Chronic hepatitis E virus infection is specifically associated with an interferon-related transcriptional program.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a new causative agent of chronic hepatitis in solid organ transplant recipients. Clinical studies suggest that the occurrence and persistence of chronic HEV infection are related to the immunological status of patients.


METHODS
We used whole-genome microarray and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to compare the transcriptional profiles of whole blood from 8 kidney transplant recipients with chronic HEV infection and 8 matched kidney transplant recipients without HEV infection.


RESULTS
We found that 30 genes in HEV-infected patients were upregulated, compared with those in control patients, as determined by microarray analysis. In contrast, no genes were downregulated. The 30 upregulated genes included 25 interferon-stimulated genes. Increased expression of the genes that encode IFIT1, IFI44L, RSAD2, EPSTI1, and ISG15 was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, the expression levels of these genes were associated with the persistence of HEV infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased expression of interferon-stimulated genes may favor the persistence of an HEV infection. Whether the expression of interferon-stimulated genes is a marker of ongoing viremia or independent prognostic marker of HEV clearance needs further investigations.


BACKGROUND
NCT01090232.
Centre de Néphrologie et Transplantation Rénale, Fédération de Bactériologie-Virologie-Hygiène, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France.
Valérie
V
Moal
Julien
J
Textoris
Amira
A
Ben Amara
Vikram
V
Mehraj
Yvon
Y
Berland
Philippe
P
Colson
Jean-Louis
JL
Mege
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D007372:Interferons