Serum­derived hepatitis C virus can infect human glioblastoma cell line SF268 and activate the PI3K­Akt pathway.

Extra­hepatic manifestations are frequently observed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)­infected patients; however the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, the human glioblastoma SF268 cell line (the precise origin of the cell type is not clear) was infected with HCV using HCV­positive serum, and viral replication was assessed by immunofluorescence, reverse transcription­polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR and western blotting following infection. HCV core protein and HCV RNA were detected in HCV­positive serum­infected SF268 cells at day 4 post­infection, while no infection was observed in cells exposed to HCV­negative serum. The mean HCV RNA levels at day 4 post­infection were up to 5.00 IU/ml log10; however, HCV RNA and immunostaining for core protein were negative when cultured to day 6 or longer. The data suggest that human glioblastoma SF268 cells were transiently infected with HCV. AKT serine/threonine kinase phosphorylation was also detected in HCV­infected SF268 cells at day 4 post­infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that a human glioblastoma cell line can be infected with serum­derived HCV. The results provide evidence that HCV infection can occur in cells of the central nervous system. Neurological disorder­associated phosphoinositide 3­kinase­AKT signaling pathway was activated in parallel with HCV infection, suggesting that SF268 may serve as an in vitro model for investigating HCV­nervous system cell interactions.