In Vivo and IN Vitro Studies of Hepatitis E Virus

Emerson, S U.

Abstract

Epidemics of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis (hepatitis E) have been reported in Asia, Africa, and North America but not in the United States or Canada. Similar cases of sporadic hepatitis, presumed to be hepatitis E, account for up to 90% of reported acute hepatitis in countries where hepatitis E is endemic. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been implicated in fulminant hepatitis of pregnancy. This disease has a 20% fatality rate. That a viral agent was responsible for hepatitis E epidemics was first shown in 1983. The genome of HEV consists of a single strand of positive sense RNA that contains 3 open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes nonstructural proteins, ORF2 encodes the principal capsid protein, and ORF3 encodes a protein of unknown function. The goal of this project is to characterize HEV, to determine the extent and pattern of its involvement in enterically transmitted hepatitis, and to develop a vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis E.

Funding Agency

• Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
• Type: Intramural Research (Z01)
• Project #: 1Z01AI000596-07
• Application #: 6160655
• Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel (LID)
• Support Year: 7
• Fiscal Year: 1997

Institution

• Name: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Country: United States

Publications

Graff, Judith; Zhou, Yi-Hua; Torian, Udana et al. (2008) Mutations within potential glycosylation sites in the capsid protein of hepatitis E virus prevent the formation of infectious virus particles. J Virol 82:1185-94

Purcell, R H; Emerson, S U (2008) Hepatitis E: an emerging awareness of an old disease. J Hepatol 48:494-503

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

Zhou, Yi-Hua; Chen, Zhaochun; Purcell, Robert H et al. (2007) Positive reactions on Western blots do not necessarily indicate the epitopes on antigens are continuous. Immunol Cell Biol 85:73-8

Emerson, Suzanne U; Clemente-Casares, Pilar; Moiduddin, Nasser et al. (2006) Putative neutralization epitopes and broad cross-genotype neutralization of Hepatitis E virus confirmed by a quantitative cell-culture assay. J Gen Virol 87:697-704

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

Chen, Zhaochun; Earl, Patricia; Americo, Jeffrey et al. (2006) Chimpanzee/human mAbs to vaccinia virus B5 protein neutralize vaccinia and smallpox viruses and protect mice against vaccinia virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:1882-7

Chen, Zhaochun; Moayeri, Mahtab; Zhou, Yi-Hua et al. (2006) Efficient neutralization of anthrax toxin by chimpanzee monoclonal antibodies against protective antigen. J Infect Dis 193:625-33

Graff, Judith; Torian, Udana; Nguyen, Hanh et al. (2006) A bicistronic subgenomic mRNA encodes both the ORF2 and ORF3 proteins of hepatitis E virus. J Virol 80:5919-26