Aggarwal R, Kamili S, Spelbring J, Krawczynski K
Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
J Infect Dis. 2001 Dec 1;184(11):1380-5. doi: 10.1086/324376. Epub 2001 Oct 26.
Serial subclinical transmission among susceptible humans may serve as a reservoir of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in areas in which HEV is endemic. This hypothesis was investigated in an experimental primate model. Four groups of 4 cynomolgus macaques each were inoculated intravenously with 10(4)-10(5) (group 1), 10-100 (group 2), and 1-10 (group 3) cynomolgus macaque HEV infectious doses. All 4 animals in group 1 had clinical disease marked by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation, fecal virus excretion, viremia, and seroconversion. Of the animals in groups 2 and 3, only 1 had evidence of biochemical hepatitis, although most had virus excretion and viremia (3 animals each in groups 2 and 3), and evidence of seroconversion (1 animal in group 2 and 3 animals in group 3). Viral genomic titers in stool specimens of animals with or without ALT elevation were similar. Infectivity studies confirmed the viability and transmission potential of the virus excreted by animals without ALT elevation. These data suggest that subclinical HEV infection may represent an HEV reservoir.
在戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）流行地区，易感人群中的连续亚临床传播可能成为HEV的储存宿主。该假设在一个实验性灵长类动物模型中进行了研究。将四组食蟹猴（每组4只）分别静脉接种10⁴-10⁵（第1组）、10-100（第2组）和1-10（第3组）个食蟹猴HEV感染剂量。第1组的所有4只动物均出现以丙氨酸氨基转移酶（ALT）升高、粪便病毒排泄、病毒血症和血清学转换为特征的临床疾病。在第2组和第3组动物中，只有1只出现生化性肝炎的证据，尽管大多数动物有病毒排泄和病毒血症（第2组和第3组各有3只动物），以及血清学转换的证据（第2组有1只动物，第3组有3只动物）。有或无ALT升高的动物粪便标本中的病毒基因组滴度相似。感染性研究证实了无ALT升高的动物所排泄病毒的生存能力和传播潜力。这些数据表明，亚临床HEV感染可能代表一个HEV储存宿主。
