Intrahepatic innate immune response pathways are downregulated in untreated chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistence and the pathobiology of chronic HBV (CHB) infections result from the interplay between viral replication and host immune responses. We aimed to comprehensively analyse the expression of intrahepatic host genes as well as serum and liver HBV markers in a large cohort of untreated CHB patients. METHODS: One-hundred and five CHB patients untreated at the time of liver biopsy (34 HBeAg[+] and 71 HBeAg[-]) were analysed for the intrahepatic expression profile of 67 genes belonging to multiple innate immunity pathways. Results were correlated to serological (quantification of HBsAg [qHBsAg] and HBV DNA) and intrahepatic viral markers (total HBV DNA, pre-genomic RNA and covalently closed circular HBV DNA). RESULTS: Intrahepatic gene expression profiling revealed a strong downregulation of antiviral effectors, interferon stimulated genes, Toll-like and pathogen recognition receptor pathways in CHB patients as compared to non-infected controls, which was not directly correlated to HBV replication. A subset of genes [CXCL10, GBP1, IFITM1, IFNB1, IL10, IL6, ISG15, TLR3, SOCS1, SOCS3] was more repressed in HBeAg(-) respect to HBeAg(+) patients (median of serum HBV DNA 7.9×103vs. 7.9×107IU/ml, respectively). Notably, HBeAg(-) patients with lower qHBsAg (<5×103IU/ml) showed a relief of repression of genes belonging to multiple pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a strong impairment of innate immune responses in the liver of CHB patients. The association of low levels of qHBsAg with gene repression, if confirmed, might prove useful for the identification of patients who would most benefit from immune-modulators and/or HBsAg targeting agents as strategies to restore immune responsiveness. LAY SUMMARY: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections represent a major public health problem worldwide. Over 200 million people are chronically infected and at risk of developing chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and cancer. Our work aimed to understand the molecular consequences of chronic hepatitis B in the infected liver. It was conducted in a large cohort of untreated chronically infected HBV patients and analysed the expression of immunity and liver disease-related genes in the liver, with respect to markers of viral replication and persistence. Our results indicate that chronic HBV infection has a suppressive effect on immune responses, which was more pronounced with high levels of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg). These data provide novel insight into the mechanisms of HBV persistence in the liver and suggest that approaches aimed at reducing HBsAg levels, may restore immune responsiveness against the virus.

Interactions between hepatitis B virus and aflatoxin B(1): effects on p53 induction in HepaRG cells.

Infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and dietary exposure to aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) are the main risk factors for the development of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). How these factors cooperate is still largely unknown. AFB(1) activation leads to DNA adduction and mutagenesis, with a specific mutation at codon 249 in TP53 (p.R249S). So far, only limited studies have addressed the effects of AFB(1) on HBV replication. We have analysed the effects of both risk factors on p53 induction during HBV infection in HepaRG, a cell line with hepatocyte-like morphology that metabolizes AFB(1) and supports HBV infection. Exposure to AFB(1) up to 5 µM induced a downregulation of HBV replication after 48 h, as measured by a decrease in viral antigens in the culture medium (HBsAg, HBeAg and large envelope protein) and in intracellular levels of HBV transcripts, DNA and HBsAg. Conversely, HBV infection did not significantly modify AFB(1)-DNA adduct formation or repair as assessed by immunodot-blot assay, and the induction of p53 in response to AFB(1) was similar in infected and non-infected HepaRG cells. Overall, our results suggest that AFB(1) exposure decreases HBV replication, whereas DNA damage by AFB(1) and subsequent p53 induction is not affected by the presence of the virus. Thus, in HepaRG cell line, AFB(1) and HBV do not cooperate to increase DNA damage by AFB(1). Further studies on the effects of both factors in a context of chronicity are needed to better understand synergistic effects.

Long-term propagation of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) with production of enveloped HCV particles in human HepaRG hepatocytes.

