• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.337-341
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• 1999

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive strand RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family and the major cause of post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis. Vaccine development for HCV is essential but has been slowed by poor understanding of the type of immunity that naturally terminates HCV infection. The DNA-based immunization technique offers the potential advantage of including cellular immune responses against conserved internal proteins of a virus, as well as the generation of antibodies to viral surface proteins. Here, we demonstrate that cell lines expressing the HCV core and/or NS3 proteins can induce a specific CTL response in mice, and these results suggest a possibility that the HCV core and NS3 DNA can be used to induce CTL activity against the antigen in mice and can be further developed as a therapeutic and preventive DNA vaccine.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 1983

By radioimmunoassay, serologic markers of Hepatitis B Virus were studied in 44 patients with acute viral hepatitis, 10 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, 10 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 44 patients with liver cirrhosis and 25 patients with primary hepato cellular carcinoma. The results were follows: 1) HBsAg was present in 77.2% of AVH, 40% of CPH, 80% of CAH, 55.1% of LC and 68 % of PHC. In this HBsAg positive groups, all but one in liver cirrhosis had Anti-HBc. 2) Anti-HBs was most commonly detected in CPR and accompanied by Anti-HBc except one case in AVH. 3) Anti-HBc was the only marker detected in 11.4% of AVH, 20% of CPH, 20% of CAH, 16.3% of LC and 8% of PHC. 4) HBeAg was most commonly found in HBsAg-positive CPH but Anti-HBe was most frequently detected in PHC. 5) The absence of HBV markers was noted in 2.3% of AVH, 10% of CPH, 8% of PHC except CAH and LC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.145-145
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• 2002

Chronic viral infection has been reported to cause a range of hepatic lesion, including hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a wide variety of animal species. Woodchucks (Marmota monax) chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) develop similar progressive hepatic inflammatory and neoplastic lesions that are remarkably similar to those associated with HBV infection in humans. Twenty two-month-old offspring from woodchucks (Marmota monax) experimentally infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus, were purchased. One randomly chosen animal was autopsied. The liver exhibits marked cirrhotic changes characteristic of the pre-transformation phase of WHV. We believe that this may represent a new suitable and cost-effective model for the disease processes associated with hepadnaviruses in a number of other species, most notably Hepatitis B virus infection in man.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2018

The helicase genes and hypervariable regions (HVRs) of three avian hepatitis E viruses (HEVs) detected at three different farms were sequenced and characterized. Two isolates (DW-L and GI-B2) were classified as genotype 2 and one isolate (GR-B) was classified as genotype 1. A phylogenetic tree, based on the helicase gene and HVR nucleotide sequences, revealed the newly detected viruses and other avian HEVs were classified similarly. Unlike previously reported avian HEVs, the DW-L isolate detected in broiler breeders with characteristic lesions of avian HEV had no proline-rich motif in its HVR, suggesting that the proline-rich motif is non-essential for viral replication and infection.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2012

Purpose: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) hepatitis is a usually asymptomatic and self-limiting disease in immunocompetent patients. However, the range of severity is wide, and the serological diagnosis is typically difficult until the convalescent phase. Thus, we examined the value of plasma EBV DNA real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in EBV hepatitis for the timely diagnosis and the relationship between EBV viral load and clinical severity. Methods: Sixty samples were confirmed as having EBV infection by RT-qPCR with the EBV BALF5 gene sequence. We examined the clinical characteristics of EBV hepatitis by reviewing medical records. Results: The median total duration of fever was 8 days (range: 0-13 days). The mean peak value of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was $241{\pm}214$ U/L, and the mean peak value of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was $298{\pm}312$ U/L. There was no correlation between the serum levels of liver enzyme and plasma EBV DNA titer ($p$=0.1) or between median total duration of fever and EBV DNA titer ($p$=0.056). The median age of the EBV VCA IgM-negative group was lower compared with the EBV VCA IgM-positive group in EBV hepatitis (2 years vs. 6 years, $p$=0.0009). Conclusion: The severity of EBV hepatitis does not correlate with circulating EBV DNA load according to our data. Furthermore, we suggest that plasma EBV PCR may be valuable in young infants in whom the results of serology test for EBV infection commonly are negative.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.186-192
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• 2001

A primary culture of human fetal hepatocytes was obtained through a therapeutic abortion process at 26 weeks of gestation period. More than $10^8$ cells were seeded on a plastic plate. These hepatocytes were infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). The HBV was purified from serum of one chronic HBV carrier. Transformed hepatocytes were subcultured in a 10% FBS-supplemented medium. The morphology of the transformed cell was epithelial-like. The cells from the first pass showed signs of early proliferation and had a latent period of more than 3 months after 6-7 passages. After the rest period, the transformed cell proliferated actively and they were subcultured every three days. Transformed hepatocytes were characterized by detection of the HBV transcript by RT-PCR. The secretion of virions from transformed cells was investigated by PCR with the cell medium. Two types of virions secreted into the culture medium were examined by using the transmission electron microscope. Another approach to study the secretion of virions in to culture medium was carried out with HBV antibody. HBsAg was detected in the culture medium of transformed cells using ELISA and Western blot analyses. These data suggested that the human fetal hepatocyte cell line has been established by infection of HBV, in which this cell line secreted viral particles into the culture medium.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.411-429
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• 1997

