated that all inoculated animals were infected with a GBV-C/HGV-RNA viremia and had mildly abnormal alanine transaminase levels during the infectious period. The histology, immuno-histochemistry, and in situ hybridization in the liver tissues of the inoculated animals also showed that there was a very mild hepatitis with the positive antigenic expression and the genome of GBV-C/HGV-NS5 in hepatocytes. The pathological changes in the infected animals appeared to become normal whether or not GBV-C/HGV-RNA viremia persisted. There is a possibility that the mild virulence of the GBV-C/HGV to the host became harmless with time after inoculation. Infection and the transmission of the GBV-C/HGV virus in the macaques provides an appropriate animal model and new information about GBV-C/HGV infection in both humans and animals. It is possible that this virus is a mild and self-limited pathogenic agent to the hepatic cells of primates.
Cheng
Y
Y
Department of Immunology, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China. chengy@sun.ihep.ac.cm
Zhang
W
W
Li
J
J
Li
B a
Ba
Zhao
J m
Jm
Gao
R
R
Xin
S
S
Mao
P
P
Cao
Y
Y
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008251:Macaca; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology; D014774:Virulence
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C107619:glycoprotein E2, GB virus C; D000410:Alanine Transaminase