UNLABELLED: HepaRG human liver progenitor cells exhibit morphology and functionality of adult hepatocytes. We investigated the susceptibility of HepaRG hepatocytes to in vitro infection with serum-derived hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles (HCVsp) and the potential neutralizing activity of the E1E2-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) D32.10. The infection was performed using HCVsp when the cells actively divided at day 3 postplating. HCV RNA, E1E2, and core antigens were quantified in HCV particles recovered from culture supernatants of differentiated cells for up to 66 days. The density distributions of particles were analyzed on iodixanol or sucrose gradients. Electron microscopy (EM) and immune-EM studies were performed for ultrastructural analysis of cells and localization of HCV E1E2 proteins in thin sections. HCV infection of HepaRG cells was documented by increasing production of E1E2-core-RNA(+) HCV particles from day 21 to day 63. Infectious particles sedimented between 1.06 and 1.12 g/mL in iodixanol gradients. E1E2 and core antigens were expressed in 50% of HCV-infected cells at day 31. The D32.10 mAb strongly inhibited HCV RNA production in HepaRG culture supernatants. Infected HepaRG cells frozen at day 56 were reseeded at low density. After only 1-3 subcultures and induction of a cell differentiation process the HepaRG cells produced high titer HCV RNA and thus showed to be sustainably infected. Apolipoprotein B-associated empty E1E2 and complete HCV particles were secreted. Characteristic virus-induced intracellular membrane changes and E1E2 protein-association to vesicles were observed. CONCLUSION: HepaRG progenitor cells permit HCVsp infection. Differentiated HepaRG cells support long-term production of infectious lipoprotein-associated enveloped HCV particles. The E1E2-specific D32.10 mAb neutralizes the infection and this cellular model could be used as a surrogate infection system for the screening of entry inhibitors.

Impact of patatin-like phospholipase-3 (rs738409 C>G) polymorphism on fibrosis progression and steatosis in chronic hepatitis C.

UNLABELLED: Only 20% of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) will develop cirrhosis, and fibrosis progression remains highly unpredictable. A recent genome-wide association study identified a genetic variant in the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene (rs738409 C>G) associated with steatosis that was further demonstrated to influence severity of fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of this polymorphism on histological liver damage and response to antiviral therapy in CHC. We recruited 537 Caucasian CHC patients from three European centers (Brussels, Belgium [n = 229]; Hannover, Germany [n = 171]; Lyon, France [n = 137]); these patients were centrally genotyped for the PNPLA3 (rs738409 C>G) polymorphism. We studied the influence of rs738409 and other variants in the PNPLA3 region on steatosis and fibrosis assessed both in a cross-sectional and longitudinal manner. Seven other variants previously associated with fibrosis progression were included. Finally, we explored the impact of rs738409 on response to standard antiviral therapy using the interferon lambda 3 (IL28B) [rs12979860 C>T] variant both as a comparator and as a positive control. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and diabetes, rs738409 mutant G allele homozygote carriers remained at higher risk for steatosis (odds ratio [OR] 2.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-6.03, P = 0.034), fibrosis (OR 3.13, 95% CI 1.50-6.51, P = 0.002), and fibrosis progression (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.22-5.67, P = 0.013). Conversely, rs738409 was not independently associated with treatment failure (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.46-2.49, P = 0.875) and did not influence clinical or biological variables. CONCLUSION: The PNPLA3 (rs738409 C>G) polymorphism favors steatosis and fibrosis progression in CHC. This polymorphism may represent a valuable genetic predictor and a potential therapeutic target in CHC liver damage.

Pharmacological inhibition of Frizzled-7 displays anti-tumor properties in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We previously reported the frequent overexpression of the FZD7 membrane receptor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its role for controlling cancer phenotype. Herein, this study aimed at assessing the anticancer properties of compounds inhibiting FZD7 activity by disrupting its binding with the cytosolic Dishevelled (DVL) adaptator. METHODS: We have designed small interfering peptides (RHPDs) that are able to enter within cells and to competitively antagonize the binding of FZD7 to the PDZ domain of DVL. Their anti-neoplastic properties were assessed in vitro on a panel of human HCC cell lines and in vivo on the SV40-TAg transgenic mouse model of HCC. RESULTS: We have shown that RHPDs decrease cell viability via apoptosis depending on their affinity for PDZ, with a therapeutic index between cancerous and non-cancerous cells. RHPD properties were linked to ß-catenin degradation and PKCδ activation. In transgenic mice, intra-tumor injection of RHPDs inhibited HCC progression. CONCLUSIONS: We have completed a proof-of-concept showing that in vitro and in vivo the pharmacological inhibition of FZD7 displays anti-cancerous properties against HCC. The mechanisms can involve ß-catenin and PKCδ modulations. Further studies are warranted to design protocols showing the compatibility with systemic in vivo applications.