Recent survey shows that chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatoma is the third leading causes for death in Korea. In oriental medicine, viral hepatitis is related to Hwangdal(黃疸) and alcoholic liver disease is related to Joosang(酒傷). ARTEMISIAE HERBA and PUERARIAE RADIX have long been used in treating those symptoms. This study was done to evaluate the effect of AR1EMISIAE HERBA and PUERARIAE RADIX on viral and alcoholic hepatitis. ARTEMISIAE HERBA and PUERARIAE RADIX were decocted respectively with water and followed by vaccum evaporation. The solution was diluted to adequate concentration. Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this experiment. Each group was given PUERARIAE RADIX or ARTEMISIAE HERBA solution orally and CCl4, d-galactosamine or alcohol was given orally 30 minutes later. After 24 hours of starvation, blood samples were taken to check serum GOT, GPT, LDH and ALP activities, TC, TG, glucose and BUN levels. These results show that ARTEMISIAE HERBA has better effect on liver injury induced by d-Galactosamine than PUERARIAE RADIX and that both ARTEMISIAE HERBA and PUERARlAE RADIX have good effect on acute alcoholic liver disease while in the liver injury induced by $CCl_{4}$, PUERARIAE RADIX has better inhibitory effect on serum AST, ALT and ALP levels and ARTEMISIAE HERBA has better inhibitory effect on serum total cholesterol and triglyceride. And the result that high concentration group has better effect shows these effects are concentration-dependent. Further study on the mechanism of these herbs is still required.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.529-536
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• 2005

Viral infection causes stress to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), is designed to eliminate misfolded proteins and allow the cell to recover. The role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) non-structural protein NS4B, a component of the HCV replicons that induce UPR, is incompletely understood. We demonstrate that HCV NS4B could induce activating transcription factor (ATF6) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), to favor the HCV subreplicon and HCV viral replication. HCV NS4B activated the IRE1 pathway, as indicated by splicing of X box-binding protein (Xbp-1) mRNA. However, transcriptional activation of the XBP-1 target gene, EDEM (ER degradation-enhancing $\alpha-mannosidase-like$ protein, a protein degradation factor), was inhibited. These results imply that NS4B might induce UPR through ATF6 and IRE1-XBP1 pathways, but might also modify the outcome to benefit HCV or HCV subreplicon replication.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.997-1003
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• 2008

Viral safety is a prerequisite for manufacturing clinical antihemophilic factor VIII concentrates from human plasma. With particular regard to the hepatitis A virus (HAV), a terminal dry-heat treatment ($100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min) process, following lyophilization, was developed to improve the virus safety of a solvent/detergent-treated antihemophilic factor VIII concentrate. The loss of factor VIII activity during dry-heat treatment was of about 5%. No substantial changes were observed in the physical and biochemical characteristics of the dry-heat-treated factor VIII compared with those of the factor VIII before dry-heat treatment. The dry-heat-treated factor VIII was stable for up to 24 months at $4^{\circ}C$. The dry-heat treatment after lyophilization was an effective process for inactivating viruses. The HAV, murine encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were completely inactivated to below detectable levels within 10 min of the dry-heat treatment. Bovine herpes virus (BHV) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were potentially sensitive to the treatment. However porcine parvovirus (PPV) was slightly resistant to the treatment. The log reduction factors achieved during lyophilization and dry-heat treatment were ${\geq}5.55$ for HAV, ${\geq}5.87$ for EMCV, ${\geq}5.15$ for HIV, 6.13 for BHV, 4.46 for BVDV, and 1.90 for PPV. These results indicate that dry-heat treatment improves the virus safety of factor VIII concentrates, without destroying the activity. Moreover, the treatment represents an effective measure for the inactivation of non-lipid-enveloped viruses, in particular HAV, which is resistant to solvent/detergent treatment.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2020

Chronic hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection remains a major health threat, especially in high-prevalence areas. Most infants infected by mother-to-infant HBV transmission become chronic carriers. In Taiwan, many important preventive interventions have been implemented to block the perinatal transmission of HBV in the past 35 years. The first nationwide universal HBV vaccination program was launched in Taiwan in July 1984. The three-dose HBV vaccine completion rate reached 98.1% in 2018. The prevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decreased from 9.8% in pre-vaccinated period in 1984 to 0.5% in the vaccinated cohort in 2014. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children aged 6-9 years significantly declined from 0.52 to 0.13 per 100,000 children born before and after 1984, respectively. Furthermore, we have performed a maternal HBV screening program during pregnancy since 1984, with the screening rate peaked at 93% in 2012. The HBsAg- and HBeAg-seropositive rate in pregnant women declined from 13.4% and 6.4% in 1984-1985 to 5.9% and 1.0% in 2016, respectively. To closely control perinatal HBV infection, we have administered hepatitis B immunoglobulin immediately after birth and checked the serum level of HBsAg and anti-HBs in high-risk babies born to HBsAg-seropositive mothers, irrespective of their HBeAg status, since July 2019. We have also adopted short-term antiviral treatments such as tenofovir 300 mg daily in the third trimester for highly viremic mothers and reduced the perinatal infection rates from 10.7 to 1.5%. Through all these efforts, we expect to meet the global goal of eliminating HBV infection by 2030.