title: Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigens enhance HCV replication in mammalian cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This work demonstrates successful propagation of HCV in HepG2 and human blood cells as well as viral shedding into their culture media. The influence of Schistosoma mansoni crude soluble egg antigens (SEA) on the rate of viral propagation in both mammalian cells was also monitored.
  
  
  METHODS
  HepG2 cells were inoculated with HCV viremic human sera and some wells were exposed to HCV infection in presence of SEA. Cells were harvested for RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. HepG2 media was collected for HCV ELISA. Blood samples from HCV-infected humans were cultured in the presence and absence of SEA. Media were collected at different time points post culturing and subjected to HCV ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ELISA concentration of HCV antigens were generally higher in media of infected HepG2 cells compared to media of control cells at all time intervals post infection. Western blots showed reactivity to immunogenic peptides of different molecular weights in lysate of infected HepG2 cells that were not evidenced in uninfected cells. In presence of SEA, RT-PCR results revealed earlier detection of viral RNA in infected HepG2 cells compared to in absence of such bilharzial antigen. Also, ELISA results revealed higher levels of detected HCV antigens in media of both infected HepG2 and blood cells cocultured with S. mansoni SEA compared to that of cultured infected cells in absence of the parasite antigens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HepG2 cells as well as whole blood cultures maintain HCV replication. Furthermore, SEA has the potential to enhance HCV propagation.
authors.affiliation: Therapeutic Chemistry Department, Immunology and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, the Center of Excellence for Advanced Sciences, the National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, 12311, Egypt. mbahgatriad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mahmoud Mohamed
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bahgat
authors.forename: Mohamed Abd-Elhafez
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Far
authors.forename: Ahmed Atef
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mesalam
authors.forename: Amany Abd-Elghany
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ismaeil
authors.forename: Ahmed Atef
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Hossam Eid
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gewaid
authors.forename: Amany Sayed
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Maghraby
authors.forename: Mohamed Ahmed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Dina Nadeem
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Abd-Elshafy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000737:chemistry*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral