Enhanced hepatitis E virus infection of polarised hepatocytes in vitro.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide, and the only zoonotic hepatitis virus. HEV genotype 3 (HEV3) is associated with a range of clinical presentations including chronic infection in immunocompromised individuals in developed nations as well as sporadic cases of autochthonous HEV3 in Europe. Current in vitro models support low levels of HEV infection, hampering our understanding of viral pathogenesis and development of therapeutics. We developed modified culture methods for two widely used hepatoma cell lines, PLC-PRF-5 and Huh-7.5, and evaluated HEV infection. Simple epithelial-like polarity and differentiation formed in PLC-PRF-5 cells, evidenced by localisation of tight junction proteins occludin and zona-occludin 1 to intercellular junctions, an

SUBMITTER: Brown HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11880378 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature