Frequent proviral integration of the human betaretrovirus in biliary epithelium of patients with autoimmune and idiopathic liver disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A human betaretrovirus (HBRV) has been linked with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) following the detection of viral particles in biliary epithelium by electron microscopy and cloning of the betaretrovirus genome from biliary epithelium and peri-hepatic lymph nodes. Evidence for viral infection was found in the majority of PBC patients' peri-hepatic lymph node samples. However, less than a third of the liver samples had detectable HBRV, whereas others were unable to detect betaretrovirus infection or noted the presence of virus in the liver of patients with other diagnoses.

Aims

To address the hypothesis that the betaretrovirus may be below the limits of detection in the liver, biliary epithelial cells (BEC) were investigated for the evidence of infection.

Metho

SUBMITTER: Wang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4312917 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature