Open AccessIdentification and transmission of hepatitis B virus-related variants.
Author(s) -
Jack R. Wands,
Yumiko Fujita,
Kurt J. Isselbacher,
Claude Degott,
Huub Schellekens,
MarieChristine Dazza,
Valérie Thiers,
Pierre Tiollais,
C. Bréchot
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.83.17.6608
Subject(s) - virology , infectivity , hepatitis b virus , biology , epitope , hepatitis b virus pre beta , virus , antigen , hepatitis b , hepadnaviridae , hepatitis , nucleic acid , hbsag , hepatitis b virus dna polymerase , immunology , genetics
We have identified long-incubation viral agents that share epitopes with hepatitis B virus (HBV). During chimpanzee infectivity studies, these agents may be recognized in the liver since they possess complementary nucleic acid sequences with HBV DNA; the genomic size was found to be 3.2 kilobases, identical to that of HBV. Liver injury was produced and there was antigen expression in hepatocytes. Chimpanzees were not protected by prior immunization with hepatitis B surface antigen; conversely, they were still susceptible to HBV after recovery from infection with such agents. These findings suggest that these hepatitis B virus-related variants appear to be immunologically distinct from HBV.
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