Abstract

In 1989 a possible paramyxovirus etiology for giant cell hepatitis was proposed, based on electron micrographic changes seen in the livers of patients with this disease. Collaborative studies, including attempts to transmit the disease to primates, are in progress. Patients with thalassemia in Sardinia, Italy, receive monthly blood transfusions as therapy. Many of these patients have developed chronic hepatitis. Most cases could be identified as hepatitis B or hepatitis C, but some lacked markers of either of these viruses. These patients are being studied for evidence of previously unrecognized hepatitis viruses. The objectives of this project are to identify and characterize new etiologic agents of hepatitis and to develop useful assays for diagnosis of infection and seroepidemiologic studies. A longer term objective is the development of passive and active immunoprophylaxis for these important human pathogens.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01AI000311-11
Application #
3803145
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code

  Publications

Christensen, Peer B; Engle, Ronald E; Hjort, Charlotte et al. (2008) Time trend of the prevalence of hepatitis E antibodies among farmers and blood donors: a potential zoonosis in Denmark. Clin Infect Dis 47:1026-31
Purcell, R H; Emerson, S U (2008) Hepatitis E: an emerging awareness of an old disease. J Hepatol 48:494-503
Easterbrook, J D; Kaplan, J B; Vanasco, N B et al. (2007) A survey of zoonotic pathogens carried by Norway rats in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Epidemiol Infect 135:1192-9
Yu, Claro; Zimmerman, Carl; Stone, Roger et al. (2007) Using improved technology for filter paper-based blood collection to survey wild Sika deer for antibodies to hepatitis E virus. J Virol Methods 142:143-50
Meky, Fatma A; Stoszek, Sonia K; Abdel-Hamid, Mohamed et al. (2006) Active surveillance for acute viral hepatitis in rural villages in the Nile Delta. Clin Infect Dis 42:628-33
Stoszek, Sonia K; Abdel-Hamid, Mohamed; Saleh, Doa'a A et al. (2006) High prevalence of hepatitis E antibodies in pregnant Egyptian women. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 100:95-101
Stoszek, Sonia K; Engle, Ronald E; Abdel-Hamid, Mohamed et al. (2006) Hepatitis E antibody seroconversion without disease in highly endemic rural Egyptian communities. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 100:89-94
Graff, Judith; Nguyen, Hanh; Yu, Claro et al. (2005) The open reading frame 3 gene of hepatitis E virus contains a cis-reactive element and encodes a protein required for infection of macaques. J Virol 79:6680-9
Graff, Judith; Nguyen, Hanh; Kasorndorkbua, Chaiyan et al. (2005) In vitro and in vivo mutational analysis of the 3'-terminal regions of hepatitis e virus genomes and replicons. J Virol 79:1017-26
Emerson, Suzanne U; Arankalle, Vidya A; Purcell, Robert H (2005) Thermal stability of hepatitis E virus. J Infect Dis 192:930-3

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