Hepatitis C virus infection and morphologic study in B lymphocytes of patient with hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
To study hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in B lymphocytes of patients with hepatitis C and to establish a B cell line with HCV infection and observe the hepatitis C virus like particles.


METHODS
A B lymphoblastoid cell line was established by Epstein-Barr virus induced transformation directly from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient with hepatitis C. The HCV antigen and HCV RNA were detected by immunohistochemical technique. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization and HCV particle were detected by electron microscopy.


RESULTS
Positive HCV RNA was found in supernatants of B cell line. HCV Ag and HCV RNA were also showed positive. Electron microscopy observed HCV spherical virus like particles with a diameter of approximately 65 nm and 110 nm and the "bud mutation" of HCV in the cytoplasmic vesicles of B lymphocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV could infect B lymphocytes and replicate in the cell line. HCV particles are formed by "bud mutation" of HCV in the cytoplasmic vesicles of B-lymphocytes.
Institute of Hepatology of PLA, Beijing 100700, China.
P
P
Yao
L
L
Chan
X
X
Hu
P
P
Chen
D
D
Hu
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral