标题：Hepatitis C virus lacking the hypervariable region 1 of the second envelope protein is infectious and causes acute resolving or persistent infection in chimpanzees
期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2000
卷号：97
期号：24
页码：13318-13323
DOI：10.1073/pnas.230453597
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Persistent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is among the leading causes of chronic liver disease. Previous studies suggested that genetic variation in hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the second envelope protein, possibly in response to host immune pressure, influences the outcome of HCV infection. In the present study, a chimpanzee transfected intrahepatically with RNA transcripts of an infectious HCV clone (pCV-H77C) from which HVR1 was deleted became infected; the {Delta}HVR1 virus was subsequently transmitted to a second chimpanzee. Infection with {Delta}HVR1 virus resulted in persistent infection in the former chimpanzee and in acute resolving infection in the latter chimpanzee. Both chimpanzees developed hepatitis. The {Delta}HVR1 virus initially replicated to low titers, but virus titer increased significantly after mutations appeared in the viral genome. Thus, wild-type HCV without HVR1 was apparently attenuated, suggesting a functional role of HVR1. However, our data indicate that HVR1 is not essential for the viability of HCV, the resolution of infection, or the progression to chronicity.