Role of a cirrhosis risk score for the early prediction of fibrosis progression in hepatitis C patients with minimal liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is highly variable. A Cirrhosis Risk Score (CRS) based on seven genetic variants has been recently developed for identifying patients at risk for cirrhosis. The objective of this study was to assess the role of the CRS for the early prediction of fibrosis progression in CHC patients with mild liver fibrosis. In addition, we evaluated the potential benefit, for prediction accuracy, of a recently described non-invasive fibrosis staging assay, the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test. METHODS: Two separate cohorts of HCV patients (Brussels, Belgium/Hannover, Germany) were retrospectively analyzed. Only patients with a fibrosis Ishak or METAVIR score of F0-F1 at baseline were included. Patients were classified as progressors if they showed an increase ≥2 fibrosis stages at the second histological evaluation after a follow-up ≥5years. The CRS was calculated locally. Genotyping was performed by PCR and oligonucleotide ligation with the resulting signal detected with a Luminex® 200TM and computer analysis. RESULTS: In Brussels, 12/25 patients progressed (48%); similarly in Hannover, 16/31 (52%) patients progressed. In both sample sets, the CRS was significantly associated with fibrosis progression (p=0.050 in Brussels; p=0.018 in Hannover). The ELF test was only a significant predictor in Hannover (p=0.015). In multivariate analysis the CRS remained the only variable associated with fibrosis progression (odds-ratio=2.23, 95%CI 1.21-4.11 p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although conducted on a limited number of patients, this study in two independent centres confirms that the CRS predicts fibrosis progression in initially mild CHC.

Association of anti-E1E2 antibodies with spontaneous recovery or sustained viral response to therapy in patients infected with hepatitis C virus.

UNLABELLED: The monoclonal antibody (mAb) D32.10 recognizes a discontinuous epitope encompassing three regions E1 (amino acids 297-306), E2A (amino acids 480-494), and E2B (amino acids 613-621) juxtaposed on the surface of serum-derived hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles (HCVsp). The mAb D32.10 inhibits efficiently and specifically the binding of HCVsp to human hepatocytes. Therefore, we investigated the clinical relevance of anti-E1E2A,B response in the serum of patients infected with HCV. To this end, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using synthetic E1-, E2A-, and E2B-derived peptides was used. The ELISA was validated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and test efficiency. The detection of the anti-E1E2 D32.10 epitope-binding antibodies during natural HCV infection in more than 300 HCV-positive sera demonstrated significantly (P < 0.001) higher prevalence of these antibodies: (1) in patients who spontaneously cured HCV infection (46 of 52, 88.5%) showing high titers (70% ≥ 1/1000) compared to never-treated patients with chronic hepatitis C (7 of 50, 14%) who actively replicated the virus, and (2) in complete responders (20 of 52, 38.5%) who cleared virus following treatment and achieved a sustained viral response compared to nonresponders (4 of 40, 10%). Serum anti-E1E2 antibodies were monitored before, during, and after the current standard-of-care therapy (pegylated interferon plus ribavirin) in responder and nonresponder patients. Optimal cutoff values were assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. One month prior to therapy initiation, the threshold of 1131 (optical density × 1000) gave 100% and 86% positive and negative predictive values, respectively, for achieving or not achieving a sustained viral response. CONCLUSION: The anti-E1E2 D32.10 epitope-binding antibodies are associated with control of HCV infection and may represent a new relevant prognostic marker in serum. This unique D32.10 mAb may also have immunotherapeutic potential.

Hepatitis B virus replication in primary macaque hepatocytes: crossing the species barrier toward a new small primate model.

UNLABELLED: The development of new anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapies, especially immunotherapeutic approaches, has been limited by the lack of a primate model more accessible than chimpanzees. We have previously demonstrated that sylvanus and cynomolgus macaques are susceptible to in vivo HBV infection after intrahepatic HBV DNA inoculation. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of primary macaque hepatocytes (PMHs) to HBV infection with a highly efficient HBV genome-mediated transfer system via a recombinant baculovirus (Bac-HBV). Freshly prepared PMHs, isolated from macaque liver tissue by collagenase perfusion, were transduced with Bac-HBV, and intermediates of replication were followed for 9 days post-transduction. Evidence of HBV replication (hepatitis B surface antigen secretion, viral DNA, RNA, and covalently closed circular DNA) was detected from day 1 to day 9 post-transduction. HBV markers were dose-dependent and still detectable at a multiplicity of infection of 10. Importantly, transduced PMHs secreted all typical forms of HBV particles, as evidenced by a cesium chloride gradient as well as transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand was used to stimulate freshly prepared macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells to generate TLR9-induced cytokines. We then demonstrated the antiviral effects of both TLR9-induced cytokines and nucleoside analogue (lamivudine) on HBV replication in transduced PMHs. CONCLUSION: Baculovirus-mediated genome transfer initiated a full HBV replication cycle in PMHs; thus highlighted both the baculovirus efficiency in crossing the species barrier and macaque susceptibility to HBV infection. Moreover, our results demonstrate the relevance of thus system for antiviral compound evaluations with either nucleoside analogues or inhibitory cytokines. Cynomolgus macaques are readily available, are immunologically closely related to humans, and may therefore represent a promising model for the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies.

Expression of E1E2 on hepatitis C RNA-containing particles released from primary cultured human hepatocytes derived from infected cirrhotic livers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether liver-derived hepatitis C RNA-containing particles express the E1E2 discontinuous antigenic determinant defined by unique monoclonal antibody (mAb) D32.10 which recognizes three highly conserved segments in E1 (aa297-306) and E2 (aa480-494 and aa613-621) envelope glycoproteins. METHODS: Human hepatocytes were isolated from HCV-infected cirrhotic explanted livers. The liver-derived hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles released from three distinct cultures (genotypes 1b and 2b) were characterized. HCV RNA+ was quantified by real-time RT-PCR. The E1E2 antigenic activity was assessed by indirect ELISA and immunoblotting using D32.10. The density distributions of HCV RNA and E1E2 antigen were determined by isopycnic sucrose density gradients. HCV E1E2, E2 and core antigens were detected in the cells by immunochemical staining. RESULTS: Liver-derived HCV particles contained HCV RNA (106-107 copies/mg of protein) and core proteins and expressed the E1E2/D32.10 epitope. HCV RNA and E1E2 cosedimented between 1.15 and 1.25 g/ml in sucrose gradients. Moreover, the mAb D32.10 detected E1E2 by immunostaining in HCV-infected hepatocytes in parallel with E2 and core antigens. CONCLUSION: Our results provide evidence that the mAb D32.10 recognizes E1E2 envelope complexes expressed in the cell cytoplasm and on the surface of HCV RNA-containing particles released from short-term cultures of in vivo infected hepatocytes.

Anti-E1E2 antibodies status prior therapy favors direct-acting antiviral treatment efficacy.

INTRODUCTION: Presence of anti-E1E2 antibodies was previously associated with spontaneous cure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and predictive before treatment of a sustained virological response (SVR) to bi- or tri-therapy in naïve or experienced patients, regardless of HCV genotype. We investigated the impact of anti-E1E2 seroprevalence at baseline on treatment response in patients receiving direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We screened anti-E1E2 antibodies by ELISA in serum samples collected at treatment initiation for two groups of patients: 59 with SVR at the end of DAA treatment and 44 relapsers after DAA treatment. Nineteen patients received a combination of ribavirin (RBV) or PEG-interferon/ribavirin with sofosbuvir or daclatasvir and others received interferon-free treatment with DAA±RBV. HCV viral load was measured at different time points during treatment in a subgroup of patients. RESULTS: A significant association was observed between presence of anti-E1E2 and HCV viral load<6log10 prior treatment. Among patients with anti-E1E2 at baseline, 70% achieved SVR whereas among patients without anti-E1E2, only 45% achieved SVR. Conversely, 66% of patients experiencing DAA-failure were anti-E1E2 negative at baseline. In the multivariate analysis, presence of anti-E1E2 was significantly associated with SVR after adjustment on potential cofounders such as age, sex, fibrosis stage, prior HCV treatment and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of anti-E1E2 at treatment initiation is a predictive factor of SVR among patients treated with DAA and more likely among patients with low initial HCV viral load (<6log10). Absence of anti-E1E2 at baseline could predict DAA-treatment failure.

Anti-E1E2 antibodies do predict response to triple therapy in treatment-experienced Hepatitis C Virus-cirrhosis cases.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We previously showed that pre-treatment serum anti-E1E2 predicted hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA viral kinetics (VKs) and treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving pegylated interferon/ribavirin (Peg-IFN/RBV) double therapy. Here, we determined whether baseline anti-E1E2 was correlated with the on-treatment VK and could predict virological outcome in treatment-experienced HCV-infected cirrhotic patients receiving protease inhibitor-based triple therapy. METHODS: Sera from 19 patients with HCV genotype 1 infection and compensated cirrhosis who failed to respond to a prior course of Peg-IFN/RBV were selected at time 0 before starting triple therapy with boceprevir or telaprevir. We assessed patients with sustained viral response 12 weeks after the end of triple therapy (SVR12) by analyzing VKs at weeks 4, 12, 24, 36, 48 (end of treatment) and 60. RESULTS: Patients baseline characteristics were similar to the well-defined CUPIC cohort (age, HCV subtype, baseline viremia, and treatment history). Among the 19 patients, 11 achieved an SVR12. Fifteen patients were positive for pre-treatment anti-E1E2 and all of them achieved SVR12. Moreover, anti-E1E2 and SVR12 correlated with prior response to IFN/RBV therapy (relapse, partial or null response). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline anti-E1E2 could be considered as a new biomarker to predict SVR12 after triple therapy in this most difficult-to-treat population. These results warrant further validation on larger cohorts including patients receiving highly effective direct-acting antivirals to explore whether this test could help in better defining treatment duration for these very costly molecules.

Pretreatment predictive factors for hepatitis C therapy outcome: relevance of anti-E1E2 antibodies compared to IP-10 and IL28B genotypes.

BACKGROUND: Unique serum anti-E1E2 antibodies were shown to be associated with spontaneous recovery or predictive of sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) therapy. The objectives were to establish the relationship between pretreatment anti-E1E2 titres and HCV RNA kinetics during PEG-IFN/RBV therapy, and to examine whether the combined determination of interleukin (IL)28B rs12979860 and rs8099917, pretreatment inducible protein (IP)-10 levels and/or anti-E1E2 improved the prediction of SVR. METHODS: Sera from 26 treatment-naive consecutive HCV patients treated with PEG-IFN/RBV for 48 weeks were analysed. Serum anti-E1E2 titres and pretreatment IP-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The IL28B variants were determined using genotyping real-time polymerase chain reaction method. Viral decline was measured at weeks (W) 4 and 12 and SVR assessed 6 months after the end of therapy. RESULTS: Baseline anti-E1E2 titres were correlated with HCV RNA decline at W4 and W12 and were highly predictive of SVR with 100% of patients negative for anti-E1E2 failing to achieve SVR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses indicate that the best prediction of SVR (AUC 0.990) was obtained with the combination of anti-E1E2 and IP-10 levels. Predictive values were better than those obtained with IP-10 alone or in combination with IL28B variants. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment serum anti-E1E2 response predicts HCV RNA clearance kinetics and treatment outcome. The combination of anti-E1E2 and IP-10 significantly improved the prediction of treatment response. This warrants further investigation and validation on larger cohorts of patients in the context of new therapeutic strategies.

