Kinetic study of the replication of a cell-culture-adapted hepatitis A virus.

The kinetics of replication of hepatitis A virus (LCDC-01) was studied in foetal rhesus monkey kidney cells (FRhK-4). Cells infected at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 2.0 showed no viral antigen production until 12 h post-infection using radioimmuno assay (RIA); however, at 48 h post-infection a logarithmic increase in antigen concentration began, which peaked by day 7. Similar patterns were observed with cultures infected with lower MOI (0.20 and 0.02) but events were delayed by about 24 h. In contrast, detection of antigen by fluorescence antibody methods occurred at only 72 h after inoculation, with either 2.0 or 0.02 MOI, and peaked by day 9. The production of infectious virus did not begin until 24 h post-infection as measured by RIA and gradually peaked by day 6. Viral RNA was first detected 24 h post-infection by hybridization assay. The amount of viral RNA in the infected cells increased significantly between days 4 to 7. Restriction in the synthesis of RNA or infectious virus was not observed.