title: Susceptibility of human liver cells to porcine endogenous retrovirus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The risk of porcine endogenous retrovirus infection is a major barrier for pig-to-human xenotransplant. Porcine endogenous retrovirus, present in porcine cells, can infect many human and nonhuman primate cells in vitro, but there is no evidence available about in vitro infection of human liver cells. We investigated the susceptibility of different human liver cells to porcine endogenous retrovirus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The supernatant from a porcine kidney cell line was added to human liver cells, including a normal hepatocyte cell line (HL-7702 cells), primary hepatocytes (Phh cells), and a liver stellate cell line (Lx-2 cells), and to human embryonic kidney cells as a reference control. Expression of the porcine endogenous retrovirus antigen p15E in the human cells was evaluated with polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The porcine endogenous retrovirus antigen p15E was not expressed in any human liver cells (HL-7702, Phh, or Lx-2 cells) that had been exposed to supernatants from porcine kidney cell lines. Porcine endogenous retrovirus-specific fragments were amplified in human kidney cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human liver cells tested were not susceptible to infection by porcine endogenous retrovirus. Therefore, not all human cells are susceptible to porcine endogenous retrovirus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, China.
authors.forename: Xinzi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Zhiguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Wanjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zesheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Mingxin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015994:Incidence; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins