Evidence of hepatitis E virus replication on cell cultures. |
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| Authors: | M Divizia R Gabrieli A M Degener E Renganathan J Pillot M L Stefanoni E el Ghazzawi O A Kader F Gamil G el Sawaf E Saleh E el Sherbini A Panà |
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| Institution: | Department of Public Health, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy. |
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| Abstract: | Several human and animal cell lines have been used to grow hepatitis E virus. The strain SAR-55 was adapted only on PLF/PLC/5 cell line without any visible cytopathic effect. The growth of the SAR-55 was monitored by examining the positive and the negative strands of HEV-RNA. Stool samples, obtained from hospitalised acute hepatitis patients at the Fever Hospital of Alexandria (Egypt), were used to confirm the susceptibility of PLF/PLC/5 cells. After more than one-week's cultivation, three stool samples out of 17 IgM anti-HEV positive and 1 from 52 IgG anti-HEV positive patients showed a specific RT-PCR amplification product. The nucleotide sequences of the methyltransferase region of the genome in the isolates revealed the maximum homology with Burma strain with several point mutations. |
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