Infection with hepatitis B and C viruses and risk of lymphoid malignancies in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

BACKGROUND: Case-control studies suggested a moderate, but consistent, association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with lymphoid tissue malignancies, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). More limited data suggested that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection might also be associated with NHL. However, prospective studies on the topic are few. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in eight countries participating in the EPIC prospective study. Seven hundred thirty-nine incident cases of NHL, 238 multiple myeloma (MM), and 46 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) were matched with 2,028 controls. Seropositivity to anti-HCV, anti-HBc, and HBsAg was evaluated and conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for NHL, MM, or HL, and their combination. RESULTS: Anti-HCV seropositivity among controls in different countries ranged from 0% to 5.3%; HBsAg from 0% to 2.7%; and anti-HBc from 1.9% to 45.9%. Similar nonsignificant associations were found with seropositivity to HBsAg for NHL (OR = 1.78; 95% CI: 0.78-4.04), MM (OR = 4.00; 95% CI: 1.00-16.0), and HL (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 0.13-32.0). The association between HBsAg and the combination of NHL, MM, and HL (OR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.12-4.33) was similar for cancer diagnosed less than 3 and 3 or more years after blood collection. No significant association was found between anti-HCV and NHL, MM, or HL risk, but the corresponding CIs were very broad. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic HBV infection may increase the risk of lymphoid malignancies among healthy European volunteers. IMPACT: Treatment directed at control of HBV infection should be evaluated in HBsAg-seropositive patients with lymphoid tissue malignancies.

Enveloped particles in the serum of chronic hepatitis C patients.

HCV particles were isolated from the plasma of chronically infected patients. The virus was analysed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The fractions were tested for viral RNA, core antigen and envelope proteins by using a monoclonal antibody directed against the natural E1E2 complex (D32.10). Two populations of particles containing RNA plus core antigen were separated: the first with a density of 1.06-1.08 g/ml did not contain the envelope proteins; the second with a density between 1.17 and 1.21 g/ml expressed both E1 and E2 glycoproteins. Electron microscopy of the enveloped population after immunoprecipitation with D32.10 showed spherical particles with a rather featureless surface and with a diameter around 40 nm. Immuno-gold staining gave evidence that the E1E2 complex was indeed positioned at the surface of these particles.

Dynamic analysis of hepatitis C virus replication and quasispecies selection in long-term cultures of adult human hepatocytes infected in vitro.

Primary human hepatocytes were used to develop a culture model for in vitro propagation of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Production of positive- strand full-length viral RNA in cells and culture supernatants was monitored by PCR methods targeting three regions of the viral genome: the 5' NCR, the 3' X-tail and the envelope glycoprotein E2. De novo synthesis of negative-strand RNA was also demonstrated. Evidence for a gradual increase in viral components over a 3 month period was obtained by two quantitative assays: one for evaluation of genomic titre (quantitative PCR) and one for detection of the core antigen. Production of infectious viral particles was indicated by passage of infection to naive hepatocyte cultures. Reproducibility of the experiments was assessed using cultures from three liver donors and eleven sera. Neither the genotype, nor the genomic titre, nor the anti-HCV antibody content, were reliable predictive factors of serum infectivity, while the liver donor appeared to play a role in the establishment of HCV replication. Quasispecies present in hepatocyte cultures established from three different liver donors were analysed by sequencing hypervariable region 1 of the E2 protein. In all three cases, the complexity of viral quasispecies decreased after in vitro infection, but the major sequences recovered were different. These data strongly suggest that human primary hepatocytes are a valuable model for study of persistent and complete HCV replication in vitro and for identification of the factors (viral and/or cellular) associated with successful infection.

The predictive value of core antigen testing for the management of hepatitis C patients receiving pegylated interferon/ribavirin treatment.

A new quantitative marker of HCV viremia based on the detection of the core antigen of the virus has recently become commercially available in Europe. The usefulness of this test was examined for the management of patients treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. One hundred twenty-eight pegylated interferon/ribavirin treated patients were studied. Serum samples were available at baseline, week 4 and week 12 time-points, respectively. Core antigen was quantified using the trak-C assay (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ). For all genotypes at week 4, the positive and negative predictive values of HCV core antigen were 81.4 and 92.9%, respectively, while at week 12 they were 67.9 and 100%, respectively. These predictive values varied substantially according to viral genotype. Among patients with a negative core antigen level (<1.5 pg/ml) at week 12, only 33% of those who were positive at week 4 achieved a sustained virological response whereas 85% of those who were already negative did (P < 0.001). The core antigen assay may be used at week 4 and week 12 to distinguish patients who will achieve a sustained virological response from those who will relapse/breakthrough. This assay is a new reliable alternative for early prediction of virological non-response in patients treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin.